Program Officer, Policy Quantitative Modelling & Data Analytics at Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

Job Reference: PO/PSC/02/2020

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.