National Project Officer (Consultant), AICRM Gambia *Call for interest* - Short term opportunity for 12 months for consultant

This call for interest is advertised as a temporary assignment for a consultant with a duration of 12 months.

Type of contract: Full-time consultancy. The contract will be for a period of one (01) year, renewable based on satisfactory performance. The total duration of the contract will not exceed the duration of the project implementation.

Responsibilities:

Under the guidance of the IFAD Country Director and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, the consultant will provide technical, coordination, and advisory support to facilitate effective collaboration among executive entities (EEs) involved in the AICRM programme, including:

• The IFAD national basic investment PMU (ROOTS) and its programme coordinator,
• The World Food Programme (WFP) focal point,
• The African Risk Capacity (ARC) focal point, and
• The African Development Bank (AfDB) focal point

The consultant will provide technical support to enhance the visibility of programme interventions at field level and within relevant coordination platforms.

The consultant will develop the joint PTBA in collaboration with implementing entities and provide technical inputs to improve its quality and coherence. The consultant will track implementation progress against the agreed PTBA, review alignment of activities, and provide recommendations to strengthen programme consistency at the national level. The consultant will also facilitate coordination among implementing entities operating within the AICRM Programme and contribute to stakeholder engagement with sub-regional authorities and partners.

In particular, the consultant will carry out the following tasks:

Legal and regulatory levels

• Review programme implementation against the provisions of the project and provide recommendations to address any identified gaps;
• Review alignment with the financing agreements signed by programme partners;
• Examine correspondence issued to the Project Beneficiary/Borrower and provide technical inputs where required;
• Assess compliance with the IFAD financial management and auditing manual and highlight areas for improvement;
• Review the application of procedures outlined in the Financial and Accounting Administrative Manual and any other IFAD¿approved management manuals, and provide recommendations to strengthen adherence;
• Review the application of the AICRM Programme Technical Implementation Manual and its updates;
• Assess the use of the Monitoring and Evaluation Procedures Manual and propose improvements where necessary;
• Review the implementation status of recommendations from supervision, technical review, mid-term review, evaluation, and audit missions, and provide follow-up advice.

At the institutional level

• Facilitate coordination among executing entities and provide recommendations to strengthen programme coherence at the national level;
• Monitor the consistency of the implementation of component activities: functional and operational interrelationships;
• Prepare and facilitate monthly coordination meetings with the Host Project and EE focal points, and document key outcomes;
• Develop and implement, with other programme and project coordinators working in the same area, a strategy of complementarity and synergy.
• Establish and maintain ongoing dialogue with administrative and political authorities and with the various project partners (donors, public technical services and private sector operators);
• Support the functioning of the Steering Committee by preparing documentation, drafting minutes, and providing technical inputs on agenda items;
• Facilitate the updating of the Project Implementation Manual (PIM);
• Provide technical inputs on no-objection requests (ANOs) upon request of the IFAD Country Office;
• Prepare periodic reports and updates for submission to the IFAD Country Office and contribute to coordination with the UCR;
• Facilitate information sharing among the Ministry, IFAD Country Office, PMU, and executive entities.

PTBA management

• Facilitate the participatory development of the joint PTBA within the specified timeframe;
• Review alignment between component activities and provide recommendations to improve coherence across PTBAs prepared by all executive entities;
• Propose adjustments to the PTBAs, as needed, during the financial year;
• Consolidate PTBA inputs from the Host Project and EEs into a coherent programme document;
• Prepare and submit the joint PTBA to the CPN and facilitate its transmission to the UCR;
• Facilitate the PTBA development process in collaboration with the Host Project and the EEs.

Activity report development

• Compile and consolidate data and reports from the Host Project and EEs according to the FVC format.
• Prepare and submit consolidated reports to IFAD's regional coordination unit (UCR One Sahel) at the specified frequency.

Financial reporting and audit support

• Review the preparation of financial statements and audit-related information, and provide recommendations to improve quality and consistency;
• Facilitate information exchange between the financial managers of the executive entities and the UCR.

Monitoring, evaluation and targeting

• In consultation with all programme implementing partners, contribute to the establishment of an internal monitoring and evaluation system (including the manual and installation of M&E software) to measure and assess the effects and impacts of the programme;
• Review the functioning of the M&E system and assess its application by project staff, and provide recommendations for improvement;
• Provide technical advice, in consultation with the EE, to strengthen the integration of gender considerations and improve targeting approaches;
• Facilitate information exchange between monitoring, evaluation and knowledge management teams of the implementing entities and the UCR;
• Provide technical inputs to the targeting process in collaboration with the Host Project and the EEs.

Supervision, technical and mid-term review missions

• Support the preparation of supervision, technical, and mid-term review missions, and share reports with supervisors;
• Prepare and facilitate the timely submission of supervision and mid-term review reports within the deadlines set by IFAD;
• Develop and maintain a recommendation tracking table and provide periodic updates on the status of implementation.

Qualifications

• Hold a university degree (at least five years of higher education) in agroeconomics, economics, sociology, or any other degree related to rural development;
• Have at least eight (8) years' experience in implementing rural development projects/programmes, including five (5) years on projects/programmes funded by international donors or bilateral cooperation agencies;
• Have at least five (5) years' field experience in direct contact with beneficiaries and/or professional organisations and the private sector;
• Experience in planning and monitoring/evaluating rural development projects;
• Have a very good knowledge of economic, social and resilience issues in rural areas and experience in partnership management;
• Experience in team coordination/management;
• Have sufficient capacity to: (i) organise and plan; (ii) coordinate/supervise/control; (iii) communicate and work in a multidisciplinary team;
• Knowledge of climate change adaptation or climate finance issues would be an asset;
• Demonstrate commitment to the principles of good governance and ethics;
• Have a excellent command of English and a good command of French;
• Be fully proficient in office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, videoconferencing);

Application file

Candidates must submit:

• A detailed CV;
• A cover letter;
• Three professional references.

AICRM promotes gender equality and encourages applications from women.

The position is based in Banjul, with frequent field trips within the ROOTS Project's area of operation.

This call for interest is advertised as a temporary assignment for a consultant with a duration of 12 months.