Project Assistant (Agriservices/Policy) at Syngenta AG

The Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture (“SFSA”) is a non-profit organization founded by Syngenta and is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. SFSA’s mission is to strengthen smallholder farming and food systems through catalysing market development and the delivery of innovations, while building capacity across the public and private sectors. SFSA operates primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, South and South-East Asia, with staff based in Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, India, Bangladesh, the Mekong region, Indonesia, and China.

SFSA is carrying out an analysis and will propose targeted interventions to strengthen the rice value chains in Mali and Nigeria, with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). For project activities in Nigeria SFSA will hire a consultant to support the team in planning and executing a high-level policy workshop in Nigeria in early 2023. The exact timeframe is yet to be confirmed.

BACKGROUND

The Strengthening Rice Value Chains project aims to enhance the overall capacity of rice value chain development in Mali and Nigeria by leveraging knowledge, investments, and public private partnerships to advance rice productivity, improve quality, processing and distribution. It will benefit smallholders and others in low-resource communities to have access to improved inputs and modern technologies for post-harvest management. The project will also draw from and advance new knowledge on climate smart practices and technologies used in rice production, such as measures to reduce methane emissions in rice production, identifying more nutritious rice varieties designed to adapt to changing climatic conditions, and identifying more optimal crop rotations including rice.

Four main outputs will be delivered by the end of the project: 1) A Report on the landscape mapping of rice value chain and identification of key gaps and challenges, as well as possible solutions and necessary interventions in Mali, including a list actionable policy recommendations, 2) A Rice value chain strategy for companies interested in investing in Nigeria, identifying the gaps and understand the issues which may negatively impact companies to invest in the rice value chain and find solutions to encourage private-sector partners to invest in post-harvest handling and e-commerce in Mali and Sub-Saharan Africa overall, 3) A workshop to share results and findings and policy recommendations, as well as dialogues with key stakeholders to identify interested parties for future value chain development, 4) Public and private partnerships and resource mobilization plan that will be developed in close consultation with public and private sector stakeholders, and identifies the funding gaps and establish priorities, targets and timelines for mobilizing resources from domestic and international investors and donors in support of strengthened rice value chain in Nigeria.

The project assistant will support the delivery of output 3.

 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF TASKS AND EXPECTED OUTPUTS

• The project assistant will work closely with SFSA project staff in Abuja, Nigeria and Basel, Switzerland, as well as the consultant firm contracted for project activities in Nigeria. More specifically the consultant is expected to deliver the following:
• Securing, Booking and Managing venue for the workshop
• Provide quotations of conference venues in Bamako suited to host approximately 100 delegates.
• Secure the conference venue approved by SFSA.
• Ensure that audio-visual equipment is available and that the workshop runs smoothly.
• Set up a place where presenters can upload and amend their presentations.
• Ensure catering is available for workshop participants.
• Registration and managing workshop participants
• Compile lists of workshop participants and ensure that invitations are sent out in a timely manner.
• Share relevant info and materials with confirmed participants before the workshop.
• Establish an onsite registration desk during the workshop.
• Follow-up with attendees after the workshop to thank them for their attendance, share relevant materials and agreed action points.
• Comprehensive write-up of the workshop minutes
• Take minutes during the workshop
• Support the team in the write-up of the workshop
• Support Agriservice Stream
• Assist in the implementation of Farmers hub Model
• Supervise and capacity building of smallholder’s farmers/growers
• Connect smallholder’s farmers with mechanization service providers
• Use e-hub to track farmers transactions
• Asist in the drafting of concept note
• Support Seed2 Stream
• Assist in the implementation of AVISA project
• Supervise and capacity building of smallholder’s
• And any other assignment by management

Qualifications

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

• Previous experience with leading high-level conference planning and event management;
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to plan and meet tight deadlines;
• Excellent spoken and drafting skills in French and English;
• Practical Agronomy exoerience
• Accuracy, reliability, and the ability to work under pressure and in autonomy.