Junior Digital Solutions Advisor at GIZ Nigeria

Background
GIZ. Solutions that work.

• As a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security.
• The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe – from the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector, and governments of other countries. We work with businesses, civil society actors and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development policy and other policy fields and areas of activity. Our main commissioning party is the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
• The registered offices of GIZ are in Bonn and Eschborn. Our approximately 23,500 employees, almost 70 percent of whom are national personnel, work in a round 120 countries (July 2020) GIZ has worked in Nigeria since 1974. From 2004, GIZ has maintained a country office in the capital city Abuja. Currently 361 national and 66 international employees, 19 regional staff, 4 integrated specialists and 3 development workers are working in the country (June 2020).

The Project
Market Oriented Value Chains for Job and Growth in ECOWAS –MOVE programme

• With global and regional demand constantly rising, the cashew and rice production and processing offer important potential for training, employment, and wealth creation in the ECOWAS region. This can be achieved through private sector development, economic empowerment of women and youth and supporting the efforts at minimizing the impact of climate change.
• On behalf of the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale
• Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is implementing the Market Oriented Value Chains for Job and Growth in ECOWAS – MOVE programme.
• The aim of the project is to promote market-oriented and future-proof value chains that contribute to income and employment generation in the ECOWAS region. With the merger of the Competitive Cashew Initiative (ComCashew), and Competitive African Rice Initiative (CARI), the focus will be put on the cashew and rice value chains. We aim to ensure long-term, sustainable results and competitiveness in West African region.
• MOVE project has kicked off in Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. The overarching strategy of implementation is built on making value chains more resilient, collaborating with large companies and SMEs, integrating Gender Transformative Approaches (GTA), developing a more conducive local/regional business climate, and then scaling for achieving broad impact in ECOWAS. We want to support inclusive development through the following activities:
  • Increasing the level of value creation within West Africa through strengthened private sector engagement.
  • Improving the economic and environmental sustainability of agricultural systems using good agricultural production (GAP) for sustainable production in a climate-resilient, resource-conserving agriculture and carbon sequestration.
  • Increasing local consumption of rice and cashew products through marketing initiatives and by-products.
  • Youth and gender inclusion: Developing and sharing good examples of inclusive business models and human capacity building by integrating gender responsive and gender transformative approaches (GTA) and information technology (IT) knowledge.
  • Policy advice: Consolidating public-private cooperation in policymaking to reduce regional trade barriers and to support social transformation in the ECOWAS region, like ECOWAS Rice Observatory (ERO), the Consultative International Cashew Council (CICC), African Cashew Alliance (ACA)
• Promoting value creation within West Africa through strengthened private sector engagement
• The business linkages in general have insufficient supply chain management, inefficient logistics systems and high post-harvest losses. Moreover, the poor performance of the markets and the agribusiness climate are hindering private sector investments, specifically the weak (political) legislation and regional harmonization, poor condition of rural service infrastructures, utilities/storage and infrastructure as well as regional and national implementation capacities.
• Financing is a vital factor but largely not accessible for all actors along the value chain – especially for women. There are also inadequate or unavailable operational and business development services (BDS), which would take into account and promote women in decisionmaking processes and levels.
• We combine two value chains, rice and cashew, in order to increase local and regional market competitiveness, add value to the production and processing create jobs and foster local consumption.
• Hereby the private sector is the central focus of our project because with the Matching Fund Approach, we build the entry point for MOVE’s interventions.

Responsibilities & Tasks
Responsibilities:

• The Junior Digital Solutions Advisor will be responsible for the development and implementation of digital solutions in areas relevant for the MOVE programme.
• A particular focus will be on-theground implementation of ICT activities in collaboration with private and public partners. Substantial field travel across project areas is expected.

The Junior Digital Solutions Advisor will:

• Support the implementation and (or) promotion of existing and new ICT solutions in collaboration with MOVE partners, MF partners and other actors in the rice and cashew value chain
• Support the implementation of project initiatives to improve
• existing digital solutions and their availability, (e.g.: identify existing digital solutions and assess their suitability for up and out scaling, assist to provide technical and methodological advice to improve and make available the solutions)
• Provide experienced recommendations on new and existing digital solutions with special focus on support to the rice & cashew value chain.
• Support in identification of potential new ICT solutions that could be piloted and implemented by MOVE
• Foresee scale up opportunities and supervise implementation of piloted digital solution in MOVE, particularly on-the-ground implementation.
• Liaise with other similar programs/activities in GIZ implementing countries in identifying and promoting digital solutions.
• Support the development and implementation of other internal digitalization activities and processes of MOVE.
• Support any additional project activities that may arise.

Tasks:
Tasks related to operations

• In collaboration with the MOVE team, the Junior Digital Solutions Advisor will be responsible for the following tasks:
• Support to develop digitalization concepts and propose them to the MOVE management.
• Liaise with in-house technical teams, project partners, ICT solution providers and technical experts on digitalization concepts and suitable solutions for the sector.
• Assist the team to implement and supervise testing and evaluation of new and currently implemented digitalization concepts and solutions.
• Liaise with the MOVE team in charting proper directions for the commercial sustainability (i.e., business model) of the digitalization concepts and solutions.
• Ensure that digital solutions are aligned with GIZ requirements, including digital principles of GIZ and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
• Support the communications team with ICT related activities.
• Maintenance of gadgets used for testing and piloting ICT solutions.

Other tasks:

• Assist in carrying out other activities as directed by the line manager/ supervisor.

General Obligations
The Junior Advisor:

• Is familiar with all components of the Programme, concepts and status of implementation and knows the corresponding experts and staff.
• Represents the interest of GIZ and the Programme and always acts on its behalf; and carries out important tasks for the Programme, even if these are not explicitly cited in the job description; performs other duties and tasks at the request of the Management
• Carries out important tasks for the Programme, even if these are not explicitly cited in the job description; performs other duties and tasks at the request of the Management.

Required Qualifications, Competences and Experience
Qualifications:

• B.Sc / M.Sc holder in the field of Computer Science, Information Management, Information and Communication Technology and other related studies
• Further certifications on UX/UI design and testing, software development, software management, project management will be an advantage with a strong focus on agriculture and private sector development.

Professional experience:

• At least 2 years working experience in a related position.
• Strong computer skills in contemporary MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher etc.) is mandatory.
• Software development understanding will be an advantage
• Clear and diplomatic communication (oral and written).
• Experience in agricultural value chain development and digital transformation of the agriculture sector.

Desired additional qualifications, competencies, and experiences

• Affinity for market/internet research regarding existing ICT solutions and ability to recognize potential in ICT solutions to implemented in a non-digitized environment (with regards to agriculture).
• Understanding of IT development and projects.
• Ability to communicate with interdisciplinary / multiinstitutional teams (units / research organizations, NGOs and
• Governmental agencies, farmers, their organizations, and donors).
• Team worker and constructive attitude in case of difficulties or conflicts.
• Structured work style with high degree of self-organization, flexibility, and creativity.
• Developed attitude and awareness of service delivery.
• Fluency in English and Knowledge of French would be a plus.