Programme Coordinator at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/17/444
Location: Côte d’Ivoire
Grade: PL6
Position N°: 50093753

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for ‘Agriculture, Human, and Social Development’ is a Sector Complex focusing on the Bank’s Ten Years’ Strategy (TYS) High 5s priority of “Feed Africa” and “Improve Quality of Life for the People of Africa”.
• The complex objectives are:
  • To develop, policy and strategy;
  • Provide deep sector expertise to the Regions by gathering pool of experienced individuals who can be consulted to provide sector expertise on complex transactions;
  • Develop new financing instruments;
  • The VP will act as the spoke person to represent the Bank with external stakeholders on aspects of “Feed Africa” and Improve Quality of Life for the People of Africa”.

The Hiring Department

• Within the context of the Bank’s High 5’s vision for Africa’s long-term economic transformation, the Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department (AHAI) provides support for the delivery of the Bank’s Feed Africa: Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa, 2016-2025.
• The Strategy aims to end hunger and rural poverty in the next decade through self-sufficiency in eighteen (18) priority commodity value chains specific to the continent’s agro-ecological zones.
• Realizing the objectives set forth in the Strategy requires increased productivity; value addition; investment in infrastructure; an enabling agribusiness environment; capital flows; and inclusivity, sustainability and effective nutrition.
• The Department leads the effort to transform African agricultural systems for greater competitiveness, inclusivity and sustainability, and for enhanced job creation and poverty reduction in Bank Group Regional Member Countries.
• Feed Africa’s many Flagships include the ENABLE Youth initiative, Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), Agro poles and Agro-Processing Zones, Blue Economy, Risk Sharing and Finance Mechanisms (RSFM), and Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA).

The Position
The Programme Coordinator reports to the Director, Agriculture and Agro-industry Department. In the context described above, the Programme Coordinator assists AHAI management in the following ways:

• The overall coordination of the implementation of the Department’s work programme and related assignments.
• Collecting, processing and analyzing data on the Department’s lending and non-lending work programme.
• Assisting the Department in ensuring effective delivery of the work programme.
• Developing briefs and reports related to the Department’s activities for submission to other organizational units of the Bank, senior management and other relevant clients.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall supervision of the Director, AHAI and in close collaboration with AHAI’s management team, the incumbent’s main duties and responsibilities will be as follows:

• Contribute to the preparation of the Department’s Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), ensure their consistency with KPIs of the AHVP Vice-Presidency and prepare regular status reports and annual activity reports.
• Maintain the portfolio database of the Department (active and pipeline projects).
• Coordinate the preparation and monitoring of quarterly mission schedules and collating related data of reports.
• Ensure close follow up of the Department’s activities and regularly update work programmes on the basis of the established processing schedule.
• Carry out analysis of supervision data, disbursement ledgers; loan cancellation data in the Department’s portfolio.
• Carry out analysis to improve the department’s portfolio, and in particular, report on the performance of activities of projects at risk.
• Follow-up on borrowers’ fulfilment of the general and specific conditions applicable to loans and grants, for example audit reports.
• Prepare the Department’s work programme and budget and monitor implementation.
• Assist in the organizing events, workshops and seminars.
• Work closely with Regional Managers and Task Managers in tracking and reporting on implementation of the Feed Africa Strategy.
• Coordinate responses to queries and invitations concerning the Department.
• Keep up to date information for exchange with development partners and institutions such as bilateral donors (DFID, AFD, etc.), multilateral donors (World Bank, IFAD, FAO, UNECA, EU, etc.).
• Disseminate information on the activities and achievements of the Department and liaise with internal and external communication parties.
• Represent the Department in coordination meetings with other organizational units of the Bank.
• Liaise with the Corporate IT Services Department (CHIS) of the Bank, if necessary, for all issues relating to the Bank’s SAP system and other information technologies; play the role of SAP resource person in the Department; provide technical assistance to staff of the Department in the use of SAP-PS.
• Liaise with other key organizational units of the Bank, including AHVP front Office, the budget department (SNPB), the partnerships and resource mobilization department (FIRM), etc.
• Carry out any other duties pertinent to the work of the Department, assigned by the Management Team, such as budget management and resource mobilization.

Selection Criteria
Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

• Hold at least a Master's degree or its equivalent in Business Administration, Economics, Agriculture or a related field.
• Have a minimum of four (4) years of relevant professional experience, and demonstrated ability to efficiently manage and perform multiple tasks.
• Good working knowledge of operations, particularly the information required for project cycle activities and portfolio management, planning, work programmes, budget preparation and financial management.
• Ability to analyze information from different sources and play an advisory role to management and staff.
• Highly satisfactory coordination, facilitation, communication and analytical skills.
• Ability to work in teams, resourcefulness, attention to detail, client orientation and good decision-making ability.
• Experience with International Organizations would be an additional asset.
• Having private sector experience will be an added advantage.
• Innovation and creativity.
• Problem solving.
• Communication.
• Team working and relations.
• Client orientation
• Operational effectiveness
• Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, with a working knowledge of the other.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft software (Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint).
• Knowledge of SAP is advantageous.