Background

The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is an international organization addressing critical issues such as international food security, the alleviation of global hunger and poverty, environmental protection and the promotion of economic development and self-sufficiency.  IFDC is a registered International Non-Government Organization (NGO) in Ethiopia. The Towards Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship’ (2SCALE) is a project that IFDC is implementing in Ethiopia.

The 2SCALE program 2019-23 builds on achievements and lessons learnt from a first phase (2012-18, www.2scale.org). It aims to be a flagship program for the Netherlands’ food security policy and one of the leading catalysts of inclusive agribusiness in sub-Saharan Africa.

2SCALE is designed to incubate and accelerate inclusive agribusiness development in target countries in Africa (Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger and Nigeria). Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are the core implementation modality to achieve the objectives of the program. 2SCALE’s strategy is three-pronged:

1. Incubating inclusive business: through PPPs, 2SCALE works together with private enterprises to develop agribusiness models that promote inclusiveness, develop (new) competitive edge, and have potential for scaling. PPPs support value chain development and agribusiness cluster formation. The agribusiness cluster approach helps smallholder farmers develop farming as a business and supply agricultural products for local, national, regional and international markets. 2SCALE partners with African and multinational agri-food companies as drivers to increase productivity and to improve efficiency and sustainability of supported agribusiness clusters and value chains. Specific attention is given to youth and women to integrate value chains (as farmers, laborers, entrepreneurs, service providers), and to low income / “base of the pyramid” (BoP) consumers that represent the largest market for food products in sub-Saharan Africa.
2. Replicating inclusive business: through PPPs, 2SCALE supports the replication of most successful business models, in different settings (regions, industries), through the same or different private partners.
3. Facilitating sector transformation and policy alignment: 2SCALE also supports partnering enterprises to drive sector transformation and policy alignment for critical bottlenecks that cannot be solved by the actors within the focus PPPs, and which affects a number of actors in the sector simultaneously.

2SCALE is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and implemented by a consortium led by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) and comprising the Base-of-the-Pyramid Innovation Center (BoPInc) and the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV). The Partnerships Resource Center (PrC) supports the consortium as a knowledge partner.

Position summary

The Junior Partnership Facilitator is supporting the 2SCALE country team in the design and implementation of activities related to the PPPs. When relevant, she/ he also supports the 2SCALE technical specialists (e.g. in financial inclusion, women economic empowerment, youth inclusion, climate-smart agriculture), to conduct desk research, fine-tune and facilitate the integration of the thematic-related strategies in the PPPs. The Junior Partnership Facilitator will also support Partnership Facilitators in external communication and reporting.

Main tasks

• Support the 2SCALE country team in desk research, collecting and analyzing market and industry information related to anticipated and existing PPPs.
• Support the 2SCALE country team in designing, formalizing, implementing, monitoring and documenting PPPs with private business champions (companies or cooperatives) and other relevant private/ public partners:
  • Develop business idea screening forms, partnership briefs and descriptions with clear theories of change, and well as related action plans and cost-shared budgets.
  • Participate in field interventions that fall under 2SCALE’s responsibility, in line with set targets, and in close collaboration with 2SCALE technical specialists. These activities may include but not be limited to the following:
    • Mobilization of actors around target agribusiness clusters and value chains.
    • Profiling/ assessments of agribusiness cluster and value chain actors (and of their organizations).
    • Business connections of grassroots actors.
    • Coordination of activities of connected local actors within agribusiness clusters, based on competitive strategies.
    • Capacity building (technical, organizational) and empowerment programs.
    • Promotion of innovations within agribusiness clusters and value chains.
    • Capacity and trust building activities to improve efficiency and reduce transaction costs within value chains.
    • Linkage of value chain actors to financial and other support services.
  • Monitor and document the progress of the PPPs in line with:
    • PPP key performance indicators and markers for change.
    • PPP action plans and cost-shared budgets.
• Support the 2SCALE country team in the preparation of subgrants for business support services. Monitor these subgrants, particularly through frequent field visits to cluster actors.
• Support (on request) technical specialists to fine-tune and implement the thematic-related interventions.
• Collaborate with the Partnership Facilitators and communication Specialists to develop outreach materials (in English and French, as required) in a frequent manner, and ensure the visibility of the PPPs and their development (achievements, challenges, lessons learnt).
• When required, participate in the sector teams, composed of all Partnership Facilitators with PPPs in the same sector. Respond to and seek advice from the 2SCALE management to improve sector and industry knowledge, forward-looking strategizing within the sector, and priority-setting within existing and new PPPs.
• Write and submit timely activity reports, as well as other technical reports, notes and partnership profiles.

The Junior Partnership Facilitator may implement other tasks that the 2SCALE management deems necessary for the success of the program.

Supervision and team collaboration

The Junior Partnership Facilitator is supervised and coached by and reports to the 2SCALE Country Team Leader or a designated Partnership Facilitator. She/he works in close collaboration with all 2SCALE colleagues.

Position and duty station

The Junior Partnership Facilitator is a national junior position with a duty station at IFDC/2SCALE’s office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The position requires extensive travels in Ethiopia (up to 50% of the time), and exceptionally to other 2SCALE focus countries.

Contract duration

IFDC will propose a first contract ending on December 31, 2020.

Based on the incumbent’s performance, availability of funds and program needs, the contract could then be extended or renewed.

Indicative starting date:      

• o/a November 01, 2019

Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelor degree or equivalent in agribusiness, Economics/business managements, agronomy, environmental sciences or other relevant area.
• At least 1 year of work experience required.
• Motivated and dynamic junior professional, willing to develop her/his skills and grow professionally.
• Excellent writing skills in English.
• Fluent in local languages.