Senior Project Officer I – Crop Value – Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA)

Agriculture

Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA)

BACKGROUND:

The Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) has been established by the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to identify and address systemic bottlenecks to Ethiopia’s agricultural development. The Agency does this through problem-solving, implementation support, and capacity building of stakeholders involved in implementation of interventions that address the systemic bottlenecks. The Agency reports to a Transformation Council chaired by the Prime Minister and whose co-chair is the Minister of Agriculture. 

The programmatic focus of the Agency responds to a core set of needs identified by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Transformation Council. Within the Agency, issues are divided into four different groups:  Production and Productivity which includes Inputs and Crop Protection, Livestock, Research and Extension, Mechanization, Rural Finance & Agro-Processing Value Addition; Agribusiness and Markets including Market Services, Market Infrastructure, Commercial & Contract Farming, Domestic and Export Market Development, and Cooperatives Development; Environmentally Sustainable and Inclusive Agricultural Growth including Sustainable Irrigation & Watershed Management, Sustainable Land Management, Gender Equality and Nutrition, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, and Planning and MLE; and Enhanced Implementation Capacity which includes ICT, Private Sector, and Organizational and Human Capacity. Across the programs, the ATA engages public, private and non-governmental stakeholders to support strategic planning, manage and strengthen implementation capacity and test innovative models.

Our Culture

We have an exceptional team of highly competent employees with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results.  Our culture is one where talented, dedicated and adaptable individuals are committed to doing their best and exhibit great team work to achieve excellent results. 

At ATA, we provide an exceptional platform for people who want to achieve their highest potential and make a meaningful contribution in changing the country’s agricultural sector.  We offer rewarding work in a young, fast-paced growing organization with passionate, committed, motivated colleagues and excellent career development and training.  We recognize our most valuable assets are our staff and are committed to providing our employees with the tools, training and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals. 

Position:                           Senior Project Officer I – Crop Value 

Term of Employment:   One year with possible extension

Duty Station(s):              SNNP/ Hawassa

Required Number:         One 

Application Deadline:    March 5, 2023

BACKGROUND: 

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) is a strategy and delivery-oriented government Institute created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATI envisions to be the leading center of innovative solutions for the transformation of Ethiopian Agriculture by 2030.

The Institute focuses on two primary national approaches to catalyze agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), its affiliate institutions, and other partners to identify and address systemic bottlenecks within an Agricultural Transformation Agenda. Second, we support Regional Governments to accelerate the development of high-priority commodity value chains in clearly defined geographic clusters, through the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) Initiative.

Our major activities include conducting strategic and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support, coordinating platforms to better integrate partners and projects, and designing and directly leading a number of implementation projects. Our headquarters are in Addis Ababa, and we have regional offices in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, Sidama, South-West, and Tigray regional offices, allowing us to work closely with a wide range of public, private and development sector partners across the country.

Our Culture

We have an exceptional team of highly competent employees with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results.  Our culture is one where talented, dedicated and adaptable individuals are committed to doing their best and exhibit great teamwork to achieve excellent results. 

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Crop Value Chain Development Specialist will report to the Regional ACC & Programs Director, provide crop value chain knowledge and expertise to the ACC team and monitor progress and provide technical backstopping on cluster interventions across the entire value chain from input and production to markets at the regional level. The Crop Value Chain Development Specialist will also support the diagnosis, design and implementation of ACC strategies and interventions. As an integral part of the crop value chain definition, there is a natural flow or sequencing of activities from production to markets, so that, the Crop Value Chain Development Specialist will also engage in coordinating stakeholders along the Value Chain (including those involved in aggregation and market linkage activities). The ideal candidate will therefore possess very strong knowledge and experience of agricultural value chains and market linkages. The candidate will also demonstrate a passion for transforming agriculture and improving the lives of small-holder farmers.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES 

Technical

• •  Drive identification, design and coordination of implementation of critical policy and other interventions in the priority crop value chains to promote market linkages in the clusters
  •  Identify systemic and operational issues affecting the priority crops value chains at regional and cluster levels
  •   Monitoring of progress on ATA interventions in the priority crop value chains across the entire value chains from inputs and production to aggregation and marketing.
  •   Drive the implementation of specific priority interventions in the priority crops value chains in the region
  •   Build the capacity and ensure coordination among key government, private and other actors in the priority crops value chains
  •   Provide content direction and input to other members of the Regional ATI  Office
  •   Facilitate communication and coordination between the different stakeholders of the priority crop value chains
  •   Facilitate market linkages among producer groups, private sector and public sector
  •   Initiate periodic experience sharing and learning sessions, particularly with the representatives of the producer organizations and Value Chain Actors
  •   Ensure regular technical and administrative reporting on cluster progress.
  •   Actively participate in diagnostic activities, solution design and development and implementation of agricultural challenges in cluster woredas
  •   Support, enable and facilitate close and collaborative relationships between Regional ATI Projects/Programs and key stakeholders/partners across problem solving and implementation support areas
  •   Critically assess capacity gaps that may hinder effective implementation of activities and develop solutions as required and develop corrective action for implementation
  •   Coordinate and harmonize the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects within the ACC  Value Chains enhancement programs
  •   Assist in building capacity of key government, private and informal actors in the education, research, extension and production continuum associated with the system sub sector.
  •   Initiate periodic experience sharing and learning sessions, particularly with the representatives of the producer organizations and Value Chain Actors
  •   Participate on new crop package preparation and revision
  •   Support the BoA in promoting high-value crops and scaling up of best practices
  •  Assist the regional counterparts to link with market
  •  Support in organizing national platforms on crop commodities

   

  Project Management

  •   Ensure stakeholder coordination, planning, reporting, problem solving and implementation support activities is conducted
  •   Design  actionable  programs to be implemented by the regional office and key stakeholders for effective results
  •  Lead the technical component of the crops value chains in the region

• REQUIRED QUALIFICATION 
•            MSc degree in Agronomy, Crop Science, Crop Protection, Plant Breeding and related fields.
• At least  6 years for Master’s in a senior program management role in government, non-government, or private sector.
• Practical experience on linking farmers’ groups with potential markets.
•  Additional experience in market intelligence is a plus.
• Deep understanding of Ethiopia’s agricultural system, with a broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private and informal actors operate within the system
• Strong team player with good people management skills.
• Ability to work and perform under pressure and changing environment.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills including thorough knowledge and understanding of various regional level and federal level institutions; extensive experience in facilitating dialogue with relevant stakeholders. Passion and skill in networking, partnership, collaboration and alliance building.
• Strong operational, organizational and managerial skills.
• Practical experience in implementing solutions at the local level and the zeal to work with rural communities to change their situations.
• Experience in prioritizing and sequencing both programmatic and operational activities
•  Demonstrable track record in program and systems design and implementation.
• Strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty and desire to be of service.
• Fluency in English and Amharic.

Competitive

Lien