Position:  Senior Project Officer I- Digital Agriculture Services  

Term of Employment:One year with a possibility of extension

Duty Station:  Oromia (Based at Addis Ababa), Amhara (Based at Bahir-Dar),

  Tigray (Based at Mekelle), and Hawassa

Required Number:   Oromia (1), Bahir-Dar (1), Mekelle (1), Hawassa (1)

Application Deadline:  January 18, 2025

Please Note: ‘’PLEASE MENTION THE SPECIFIC DUTY STATION/LOCATION THAT YOU ARE APPLYING FOR, BUT IF YOU DON’T MENTION THE SPECIFIC LOCATION YOUR APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED”

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI), formerly known as the Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), is a strategy and delivery-oriented government institute created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of Ethiopia’s agriculture sector, which is a key contributor to the country’s GDP, exports, and workforce. The ATI’s work is centred on improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers (SHFs) across the country for improved income, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability. The ATI works to transform the agriculture sector in Ethiopia by conducting policy and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support and capacity building, coordinating.  platforms to better integrate partners and projects and designing and directly leading several innovative/pilot interventions. The Institute joins forces with various stakeholders, including policymakers, researchers, farmers, and development partners, to support the implementation of agricultural development programs and initiatives. In addition, the ATI collaborates with national and international partners to facilitate knowledge exchange and learning opportunities. The Institute plays a crucial role in generating and disseminating information to support evidence-based decision-making in Ethiopia’s agricultural sector.

Our Culture

We have an exceptional team of highly competent employees with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results.  Our culture is one where talented, dedicated, and adaptable individuals are committed to doing their best and exhibit great teamwork to achieve excellent results. At ATI, we provide an exceptional platform for people who want to achieve their highest potential and make a meaningful contribution in changing the country’s agricultural sector.  We offer rewarding work in a young, fast-paced growing organization with passionate, committed, motivated colleagues and excellent career development and training.  We recognize our most valuable assets are our staff and are committed to providing our employees with the tools, training, and mentorship necessary to achieve their career goals.

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Senior Project Officer-Digital Agriculture and Market Data Management will oversee the implementation and management of multiple digital agriculture initiatives, focusing on enhancing market access, farmer registration, and digital extension services. This includes coordinating the National Market Information System (NMIS) for the region, ensuring the collection, validation, and dissemination of market data to stakeholders through platforms such as IVR 6077, the NMIS website, and other digital channels. The officer will promote the digital market linkage component, facilitating training for data collectors, regional experts, and stakeholders, and providing ongoing technical support to ensure data accuracy and system utilization. The officer is also responsible for upcoming market related projects such as Digital Market Linkage Platform (DMLP) and Output tracking system. In addition, the officer will provide support to the 8028 Project, moderating helpdesk services, managing surveys and push message and alert and ensuring high-quality service delivery to smallholder farmers through the 8028 hotlines. The officer will ensure that the activities of the 8028 Project align with broader agricultural strategies and will monitor the quality and effectiveness of services provided. The Senior Project Officer will also compile and analyse data for reporting purposes, ensuring that all activities are aligned with regional and national agricultural development goals.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Implement the gathering of market data from 130 marketplaces, ensuring data accuracy and regular monitoring of quality through triangulation with data enumerators, traders, and other stakeholders. Ensure timely entry of the region market data into the system.

• Coordinate the translation of market information, promotional materials, and other market-related news into the local language, working with regional stakeholders.

• Organize and conduct workshops, training sessions, and meetings with regional stakeholders to provide project updates, address challenges, and resolve issues. Train data enumerators, experts from the Bureau of Trade, Cooperative Promotion, and the Market Development Agency on proper data collection techniques and systems.

• Manage the engagement of key regional stakeholders in monitoring, follow-up, and promotional activities, ensuring their active participation in project success.

• Provide remote and in-person technical support to data enumerators on Open Data Kit (ODK) operation. Ensure that data enumerators have the necessary tools, such as voice/data packages and other ICT services, for efficient operations.

• Conduct weekly market data validation and approval for all 2056 market centres for more than 20 commodities and livestock market data in collaboration with the head office team, ensuring data quality and consistency across the Region.

• Identify, prioritize, and escalate data management issues related to NMIS functions, such as IVR 6077, website, and subscription services, to the federal team for prompt resolution.

• Supervise and monitor data collection operations at regional    market centres. Occasionally visit the markets to oversee data collection, encoding, and entry processes, ensuring adherence to best practices and data integrity.

• Maintain and update market centre location data (GPS), profiles, and the enumerator list, accounting for staff turnover, leave, or other changes, and ensuring the accuracy of mobile devices, passwords, and login credentials.

• Identify and assess existing government and private market information systems that could be integrated with the NMIS to enhance its functionality.

• Organize workshops with stakeholders to discuss the feasibility of a unified market information system and develop strategies for integration.

• Develop and execute a joint implementation plan for integrating the selected systems and aligning with regional project needs.

• Collaborate with other ICT projects in regional production, market linkage, and input programs to meet the project objectives and KPIs.

• Provide problem-solving support during system enhancements, aligning regional needs and providing necessary support to achieve the desired outcomes.

• Identify and organize potential suppliers (FPCs, unions, MSMEs) for participation in the digital market linkage platform. Provide capacity-building support to ensure their readiness for platform engagement.

• Conduct field visits to assess the status of identified suppliers and their collaboration with key stakeholders. Monitor their progress and engagement with the digital platform.

• Organize and lead awareness creation workshops to engage federal and regional stakeholders in the digital market linkage platform.

• Provide skill training for potential sellers and buyers on how to effectively use the digital market platform to enhance market transactions.

• Coordinate and manage the engagement of regional project stakeholders to expand and implement the digital market linkage platform, ensuring widespread adoption and usage.

• Strengthen regional project engagement through joint implementation, meetings, and capacity-building activities. Support enhancement efforts following the transition to operational status.

• Promote market information through regional radio stations, television stations, and other communication channels to increase awareness of the NMIS system.

• Use regional media outlets, including television and radio, to promote the digital market linkage platform and drive user engagement.

• Distribute NMIS promotional materials to selected pilot markets, engaging enumerators in conducting promotional campaigns during market days.

• Represent the NMIS and digital market linkage platform at various meetings, workshops, and events, promoting the platforms to project beneficiaries and regional stakeholders.

• Follow up on the proper broadcasting of NMIS platform advertisements through radio and television in pilot markets and other regional areas, ensuring consistent visibility and outreach.

• Review and moderate questions submitted to the 8028 Farmers' Hotline, ensuring that responses are accurate, relevant, and timely. Troubleshoot issues raised by help-desk responders and smallholder farmers.

• Collaborate with regional stakeholders to ensure proper use of the help-desk system and update responder data regularly to maintain operational efficiency.

• Identify key locations for awareness campaigns and coordinate roadshows to promote the 8028 system.

• Use media channels such as radio, TV, and local marketplaces to promote the 8028 system and its benefits.

• Manage advertising campaigns and track their effectiveness in raising awareness and driving user engagement.

• Organize and deliver comprehensive training on the 8028 Farmers' Hotline (FHL) for stakeholders and help desk responders to ensure effective service delivery.

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with partners, including government agencies and private organizations, to ensure the success and sustainability of the program.

• Lead workshops for development agents and other key stakeholders on the system's functionalities, ensuring they understand the value and proper use of the 8028 FHL.

• Produce regular reports on the performance of the help desk, focusing on disease-related inquiries, market data, and other relevant content.

• Ensure that all help desk content aligns with system updates and meets quality standards.

• Compile internal and external project reports, ensuring they are submitted in a timely manner and meet the required standards.

• Support farmers’ registration for targeted advisory service provision.

• Support implementation of digital kiosks across their respective regions.

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications, Competencies, Skills, and Experience:

• Minimum of a master’s degree in information technology, Marketing, Statistics, Agricultural Economics, Economics, Agricultural Marketing, Cooperative Marketing, Management Information System, Economics, GIS or another relevant field.

• Minimum 6 years of relevant experience in project data management, preferably in the agricultural/agribusiness sector, and of which at least 2 years’ experience is in a data management or market information system in government, non-government, or private sector role.

• Working Knowledge of digital technologies particularly in the agriculture sector.

• Working knowledge of the agriculture value chain and associated technologies.

• Working knowledge of agriculture market information systems.

• Working knowledge of digital advisory services and technologies used in Ethiopia

• Proven problem-solving skills.

• Proven skills of working on digital platforms.           

• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills. The stakeholders may have different digital literacy skills.

• Excellent knowledge transfer skills. (The job involves providing pieces of training to farmers and other stakeholders).

• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written) in English and Amharic with the ability to create and deliver compelling presentations to diverse groups of stakeholders (knowing regional languages is mandatory). 

How to Apply

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter and (ii) a CV (maximum 5 pages) to THIS LINK, It is mandatory to mention the position title under the subject line of your application email.  

Please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application.  

Women are highly encouraged to apply. 

NB. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted