1. Background

The TAAT Clearinghouse is the technical office of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT). The Clearinghouse role is to vet technologies offered for inclusion in the TAAT Program, assess proposals and workplans prepared by TAAT Compacts to disseminate such technologies, manage their approval by the TAAT Program Steering Committee, and then monitor and guide their dissemination and scaling up. The TAAT Clearinghouse facilitates the integration of technologies on national programs by providing technical expertise during the formulation of national agricultural programs so that these are built around proven and potent technologies. It also plays key roles of advocacy, awareness creation and mediation to ensure the incorporation of selected technologies into national programs and the provision of technical assistance to these programs by experts from TAAT Compacts.

Several initiatives are currently led by the TAAT Clearinghouse to disseminate TAAT technologies in different national and regional projects.

The program aims to strengthen resilience in food and nutrition security in Africa. It is a regional program that will be implemented in many African countries. TAAT is contributing to this program through the promotion and harmonization of Climate-smart innovations and technologies promoted and harmonized across the Horn of Africa countries.

Currently, Africa has the lowest productivity per capita in the world because farmers mostly lack access to IMPROVED seed, good agronomy practices, key inputs and machineries that are needed for land preparation, crop production and harvesting. Therefore, TAAT should also assist countries to elaborate the seed roadmap document for countries.

The consultant will therefore be responsible for implementing, providing technical assistance for, and monitoring these various initiatives.

Several TAAT projects will also be implemented as part of a consortium involving the private sector as a sustainability mechanism. This is in line with the AfDB's priority of private sector development.

2. TAAT Clearinghouse

TAAT seeks to ensure the growth of the agricultural sector, improve food security, and encourage inclusive growth by involving more women and youth. It also promotes improved resilience to climate variability and shock. The overall goal of TAAT is to improve agriculture as a business enterprise across Africa by deploying agricultural productivity-increasing technologies within nine priority commodities (cassava, wheat, rice, maize, sorghum/millet, orange-fleshed sweet potato, high iron beans, aquaculture, and small livestock). TAAT promoted several technologies aiming at improved soil, land and water management practices through supporting farmers training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and increased resilience to climate variability and stress through the deployment of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies and innovations.

3. Scope of the interventions

The scope of work will cover the different countries where TAAT is leading interventions mainly in West African countries. The interventions cover different value chains and associated technologies depending on each country’s priority. The consultant will also participate in resource mobilization for accelerating and transforming agricultural productivity and production in countries.

4. Hiring of Consultant

The TAAT Clearinghouse is desirous of hiring a local consultant to support project preparation and implementation in different countries targeted for TAAT interventions. The consultant will work with the Clearinghouse team and different partners and focal persons working on different country engagements.

5. Tasks of the Consultant

The consultant’s role will be to:

- Supervise and coordinate the planning and implementation of the activities of PHRDG Benin, P2-P2RS/CAW and PADAMMAG projects with the collaboration of involved partners in various countries,

- Facilitate technical assistance for all project activities (PHRDG, P2RS/CAW, PADAMMAG, PDIAD BMVO and PROTAS Benin)

- Coordinate and monitor the project implementations and reports on progress.

- Prepare technical and financial proposal for the technical assistance for each country, tailored to the specific commodities for P2-P2RS/CAW and PADAMMAG projects

- Prepare a strategic plan for the monitoring of the activities, including the impacts in terms of beneficiaries reached.

- Monitoring and Evaluation and Backstopping of PHRDG Benin, P2-P2RS/CAW and PADAMMAG projects

- Produce the monitoring framework and format for P2-P2RS/CAW and PADAMMAG projects.

- Prepare draft agreement between TAAT/IITA and African countries and TAAT Compacts

- Ensure that all necessary information is given in the extension materials, in a way that is pedagogically effective and that they are therefore of good quality

- Support the preparation and delivery of the ToT trainings

- Conduct the Mega field days for PHRDG Benin, P2-P2RS/CAW and PADAMMAG projects

- Ensure the regular follow up on project achievements

- Support the Clearinghouse and compact to assist in production of country proposal, for assessing funds.

6. Outputs/Deliverables)

i. A calendar of activities & milestones, updated on a monthly basis to report on progress of P2-P2RS/CAW and PADAMMAG projects

ii. Quarterly 3 & 4 reports for PHRDG project

iii. Mega Field Day Report of PHRDG project

iv. Consolidated reports from other partners

v. Final project report

vi. The final extension materials, for which the consultant has ultimate responsibility even if he merely coordinates their preparation

vii. The project’s progress reports including the technologies disseminated, the extension manuals containing all the materials, the ToT and the monitoring and evaluation plan for P2-P2RS/CAW, PADAMMAG, PDIAD BMVO and PROTAS Benin projects.

Requirements

1. Educational Qualifications (Profile)

The candidate should have a PhD in social sciences from a recognized university with experience in agricultural technology transfer and management of complex partnerships.

Core Competencies

· Experience of at least 15 years as assistant project manager of large-scale agricultural development projects, preferably in Western and Central Africa, extensive experience related to research and extension system.

· Good understanding of the agricultural sector and its development challenges in Africa, such as those affecting technology dissemination, adoption, and impacts.

· Demonstrated ability to integrate gender issues into development projects for achieving gender equitable project outcomes and impacts.

· Ability to work collegially and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environment.

· Demonstrated communication, networking, computer, and organizational skills and ability to prepare high quality reports.

· Proven experience with engaging with public and private sector stakeholders

· Demonstrated ability in stakeholder and partner engagement and policy dialogue.

· Excellent leadership, interpersonal and team building skills.

· Fluency in oral and written French and English and ability to translate from one language to the other.

2. General information

The contract will be for project duration but signed annually.

Application Procedure

Interested individuals are invited to submit the following documents in response to this EOI:

1. A detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) highlighting relevant qualifications and experience.
2. A brief technical statement (maximum 2 pages) outlining understanding of the assignment and proposed approach to achieving the deliverables.
3. Financial proposal indicating the consultant’s expected professional fees.

All applications should be submitted electronically to IITA website: https://apply.workable.com/iita/#jobs no later than One Week from the date of this publication.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further discussions or interviews.

We look forward to receiving your expression of interest and thank you for considering this opportunity.