Knowledge Broker

Agri-ProFocus is looking for a Knowledge Broker (36 hours)

Do you want to contribute to Food and Nutrition Security worldwide? Do you believe that knowledge management and innovation are crucial in achieving this? And does linking research and knowledge with policy and practice fit your personal ambitions and experience?

Then Agri-ProFocus has an interesting career opportunity for you! The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has conditionally awarded the proposal submitted by Agri-ProFocus, Centre for Development Innovation (Wageningen University) and The Broker magazine, for running the Food & Business Knowledge Forum office. For the implementing team, Agri-ProFocus as leading party is looking for a senior professional with experience in knowledge management, preferably in the agriculture and food sector. In addition the person will strengthen the knowledge management of Agri-ProFocus.

Agri-ProFocus
The Agri-ProFocus partnership (since 2005) links competences and initiatives from NGOs, research institutions, financial and private sectors and governments to promote farmer entrepreneurship among farmers and farmers’ organisations. On the Netherlands side, the partnership both cooperates to improve the food security and private sector development policy context and fosters joint learning.

In 12 African countries and in Indonesia, Agri-ProFocus has established Agri-Hubs. The 34 Dutch member organisations and their local counterparts are the drivers of these fast-growing networks, with active participation of other local and international agri-business actors. Together they initiate joint action to facilitate and broker deals between farmer-led initiatives and the international, regional and local agri-business sector.

Knowledge-sharing and co-creation are the backbone of Agri-ProFocus. The partnership is driven by a joint knowledge agenda around organising farmers for business. The Agri-Hubs have proven to be innovative in the fields of access to finance, business development services, market information and farm-firm relations among others. They initiate joint learning circles and innovation communities to promote improvements at field level.

The Food & Business Knowledge Agenda
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports the global quest to enhance food and nutrition security by strengthening knowledge-sharing, research and innovation. A new initiative is the ‘Food & Business Knowledge Agenda’ which will be powered by the Food & Business Knowledge Forum.

This Forum aims to connect existing networks and communities of practice of professionals from the private sector, Dutch ‘top sectors’, civil society, science, education and policy. The Forum has the ambition to share, apply, critically reflect on, learn and create new knowledge and new applications of this knowledge in international cooperation. It has a strong focus on business development, including the business of farmers and small and medium agri-food enterprises in emerging countries. The Knowledge Agenda will be used to set the priorities of several research funds and to bring policy issues to the table, in the Netherlands as well as internationally. The Forum will be guided by a steering group and its implementation modalities will be developed and supported by the Knowledge Forum Office.

Through the facilitation of online and face-to-face Forum dynamics, the Knowledge Forum office will link professionals, organisations and networks; identify knowledge questions; share, plough back and deepen knowledge; showcase promising innovations; and nourish practice and policy through knowledge and research products. The Knowledge Forum office is not an implementing unit in itself, but activities will be carried out in partnership with networks, communities of practice and experts relevant for the particular issues & themes.

A) Role and skills Knowledge Broker at the Office (0.6)
The Office will include a team of (3-4) knowledge brokers who are jointly responsible for:
- Efficient organisation of the process of knowledge-sharing within the Forum;
- Facilitation of dialogue and debate to link knowledge and research with practice and policy, for example by expert meetings, online communities of practice, discussions and thematic meetings;
- Inventive promotion of forum dynamics through e-journalism and the use of the latest online techniques;
- Adding value to existing information and knowledge in general and to promising innovations in particular, by facilitating smart and out-of-the-box dissemination;
- Identification and articulation of policy-relevant knowledge questions.

B) Role and skills Knowledge Manager at Agri-ProFocus (0.4)
The recruited person will also be Knowledge Manager within Agri-ProFocus, to strengthen the knowledge exchange and development. He/she will be responsible for
- Developing an approach and supporting trajectory for the cross-country knowledge programme, including the linkage with member organisations (in particular the knowledge organisations) and their knowledge programmes;
- Taking full responsibility for 1 specific cross-country knowledge theme;
- Coordinating the transition of the online Agri-Profocus thematic platforms towards a single knowledge platform.

Required competences for the combined function are the following:
- He/she has an academic background (MSc) in agriculture, development economics, development studies, food and nutrition or related fields.
- He/she has over 10 years of working experience, of which several years as knowledge manager and facilitator in connecting professionals from organisations and institutions online as well as face-to-face. This implies being a natural networker, able to collaborate intensively with stakeholders from different sectors and different cultures. Knowledge brokering for this position means being able to organise consultation and reflection, to identify knowledge gaps and promising innovations, and to communicate knowledge in clear and accessible language by articles, blogs, etc.
- Several years of working experience in emerging countries and fluency in spoken and written Dutch and English are essential requirements. Knowledge of French will be an advantage.
- For this position, a person is required who possesses excellent analytical skills, thinks and acts strategically and is at the same time service-oriented and pragmatic.

Offer
Agri-ProFocus offers you a challenging position in a dynamic and international working environment. The position will be located in The Hague and Arnhem. The position requires limited international travelling. You will be employed for the initial period of one year, with a possible extension of 2-4 years (salary indication 3193 – 4624 euro).

Please address your application including CV and a motivation letter to the managing director of Agri-ProFocus, Ms. H.I.J. Bruggeman. Send it before the 1st of September tomtheunissen@agri-profocus.nl  mentioning ‘APF Knowledge Broker’ in the subject line. As from the 11th of August, you can contact Mr F. Verberne on fverberne@agri-profocus.nl(06-21555022) to get to know more about the Knowledge Forum Office. Interviews will take place starting the 9th of September. An assessment may be part of the selection procedure.

For more information, have a quick glance at http://www.agri-profocus.nl/