Organizational Setting
The main aim of the Food and Agriculture Organizationโs (FAOโs) Representation in Egypt, which is headed by a FAO Representative, is to assist the Government of Egypt in developing policies, programmes, and projects to improve food security and nutrition, promote sustainable agricultural development, reduce rural poverty, develop inclusive agri-food systems and strengthen livelihood resilience โ in line with the Organizationโs Strategic Objectives and United Nationsโ global and Government of Egyptโs national Sustainable Development Goals.
FAO is currently implementing a project titled โPromoting Climate Smart Agriculture and Agricultural Biodiversity for Enhancing the Adaptive Capacity of Vulnerable Rural Communities in Old and New Lands of Upper and Lower Egyptโ. The main aim of the project is to sustainably enhance the adaptive capacity of smallholder men and women farmers and landless and unemployed or seasonally working rural women, youth and men with vulnerability to climate impacts on agriculture. It will also, through the development and adoption of innovative and improved climate-smart agriculture (CSA) and local variety date palm production techniques, strengthening of concerned commodity value chains and establishment of related micro and small agri-food enterprises, sustainably improve agricultural productivity and, in turn, increase household incomes and create employment.
The position is in three project sites namely Kafr El-Sheikh, Beheira and Aswan.
Reporting Lines
Under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative and the direct supervision and technical guidance of the project manager and the regional Plant protection Officer (LTO) and with technical support and backstopping of the project team.
Technical Focus
The agri-business specialist under GCP /EGY/039/CAN titled as โPromoting Climate Smart Agriculture and Agricultural Biodiversity for Enhancing the Adaptive Capacity of Vulnerable Rural Communities in Old and New Lands of Upper and Lower Egyptโ will be responsible for providing the technical support on Promoting entrepreneurship and start-up development in the agriculture and agro-food sectors in Behira, Kafr El-Sheikh and Aswan.
Tasks and responsibilities
The agri-business specialist will perform the following duties:
โข Prepare the training materials using FAO Farm Business School and ILO Start Your Business manuals
โข Participate in conducting a need assessment to identify which skills are important and necessary
โข Support the training sessions on how to start and manage the agri-enterprise to the beneficiaries in the three project locations (at Aswan, Behira and Kafr El Sheikh) targeting not less than 75 participants (25 per each training)
โข Provide technical support for all groups formed during the training to follow up their formation of business plans and update the proposed enterprisesโ BMCs (the NSHR can assign local mentors for each location)
โข Participate in the organisation of business plan competitions to select 36 business ideas in the agriculture and agro-food sectors to benefit from coaching and seed funding in the three governorates i.e., Aswan, Behira and Kafr El Sheikh;
โข Contribute to the development of the TORs for evaluation and selection of the winning competitors.
โข Support holding 3 workshops (one per each governorate; 2 days each) to evaluate the enterprisesโ ideas generated during the trainings to select twelve winners per each governorate.
โข Support holding a combined workshop to present the 36 selected winning ideas
โข Contribute to the provision of intensive coaching and regular follow-up to 36 businesses established (one at each village/12 at each governorate) in the agriculture and agro-food sectors
โข In collaboration with project technical team, facilitate the training on specific topics such as value addition, reducing food loss and waste, post-harvest practices, and food handling to increase incomes.
โข Assist in the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation framework including baseline and endline indicators to monitor progress and measure the impact of the intervention.
โข Contribute to the technical guidance and mentorship for all start-up ideas to ensure finalization of their registration and legalization procedures.
โข Assist in conducting three workshops on linking producers with micro-finance/credit schemes/ business incubators for long-term financial support (one day per event / at least 25 trainees per training).
โข Support the project in conducting three workshops to link producers with the potential market (one day per event / at least 25 trainees per training).
โข Participate in the project team field visits (at least 1 per governorate) to follow up and refreshment traineesโ knowledge and revise their BMC.
โข Prepare technical reports related to training and coaching activities and progress reports and tracking tools related to overall implementation progress, challenges, and mitigation measures.
โข Support the selection of 360 individual micro enterprises across the three governorates (10 at each village)
โข Support the project team in any other relevant technical assistance needed.
โข Maintain communication with the project staff for any advice that could be raised.
โข Perform any other duties as required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
โข Bachelor's degree in agri-business management, business administration with an emphasis in Agri-Business, or a related field.
โข At least 7 years of relevant professional experience.
โข Working knowledge of English and Arabic.
โข National of Egypt or resident of the country with valid work permit.
FAO Core Competencies
โข Results Focus
โข Teamwork
โข Communication
โข Building Effective Relationships
โข Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement