NB : This job description is published as part of Expertise France’s response to a request for the provision of intellectual services. The mobilization of the position and the related tasks as described in this document will only be effective upon provided that Expertise France is mandated for the TA mission and that the job description has been validated by the national stakeholders. The description of tasks may therefore be subject to change.
Expertise France is looking for a full-time Long-Term International Technical Assistant Sustainable Agriculture, agricultural innovations and PES (ATI LT Agri) based in Brazzaville within the UGP MAEP.
Under the hierarchical responsibility of the Long-Term International Technical Assistant Program Management (ATI LT Prog), he/she will work in functional link with the project manager and the project assistant at EF headquarters and in close collaboration with Congolese partners within the UCP and PMUs.
The ATI LT Sustainable Agriculture, agricultural innovations and PES will be responsible for activities related to supporting actors in the value chains targeted by Kopekoba in the implementation of innovation systems in agricultural techniques – in particular Intelligent Agriculture in the face of Climate (AIC) and Zero-Deforestation Agriculture (AZD) in savannah and forest areas – in accordance with national land use planning strategies. In particular, he will carry out the following tasks:
• Support to the AT team in operational and administrative management
In close collaboration with the partners involved in the program and the ATI LT Prog, the ATI LT Agri will support the Expertise France TA team, particularly with regard to:
– Contribute to the definition of technical and budgetary planning for technical assistance activities (PTBA) and the Program as well as to the identification of technical assistance needs relating to sustainable agriculture;
– Contribute to the supervision of experts and operators recruited within the framework of sustainable agriculture;
– Contribute in its field of activity to the quarterly Technical Monitoring Committees and Annual Steering Committee of Kopekoba and to the technical and budgetary execution reporting (RETB) of the PMUs within the Program in accordance with the requirements of the financial partners (AFD/ EU/CAFI);
– Contribute to Expertise France’s internal reporting (management of activities, mobilization forecast, etc.);
– Analyze and make modifications to existing procedures and/or propose new procedures within the framework of the Operations Management Procedures Manual and Program Procedures (MOP) where applicable;
– Any task that ATI LT Program Management deems appropriate for the proper advancement of the AT mission.
• Technical support for the Program
In close collaboration with the partners involved in the program and with the AT team, ATI LT Agri will ensure the implementation of the activities entrusted to Expertise France, in particular with regard to:
– Co-lead, guide and monitor the work of local partners in the implementation of activities within the framework of Sustainable Agriculture in relation to the ATI LT financing of the rural and agricultural world;
– Bring all your expertise to the achievement of the 3 components of Results 1 as defined in part 4 “Specific context of the position”;
– Support the ATI LT End the development of an administrative and financial procedures manual for the shared-cost grant fund and the PSE system (Result 2);
– Support the definition of eligibility and admissibility criteria for project leaders for the Kopekoba grant and provide expertise on the structuring of project funding files on the technical parts (Result 2);
– Support the AT CT SERA in the definition of a SERA system making it possible to monitor the results of projects financed by the PUDT and to guide the future development of the AIC and the AZD towards the most efficient practices (Result 4 ) ;
This job description is not exhaustive, in general ATI LT Agri is responsible for the activities necessary for the proper execution of the Program, particularly within the framework of Result 1.
Project description or context
1. General presentation of the Program
As part of its partnership with the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI), the Investment Program of the Sustainable Land Use Program (PI-PUDT or Kopekoba in Lingala) is the second component of the PUDT carried by the Government of the Republic of Congo. Kopekoba complements the PUDT, with the ambition of implementing on the ground the major national land use planning guidelines defined by the PUDT.
The general objective of Kopekoba is to diversify the national economy and fight against poverty through agricultural and forestry development following a low-carbon trajectory guaranteeing the integrity of the country’s landscapes and natural resources. It aims in particular to:
• Select pilot territories in which territorial management and development plans will be implemented;
• Support the structuring of resilient agricultural value chains, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) and Zero-Deforestation Agriculture (AZD) in savannah and forest areas;
• Support research and development, as well as the dissemination of good agricultural practices, by supporting local administration through the rehabilitation of its service offering and the development of new offerings, through sustainable agriculture innovation centers, techniques and a network of relay farms and/or Priority Agricultural Zones (ZAP);
• Make innovative investments in the sustainable agriculture sector;
• Strengthen the capacities of state and non-state actors, particularly in monitoring and evaluation of projects supported under the Program.
The program will intervene more precisely according to 4 main results:
• Result 1. Sustainable agriculture is intensified in accordance with national land use planning strategies;
• Result 2. Investments made by actors in the AIC and AZD value chains are supported;
• Result 3. The master plans for the sustainable supply of wood energy for the cities of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire are implemented;
• Result 4. Monitoring-evaluation mechanisms make it possible to monitor the results of projects financed by PUDT/Kopekoba and to direct the future development of AIC and AZD towards the most effective practices.
The Program benefits from financial support from the CAFI, the European Union (EU) and the AFD (executing agency chosen by the Government and the CAFI), and is implemented over a period of five (05 ) years from 2024 to 2029 and benefits from a maximum budget of $41M.
2. Program Governance
On the operational level, the main project management of the program will fall, in consistency with the PUDT, to the Ministry of Land Planning, Infrastructure and Road Maintenance (MATIER), through the Coordination Unit of Program (UCP MATERIAL). The UCP MATIER will be strengthened to also ensure the accountability of the Kopekoba and bring the strategic orientations of land use planning into line with the investments made in the Kopekoba.
The management units formed at the PUDT level by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (UGP MAEP) and the Ministry of Forestry Economy (UGP MEF) will provide project management for the activities. falling within their competence.
Technical partners (CIRAD, CIFOR, WCS, WWF, WRI, VCV Network) will support the PMUs in the deployment on the ground of certain activities and operational investments of the program, in their fields and geographical areas of competence.
3. Technical assistance for project management
Among the PMU support partners, Expertise France is mandated by MATIER to mobilize a technical assistance (TA) team to the MAEP and MEF PMUs in order to guarantee the effectiveness of the implementation of program activities and contribute , therefore, to achieving its results in the short, medium and long term. More specifically, the AT team will intervene according to 2 areas of intervention:
• Line of intervention No. 1 : support for the management of the program cycle with the MAEP and MEF PMUs – in a transversal manner, with the rigor of the technical, administrative and financial execution of the program – in order to enable them to ensure a growing and progressively autonomous role in the management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project.
• Area of intervention No. 2 : responsibility for the direct implementation of activities. In the form of mobilization of expertise (resident and local) and the use of service provision contracts, Expertise France will aim to provide all the expertise necessary for the proper direct implementation of certain activities from Results 1 to 4 and achieving their objectives.
The EF team will be made up of International Technical Assistants (ATI) Long-Term (LT) and Short-Term (CT), a field support team and a “Backstopping” support team at the level of the headquarters of Expertise France.
In terms of skills and human resources, the technical assistance contract should therefore include:
• A team of International Technical Assistants (ATI) Long-Term (LT) or Short-Term (CT)
o An ATI LT specialized in “Program Management” (ATI LT Prog);
o An ATI LT specialized in “sustainable agriculture, agricultural innovations and PES” (ATI LT Agri) positioned in particular on Results 1 and 2;
o An ATI LT specialized in “financing the rural and agricultural world” (ATI LT Fin) positioned in particular on Result 2;
o A Short-Term Expertise pool (ECT pool), including:
§ A pearl ATI in “forest and wood energy” (ATI CT Foret) positioned on Result 3;
§ A pearl ATI in “monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning” (ATI CT SERA) in transversal support on the SERA and Gender aspects of Result 4.
• A field support team:
o An Administrative, Financial and Markets Manager (RAFM);
o An Accounting Assistant (AC);
o A Logistics Assistant (AL);
• A backstopping team is based in Paris.
4. Job-specific context
In this context, 10 to 15 pilot territories will be identified, primarily in the Departments of Pool and Niari taking into account their place in the PUDT and the zoning carried out, to test the national orientations taken by the PUDT and its departmental variations. These pilot territories will be at the heart of Kopekoba’s intervention strategy. The pilot territories will be existing jurisdictions (grouping of Community Development Management Centers, Districts, etc.). On this basis, in Result 1, three areas of intervention will be developed:
· Management Plans in the pilot territories and land security mechanisms will be put in place to provide landless farmers and businesses wishing to invest in the pilot territories with opportunities (Outputs 1.1 and 1.2);
· Identification of value chain operators (from production to consumption) in the pilot territories, and establishment of an information and consultation system on the markets and infrastructure facilitating the exchange of products between the links AIC and AZD sectors (Products 1.3 and 1.4);
· Development and dissemination of AIC and AZD technical standards by supporting the different levels of Congolese innovation, such as innovation centers, technical centers, relay farms and finally farmers structured in solid OP (Products 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7).
These three axes will make it possible to define the subsequent development of the financial aspect – via the strengthening of impulse and support mechanisms for investment projects (Product 2.1) – and put in place subsidies for small producers (Product 2.2).
Desired profile
1. Qualifications
– Master’s level diploma (bac +5) in agronomy, land use planning, agro-economics, environment or other relevant field;
– In-depth knowledge of agricultural development projects, agriculture adapted to climate change and agro-ecology techniques;
– Very good knowledge of the issues surrounding the preservation of natural resources;
– Very good knowledge of Payment for Environmental Services (PES) mechanisms and agricultural financing;
– Excellent interpersonal skills;
– Ability to lead a dialogue with public and private partners;
– Ability to diagnose needs and capacities, strengthen and design action plans adapted to implementing partner structures;
– Strong capacity for work and autonomy, flexibility and organization, responsiveness;
– Strong writing skills and mastery of office tools;
– Excellent command of French, both written and spoken. Fluency in Lingala will be a plus.
2. Professional experience
– At least 10 years of professional experience in the development of sustainable agricultural sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa;
– At least significant work experience in structuring activities in the agricultural world;
– At least significant work experience in the implementation of innovative agricultural techniques;
– Experience working in technical assistance with public institutions (ministries, decentralized services, technical institutes or equivalent) would be an asset;
– Experience working with international donors (AFD, EU, CAFI) and/or an international cooperation agency (GIZ, ENABEL, etc.) within the framework of international cooperation projects/programs and knowledge of their procedures would be an asset;
– Experience working with Expertise France would be an asset;
– Experience in the geographical area (Republic of Congo, Central Africa) would be an asset.
Further information
1. Conditions
– Desired position to take: 2nd Quarter 2024;
– Type of contract: employment contract under French private law (public agents will be seconded to Expertise France for the duration of the mission);
– Attractive remuneration established according to the Expertise France remuneration policy including:
o Fixed base salary based on profession, responsibilities, expertise and experience;
o Bonus linked to the quality of life and the cost of living on site;
o Family package premium if applicable;
o Installation allowance bonus;
o Expenses reimbursed if applicable (based on supporting documents within the limit of the budget allocated by Expertise France) such as accommodation and babysitting costs, school fees for children accompanying the expert in the country of the mission, travel expenses moving, transport costs;
o Social protection and insurance;
o Individual tax support.
2. Documents to provide
– CV including professional references (in French);
– Cover letter (in French).
NB: Candidates interested in this opportunity are invited to submit their application as soon as possible, Expertise France reserving the possibility of proceeding with the pre-selection before this date.
How to apply
https://www.expertisefrance.fr/en/on-recrute#page-cv—upload—vacancy—10821