Job vacancies – FAO Rwanda

1.Web design and development consultant

Closure Date: 26/Oct/2020, 12:59:00 AM

Organizational Unit: FRRWA

Job Type: Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition: PSA (Personal Services Agreement)

Grade Level: N/A

Primary Location: Rwanda

Duration: 35 working days over 4 months

Qualified female applicants and qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member countries are encouraged to apply.

Persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Organizational Setting

The Integrated Country Approach for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agri-food system (ICA project) is anchored in FAO’s Strategic Objective 3 “Reduce rural poverty”. In particular, it will directly contribute to strategic objective 3 Organizational Outcome 2: Countries enhanced access of the rural poor to productive employment and decent work opportunities, particularly among youth and women. Within this Outcome, the project will mainly contribute to the output on Policy support and capacity development in the formulation and implementation of strategies, policies, guidelines, and programmes to enhance decent rural employment opportunities, entrepreneurship and skills development, especially for youth and women.

Rwanda youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF) was initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and animal Resources and FAO as a platform to bring together different youth organizations, individual youth farmers and entrepreneurs in Agriculture Sector working in crop production, livestock, agro-processing, inputs and other Agro-services (extension, marketing, food packaging, farm mechanization, seed multiplication etc.) as well as ICT for Agriculture in Rwanda. The platform aims to promote the positive mind-set among the youth vis-à-vis agriculture, while orienting youth to reach out to other farming groups to raise awareness on the practice of business-oriented agriculture.

The expert is hired to give Technical Assistance in the review and upgrade of the Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF) Website in terms of IT infrastructure, web design, and user experience.

Reporting Lines

She/he will work under the General supervision of the FAO Representative in Rwanda and direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR/Programme and will work closely with the National Coordinator of ICA project .The whole work to be undertaken will be done in close collaboration with Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources as the Ministry in charge of overseeing RYAF. The National Consultant will report to the FAO Representative (FAOR) and the report will be finalized in collaboration with the ICA National coordinator under the guidance of FAO Assistant in Charge of Program.

Technical Focus

The work will focus on the analysis of current RYAF website usability and user engagement and the development and pre-testing of a new website designed based on the feedback and needs of RYAF members and key stakeholders.

Tasks and responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible of implementing and reporting activities related to the analysis and upgrade of RYAF website. These include:

1) Analysis of RYAF website

1. Assess the IT infrastructure and security of the current RYAF website and its integrated components (includes RYAF membership portal and RYAF shop subpage)
2. Analyse the user engagement with RYAF online content through web and social media analytics.
3. Consult RYAF management, RYAF staff in charge of the website and other digital channels, and MINAGRI as the Ministry overseeing RYAF, in order to identify existing gaps and expected results of the website upgrade. The website upgrade proposal should also reflect RYAF re-defined vision and strategy.
4. Collect feedback on RYAF website usability from a small but varied sample of (current and prospective) users, focusing on RYAF members and particularly those living in rural areas, in order to understand what is needed to improve their user experience with the website and the registration portal. The user research can be conducted both online with existing users and offline with random youth in rural areas, including first-time users.

2) Upgrade of RYAF website

1. Based on findings and recommendations of the analysis, develop a proposal for upgrading RYAF website, including the related RYAF shop subpage and the integrated membership registration system. The proposal will respond to the identified gaps and provide the corresponding technical and functional requirements including options for web design and layout, user interface, workflows. The proposal will also include a detailed workplan and timeline for implementation, including migration of existing content to a new CMS (Typo3, Version 8) and set-up of a multi-language website (to accommodate information in Kinyarwanda, English and French).
2. As part of the upgrade proposal, identify options for increasing accessibility of the website content and the registration system by youth with limited connectivity or poor digital skills, exploring complementary channels (e.g. SMS, IVR).
3. As part of the upgrade proposal for the RYAF shop page, identify an interactive e-commerce feature that would facilitate linkages between the RYAF actors with buyers in the country, e.g. give the opportunity to exhibitors to display their produce and buyers to get in contact with shops.
4. Develop a test version of the new website and membership registration system based on the approved proposal and coordinate with RYAF staff for pre-testing it with a small but varied sample of users, in order to collect feedback and adjust it accordingly.
5. Optimize and migrate existing content and user profiles to the new upgraded website and membership database.
6. Prepare a handy user manual and train select RYAF team members on the management and maintenance of the new website to ensure that they are able to update, backup and maintain the website and related membership portal fully functional in the long-term.

Deliverables

The following deliverables are expected from the Consultant:

1. An inception report comprising an analysis of RYAF website in terms of ICT infrastructure, security, usability and user engagement, as well as a detailed proposal with mock-up and workplan for the upgrade. The inception report has to be submitted no later than 15 days after signatory of the contract.
2. Test version of RYAF website and related membership portal to be submitted no later than 15 days after approval of the detailed proposal.
3. Fully functional upgraded RYAF website and related membership portal, to be submitted no later than 10 days after user testing and provision of consolidated comments from MINAGRI, RYAF and FAO.
4. User manual and training to select RYAF team members on how to manage and maintain the new website.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in information technology or equivalent qualification
• Minimum 5 years of proven experience in graphic design and development of websites, online databases and web services (candidates should provide a portfolio of their work)
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Knowledge of Kinyarwanda is required.
• Knowledge of French is a benefit.
• National of Rwanda or resident in the country with a regular work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Knowledge and understanding of the issues of youth in Agribusiness
• Experience in the design of youth-friendly websites and online databases
• Experience in user research and analysis of user engagement with digital products and platforms
• Experience in human-centered design and digital inclusion is a strong asset
• Analytical skills and ability to write clear and concise content in English and Kinyarwanda
• Ability to work under pressure and with limited supervision
• Excellent time management skills
• Teamwork and Results oriented

• Advanced proficiency using CMS, in particular Typo 3 is strictly required
• Solid understanding of user interface design principles

Selection Criteria

• Academic background (25%)
• Work Experience (35%)
• Technical skills (40%)

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered.
Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile.

If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT

2.Conduct a Feasibility Study for RYAF e-shop

Closure Date: 26/Oct/2020, 12:59:00 A

Organizational Unit: FRRWA

Job Type: Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition: PSA (Personal Services Agreement)

Grade Level: N/A

Primary Location: Rwanda

Duration: 25 days

Qualified female applicants and qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member countries are encouraged to apply.

Persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Organizational Setting

The Integrated Country Approach for boosting decent jobs for youth in the agri-food system (ICA project) is anchored in FAO’s Strategic Objective 3 “Reduce rural poverty”. In particular, it will directly contribute to strategic objective 3 Organizational Outcome 2: Countries enhanced access of the rural poor to productive employment and decent work opportunities, particularly among youth and women. Within this Outcome, the project will mainly contribute to the output on Policy support and capacity development in the formulation and implementation of strategies, policies, guidelines, and programmes to enhance decent rural employment opportunities, entrepreneurship and skills development, especially for youth and women.

Rwanda youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF) was initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and animal Resources and FAO as a platform to bring together different youth organizations, individual youth farmers and entrepreneurs in Agriculture Sector working in crop production, livestock, agro-processing, inputs and other Agro-services (extension, marketing, food packaging, farm mechanization, seed multiplication etc.) as well as ICT for Agriculture in Rwanda. The platform aims to promote the positive mind-set among the youth vis-à-vis agriculture, while orienting youth to reach out to other farming groups to raise awareness on the practice of business-oriented agriculture.

The expert is hired to give Technical Assistance to the Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum (RYAF). He/She will work under the General supervision of the FAO Representative in Rwanda and direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR/Programme and will work closely with the National Coordinator of ICA project. The whole work to be undertaken will be done in close collaboration with Rwanda Youth in Agribusiness Forum and the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources as the Ministry in charge of overseeing RYAF.

Technical Focus

The work will focus on conducting a feasibility study for an online RYAF shop. The study will assess the operational, technical and economic feasibility and added value of digitalisation of RYAF shops. The study will help understand how an online platform for RYAF shops can be productive, self-sustaining and income generating for the youth actors in the concerned agri-food value chains.

The study will also show how to link the RYAF actors with buyers in the country through e-commerce, especially how to opportunity for exhibitors to display the produce and for buyers to get in contact with shops.

Tasks and responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible of implementing and reporting activities related to the feasibility study /Productivity, scalability and digitalisation of RYAF shops

1. Develop an annotated outline and a detailed workplan for conducting the study.
2. Assess the context and enabling factors for digitalisation of RYAF shops
   1. Review relevant literature and available market studies to estimate the volume of potentially unsatisfied demand in this sector, map out the present supply of e-commerce services and online shops of agricultural products in the country as a benchmark and assess the competition and potential synergies.
   2. Conduct key informant interviews and/or focus group discussions with RYAF management, RYAF Members ,the staff in charge of RYAF shops, representatives of MINAGRI, NAEB, FAO and other key stakeholders, including a sample of RYAF shop customers and youth suppliers, in order to appreciate their attitudes, expectations and e-commerce readiness in terms of business organization, technical and digital skills, financial needs,equipment needs , existence of required infrastructure on one hand, and purchasing power as well as accessibility and the feasibility of the market on the other hand.
   3. Understand the potential for scalability of RYAF shops both online and offline (e.g. at district level)
   4. Examine the convenience and profitability of online platforms to link youth to markets in the agri-food value chains.
3. Assess the overall feasibility in terms of profitability, technical expertise, market research, logistics, IT infrastructure, financial resources and time required to set up and roll out a sustainable e-commerce platform for RYAF shops vis a vis the existing organizational capacity of RYAF.
4. Identify risks and benefits for RYAF to develop an e-commerce platform and provide recommendations on cost-effective options, potential partnerships, and other relevant aspects.
5. Suggest an implementation mechanism that could be designed in phases (testing and extension)
6. Suggestion on how to link the RYAF actors with buyers in the country through e-commerce;
7. Submit a first draft for validation and comments to MINAGRI, RYAF and FAO.
8. Incorporate comments and suggestions to a revised draft and submit for final approval.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s Degree in agribusiness, economics, rural finance or equivalent.
• Minimum 7 years of experience.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Knowledge of Kinyarwanda is required.
• Knowledge of French is a benefit.
• National of Rwanda or resident in the country with a regular work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Knowledge and understanding of the issues of youth in Agribusiness
• Analytical skills and ability to write clear and concise content in English and Kinyarwanda
• Ability to work with limited supervision
• Excellent time management skills
• Teamwork and Results oriented
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Solid understanding of e-commerce and online marketing, particularly for agrifood products.

Selection Criteria

• Academic background (30%)
• Work Experience (30%)
• Technical skills (40%)

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered.
Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile.

If you need help, or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT

3. Senior value-chain expert to assess climate risks and shocks on food systems in Kigali city region – FAO Rwanda

Closure Date: 14/Oct/2020, 11:59:00 PM
Organizational Unit: FRRWA
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition: PSA (Personal Services Agreement)
Grade Level: N/A
Primary Location: Rwanda
Duration: 70 Working days
Post Number: N/A

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions

Qualified female applicants and qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member countries are encouraged to apply. 

Persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. 

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Organizational Setting

The main aim of FAO  country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Currently, more than 50 percent of the world’s population is living in urban areas and it is estimated that by 2050 this figure will rise to nearly 70 percent, with most growth being in Asia and Africa. The same trend of population growth in city of Kigali is being observed and Kigali currently is hosting more than 50% of urban dwellers in Rwanda with 79% of people living in informal settlements. The rapid urban growth is also observed in other districts of the city region such as Rulindo, Kamonyi having an annual urban growth of 23%  between 2002-2015; Bugesera with 67.4% of people living in settlements and Rwamagana extending its urban centers to Kigairo, Muhazi, Gishari and Mwurire.

It has been noted that, cities and their growing number of inhabitants are increasingly being directly and indirectly affected by climate change and its consequences to the population livelihood including: rising temperatures, increasing rainfall, floodings and landsliding and other extreme weather conditions.

With the abovementioned consequences of the climate changes and the growing needs of food products among city dwellers; there is a need of strengthening rural-urban linkages and integrating sectors for a more sustainable and resilient food system.  The need now is to combine the assessment work based on past and present data, with future scenarios on climate change impact in the city region contexts. For this particular project, intervention strategies will primarily focus on enhancing climate resilience of urban, peri-urban and rural production systems within the city region but will also address other dimensions of the city region food system (e.g. land and water management, food supply and distribution, food loss and waste management, more and better employment opportunities creation, etc.) on the basis of local priorities.

The project specifically aims to achieve tangible results with regards to climate resilience, food and nutrition security in the city region while taking into consideration the impacts of COVID-19 on different agriculture value chains systems. In Rwanda, the project will operate in the Kigali City Region that includes districts of: Nyarugenge, Gasabo, Kicukiro, Kamonyi, Rulindo, Bugesera and Rwamagana. The districts have been chosen due to the fact that they are bordering the city of Kigali; but also because; some of the food commodities including maize, cassava, banana, sweet potato, beans are being sold into the city of Kigali are also coming from these neighbouring districts. The project will then:

(i)Provide technical assistance and training to local government staff and other stakeholders to implement the assessment methodology to characterize, analyse and map risks, vulnerabilities and coping capacities across the CRFS. (ii)Provide technical and policy support to local institutions and other local stakeholders to formulate integrated city region food systems intervention strategies and programmes aiming. (iii)Provide policy assistance to local institutions to integrate climate resilience in existing food and agriculture policies and regulations and to design and formulate policies addressing climate resilience in city region food systems.

The FAOR is leading the implementation of the project in close collaboration with the City of Kigali as well as other districts of the city region food systems and city region food systems stakeholders.

Reporting Lines

The consultant will work under the general supervision of the FAO Representative to Rwanda, direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR/Programme and under the technical guidance of the national project coordinator, as well as FAO CRFS project team at FAO-HQ.

Technical Focus

FAO seeks to engage the services of a senior consultant to:

• Conduct an assessment to identify opportunities to prevent and reduce the risks and increase resilience to a broad variety of climate and pandemic shocks (e.g. droughts, floods, storms, heat waves, etc.) on the City-Region food systems of Kigali.
• Develop local capacities of the districts’ stakeholders from local government and other institutions to assess and characterize climate risks and vulnerabilities in city region food systems
• Provide knowledge-based information in the forms of reports, maps and infographics to guide decision aiming at mitigating their impact on city region food systems, ultimately improve food security and nutrition. To achieve the above objective, and as already identified in the CRFS methodology, the project is currently in need of technical expertise in the field of value chains, climate resilient agriculture. The relevant expertise to work on the assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the city region food system will also be crucial to support the inclusion of this new topic in the work.

Tasks and responsibilities

Specifically, the senior consultant will perform the following tasks:

• In close collaboration with the national project coordinator, contribute developing the methodology and tools for the assessment:
  • Identify indicators framework as a tool to guide data collection process on the city region food systems.
  • Contribute developing a data collection tools (questionnaires, guidelines for focus group discussions, etc.)  to characterise the city region food systems nodes for the selected value chains and characterise climate vulnerability in the city region)
• In close collaboration with the national project coordinator, conduct the assessment to define, characterize shocks, risks and vulnerabilities in the city region food system to a broad variety of climate shocks (droughts, floods, rainfall pattern changes, etc.) and to pandemics (COVID19) in the city region food system of Kigali. The assessment will be based on existing literature, field data and consultation with key stakeholders . The expert then will:
  • Train data collectors on how to accurately collect data using the developed data collection tool
  • Collect and analyze primary quantitative and qualitative data through focus groups and individual/household surveys in the city region
  • Analyze of city region food systems vulnerability and resilience capacities and gaps to different shocks
  • Define  the priority areas for policy actions
  • Contribute preparing briefs and reports to present the results to CRFS stakeholders to get their insight for their validation
• Submit to FAORW Office a final report

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements   

• Advanced University degree in Agriculture sciences, rural development, Agro-economics and other related fields.
• Five years of relevant experience in the field of urban food systems analysis, climate risk assessment, urban and peri-urban agriculture, natural resources management.
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English and Kinyarwanda is key to perform the tasks in Kigali city region communities. Knowledge of French will be an asset.
• National of Rwanda or resident in the country with a regular work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Extent and relevance of experience in agricultural development and innovations
• Extent and relevance of experience of conducting analytical consultancy studies, evaluations or equivalent, in the context of food systems in the cities
• Familiarity with tools and methods for data collection and analysis of relevance to food systems in the cities
• Familiarity with national food systems related  policy processes
• Demonstrated communication skills
• Analytical skills and ability to write clear and concise reports is considered as a strong asset.
• Having experience in national, regional or international organizations in a variety of areas including agricultural development, value chains development and food systems.
• Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback.
• Strong research and analytical skills, as well as leadership skills.
• Sound expertise in conducting situational analyses engaging farmers, community, public/private institutions and other development stakeholders.
• Hands-on experience in collecting and analysing climate related data
• Capable to work independently and perform under tight deadlines.
• Good inter-personal and teamwork skills, networking aptitude, ability to engage effectively with policy and decision makers.
• Previous and demonstrated experience in supporting FAO or other UN agencies in preparing development strategy document would be a strong advantage.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

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