FoodTrade East & Southern Africa - Market Linkages Specialist
DAI (International Trade and Developmen) Europe was contracted in 2013
by DFID to implement the 5 year Food Trade East and Southern Africa
(FoodTrade ESA). FoodTrade ESA is a five-year programme aimed at
improving national and regional market efficiency in the trade of staple
foods.
FoodTrade ESA is headquartered in Nairobi, and covers 9 countries:
Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda (East Africa) and Malawi,
Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe (Southern Africa). FoodTrade ESA
recognises the transformative potential of agriculture and trade to
improve the lives and incomes of thousands of small scale farmers, as
well as strengthen food security across the region. To harness this
potential and bridge the gaps that exist in the trade of staple foods,
FoodTrade ESA is investing in innovative systems to allow small-scale
farmers to improve their inputs and gain access regional markets. We
support the private sector, governments, and other development actors to
bring small scale farmers closer to the heart of agricultural systems.
In addition to this, we recognise and address the specific challenges
that prevent both men and women from equally participating in, and
benefiting from, regional agricultural value chains.
FoodTrade ESA is designed to systemically improve the functioning of
national and regional staple food market systems impacting directly on
over 400,000 households and consumers. The programme delivers this
through an effective Project Management Unit (PMU) and fosters catalytic
and innovative solutions using two facilitative tools: a Challenge and
Development Funds. The programme works to unlock systemic market
failures that lead to the deepening and improved functioning of food
markets and therefore increase staple foods trade across the region.
Since inception, FTESA has focused and concentrated heavily on the
Eastern Africa market systems primarily within the borders of Kenya,
Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda with some market systems activities in
Zambia and policy interventions in the broader Southern African region.
The three main pillars of FoodTrade ESA work are:
1. Improved Post-Harvest Markets
2. Improved Input Markets
3. Improved Trade Environment and Reduced Uncertainty
The project is now entering its fifth and final year of implementation
and is now focusing on consolidating its key achievements and successes,
creating synergies and leverage on partners’ relationships to build on
the envisaged lasting systemic transformation across the Eastern and
Southern Africa region on the programme activities in improving market
performance.
Market Linkages Specialist
Reference: FTESAMARKETS-14062017
Reports to: Markets Systems Expert and Team Leader
Duty Station: Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Timeframe: July 1st, 2017 - April 17th, 2018
The Market Linkages Specialist will work closely with partners and
stakeholders in the implementation of market system related activities
in order to enhance dialogue and linkages between producers and buyers
in the staple foods value chains. S/he will liaise with the technical
team members, partners and stakeholders including government officials
at national and local levels. The Specialist will scope and capitalize
on available and potential market opportunities, taking the lead in
working with our existing grantees to coach and mentor producer
organisations and buyers to sustaining producer – buyer relationship.
Working closely with other technical team members, partners and
stakeholders, the Market Linkages Specialist will purposely ensure that
gender and youth is mainstreamed among beneficiaries, and along the
value chains we are active in. S/he will support the M&E team in
collecting and consolidating data and relevant information related to
the project. The Market Linkages Specialist will assist the Trade
Policy, Monitoring and Results Measurement, and Knowledge and
Communications Teams. This is a full time position, aimed at
strengthening FoodTrade ESA engagement with staple markets systems
across the ESA region.
Primary Responsibilities
This position will contribute towards designing interventions and
consolidating achievements and successes that address staple foods
market constraints. Broadly, roles include:
• Planning and participating in project work-plan meetings with partners
especially East Africa Grain Council (EAGC), Farm Africa, UN WFP Food to
Markets Alliance platform, among others
• Ensuring partners are providing quality project reporting on time, and
are receiving feedback on project implementation.
• Grain Management – be the custodian that partners are implementing the
EAC staple foods grades and standards in ensuring proper grain storage
and condition, assuring quality specification grain is used, practicing
good post-harvest practices such as drying to required moisture to
maintain the highest quality possible.
• Overseeing Quality of Grain Handling: collect feedback from potential
buyers on the grain handling from FoodTrade supported projects involving
coordinating purchases/transactions, receiving, sampling, grading, and
shipping; and maintaining grain quality and quantity. (In due time get
the contacts of buyers and sellers in B2B reports and follow up)
• Proactively meet with key informants from industry and relevant public
sector entities and representative of producers, processors, retailers,
exporters and other stakeholders.
Main tasks and responsibilities include:
The Market Linkages Specialist will complete the following tasks in the
day to day functions of this position. This list is not exhaustive, and
the Markets Systems Expert and/or the Team Leader may define additional
task within the scope of the overall programme objectives:
• Coordinate purchases by reporting all grain purchases when made by
FoodTrade partners in volumes by staple
• Coordinate periodic reports to FoodTrade ESA from partners as per
contractual agreements; ensuring quality
• Tracking all the EAGC certified warehouses and updating the information
to the FoodTrade ESA aggregating partnerships especially Farm Africa,
WFP FtMA and Kilimo Trust.
• Ensuring training on proper post-harvest handling, grain quality
standards, and Warehouse Systems process.
• Prepare field activity reports on a weekly, monthly, quarterly,
semi-annual and annual basis
• Coordinating partners to mobilize farmers to deliver the set volume
targets for maize, paddy rice and pulses to EAGC certified warehouses
• Maintain an up to date record of all farmers, farmer groups, aggregation
centers, warehouses and stakeholders
• Sensitizing and creating awareness of the G-soko trading platform to
stakeholders
• Regular collection of data on grains sales/volumes etc.to analyse
markets and market opportunities, be knowledgeable about existing and
potential market conditions.
• Develop linkages with service providers such as insurance companies,
Banks, and transport and logistical companies and provide oversight
during service delivery on behalf of members.
• Attend market linkage forums with that aim at marketing the aggregated
commodity
• Any other tasks and duties assigned from time to time.
Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience
• Bachelor’s degree preferably in agricultural economics, agribusiness or
equivalent with 5 years’ of
• Experience in working with and capacity building of smallholder, medium
and progressive rural farmers;
• Experience in social research/survey work in a development organization;
• Fluent in spoken and written English and Kiswahili languages;
• Good time management skills and willingness to work occasional long
hours and travel to the field frequently;
• Ability to work in a team as a good communicator and learner;
• A problem solver, team player and independent thinker.
• Capacity to manage several tasks simultaneously. Be flexible and willing
to assume a range of unanticipated assignments.
• Excellent computer skills in Microsoft office suite.
Essential Competencies/Behaviours:
• Adaptability: Able to adjust to changes in work conditions, assignments,
and work schedules;
• Communication: Able to communicate well with others.
• Critical Thinking: Obtains information, identifies key issues and
relationships, and breaks down problems into simple tasks or activities;
• Integrity/Trust: Demonstrates honesty, is widely trusted, keeps
commitments, treats people with dignity and respect, admits mistakes;
does not misrepresent him/herself for personal gain;
• Interpersonal Effectiveness/Teamwork: Ability to develop positive
working relationships and work effectively with others.
• Initiative/Results Oriented: Takes action to achieve goals beyond what
is required is pro-active, is a self-starter;
• Technical/Professional Knowledge: Performs complex tasks in area of
expertise.
Candidates who meet these requirements are required to send their CV and
cover letter by email, quoting the position and relevant reference
number in the subject line to foodtrade_recruitment@dai.com .
Applications should include three work-related referees who are
supervisors and day-time telephone numbers. The application deadline is
30th June 2017 . Only candidates who meet qualifications will be
shortlisted and contacted. Only Tanzanian nationals or persons with
Tanzanian work permits will be considered.
We are committed to minimizing the environmental impacts of operations
related to the programme, and to ensuring our work supports social
protection for everyone without bias. We encourage gender equity and
diversity in our programme. All qualified applicants will receive
consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion,
sex, or national origin. We are an equal opportunity employer.
0 Comments