UNDP Jobs - 82706- Farm to Food’ (Value Chain Studies of Key Agricult

Farm to Food’ (Value Chain Studies of Key Agricultural Crops and Entry Points for Project

Location :

Khartoum, Sudan, SUDAN

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

03-Feb-2019

Application Deadline :

17-Jan-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

55 working days

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

55 working days

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

For years prior or to the introduction of C2SP, communities in states bordering South Sudan have been at risk of being destabilized and or being drawn into violent conflicts due to numerous threats facing these communities, unless something was done to stabilize these communities. Key vulnerability threats identified as facing these communities include but not limited to: high presence of displaced populations (IDPs, refugees, returnees, economic migrants, etc.), high youth unemployment, prevalence of small arms and light weapons, contested land ownership and use, women at risk, prevalence of local conflicts, pressure on basic services, pressure on natural resources, blocked nomadic routes, etc. All of these threats put together makes the affected communities to be at risk of being destabilized and or being drawn into violent conflict. UNDP and its government counterpart have designed C2SP to respond the situation of the affected communities. C2SP intends to contribute to the stability and resilience of communities and unemployed youth who are on the verge of being destabilized and or being drawn into violent conflicts in six states bordering South Sudan (including South Kordofan, West Korfodan, North Kordofan, White Nile, Blue Nile and Sinar). It aims to achieve this by:

Strengthening the resilience of community through provision of diversified alternative livelihoods primarily focusing on unemployed youth with conflict carrying capacity’;
Provision of economic infrastructure and facility in targeted communities to stimulate local economic development
Enhancing social cohesion and peaceful co-existence between displaced populations and host communities through strengthening conflict management capacities of local community institutions such as community management committees (CMCs) while linking these local institutions to state level peacebuilding mechanisms, (iv) Enhance capacities of Government and local service providers to deliver services.

Since its commencement in 2015, the C2SP programme has been implemented in 28 communities in South Kordofan, West Korfodan, North Kordofan, White Nile and Blue Nile. The programme continues to be rolled out in targeting new communities who meet the criteria of the programme. Support to agriculture (rain-fed and irrigation farming) has been a major component of C2SP and more than 2500 smallholder farmers have been supported with seeds, tools and intermediate technology for agricultural production. Many more farmers as are being targeted for current and future support. Sorghum, cotton, vegetable, sesame, etc. are among the key crops grown by beneficiaries supported by the programme. Production of these crops have being on the rise since UNDP’s intervention in the targeted communities. However, access to market is a key UNDP sustainability strategy embedded in the C2SP activity. Against this background, UNDP would like to hire a national consultant to conduct value chain analysis of key agricultural commodities produced in C2SP operational areas to inform its programming decision.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will carry out separate value chain analysis for each crop in each location mentioned in Table I table. For

each crop value chain, the following activities must be conducted by the consultant to guide UNDP programming

decision:

Mapping and characterization of the actors participating in the production, distribution, marketing, sales and exporting of key agricultural products mentioned in Table 1 above;
Assess the governance mechanisms in the value chain of each crop listed in Table 1 above in terms of the structure of relationships and coordination mechanisms that exist between actors in the value chain, so as toidentify the institutional arrangements that may need to be targeted to improve capabilities, remedydistributional distortions, and increase value-added – to guide UNDP programming decision for the effective participation of C2SP project beneficiaries in these governance structures;
Carry out an analysis of opportunities for upgrading within the chain by different chain actors for effective
participation of C2SP beneficiaries in these chains; Provide rough calculations and estimates of the distribution of benefits of actors in each value chain of the listed commodities in Table 1 to determine who benefits from participation.
To provide production and marketing information, identify entry points and opportunities for projectbeneficiaries (male/female) to participate in the formation of new or existing value chains segments for each crop mentioned in Table I above.
To identify and advice UNDP on the ways of facilitating project participants into producers and marketing cooperatives/associations for easy entry into existing value chains in targeted communities.
To identify the requirements of the various entry points into existing value chains and what needs to be done for project beneficiaries to meet these entry requirements for effective participation of these value chains of each commodity listed in Table 1.
To advice UNDP on the type of capacities and skills required by project beneficiaries to be able to effectively participate in existing or future value chains in C2SP operational areas.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies
Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
Ability to work with a multi-cultural and diverse team.

Required Skills and Experience

A Masters Degree in social sciences or related field.
At least 5 years field experience in livelihoods and or value chains development with proven work experience with UNDP projects/programmes or other UN agencies or private sectors in Sudan.
Proven record of preparing analytical reports, their presentation to multi-stakeholders etc.;
Good communication and report writing skills in English;
Good command of basic computer skills.