State Coordinator at The Management Solutions for Africa (MS4A)

Job Overview

• Winrock International in collaboration with consortium partners Connexus, Digital Green and the European Cooperative for Rural Development (EUCORD) is implementing the five-year Feed the Future Nigeria Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services Activity (AEAS) activity.
• This five-year project (May 25, 2020 – May 24, 2025) will partner with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and key market actors to test, replicate, and scale models of smallholder-oriented service delivery that will rapidly, effectively, and sustainably provide access to agro-inputs and services and disseminate extension messaging to 2 million smallholder farmers in Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Niger states.
• By integrating the Lean production methodology and making the business case for private sector-led extension, AEAS will promote a Lean suite of simplified, replicable, and affordable solutions, information, products, and other services that address inefficiencies faced by the vast majority of farmers in the target value chains (maize, rice, cowpea, soybean, aquaculture). These efforts will complement and inform public sector extension and research services.
• By the end of the project, AEAS will enable 280 SMEs to provide new or improved extension and advisory services and leverage $33.6M in private sector investment and $120M in agriculture financing to support smallholder farmers – leading to $300M in increased sales. Seven AEAS offices will be operational in Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Niger states.

Position Summary

• The State Coordinator’s main role is to effectively coordinate cohort activities, facilitate private sector partnerships, share information with various public and private sector stakeholders within the state, and monitor progress of private sector extension and advisory service provision at the state level.

Specific Duties
As directed by the Chief of Party AEAS and the AEAS Value Chain Advisor, the State Coordinator is charged with the supervision of activities, directly or via delegation, as is appropriate. These include but are not limited to the following tasks:

• Effectively facilitate contacts and engagement with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and key market actors to test, replicate, and scale models of smallholder-oriented service delivery that will rapidly, effectively, and sustainably provide access to agro-inputs and services and disseminate extension messaging to 2 million smallholder farmers
• Coordinate cohort activities, focus groups, workshops, and other activities in their state
• Contribute to identifying and nurturing private sector partnerships in their state
• Monitor progress of private sector extension and advisory service provision at the state level
• Contribute to data collection, verification, or analysis feeding into AEAS M&E efforts at the state level
• Contribute to identifying and analyzing lessons learned and best practices at the state, cohort, and farmer levels; contribute this feedback as part of the AEAS Learning Agenda
• Contribute to tracking and reporting systemic changes from AEAS activities
• Serve as Security Focal Points in their respective states
• Establish close and effective working relations with key organizations and ensure integration and coordination of agricultural development activities with other donor, government or private initiatives targeting agribusiness development.
• Provide input to AEAS’ quarterly and annual reports, and work planning exercises.
• Participation in weekly management meetings (mostly by telephone)
• Representation of AEAS at relevant meetings, workshops, donors’ venues
• Any other tasks as required.

Experience / Qualifications

• Master’s Degree or higher Degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness or related field, plus a minimum of 10 years program management experience in Agribusiness, Development and Extension; private sector management experience is desirable.
• Experience, short-or long-term, in a developing country a must, African, West African, or Nigerian experience and with small producers and processors highly desirable. Experience training agribusinesses, extension workers or other agricultural trainers in Africa would be beneficial.
• High level of initiative and enthusiasm.
• Excellent communications skills, written, oral and interpersonal, including the ability to coordinate and foster good relationships with various private and public sector actors in the market chain.
• Effective information gathering and organizational skills, with the ability to coordinate information exchange and develop networking strategies.
• Ability to perform commodity value chain analysis based on identified market opportunities.
• Ability to design training and provide technical and marketing assistance in support of agri-business development.
• Experience in developing and promoting environmentally sustainable agricultural production and processing techniques.
• Skill in developing scopes of work and managing short-term engagements.