Location: Nairobi
Last Date: January 13, 2011
Email: ed@fara-africa.org
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa
Vacancy Announcement
UniBRAIN PROGRAMME OFFICER: Ref: FARA/adv/Prog Officer-UniBrain/2010
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is the apex organization for agricultural research for development in Africa. The FARA Secretariat is the lead institution for pillar IV of NEPAD’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) which encompasses agricultural research and technology dissemination and adoption. FARA works closely with the sub-regional organisations (SROs) and the national agricultural research and extension systems to ensure effective implementation of CAADP activities. FARA’s mission is to create broad-based improvements in agricultural productivity, competitiveness and markets by supporting Africa’s sub-regional organisations in strengthening capacity for agricultural innovation
FARA in partnership with its constituent Sub-Regional Organizations (SROs), the African Network for Agriculture, Agro forestry and Natural Resources Education (ANAFE), the African Technology Policy Studies network (ATPS) and the Pan African Agribusiness and Agro-industry Consortium (PanAAC) is implementing a five year Universities, Business and Research in Agricultural Innovation (UniBRAIN) initiative supported by The Royal Danish Foreign Ministry (DANIDA). UniBRAIN’s Development Objective is for innovation and entrepreneurship derived jobs in the agricultural sector to be created through partnerships between universities, research institutions and the private sector.
Achieving this objective would make a significant contribution to making African agriculture competitive in the increasingly global market. It would also contribute to improving the livelihoods of African agricultural producers, who are predominantly women, and enabling them to adapt to and to help ameliorate the impact of climate change. By developing innovations that promote efficiencies and strengthen weaknesses in the links in African agricultural value chains, stretching from the origin of agricultural inputs to consumer markets, it would also contribute to achieving optimal balances between farmers’ returns and the cost of food for Africa’s millions of low income consumers, who spend most of their meagre incomes on feeding their families. In other words, UniBRAIN will promote innovation in any aspect of the agricultural industry.
The major components of the UniBRAIN Initiative are:
A. Agricultural business innovations developed in a conducive institutional setting linking universities, research institutions and private sector in Danida priority countries. These are in Eastern Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania; in West Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Ghana; in Southern African: Mozambique and Zambia
B. Agribusiness entrepreneurs and innovators produced by improving BSc and MSc agribusiness teaching and training
C. Innovation outputs, experiences and practices shared and up-scaled through improved networking and channels of communication
Implementation of UniBRAIN is facilitated by a team of institutions in which each member has, by virtue of its mandate and accomplishments, responsibilities for facilitating the involvement of particular categories of collaborating institutions and guiding the development of particular components.
FARA is seeking an individual with the qualifications listed below to work with the programme as UniBRAIN Programme Officer.
The aim of this recruitment is to assist in the delivery of FARA’s programmatic and fiduciary responsibilities for the initiative.
The successful candidate will assist the Director for Capacity Strengthening (Networking Support Function 4) in in delivering the following roles and responsibilities:
Coordination
�� Ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions agreed between Danida and FARA
�� Managing the reporting/accounting and requests for disbursements submitted by the UniBRAIN Team and consortia,
�� Preparing reports for the UniBRAIN Steering Committee, FARA Management and Danida
�� Preparing annual, 6 monthly and quarterly work plans and budgets
�� Organizing formal meetings of the UniBRAIN Team
�� Supporting internal and external reviews of the UniBRAIN programme
Technical
�� Supporting the SROs in their responsibilities, roles and functions in UniBRAIN
�� Facilitating and maintaining strong working relationships between FARA and the SROs and the other partners in UniBRAIN
�� Ensuring the implementation of UniBRAIN’s programme-wide activities including:
Monitoring and evaluation
�� Working closely with partners to ensure implementation of a practical and appropriate monitoring and evaluation system that can track compliance with set objectives
�� Managing UniBRAIN’s programmatic communications
�� Any other duties as shall be determined by the Director for Capacity Strengthening.
Required
A minimum of Masters Degree in Economics, Agribusiness or related disciplines. A minimum of five (5) years of work experience and demonstrated organizational and communication skills. Knowledge of capacity needs and capacity building in Africa, Knowledge of Danida priority countries, commitment, meeting Goals and professionalism. Familiarity with African agricultural research and development issues, especially with organization of the coordination of agricultural research and development initiatives at sub-regional and continental level in Africa. Orientation in gender issues, proficiency in written and spoken English and a working knowledge of French will be an advantage
Compensation
FARA offers competitive terms of employment. FARA is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women and men.
Applications
Please send (preferably via e-mail) comprehensive curriculum vitae, together with the names, addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone and fax numbers of three referees to:
Prof. Monty P. Jones, Executive Director, FARA, PMB CT 173, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana; Email: ed@fara-africa.org ; Fax: +233 0302 773676. Applications will be accepted up to 13th January 2011
NB: Please quote the vacancy reference code in your application to this job. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted
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