Cowater International
KEY INFORMATION
Job Title: Food Security and Agriculture/Agro-food Specialist
Position/Contract Type: Long Term Consultancy
Duration of Initial Contract: Up to 150 days for 1 year with the possibility of extension
Position Location: Lebanon
Language Required: Arabic and English
1. SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT
Launched in December 2021 and implemented by Cowater International, the Middle East Support Services Project (ME-FSSP) will primarily support the development and humanitarian objectives of Canada’s Middle East Strategy by providing administrative, financial, procurement, and logistical services in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and the region.
The Middle East Field Support Services (ME-FSS) will also support the regional development programming for the Government of Canada through the provision of technical specialists in gender equality, governance and human rights, and environment and climate action
2. BACKGROUND
The aim of Canada’s bilateral development program in Lebanon is to manage Canada’s resources effectively and accountably to achieve meaningful, sustainable results that in line with Lebanon’s poverty reduction plans and priorities. In order to deliver its programs and projects in Lebanon, the Embassy of Canada uses the Field Support Services (FSS) to provide expert technical services in a variety of sectors and sub-sectors.
Lebanon’s compounded crises since 2019 have had a dire effect on food security, agricultural livelihoods and agro-food production in the country. According to a recent agricultural household survey carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, the prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity was estimated at about 23 percent of the surveyed population, with 70 percent of households worried about not having enough food. Food imports, on which Lebanon relies for more than 80% of its food supply, have been severely impacted by COVID-19, the removal of food subsidies and informal capital controls. Small-holder farmers – which account for the vast majority of agricultural production in Lebanon – have been particularly affected by high agricultural input costs and low output prices, limited access to traditional forms of credit and the reduction of sales due to lower purchasing power.
In this context, Canada implements a portfolio of development and humanitarian projects that support food security and agricultural livelihoods. To succeed in the design of new initiatives and the implementation of current ones, the Embassy of Canada needs the services of a Food Security and Agriculture/Agro-food Specialist.
3. OBJECTIVE
The objective of this consultancy is to provide technical support to Canada’s food security programming in Lebanon to ensure effective and resource efficient programming, incorporating expertise of local laws, regulations and trends with the ultimate goal of contributing to better development results in the sector.
Specifically, the Specialist will identify gaps and opportunities and provide recommendations to Canada’s bilateral development program regarding current and future programming focused on food security, agriculture, and agro-food.
4. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES
Activities of the Specialist will include, but are not limited to, the following:
Project Support
· Review and provide written comments on project documents, including work-plans, narrative progress reports, evaluation reports and other relevant reports of the food security and agriculture/agro-food project portfolio.
· Support the programming team in the review and design of new proposals in the food security and agriculture/agro-food sector, providing technical advice into all planning documents including Logic Model, Performance Management Framework, Risk Registry and budget, among others.
· Provide technical support and advice related to the monitoring and evaluation of projects. This may encompass advising on indicators, reviewing and commenting on project implementation plans, annual work plans, progress and evaluation reports, participation in project monitoring and mid-term review missions as a resource person, meeting with implementing partners, carrying out field visits, and preparing success stories.
Program Development
· Provide advice to the Lebanon programming team on opportunities, needs and entry points on food security, including on possible cooperation with other donors.
· Conduct a stakeholder mapping of donors supporting the sector, as well as local organizations and institutions implementing food security and agricultural/agro-food initiatives and assess their capacities to achieve meaningful results; identify potential partners with appropriate sector-specific programming capacity.
· Provide written analysis and technical advice on best practices and approaches to achieving results, potential risks, issues, constraints, opportunities, lessons learned, and possible synergies with other projects and sectors.
· Review and provide written, context-specific analysis on emerging issues in the agriculture and agro-food sector, as well as general trends in food security, including but not limited to: climate-smart agriculture; micro-credit/access to finance; food systems governance; agro-food cooperatives, SMEs and informal groups; and import, distribution and access to wheat.
Visits and Representation
· Provide technical assistance to incoming missions from Canada, if required. Prepare written and oral briefings and accompany visiting GAC staff, Canadian Government officials and consultants on field trips and meetings. Feed into meetings notes and speeches; prepare field visit reports and make recommendations about any needed corrective measures.
· Attend donor and technical group discussions on food security, agriculture/agro-food as a resource person, contributing to knowledge-building/sharing and policy dialogue.
· Provide advice to the programming team on food security issues to be raised in policy dialogue and advocacy with government, other donors, civil society organizations and private sector.
· Occasional translation from Arabic to English, as requested.
5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Advisor:
The Advisor is responsible to deliver the services described in section 4 of this TOR according to the agreed timelines, expected results, and deliverables, and any additional services as requested by the Technical Authority. The Advisor must work in close collaboration with the Lebanon field staff and GAC HQ’s programming teams and assigned HQ Specialists, and whenever necessary with other consultants.
The Technical Authority (GAC Lebanon TA):
· The provision of service requisitions to the Advisor, including the approval of the Advisor’s assigned work and deliverables.
· Reporting to GAC on the completion of services and deliverables against the approved tasking. A detailed reporting schedule will be agreed upon and attached to the contract.
ME-FSSP team:
· Managing the competitive process of identifying and hiring the Advisor, including signing the contract.
· Communicating/disseminating key documents related to GAC policies, programming approaches and processes, regulatory or reporting requirements.
· Review and approve payments based on the invoices and timesheets submitted by the Advisor.
6. LOCATION, TIMELINES AND ESTIMATED LEVEL OF EFFORTS
The Consultant should be located in Lebanon. The assignment will commence once the contract is signed and will be valid for 12 months with a maximum of 150 working days allowed. All deliverables must be approved by GAC Lebanon and ME-FSSP.
The payment and payment schedule will be based on a fixed-time rate contract.
7. ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS
· The Consultant will report to the Cowater/ FSSP PM in Amman.
· The contract will be signed between Cowater International/ME-FSSP and the selected candidate.
· Work will be performed out of the Consultant’s own office and the Consultant will be responsible for providing all required overhead, including maintaining internet access and an email account.
· The Consultant will be expected to use their own workspace, equipment and materials (office space is not provided).
· The Consultant will be paid according to the agreed-upon daily rate based on the level of effort reflected in the monthly financial report and requisition forms.
8. TECHNICAL SPECIALIST PROFILE
Competencies
· University degree in rural development, agricultural economics, food security, or a mix of adequate education and relevant working experience in Lebanon;
· Knowledge of Global Affairs Canada’s results-based management policy and tools and aid effectiveness principles.
· Knowledge of general principles and current trends surrounding climate smart agriculture, nature-based solutions, agri-food value chain development, food system governance, and food safety nets.
· Demonstrable knowledge of Lebanon’s economic and social development plans and strategies, in particular Lebanon’s National Agriculture Strategy (2020-2025).
· In-depth knowledge of Lebanon’s local development context as it relates to the agricultural and agro-food sectors.
Experience
· Minimum 5 years of demonstrated professional experience in delivering food security, agricultural and agro-food technical advice in Lebanon, including field experience;
· Relevant and demonstrable working experience in providing food security, agricultural and agro-food technical advice to international donor agencies on large international development projects, including cooperating with key stakeholders in Lebanon (i.e. donors, UN agencies, IFIs, Government of Lebanon’s line ministries and agencies).
Abilities
· Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Arabic; French is an asset;
· Proven analytical capacity;
· Proven ability to synthesize information based on various sources of information and present written recommendations;
· Capacity to work independently and under tight deadlines;
Past working experience with Global Affairs Canada or with GAC-funded projects is an asset.
How to apply
For your application to be considered, please send all requested documents to [email protected], with “Food Security and Agriculture/Agro-food Specialist – Lebanon” in the subject line latest by 6th of November 2022.
Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible by sending the following documents:
- A CV indicating all experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) with at least three (3) professional references.
- A brief statement as to why you consider yourself the most suitable for the assignment.
- A financial proposal indicating the daily rate in USD.
Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are able to inform only the successful candidate(s) about the outcome or status of the selection process. Qualified women and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Kindly note that received CVs might be added to the ME-FSSP database for experts for potential future assignments.