Team Assistant - Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) at African Development Bank - AfDB

Position Number: 50109864
Position Grade: GS7

The Complex

• The President, plans, supervises, and manages the business of the Bank Group. Under the direction of the Boards of Directors, the President conducts the business of the Bank and the African Development Fund and manages operations and activities in accordance with the Agreements establishing the African Development Bank and the African Development Fund.
• The President supervises several Departments and Units including Office of the President; Independent Development Evaluation Department; Integrity and Anti-Corruption Department; Compliance Review and Mediation Unit; Secretariat to the Sanctions Appeals Board; Administrative Tribunal; Office of the Auditor General; Group Risk Management Directorate;  General Counsel and Legal Services Department; Communication and External Relations Department; Staff Integrity and Ethics Office and Office of the Secretary General & General Secretariat.

The Hiring Department / Division

• The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) is a multilateral mechanism to assist in the implementation of pledges made by the leaders of the G8, in Pittsburgh in 2009. Following the G8 meeting in 2009, the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) Trust Fund was established in April 2010 with focus on improving the income and food security in developing countries through country-led public and private sector investments. Since its establishment, the program has contributed to raising agricultural productivity, linking farmers to markets, reducing risk and vulnerability, and improving non-farm rural livelihoods, through technical assistance, institution-building, and capacity development.  GAFSP also focus on cross-cutting themes such as Gender, Climate change, and access to finance.
• Since 2010, GAFSP has pooled more than US$2.1 billion in donor funds and provided financial and technical resources—grants, technical assistance, concessional loans, blended finance, and advisory services—to demand-driven projects along the agriculture supply chain, from ‘farm to table’. GAFSP funds are delivered through partnerships with 8 Supervising Entities (multilateral development agencies) one of which is the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The Position

• Under the general supervision of the Lead, Partnership and Coordination, the Team Assistant will play a supportive role in the coordination and delivery of the GAFSP’s programme.
• He/she will lead on the establishment and maintenance of all information management systems and databases (e.g., SAP) to enable the effective result-based management.  
• He/she will generate information and reports to inform on the progress, achievements, and outcomes of the GAFSP funded projects and the GAFSP.
• He/she will participate in the management the GAFSP website and prepare communication materials for internal Bank and external audiences.
• These responsibilities will be undertaken within the context of the GAFSP strategies and work plans, operational procedures and the Bank’s policies and procedures.

Key Functions
Strategic Planning and Monitoring:

• Support the Lead, Partnership and Coordination and the Bank’s GAFSP team in the preparation of planning and reporting documents, with particular emphasis on drawing on information maintained on databases.
• Provide electronic information management services to GAFSP by ensuring that the SAP is established and maintained to enable timely and accurate reporting on GAFSP funded project progress, outcomes and impact against its targets and indicators.
• Assist in preparing Missions for the GAFSP team / or consultants, participate in missions, where appropriate, and provide logistical support for the program of conferences and workshops held within or outside Bank headquarters.
• Write notes, summaries and / or briefing notes on GAFSP experiences, progress and lessons learned drawing from project reports, workshops and information contained in the GAFSP database.
• Consolidate, categorize, and store information and reference files on relevant issues to assess GAFSP outcomes and impact (i.e., M&E system), develop databases and information systems and update them.

Grant Management & Administration:

• Coordinate the maintenance of information management systems to enable effective management of all stages of Call for Proposals (concept notes, project proposals, reviews, correspondence) and GAFSP initiated projects.
• Update information management systems (e.g., SAP) for individual GAFSP funded projects and the GAFSP, in collaboration with the Bank’s GAFSP team.
• Liaise with the Fund Operations Officers and Task Managers, to ensure that information on GAFSP funded projects is regularly updated on the SAP.
• Communication and Networking.
• Prepare regular updates on GAFSP for use in Bank internal and external communication forums.
• Participate in the management, the regular updating of the GAFSP website in close liaison with the Fund’s communication team and the Bank’s webmaster and drawing on from contributions by the GAFSP partners.
• Any other duties relevant to the successful functioning of the GAFSP as may be required.

Competencies (Skills, Experience, and Knowledge)

• Hold at least a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Economics and / or Statistics would be an asset.
• Have a minimum of five (5) years of relevant and practical experience in project management, work programme and budget preparation, and information management.
• Good understanding of the functions, organization, and procedures of the Bank; leadership; strong research capabilities and problem solving.
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to prioritize in its own program of work, ability to perform the tasks in a timely and effective manner.
• Good interpersonal skills, ability to establish and maintain effective working relations in a multicultural environment.
• Commitment to continuing education, and proactive and responsible attitude vis-a-vis the self-development.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing effectively in French or English, with a good working knowledge of the other language.
• Competence in the use of standard Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, SAP and/or other integrated document management system).