Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) Job Vacancy Application Details

To support this transformation, AGRA is seeking to recruit an experienced and exceptional individual to the Program Officer, Policy Quantitative Modelling & Data Analytics.

The role will be based in Nairobi, Kenya (possible travel up to 30%).

The Position:

The Program Officer will support AGRA policy work in designing, applying, managing agriculture systems and policy diagnostic tools, indices, and analyses for monitoring and evaluation of relevance for AGRA and its partners. In developing related analyses and reports, the Program Officer works with other AGRA teams and research partners to inform AGRA’s overall policy with analytics.  The Program Officer helps in identifying and presenting underlying trends and patterns in policy variables relevant to AGRA’s mandate. S/he will develop datasets and perform advanced analytics, aiming to measure, interpret, and predict trends and patterns of relevance to AGRA.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The Program Officer will be responsible for delivering on four major areas notably:

1. Design and manage AGRA-related agriculture systems diagnostics (mainly seed, fertilizer and markets) with analytical tools and indices that inform progress or lack thereof, in AGRA’s programmatic work for policy action. 
2. Working with AGRA programs to identify policy, institutional and regulatory constraints to the success of AGRA programmatic interventions and contributing towards a comprehensive policy strategy;
3. Support the design of analytical tools to assess Agricultural Transformation (including Indices) and complement the AU’s Africa Agriculture Transformation Scorecard and related tools.
4. Engage with other Units and Divisions, to develop key matrices for monitoring and evaluation of systems performance around three major AGRA systems (seeds, fertilizer and markets) to drive improvements for policy and advocacy.
5. Understand the progress of indicators coming out of AGRA’s work with Seed Access Index; Fertilizer Dashboard or Index and developed together with Program Development & Innovation teams the markets Systems Index.  Understand what is coming out of the AU Biennial Review and package it for routine updates for use by AGRA and other stakeholders.
6. Remaining current with relevant major macro-economic and micro-economic policy changes and carry out analytical work associated with the changes to generate evidence to inform and guide policy and regulatory reforms in AGRA focus countries.

• Support AGRA’s engagement with AU’s continental processes tracking agricultural transformation mainly to the Biennial Review:
  • Provide AGRA’s leadership with information related to AU Biennial Review processes and connect to the agriculture transformation narrative and associated indicators.
  • Be able to provide rigorous analysis on indicator quality and data systems and use these to validating and supporting AGRA’s work in 14 Countries and link it to continental work.
  • Work with relevant networks, such as the Regional Strategic Analysis for Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) and International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) to bring agricultural transformation narrative into AGRA’s work and support the measurement of agriculture transformation on the continent.

• Routinely engage with leading agriculture transformation reports and studies across Africa and beyond to distill lessons; facts and insights to inform AGRA’s leadership and Programming:
• Supporting AGRA’s M&E operations to generate measurable indicators to inform the AGRA’s Policy and Advocacy strategic agenda of creating enabling policy environment for agricultural transformation in AGRA focus countries;
• Review documents on behalf of, and to inform, AGRA leadership.
• Prepare short but informative presentations for AGRA internal engagement and with other wider forums.
• Occasional publication of M&E related insights in peer reviewed journals can be considered.

• Support and engage Policy and Advocacy Programs with countries to identify improvements in systems and policy work, and link to the AU’s Biennial Review Scores:

• Monitoring and evaluating the impacts of agricultural policies on key indicators of agricultural productivity growth and farm household income;
  • Identifying, acquiring, loading, cleaning and managing data through tailored spreadsheets, templates, and databases;
  • Applying appropriate statistical principles, identifying, analyzing, and interpreting trends or patterns in complex datasets;
  • Tracking the implementation and impact of AGRA supported policies and regulatory frameworks on private sector investments in agriculture sector
  • Developing graphs, reports, maps, and presentations of data and analytical results for distribution within and outside AGRA; and
  • Package and prepare the distilled information in form of guidance notes to inform agenda setting.

Academic, Professional Qualifications and Relevant experience:

• Minimum of four (4) to ten (10) years’ experience in quantitative economic analyses or modelling based on in-depth data analysis and data integration.
• At least three (3) years’ experience in quantitative economics or systems research experience, with an emphasis on econometrics, modelling, policy analyses or spatial analysis.
• A minimum of a Masters Degree in Agricultural Economics, applied Economics, or Business (strategic analysis focus), or related field.
• A Doctoral degree in the above disciplines is desirable.
• A documented record of sound report writing skills.
• Experience in Agricultural Development-related activities in Africa.
• Experience in developing and employing modelling techniques using software programs such as Excel, STATA GAMS, SPSS and SAS for data analysis.
• Basic knowledge of GIS tools or data (e.g. ArcGIS) and relational databases (e.g. SQL Server – Spatial).

An attractive remuneration package commensurate with this position’s responsibility will be negotiated with the successful candidate.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The Communications Intern will work under the guidance of the Communications Team to:

• Support the communications team in the implementation of the communications strategy.
• Create content.
• Develop and maintain media database and list.
• Day to day digital campaign monitoring from a content point of view.
• Undertaking basic creative design.
• Contribute both individually and as a team member in meetings and brainstorming sessions.
• Undertaking basic web design and updating.
• Research, write, and schedule regular content for AGRA’s websites and social media channels.
• Assist in the preparation of workshops, meetings and other events.
• Update AGRA’s image bank.

Academic, Professional Qualifications and Relevant experience:

• A degree in communications, journalism or related field.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• No work experience required but a demonstration of experience in extra-curricular or non-academic activities of value will be an added advantage.
• Exceptional interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Experience creating content for blogs, websites, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter.
• Practical knowledge in creative design using different applications.
• Practical knowledge in web design.
• Practical knowledge in videography and photography.
• Understanding of using diverse social media platforms as communications tools
• Experience with WordPress.
• Desire to learn and grow professionally.

Terms of Employment

This is an internship position based in Nairobi, Kenya. The initial contract will be for a period of three (3) months and the successful candidate shall receive a monthly stipend during this period.

The M&E Intern will play an important role in assisting the M&E Unit reach its objectives in generation of quality reports, knowledge management and promoting evidence based programing. During all steps, the M&E intern will be closely supported by the M&E data analysis team. The M&E team is open to discuss specific focus areas for the internship within the above projects as well as outside to accommodate the intern’s specific qualifications and desired areas of capacity building and learning.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The M&E Intern will work under the guidance of the M&E Team to:

• Collect and file information/data coming from grantees and country teams.
• Critically analyze grantee reports and country reports and escalate identified discrepancies to the relevant M&E team.
• Enter data on Agra Management Information System (AMIS) and ensure its correctness and consistency.
• Generate quality reports and dashboards from the reports available and disseminate them to the team members.
• Conduct data quality assurance on the selected indicators for selected countries and grantees.
• Contribute to various M&E reports including Quarterly reports including but not limited to Annual reports, PIATA Reports, DQA reports, QMR reports.
• Active participation in the design and maintenance of contextualized data collection tools for ongoing and new projects and grantees.
• Contributing to AGRA led research papers, reports and blogs and other leaning products.

Academic, Professional Qualifications and Relevant experience:

• An undergraduate qualification in the field of social science, statistics, economics or any other relevant academic discipline.
• Experience in online data management and storage sites and/or agricultural. entrepreneurship will be an added advantage.
• Any technical certificate in a related discipline (desirable).
• A determined, agile, pragmatic and patient approach to problem solving.
• Good communication skills, both verbally and in writing.
• Willingness to continually improve technical and analytical competencies
• Desire to learn and grow professionally.
• Ability to embrace AGRA values.
• Ability to prioritize and execute with prudence to achieve AGRA goals.
• Able to work collaboratively within and across teams and to organize time accordingly.

Terms of Employment

This is an internship position based in Nairobi, Kenya. The initial contract will be for a period of three (3) months and the successful candidate shall receive a monthly stipend during this period.

To Support the M&EL function in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Mali, AGRA is seeking to recruit three Interns. The interns will be based in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Accra (Ghana) and Bamako (Mali) with approximately 30% travel in the project site in their country of assignment.

Position Summary:

The Interns will be involved in supporting the Knowledge Management (KM) scope of work within the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit of AGRA.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

As part of the internship program the intern will be involved in:

• Mapping all the programs that have ended and collating all the KM products that have been generated.
• Mapping all the programs coming to an end and ensuring the planned KM products have been generated
• Ensuring that all AGRA existing documents are uploaded on the KM portal under the guidance of the Program Officer KM, following all the requirements and ensuring that all meta- data is included.
• Liaising with the KM champions within the different departments to ensure uploading of all knowledge products generated.

Scope of Work:

• Mapping all the expected KM products.
• Collecting existing AGRA documents from the different Units.
• Uploading all the documents on the KM portal while ensuring all the metadata is included.

Academic, Professional Qualifications and Relevant experience:

• At least a recent master’s degree (obtained in 2019 latest) in agricultural economics, rural development or projects’ management.
• Fluency in English required – Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Some theoretical and practical background in project design, Monitoring & Evaluation.
• High degree of motivation, initiative, independence, reliability and willingness to learn.
• Fully proficient in computer skills.
• Demonstrate effective organizational skills and ability to handle work in an efficient and timely manner.
• Conscious of timelines and able to adhere to strict deadlines.
• No work experience required but a demonstration of experience in extra-curricular or non-academic activities of value will be an added advantage.

Terms of Employment

This is an internship position based in Nairobi, Kenya. The initial contract will be for a period of three (3) months and the successful candidate shall receive a

 Method of Application

monthly stipend during this period.