Summary
Date Posted: Thursday, October 12 2023, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Reporting Lines
• The Project Assistants will work under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Zambia and the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) for the SIFAZ Project. They will directly report to Agri-business Specialist. The incumbents will work in close collaboration with implementing partners from Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), NGOs, private sector, and relevant FAO technical units in FAO Zambia.

Technical Focus
The incumbents will support preparation of agribusiness work plans, systematic planning, and execution of various matching grants and support partnerships with private sector engaged in the execution of the agribusiness development strategy of the project.
The incumbents will further support preparation of agribusiness training programs, act as the focal point persons of execution of training and capacity building activities under the agribusiness strategy of the project, and support day to day follow up of implementation partners (districts, provinces, etc) on activities promoting enterprise development among targeted smallholder farmers.
• Tasks and responsibilities Up-to-date agribusiness and enterprise development work plans, matching grants operational processes, training, and stakeholder capacity building works plans.
• Day-to-day follow up of implementation partners (districts, provinces, private sector, etc) on routine agribusiness and enterprise development interventions under the project.
• Routine solicitation and collation of planning and implementation information from all partners and prepare the information for use in agribusiness and enterprise technical reports and activity workplans.
The National Project Assistants (Private Sector Partnerships) will support implementation of the SIFAZ project strategies in agribusiness and enterprise development involving smallholder mechanization, commodity aggregation and agricultural input marketing. Specifically, the incumbents will undertake the following activities:
• Support establishment of partnerships between smallholder farmer groups and small to medium enterprises that undertake mechanization equipment and service provision, input and output marketing for selected crops and services by smallholder farmers. This includes support the organization of consultative processes to identify and engage potential SMEs operating in farmer locations targeted by the project (identified at national, provincial and district level) to partner with farmer cooperatives in produce off taking, financing, input provision and mechanization needs for smallholder farmers.
• Support the logistical, procurement and operational planning, authorisations and approvals of programme activities involving agribusiness and enterprise development promotion among smallholder farmers under the project.
• Support activities that promote private sector led enterprise development capacity building and agricultural input product knowledge promotion among smallholder farmers cooperatives that maximize appropriate agricultural input use and agribusiness investments. This includes support to drafting and negotiating of partnership framework involving smallholder farmers, the SIFAZ project and identified private sector (SMEs).
• Support the routine work planning and implementation of the agribusiness and enterprise development strategy under the project. This will involve:
o Updating and maintaining up to date records of activity and process implementation plans, budgets, and logistical requirements for implementation of agribusiness and enterprise development strategy under the project.
o Following up and tracking of performance of implementing partners contracted through Letter of Agreements and other contracts issued under the project with a particular focus on agribusiness and enterprise development promotion.
o Support the designing and implementation of agribusiness and enterprise development trainings, capacity building activities and mentoring of project beneficiary farmers, implementing partners, cooperative leaderships and SME linked to farmers cooperatives under the SIFAZ project.
o Support the development of agribusiness and enterprise development components of routine data collection and analysis methodologies (household surveys, community interviews, key informants, focus group discussions, etc). This includes identification of key technical variables, synthesis, and interpretation of analytical results.
• Support the development of content for the e-extension and digital platforms under the project. Such content to cover and recommended agribusiness and enterprise development options and processes making them available for dissemination through e-extension platforms. This will focus on ensuring appropriate agribusiness and enterprise development messages are properly integrated in all extension material under the project.
• Support review of monitoring and evaluation results and reports to identify key technical issues involving agribusiness and enterprise development raised from such reports and supporting formulation of solutions to enhance or address any issues identified from project monitoring and evaluation results.
• Support the compilation of reports, organizing, analysing, and preparing data for ad hoc reports, fact sheets, resource partner reports, briefing notes, and other reporting and communication products as per the program activities.
• Contribute to the timely production of cartographic products and mapping of agribusiness and enterprise development activities under the project. This includes liaison with data analysis specialist and GIS and mapping associate under the project to ensure timely production of various maps on various project activities.
• Support to information and knowledge management systems in the program by contributing to adequate and frequent updates, access and standardization of program information and agribusiness situation analysis under the program.
• Perform any other related duties, as required for successful execution of SIFAZ agribusiness and enterprise development promotion strategies.

Minimum Requirements
Candidates should meet the following:
• Minimum a university degree in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Social Sciences, Business Administration, or other fields related to the FAO mandate.
• At least 2 years of relevant experience in field implementation of project activities, project operations and support involving agribusiness and enterprise development promotion.
• Working knowledge of English
• National of Zambia

FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 24

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Job application procedure
• Interested and qualified? Click here to apply

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