Senior Agricultural / Development Economist, AHFR2 at African Development Bank - AfDB

Reference: ADB/20/140
Location: Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
Grade: PL5
Position N°: 50063975

The Complex

• The Vice Presidency for ‘Agriculture, Human, and Social Development’ is a Sector Complex focusing on two of the Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy High 5s priorities 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 pools of experienced individuals who can be consulted to provide sector expertise on complex transactions;
  • Develop new financing instruments;
  • The Vice President will act as the spokesperson 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:

• The Agriculture Finance and Rural Development Department works closely with the Agriculture and Agro-Industry Department and the Regional Directorates to provide support for the delivery of Feed Africa: Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa, 2016-2025.
• The core mandate of Agriculture Finance and Rural Development Department is to develop the strategy of the Bank related to agricultural and rural finance and rural development, represent the Bank with external stakeholders, provide sector expertise to the regions by gathering experts who can be consulted by operations and closing the financing gap for private sector-led development of agricultural value chains. The Department is to mobilize and deploy the required expertise; and, provide support the design and implementation of agricultural finance and rural development operations for key commodity value chains.  The Agriculture Finance and Rural Development Department is structured into two Divisions: (i) Agriculture and Rural Finance Division; and (ii) Rural Infrastructure Development Division.
• The Rural Infrastructure Development Division has the following deliverables:
  • High-quality and Innovative Instruments for Rural Infrastructure Integrated into Projects
  • Practical Implementation Arrangements with Key Implementing Partners
  • Knowledge Management of Rural Infrastructure Best Practices
  • Enabling Environment and Alliances with Key Stakeholders
  • Monitoring of Performance and Recommendations for Corrective Actions

The Position
The Senior Agro/Development Economist contributes to the deployment of the Bank’s Rural Infrastructure Development as large, and especially Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) flagship program and assists in the implementation of Feed Africa: Strategy for Agricultural Transformation in Africa 2016 - 2025. Feed Africa Strategy contributes to the fulfilment of the African Development Bank’s vision - as defined in its Ten-Year Strategy (TYS) and amplified in the High 5 Initiatives - of being the lead development financial institution in Africa, dedicated to providing quality assistance to Regional Member Countries in their economic growth efforts.  The Strategy seeks to transform African agriculture through 18 priority value chains and five agro-ecological zones. The transformation will require a set of seven enablers:

• Increase productivity by catalyzing the development of effective input distribution systems and reduction in post-harvest waste and loss;
• Realize the value of increased production by facilitating increased investment into output markets and supporting market incentives for value addition;
• Increase investment into enabling infrastructure, both hard and soft infrastructure;
• Create an enabling agribusiness environment with appropriate policies and regulation;
• Catalyze capital flows (especially commercial lending and private investment) to scale agribusinesses;
• Ensure inclusivity, sustainability and effective nutrition beyond what the market may deliver otherwise;
• Coordinate activities to kick start transformation, align activities and investments of different actors, and guide initial activities to the point where private sector actors can be crowded in

The SAPZ Initiative is one of the flagship programs identified in the Agricultural Transformation in Africa Agenda which seeks to support or create agro-industrial clusters: a concentration of producers, agro-industries, traders and other private and public actors engaged in the agri-food industry and inter-connecting and building value networks, either formally or informally, addressing common challenges and pursuing common opportunities.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the general supervision of the Division Manager of AHFR.2 and Task Managers, the incumbent (Agricultural/Development Economist) will contribute to the development and implementation of the SAPZs in the Bank’s Regional Member Countries, in providing technical inputs to Bank Group’s operational activities relating to agriculture and rural development, through the review of the technical design and institutional arrangements for agricultural projects/programs in general proposed for Bank’s funding and assessing their feasibility from the perspective of present and future benefits impact. His/her duties include the following:

• Undertake professional tasks, to identify, prepare, appraise and/or supervise project implementation and follow-up on Bank financed sector studies, monitor projects procurement and disbursement and reporting systems to ensure that these are consistent with Bank’s rules of procedures; or causing for such missions to be undertaken by co-operating institutions such as FAO, IFAD, BOAD, World Bank;
• Participate in the strategy and sector policy development;
• Participate in, and provide technical contributions, as required, agricultural sector reviews, agricultural and rural development project formulation, mid-term reviews and project completion missions and processing;
• Participate in appraisal and processing of agricultural and rural development projects and Terms of Reference (TOR) of studies proposed for Bank Group financing;
• Contribute technical inputs in the preparation of country strategy papers and portfolio reviews, with reference to the agriculture and rural development sector;
• Review procurement documents from regional member countries in line with the Bank’s Group’s procurement procedures and make proposals for action by the Bank and executing agencies;
• Review project feasibility studies and progress reports and make proposals for action by the Bank and executing agencies;
• Provide technical advice to the Bank’s Disbursement Division on the eligibility of project expenses;
• Prepare terms of reference and select consultants for missions and supervise technical aspects of their work;
• Negotiate projects with delegations from regional member countries and defend projects at the Board;
• Interact – giving/exchanging ideas, advising, explaining - with the Division Manager, the Division staff, the Projects Manager Units, other financiers and counterparts in other multilateral institutions.
• Work closely with the Bank’s private sector and the financial inclusiveness departments for a robust SAPZ environment with the associated financial support;
• Assist Regional Member Countries in the identification, preparation and appraisal of SAPZ sub-sector operations with a focus on commodity value addition and post-harvest losses reduction;
• Work with regional member countries to promote export promotion potentials and enhance import substitution; and
• Undertake any other assignments as may be assigned by the (AHFR.2).

Selection Criteria

• Hold at least a Master's degree (or equivalent) in Agricultural Economics, Agro Industry, Agribusiness, Agricultural Sciences, or related fields.
• Have a minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience, (including in multilateral development institutions) in project cycle management, as Agricultural Economist.
• Experience working in project development and implementation in agriculture and agribusiness.
• Strong competence in investment appraisal and financial modelling in the agricultural and agribusiness sectors.
• Experience working in Africa is a must.
• Ability to work in a team spirit to achieve defined objectives in international multicultural contexts.
• Ability to manage multiple, simultaneous and shifting demands/ priorities under tight deadlines and coordinate the work of others.
• Ability to build partnerships with a broad range of clients and deliver results that meet the needs and long-term interests of clients within and outside the Bank.
• Proven ability to take initiative, innovate, adapt and make smart decisions; to create, apply, and share knowledge; to share expertise and learning; to develop self and others; to expand networks; to collaborate within teams and across boundaries; to be inclusive and exhibit good corporate citizenship.
• Communicate and write effectively in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Competences in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint).