Technical Advisor on Agri-Trade Facilitation at the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Agency for International Cooperation) is an international enterprise owned by the German Federal government, operating in many fields across more than 130 countries.

In Nigeria, GIZ’s portfolio includes among others, a programme to support the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in its regional integration goals. The programme aims to strengthen sector-specific capacities in the areas of Peace and Security, Customs and Trade as weir as Strategic Management and Organizational Development in the ECOWAS Commission.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Technical Advisor on Agri-Trade Facilitation

Vacancy No.: 059
Location: Abuja

Background
GIZ. Solutions that work:

• As a service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work, we are dedicated to shaping a future worth living around the world. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment promotion, energy and the environment, and peace and security.
• The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe – from the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector, and governments of other countries. We work with businesses, civil society actors and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development policy and other policy fields and areas of activity. Our main commissioning party is the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The Project
GIZ EAT – a vibrant new project for the ECOWAS Region:

• The BMZ funded regional project ECOWAS Agricultural Trade (EAT) is implemented by GIZ and officially started in January 2022 with a funding of 10 Mio. EUR for 5 years. The project management unit is based in Abuja. Major activities will start from January 2023. The project focuses on five countries, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and three others to be determined with the partner.
• The objective of EAT is to improve institutional and technical requirements for intra-regional agricultural trade in the ECOWAS region and selected countries. The main partner is the ECOWAS commission (Directorates for agriculture, trade and customs), regional organizations and national line ministries or trade associations.
• EAT works on 3 components:
  • Strengthen the role of the ECOWAS Commission in coordinating sustainable gender-sensitive agricultural trade instruments with ECOWAS Member States
  • Support sustainable gender-sensitive agricultural trade facilitation measures and services for traders at border posts and along agricultural trade value chains.
  • Improve regional agri-trade promotion services and business performance of the traders.
• The target group of the project comprises trade companies, organizations and actors in agri-food sector trade in the ECOWAS region. The supported agricultural commodities are raw, semi-finished and finished products that are traded form farm gate, factory or warehouse to consumer markets.

Responsibilities and Tasks

• You are supporting the Senior Technical Advisor and the Project Leader of the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade (EAT) project with operational tasks for the implementation of components 1 and 2 (esp. on trade facilitation) and to support conceptualization, planning and implementing of major project activities in those two components.
• The position involves key responsibilities in analyzing the implementation of agri-trade policies in the ECOWAS region and in member states/ at borders, to perform technical, institutional support and to back stop activities of implementing partners.
• Main activities are the organization of public private dialogues, the support and follow up of trade facilitation measures at borders, contribute to M&E and knowledge management, provision of project data and report writing/ documentation. A special focus is on women in cross border trade and measures to improve small scale trade facilitation under the ETLS.
• Good communication skills for assuring a good cooperation with implementing partners, stakeholders and private sector actors as well as target groups on various levels is one of your strengths. You are taking over responsibility proactivity within your scope of work and have a results-oriented and structured way preforming according to agreements and plans.
• You contribute essentially to outputs 1 and 2 of the project and are motivated to travel in the ECOWAS region (border areas, markets, capitals) and work in close contact with partners and stakeholders.

As a Technical Advisor, you will have the following Responsibilities and Tasks:
Project Implementation and Backstopping:

• Gives support to the Senior Technical Advisor on the implementation of components 1 and 2 in the ECOWAS region
• Contributes to planning, organization and implementation of activities and events in both components
• Supports the drafting of TOR, the initiation of service or financial contracts with partners or consultancies and accompanies partners and service providers during the contract period
• Backstops, follows-up and adapts activities and assures the achievement of results in both outputs.

Technical Advice and Inputs:

• Sources and processes data from implementing partners and consultants in collaboration with the Monitoring and Communication Expert; extract findings, results and recommendations of studies; extract key messages for policy advice
• Gives updates on agricultural trade facilitation (agreements, directives, sector policies and programs, etc) in the ECOWAS region. Screens and summarizes news and events in that regard
• Scopes for innovation and new solutions in trade facilitation that the project can support or use
• Prepares and organizes technical activities carried out by EAT and assures the quality of activities done by implementing partners with the backing of the Senior Technical Advisor.

Communication and Facilitation

• Screens the institutional landscape and makes contact to potential partners; manages and documents contacts partner networks
• Contributes to fluent communication and reporting of important information and knowledge with partners and within the technical team
• Informs the project team on best practises and obstacles during implementation
• Facilitates and moderate during technical meetings
• Supports the Project Leader and the Monitoring and Communication Expert on knowledge management and learning through evaluation of activities carried out, identification of lessons learned and best practices.

Required Qualifications, Competences and Experience
Qualifications:

• University degree in Agronomy, Economics, Geography, Political Sciences (with special qualifications in Economics, Trade, Agronomy) or other related field of study.

Professional Experience:

• At least 3 years’ experience working in the areas of trade facilitations (custom instruments at borders, certificates of origin, phyto and veterinary certificates, training concepts, services for traders, esp. women) and trade policies (implementation of ETLS, CET ECOWAP, national policies) in West Africa.
• At least 2 years of professional experience in implementation of technical activities, advice, cooperation and communication with public and private partners institutions in the field of agricultural value chains, trade or policy advise.
• Previous work with regional and national institutions such as ECOWAS Commission, national line ministries, regional and national organisations such as CILSS, WACTAF or NGOs is an advantage
• Know the political environment, cultural and socio-economic context in at least 1 other West African country esp. related to agri trade facilitation and trade policies
• A deep understanding of the work and mandate of the ECOWAS commission on agricultural and trade policies, implementation of ECOWAS trade instruments in the member states and knowledge of the regional context in trade promotion and facilitation for agricultural value chains

Other Skills and Competences:

• Ability to implement activities in a dynamic political context from regional to national and local levels by understanding the different abilities and capacities of institutions and actors.
• Capability to analyze and summarize specific trade related aspects, find pragmatic solutions for specific contexts related to challenges in agricultural trade facilitation
• Identify policy network in the region that are capable to contribute to the objective of the project
• Spoken and written language skills in English (level C2); French would be an advantage.
• Proficient use of MS Office and MS Teams.

Salary
According to GIZ salary scale for Band 4.

Application Closing Date
30th June, 2022.