International Project Manager & Advisor on Value Chain Development

In view of the further development of its activities BTC is currently looking for a (m/f):

International Project Manager & Advisor

on Value Chain Development - TANZANIA

For the Sustainable Agriculture Kigoma Regional Project (SAKIRP)

Ref.: TAN/14/031-3

Location: Kigoma, TANZANIA

Duration of the contract: 58 months

Probable starting date: as soon as possible

Monthly salary package: between 5,600.42 euro and 7,959.57 euro (this includes the gross monthly salary and the expat benefits: hardship allowance and expat allowance). The salary is calculated, depending on the composition of the family and the number of years of relevant experience.

Project:

Agriculture is the main economic activity in Kigoma Region and employing over 70% of the population of the region, dominated by small-scale farmers, especially women. The major crops are maize, beans, cassava, rice, bananas, oil palm, coffee, tobacco and various fruits and vegetables. Recently sunflower has been introduced in the region. The agriculture in the Kigoma region is characterized by low crop production and productivity, poor service delivery, lack of farmers ‘organisation, poor market access, weak linkages between actors and the lack of active search for supporting each other and achieving a win-win collaboration.

Agriculture is one of the two priority sectors in the current Development Cooperation Programme (2014 –2015) between the Government of Tanzania and the Kingdom of Belgium. Within this framework the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Cooperatives requested the support for a project on sustainable agriculture in Kigoma region. The identification form indicated that the project should contribute to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and Gender Equality & Empowerment. The project should be also in line with and support the Agriculture Sector Development Strategy (ASDS).

The second ASDS (2013/14 –2020/21) includes the development of key commodity value chains and indicates the importance of enhancing market efficiency. Strengthening public and private partnerships for improving agricultural support services is also one of its strategic priorities.

This project aims to support agricultural development in Kigoma through a pro-poor value chain approach.

The overall objective is: local economic development and wellbeing of smallholders is improved in Kigoma region through sustainable agriculture development.

The specific objective is: smallholders’ income is increased and diversified in Kigoma region, especially for women, through pro-poor value chains development.

The specific object is to be reached through achieving the following five complementary results:

 R1: Value chains management and coordination mechanisms are installed and steer cassava and beans value chain development.

 R2: Sound financial mechanisms are developed and financial organisations are strengthened to support value chains development.

 R3: Public and private chain supporters provide effective services to value chains actors.

 R4: Stronger position of smallholders in the value chain through improved integration and empowerment.

 R5: Improved market access and sustainable trade.

The project will facilitate value chain development through organising and empowering smallholders and linking them with traders, facilitating value chain financing, strengthening value chain service provision, market intelligence and multi-stakeholder processes. Gender equity in the development of value chains will be of great importance.

The value chains of cassava and beans show the highest potential for pro-poor value chain development if one looks at the market potential, the potential for the promotion of gender equity and women empowerment, the contribution to household food security, the income potential and the overall outreach of the chain in Kigoma. Therefore these two value chains are selected as priority chains for the start of the project. Indirectly other value chains will also benefit from the project. The five results will address the three complementary levels of value chain actors, value chain supporters and value chain environment.

The direct beneficiaries of the project are the smallholders, especially women and other chain actors of the cassava and beans value chains. Secondary beneficiaries will be the local chain supporters, including the Region and the Districts.

The project has the following guiding principles for its strategy: (i) promoting sustainable agriculture and strengthening empowerment of farmers ‘organisations through Farmer Field Schools; (ii) a market driven pro-poor value chains development; (iii) facilitating finance of VCD from the start onwards, (iv) promoting gender equity and empowering women; (v) strengthening farmers’ organisations; (vi) promoting sustainable business models and applying business principles. Special attention will be paid to the promotion of an active role of young actors in the VCD and the inclusion of people living with HIV and AIDS (PLHIV).

Promoting multi-stakeholder processes and the participation of the private sector and civil society in the implementation of activities is embraced in the strategy of the project.

The execution period is 60 months, of which 9 months will be for the baseline/inception phase. The Belgian contribution for this project is 8M€ complemented with a Tanzanian contribution of € 800,000. The management of the Belgian contribution is done under the BTC direct management mode as the Tanzanian Treasure does not allow to open project accounts in co-management at regional and district level.

Institutionally the project will be anchored in the Regional Secretariat of the Kigoma Region as a specific project implementation unit (PIU) under the Regional Administrative Secretariat (RAS). The Joint Local Partnership Committee (JLPC) will function as the Project Steering Committee under the Chairmanship of the RAS with further representatives of MAFC, PMO-RALG, Ministry of Finance and BTC Representation.

Function:

Objectives:

The Project Manager supervises, coordinates and guides the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and work executed through contracted service providers. Jointly with the Project Coordinator (PC) and the Project Manager you will be responsible for the coordination and outcome of the project.

You will have the task of contributing to the attainment of the specific objective of the service being provided, as stipulated by the project documents.

The international Project Manager & Advisor on Value Chain Development reports to the BTC Resident Representative.

Your responsibilities:

Management responsibilities:

• Planning and reporting:
• Ensure proper planning of the project in order that the activities are planned and executed in accordance with the Technical and Financial File (TFF).
• Ensure the elaboration of annual work plans and budgets, and ensure that annual and semi-annual consolidated budgets, work plans and reports are produced and submitted in time to the Steering Committee, the Government of Tanzania and BTC-Brussels.
• In collaboration with the Project Coordinator, plan and coordinate the intervention with development partners, develop Terms of Reference, tender documents and openly advertise and evaluate proposals for Service Provider contracts. You will also monitor contract performance and quality and supervise the grant contracts with the project’s Implementation Partners.
• Act as the secretary for the JLPC meetings, in collaboration with the Project Coordinator.
• Implementation and monitoring:
• Ensure the proper implementation of the project by ensuring that the activities are executed in accordance with the TFF, approved annual work plans and budgets.
• Rather than only monitoring you will ensure the implementation of an M&E evidence-based learning framework and process, which is oriented toward achieving results.
• Human and resource management:
• You will be responsible for the proper financial management of the project. You will monitor expenditures and use of BTC contribution and assets in line with the Project Implementation Manual and ensure the execution of the management and finance duties as described in the TFF.
• You will give, in collaboration with the Project Coordinator, guidance to the International and National Technical Advisors in charge of assisting the District Focal Point and District Facilitation Team at their level, assisting to maintain quality, in consolidating their work plans, budgets and reporting as per Administrative and Finance Manual.
• You guarantee the coordination and supervision of BTC employed staff of the PIU at district level.
• Ensure that capacity assessments are undertaken and training programmes and skill development are put into place for both PIU, Focal Government Authorities LGA, NGOs and private sector partners.

Technical Responsibilities

• Make sure that the crosscutting themes of the Belgian Development Cooperation are taken into account as described in the TFF, with special attention for gender and sustainable agriculture.
• Supervise strategic studies that will guide the project orientation: market researches, value chains mapping/assessment, value chain finance study. At the same time ensure that the TOR are sufficiently qualitative, supervise the selection process, organise orientation meetings with the consultant, follow up the work and participate in key steps (workshops), check quality of the recommendations.
• Ensure, in collaboration with the PC, the coherence between the value chain development strategies and plans (elaborated by the platforms) and those of region and Districts. Articulate the value chain approach as well as the local economic development approach.
• At the same time, ensure the coherence of the methodologies implemented by the project: value chain platforms to improve governance, value chain finance, direct support to chain actors.

Profile:

• You have a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics or related field.
• A minimum of 15 years professional experience, of which at least 5 years with Value Chain Development are indispensable.
• As well as a minimum of 8 years of professional experience as a project manager, team leader and/or coordinator.
• Proven technical expertise in the following fields:
• Value Chain Development and value chain finance: market driven and pro-poor value chain approaches to increase producers income; value chains development by using the interlinked services of value chain financing, group strengthening, strengthening value chain service providers, market intelligence and multi-stakeholder processes.
• Value chain finance and working with MFIs.
• Theory of Change approach and Result Oriented Management.
• Local Economic Development (LED) and working with local government authorities, including institutional strengthening and capacity building at local government level and of institutions linked agricultural service provision.
• Working with and coordinating, public and private sector stakeholders to develop partnerships and multi-stakeholders processes.
• Proven experience with financial management of donor funded projects. Experienced in co-management, in managing accounts, preparing reports, work plans and budgets, and reporting to Steering Committees.
• Behavioural skills:
• A proven ability in managing a 6-member team.
• Ability to motivate and stimulate one's team in view of achieving results and to develop within the team a team spirit and a spirit of collaboration.
• Excellent ability to deal with and resolve conflicts by correctly identifying them and taking the appropriate actions.
• Excellent interpersonal skills interacting successfully with people from other cultures and/or in multi-cultural settings.
• Very good resistance to stress and internal and external pressure.
• Willingness to live and work in a remote region with basic infrastructure and few social, cultural and economic opportunities.
• Being an inspiring team manager is one of your strengths.
• You have a positive and open attitude towards gender issues. Experience with project management of projects with an important gender component and/or gender in value chain development.
• You have excellent oral and written communication skills in English, knowledge of Swahili would be an asset.
• Knowledge of MS Windows, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• You are willing and able to be based permanently in the region, travel extensively with extended stays in remote and rural locations.

Interested?

Please apply no later than January 15th 2016, through our website www.btcctb.org. Use

our Standard CV and a letter of motivation to apply. You can find the model of our Standard

CV on the Jobs page of our website. If you have any additional questions, do not hesitate to

contact us at +32 (0)2/505 18 65.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please apply no later than January 15th 2016, through our website www.btcctb.org. Use

our Standard CV and a letter of motivation to apply. You can find the model of our Standard

CV on the Jobs page of our website. If you have any additional questions, do not hesitate to

contact us at +32 (0)2/505 18 65.