DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: February 16, 2022
Position: Agriculture Production Cooperative Expert
Initiative Name: “Strengthening of the Agriculture Cooperative and the Small Medium Enterprise Sectors of Eswatini through the Cooperative Model” under the Technical Assistance Partnership - Expert Deployment Mechanism (TAP-EDM)
Job Type: Short Term/Fixed Term/Part Time/Senior Level
Level of Effort: 50-55 days over a 4-month period
Location: Canada (remote) with travel to Eswatini
Reports to: Project Manager, TAP-EDM
Citizenship: Applicants must be Canadian citizens or have permanent resident status in Canada.
Application Instructions:
- We welcome applications from individuals and from governmental, non-governmental and private organizations.
- Cover letter is mandatory to be considered. Cover letters should detail how you fit the opportunity, your daily fee and current availability.
- TAP-EDM accepts electronic submissions only. Send your cover letter and CV to tap-pat@alineainternational.com.
- Please include following in the email subject line:
- [Cooperative Expert/Eswatini: Your last name, your first name]
- Only successful candidates will be contacted. No phone calls please.
Committed to Inclusivity and Diversity: Alinea provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants on the basis of merit.
Alinea is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. Given the nature of our work, candidates will be subjected to due diligence checks and to enhanced background checks as appropriate.
About TAP-EDM
The Technical Assistance Partnership - Expert Deployment Mechanism (TAP-EDM) Project provides targeted, short-term (up to 12 months) technical assistance to National Government Entities (NGE) from eligible OECD-DAC countries. The Mechanism is expected to deploy over 250 Canadian experts via 120-150 technical assistance initiatives designed to resolve capacity gaps to bring about the desired changes of the recipient NGEs. Fully aligned with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Strategy (FIAP), these initiatives will integrate gender equality, climate action/environmental sustainability, human rights and good governance as key objectives. Canadian experts will come from all walks of life, proudly representing world-class technical human resources but also the diversity and multi-culturalism that is Canada.
TAP-EDM is a four-year C$18,750,000-million-dollar project funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and managed by Alinea International. www.alineainternational.com
About the Initiative
TAP-EDM is assisting the Government of Eswatini undertake and evidence-based, gender-sensitive review of the cooperative sector vis-à-vis its current role and contribution to the economic development of the agriculture sector and the country. A Canadian expert in the cooperative sector will be deployed to Eswatini to assist their Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade (the body responsible for cooperatives in Eswatini; and the Ministry of Agriculture) to identify policy, programming, project and service-based approaches and mechanisms to more fully support the development of its cooperative sector, including its governance and oversight of the sector following a gender-responsive, effective, inclusive and transparent fashion.
The Role of Agriculture Production Cooperative Expert
The following are indicative duties (these may be refined following contracting and an inception period) to be undertaken with support from MCIT and other stakeholders/national experts:
- Conduct a literature review including current Canadian and international trends in approaches to cooperative support and development
- Following a systems approach, leverage the quantitative data collected by CODAS, undertake a primarily qualitative gender-sensitive analyses of the cooperative sector, ideally following a GBA+ and a SWOT/C approach and in close collaboration with MCIT (and MoA). This will include consultations and interviews with diverse sector stakeholders including members from active, weak and failing agriculture production cooperatives. Analyses will also review findings against Canadian and international experience.
- Develop conclusions and recommendations for consideration by MCIT on any required but doable policy (2017), programme, strategy and service updates, revisions and/or adjustments. Recommendations must be practical and take due consideration of existing capacity and resources with the MCIT/MoA. These recommendations shall also be informed by Canada’s experiences and best practices. The report will be validated, reviewed and approved through a 2–3-day workshop with MCIT and other stakeholders in the cooperative sector.
- Based on the analyses, above and policy, strategy programming and services recommendations agreed to by MCIT, assist with the design, development, testing/piloting and initial implementation of a set of new strategies, programs and/or services. NOTE: The number of programs and services supported will be limited by TAP-EDM funding for this initiative.
- Provide training and capacity development to MCIT on the GBA+ approach, cooperative as required/requested. This will be delivered separately or incorporated into workshop activities above.
Academic Qualifications and Experience
- Advanced degree in agriculture and/or rural areas development, organizational development (specific to cooperatives)
- 15+ years of agriculture sector experience
- 7+ years of direct experience working in the cooperative sector that includes experience in advising governments on both development and implementation of policy, programmes and services.
- Applied knowledge of the fundamental tenets and principles of cooperatives and conversant on the latest international trends in cooperative governance and management models
- Demonstrated experience in designing and conducting consultations as part of a broader evidence-based policy and legislation development approach with a good understanding/experience of how data is used to guide/inform the development and ongoing implementation of practical policy/legislation, programs and services
- Demonstrated experience designing cooperative education programs that encourage the formation and correct operations of cooperatives, targeting specific audiences
- Experience with/ able to design adult education and capacity development training and exercises to be incorporated into workshops where appropriate
- Applied knowledge of integrating/promoting gender equality, climate smart agriculture and coop principles and best practices; strong understanding of the GBA+ approach
- Applied knowledge of the systems and value chain approaches to agriculture sector development
- Strong skills in qualitative content and quantitative data analysis techniques (descriptive statistics, etc.)
- Adaptable, flexible and at ease in dynamic environments
- Superior skills in analysis and technical writing
- Prior experience in Sub-Saharan/Southeast Africa preferred