Short-term Consultancy: Preparation of the Strategy for the Advisory Service in Agriculture and Rural Development (SASARD) 2023-2026 in the frame of t

Doing the right thing. We are active in Switzerland and 20 countries on four continents. Join us with a commitment to help us bring about a more caring society, as

Short-term Consultancy: Preparation of the Strategy for the Advisory Service in Agriculture and Rural Development (SASARD) 2023-2026 in the frame of the program “Sustainable and inclusive rural economic development (SIRED)”, funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC)

Caritas Switzerland is an independent Swiss NGO, engaged in Switzerland and in more than 20 countries worldwide, including Kosovo. Our mission is to prevent, combat, and eradicate poverty in a sustainable manner. To achieve this goal, Caritas employs a policy of equity: we support inclusive communities with opportunities for everyone regardless of their ethnic background, group affiliation, or gender. Caritas Switzerland has been working in Kosovo since 1999, focusing on social inclusion, rural development, and rehabilitation. Based on the Strategy 2021-2025, our central themes are Income, Climate Change, and Migration. Caritas Switzerland in Kosovo is implementing a highly regarded agricultural project which aims at contributing to the socio-economic development of the country by supporting farmers and the sector in income generation and new employment opportunities, funded by the Austrian Development Cooperation and Prishtina municipality. In particular, the SIRED project contributes to more sustainable and inclusive market systems by increasing the participation of producers and market actors and enhancing their income and productivity, thus contributing to poverty reduction for rural populations, particularly women and marginalized groups.

The main objective/purpose of this assignment is to actively contribute to, in terms of leading the process and document development, the preparation of SASARD 2023-2026.

Deliverables and Timeframe

The assignment is planned to start by end of July 2022 earliest and to be completed by mid-December 2022. The submission of the final document is until 25the December 2022. A maximum of 50 working days are foreseen for international and local experts jointly. Deliverables (in English) include an inception report, the presentation of preliminary findings, and a final consultancy report.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in agriculture, Agro Economics, Public Administration, or other fields relevant to the assignment.
• At least 5 years of experience in advisory/extension service in the agriculture sector.
• At least 5 years of experience and good knowledge in developing strategic action plans for the advisory Services and rural development and other strategic development documents.
• Experience in implementation of projects and programs in the field of implementation of standards and EU’s “acquis” in agriculture and rural development.
• Recognition of the advisory/extension service sector framework of the country and the EU.
• Fluency in English. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Working experience in the Balkans is preferred; Knowledge of Albanian or Serbian is a plus.