Technical Assistance for the Agricultural Development Project

The aim of the Agriculture-for-Development (A4D) project is using the value chain approach to help rejuvenate the private cash crop sector, targeting crops of highest socio-economic comparative advantage (cocoa; coffee; cashew) by:

  • Improving the quantity and quality of cash-crop production
  • Reducing transaction costs
  • Maximizing efficiency and effectiveness, and
  • Increasing profitability at all levels

So that the sector regains its important position in the economy, as was originally the case long before the civil war.

The proposed project has the potential to reduce the poverty levels of approximately 140,000 farming families amounting to a total of about one million people overall. The short-term-expert, based in Kenema, will be required periodically throughout the duration of the Project. Main responsibilities

She/he will help interested parties involved in the cocoa and coffee sector develop commodity associations to enable them to increase profitability, develop marketing skills and eventually lobby government with one voice. To an extent, she/he will also assist interested parties involved in the cashew sector in the Northern Region. Initially, she/he will assist the Grant holders augment their efforts in developing commodity associations, including stakeholders from each link in the value chain.

Specifically she/he will:

  • Develop the profile of the associations needed and discuss them with representatives from each stakeholder group
  • Ensure that funds for such associations are made available, possibly by way of a small charge at some point in the value chain (initially the cost may be met by the Grant contractors)
  • Develop facilities within the association so it becomes sustainable and of actual and perceived benefit to all stakeholders.
Qualifications: 

Qualifications

  • Degree from a recognised university in economics, business, social sciences, or equivalent.
  • General professional experience Minimum of 12 years’ relevant experience, preferably close to 20 years of experience.
  • Successful track record of working in trade and commodity associations
  • Proven ability to work with stakeholders at different levels in the value chain, from producers to processors and exporters.
  • Proven ability to negotiate and influence stakeholders to work for a common cause, rather than in isolation Specific Professional Experience Relevant experience in agricultural commodity associations.
Start / Duration: 

The Technical Assistance Team will be based in Freetown. Nevertheless, frequent field missions in the Country are foreseen. It may be also necessary for some experts to accompany the staff of Institutions during study visits and training abroad etc.; this will be authorised on a case-by-case
basis.

The intended start date is January 2017 and the period of implementation of the contract will be 48 months from this date.

If you are interested in a co-operation, please send your current CV to the following e-mail address, quoting the project title in the reference:

Ms Barbara Braun Barbara.Braun [at] afci.de

Thank you!

Only candidates under serious consideration and contacted will receive notification of the final outcome of the selection process.