Crown Agents USA,
Inc. (CA-USA) is seeking aNational
Agribusiness Strategy and Investment Framework Expertfor an
anticipated USAID Agricultural Growth Project located in Rwanda.
Our Business
Crown Agents is an
international development company employing over 600 personnel worldwide with a
presence in more than 40 countries, subsidiaries in 11 countries, and permanent
staff working on the ground in 22 corporate offices in Africa, Asia Latin
America, Japan, th
e United Kingdom, and the United States. Crown Agents
provides direct assistance, management consulting, and human and institutional
development for public and private sector clients in customs and trade
facilitation, public financial management, procurement, logistics, and health
systems strengthening.
Crown Agents USA
(CA-USA), the U.S. incorporated subsidiary of Crown Agents, provides direct
technical assistance, capacity development, and procurement services to
stimulate economic growth, establish good governance, and improve health
outcomes across the developing world. Since its incorporation in the United
States in 1998, CA-USA has provided technical assistance services and support
to U.S. Government agencies and international organizations such as the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID), the Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC), the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), Department of
State (DOS), and the Gates Foundation.
Project
Description
The Rwanda Private
Sector Driven Agricultural Growth Project (PSDAG) project is a five-year Feed
the Future activity funded by USAID and implemented by ENGILITY
Corporation/IRG. The project reflects the Government of Rwanda’s (GoR) desire
to develop a strategic partnership between the Rwandan public and private
sectors to improve commercial agricultural investment and increase smallholder
farmer economic opportunity through increased value chain competitiveness and
profitability.
Specific
Responsibilities
The National
Agribusiness Strategy and Investment Framework expert will assist the
Agricultural Sector Working Group (ASWG) in developing the National
Agribusiness Strategy. The strategy will include an Investment Framework for
Agriculture Investment Promotion. The overall objective of this consultancy is
to systematize and enhance the analytical content of agribusiness strategy
development to increase clarity and stakeholder ownership. The consultant will:
- Review
background documents including PSTDA III, the Commodity Improvement
Program (CIP), the draft agricultural Investment Framework (IF), the Year
2 PSDAG work plan, etc. - Design
and have approved a consultancy work plan including activity and
deliverable submission milestones. The work plan should include weekly or
bi-weekly consultations with the PSDAG Objective 1 team and CA USA home
office staff. It should also reflect a strategy for gaining ASWG approval
of the eventual draft national agribusiness strategy document. Submit the
work plan for CA USA review. - After
CA USA work plan review, present the work plan to the PSDAG COP for
comment. After the COP comments, finalize the work plan for final CA USA
approval. Stand ready to present the work plan to the Agricultural Sector
Working Group if requested by the PSDAG’s COP. - Review
each of all the draft agribusiness strategy SOWs and background analyses.
Consolidate and categorize these documents based on analytical quality and
writing clarity. The intent here is to identify the “go to” documents for
informing ASWG and other stakeholder interest in strategy development. - Develop
a national agribusiness strategy table of contents. The table of contents
should incorporate ideas from other country agribusiness strategies,
preferably from East African Community (EAC) or other African countries,
contextualized to reflect Rwandan agricultural, economic and institutional
conditions. It should reflect eventual identification of institutional
roles and responsibilities for public and private sector entities and
provide a “key action framework” to speed strategy implementation. - Develop
a formal process for identifying priority agricultural value chains. The
process should include a methodology for comparing alternative value chain
costs and benefits with implicit reference to GOR agricultural development
objectives. While considering GOR objectives the value chain selection
criteria should reflect market drivers (demand, competition, destination
market conditions, price trends) to the greatest extent possible. Be ready
to present this process to the ASWG, or a sub-set of ASWG membership if
necessary to speed approval. - Implement
the approved value chain prioritization methodology. Employ primary and
secondary data and information where necessary. Conduct a limited number
of key informant interviews where necessary to triangulate data, vet
assumptions and findings, and clarify ASWG thinking. - Review
the agriculture IF and determine how it can be best incorporated, from a
documentation and implementation perspective, into the agribusiness
strategy. Consolidate the IF and agribusiness strategy information and
professionalize the draft agribusiness strategy document - Submit
the draft National Agribusiness Strategy to the Agriculture Sector Working
Group and the Economic Cluster for final approval.
Qualifications
- Post
graduate degree in Economics, Business, Finance, International Development
or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience is
required - Demonstrated
knowledge of private sector development and contemporary development
agendas - Minimum
8 years of relevant experience required - Familiarity
with and an understanding of agribusiness development issues and needs in
Rwanda - Ability
to work independently and without continual supervision - Excellent
writing skills, proven experience developing reports
Application
Process
To apply to this
position, please email your CV to careers@crownagents.com. Include your name,
along with “#14-23P,
National Agribusiness Strategy and Investment Framework Expert”,
in the subject line. Visit our website at www.crownagentsusa.com for more
information about our company. No phone calls, faxes or walk-ins please. Crown
Agents USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and affords equal opportunity to
all qualified applicants for all positions without regard to race, color,
religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status,
disability or any other status protected under local, state or federal laws.
Crown Agents USA
will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with qualified
disabilities in accordance with the ADA. If you require a reasonable
accommodation for our application process, please contact our Recruiting
department directly. Requests will be kept confidential and shared strictly on
a need-to-know basis only.
