Consultancy for Pillar Lead - Pastoral Private-Sector Market-Integration Consultant at African Union - InterAfrican Bureau for Animal Resources

Tasks

The Pillar Lead – Pastoral Private Sector Market Integration Consultant will be expected to:

• Facilitate the integration of pastoralists into formal livestock markets (local/export)
• Promote stakeholder engagement, coordination and capacity building
• Promote value addition across pastoral livestock supply chain
• Promote enhanced investments in pastoral livestock sector
• Support project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, project resource management, documentation and information sharing

The key responsibilities of the Consultant will include the following:

Project implementation and management

• Lead the pastoral sector landscape, profiling and market analyses to identify priority private sector partners, investment and marketing opportunities in target geographies / countries
• Lead the development and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive strategy for pastoral and private sector engagement, and strengthening their integration in the livestock markets
• Coordinate the National Market Integration Pillar groups activities.
• Support the development and management of a database on pastoral marketing-chain.
• Design and lead the implementation of initiatives aimed at promoting the integration of pastoral private sector into the livestock markets.
• Explore and advocate for the use of innovative technologies and digital solutions to enhance market access and integration for pastoralists.
• Contribute to Platform governance and management as a member of the Platform Management Committee (PMC)

Stakeholder engagement, coordination and capacity building

• Facilitate coordination among various pastoral market stakeholders, including pastoralists (producers), private sector entities, pastoral associations, collective initiatives; NGOs and government agencies; RECs, international partners and development agencies, to ensure seamless operations of the platform.
• Engage in advocacy and communication activities to raise awareness of the importance of pastoral integration into livestock markets.
• Facilitate public-private dialogues and develop collaborative business-opportunity proposals for mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations
• Provide technical assistance on sustainable and inclusive business models for pastoral livestock sub-sector.
• Identify capacity building needs and programs for pastoralists, private sector entities, and other stakeholders to enhance their understanding and engagement in the market integration process, and partnership development.

Monitoring and evaluation, and reporting on project implementation

• Contribute to the development and operation of a robust M&E frameworks to track progress, measure impact, and identify areas for improvement in market integration initiatives.
• Contribute to documentation and information sharing
• Perform any other duties as requested by the Project Coordinator and the Director of AU-IBAR

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

• Comprehensive Action Plan for the Private-Sector-Integration pillar.
• An In-depth analysis of the pastoral and livestock market, identifying opportunities for market integration and potential private sector partnership, in the target countries/geographies.
• Private sector mapping and profiling for pastoral investment and marketing in targeted geographies / countries
• Comprehensive strategy for strengthening pastoralist integration into livestock markets.
• Mechanism for marketing and investment data collection, analysis, and dissemination
• Periodical progress reports (technical and financial) on project status, implementation, achievements vs. milestone, and challenges/risks.
• Materials for showcasing the private sector investment and engagement in pastoral livestock markets (investment case studies and success stories, successful business model, etc.).
• Documented capacity building need analysis; and training programs and materials for the sector stakeholders in the targeted geographies.

Requirements

Academic and Professional qualifications

• Minimum qualification shall be Bachelor’s degree in livestock production, agribusiness, agriculture / livestock economics, or a related field that provides a strong foundation in pastoral market dynamics, and promoting private sector integration.
• Post graduate degree, in similar fields will be considered as an advantage.
• Certifications in project management applications, such as PMP (Project Management Professional) or PRINCE2 (Projects IN Controlled Environments) will be considered as an additional asset, reflecting a standardized knowledge of project management practices.

General Experience

• Demonstrable experience of a minimum five (5) years in managing / implementing projects, with diverse team, preferably in the development sector or related fields, at national, regional or multi-country levels;
• Strong writing, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to engage effectively with various stakeholders;
• Ability to work in a diverse / multicultural environment.
• Understanding of, and sensitivity to the cultural and socio-economic contexts, ideally in pastoral communities in Africa.
• Ability to adapt strategies and approaches in dynamic and sometimes challenging environments, ensuring project resilience and success.

Specific Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in implementing and managing development projects, with a strong emphasis on market development, agricultural projects, or related sectors.
• Experience in pastoral or agricultural markets in the African context would be particularly valuable.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive work experience in the pastoral and/or livestock sector
• Demonstrated experience in pastoral / livestock sector, with a strong understanding of pastoral and/or livestock marketing, sector actors, challenges, and opportunities
• Demonstrated experience in the development and implementing private sector engagement activities, ideally in the context of livestock markets
• Strong analytical skills to navigate complex market systems and identify investment opportunities for integration and growth (e.g., market research, predictive analysis; financial analysis, risk assessment, etc.).

Other Skills

• Ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and external counterparts is required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English is required. Proficiency in any other AU official language (Arabic, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese and Spanish) is desirable.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team
• Self-starter with the ability to strategically plan own work and follow-up on implementation
• Ability to complete assignments and tasks on time.