Senior Agriculture and Rural Development Officer at African Development Bank - AfDB

THE POSITION:

The Senior Agriculture and Rural Development Officer, who will be based in Congo (Brazzaville), will contribute to the agenda for transforming agriculture in Africa. He/she will provide specific support to the Bank Group's operational activities in Congo and other countries of the Central Africa Region, in the areas of agriculture, rural development and the environment. As a member of AHAI- RDGC, he/she will also be responsible for initiating dialogue with the public authorities of the regional member countriesin the Central Africa Region, particularly with regard to the policies and activities of the African Development Bank to support national and sector policies and reforms in the field of Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment.

KEY FUNCTIONS:

Under the supervision and direction of the Division Manager in Charge of Agriculture for the North, Central Africa and Nigeria Regions, and with the guidance of Director General and the Deputy Director General of the Central Africa Region and in close collaboration with the Country Managers, the Senior Agriculture and Rural Development Officer will perform the following functions:

A) Project Cycle Activities

•     Conduct operational activities for the preparation of agricultural and rural infrastructure development projects to support the agricultural policy in the Central Africa region including reviewing notes, preparing of projects for Bank financing and defending projects/programmes before the Bank Board.
•     Recruit consultants and/or organise and undertake field missions for the preparation, appraisal, supervision and control of Bank-financed projects and sector studies.
•     Provide on a continuous basis, technical assistance and strategic advice to project management staff and professionals in Bank member countries for the proper implementation of the Bank's operational procedures for project administration.
•     Organise regular meetings with project teams to ensure close monitoring of activities and resolve any operational difficulties.
•     Monitor the effective completion of all project phases, including procurement management, monitoring disbursements, conducting regular audits, monitoring progress reports, etc., while ensuring compliance with the Bank’s rules and procedures.
•     Coordinate with the Bank's financial department and national partners, the processing of disbursement requests, management of audit missions and monitoring of project financial implementation.
•     Provide technical opinions to the Disbursement Division of the Bank on the eligibility of project expenditures.
•     Review procurement files from regional member countries to ensure that they comply with the Bank Group’s procurement procedures and make proposals for actions to be taken by the Bank and the executing agencies.
•     Review feasibility studies and progress reports on projects and make proposals for action by the Bank and executing agencies.
•     Organise regular dialogue meetings with members of project implementation units and other development partners especially in the areas of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.
•     Monitor the timely preparation and implementation of financing agreements related to Bank operations.
•     Facilitate, lead, as needed, agricultural sector reviews, the preparation of agriculture and rural development projects, mid-term reviews and various missions (identification, preparation, evaluation, completion, etc.).
•     Participate in Bank portfolio reviews in the country and provide all relevant information for assigned projects.
•     Prepare Project Completion Reports (PCRs) in accordance with the Bank's Operations Manual.

B) Knowledge Management

•     Identify and call upon, at strategic moments, key experts (individuals and institutions) in Africa to support beneficiaries in the design and implementation of projects, particularly in the field of Rural Development, the Agro-industry and the Environment.
•     Contribute to the search for funding and partnerships, in order to ensure the development of knowledge and the initiation of thematic studies in the position’s sector areas.
•     Contribute to fostering the creation of an environment conducive to knowledge management, including (i) providing practical assistance to implement projects to achieve the overall objectives, (ii) involving experts and resources in Africa, (iii) identifying innovative approaches, results and lessons learned from past experiences, (iv) ensuring rapid information sharing with national partners, (v) encouraging and supporting dissemination of results at level required for possible reproduction, (vi) ensuring the recruitment of consultants to undertake various knowledge management activities, etc.
•     Provide technical expertise during Country Strategy Paper (CSP) preparation and review missions in the agriculture, agribusiness and environmental sectors.
•     Contribute to the dissemination of information and ensure that lessons and recommendations are documented and quickly shared.

C) Partnerships and dialogue

•     Represent the Bank at various meetings organised in the Central Africa Region related to the fields of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment.
•     Coordinate with national, regional and international partners.
•     Represent the Bank in donor meetings, regional and international meetings, conferences, seminars and workshops on issues of agricultural development and natural resource management.
•     Establish good communication between the different stakeholders.
•     Within the Country and according to the needs, complete various dialogue and representation tasks assigned by the Country Manager.

COMPETENCIES (skills, experience and knowledge):

•     Hold at least a Master’s degree in Agronomy, Rural Engineering, Natural Resource Management, or related fields.
•     Have at least five (5) years of experience in the field of rural infrastructure and development of agricultural value chains, formulation and monitoring-evaluation of agricultural policies, or in related fields.
•     Possess solid experience and proven track record in the design and execution of operations (including investment projects and operations focusing on agriculture and rural development) as well as in project management.
•     Possess knowledge of the operational policies and programming practices of a multilateral organisation.
•     Have a sound understanding of rural development, agribusiness, climate change and natural resource management issues in developing countries and a proven track record of the policies, procedures and operational practices of major bilateral or multilateral aid agencies in Africa, especially in Central Africa and the DRC, and be able to work effectively in all sectors.
•     Exercise a true spirit of initiative, be results-oriented, and demonstrate leadership qualities.
•     Possess the ability to implement innovative approaches, work autonomously and apply new methods to solving problems, while remaining effective in a dynamic, evolving and demanding institutional environment.
•     Demonstrate sound critical thinking
•     Possess the ability to anticipate needs and requests, and to conduct political discussions with government officials, and support strategic thinking on agricultural and rural development, agribusiness, natural resource management, the environment and climate change.
•     Possess the ability to work harmoniously in a multicultural environment and to collaborate within teams and with other services.
•     Possess excellent oral and written communication skills in French, with a good working knowledge of English.
•     Possess sound knowledge of standard applications of the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).