Program Director 2SCALE: Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship

Background

The Dutch-funded project entitled “Toward Sustainable Clusters in Agribusiness through Learning in Entrepreneurship” (2SCALE, www.2scale.org) aims at improving rural livelihoods and food security in Africa. Funded by the Directorate for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Netherlands Ministry for Foreign Affairs, 2SCALE started in June 2012 and will start its second phase 2019-2023. 2SCALE developed into the largest incubator of inclusive agribusiness in sub-Saharan Africa and aims to be a flagship program for the Netherlands’ food security policy the coming years.

The 2SCALE program incubates and accelerates inclusive business through public-private partnerships with companies (mainly African small- and medium-sized enterprises [SMEs] and some Dutch/ international companies) that want to build commercially viable strategies in African food industries through sustainable sourcing, based on mutually beneficial relations with smallholder farmers, and by serving local and regional Base-of-the-Pyramid (BoP) markets. These companies, called are seen as the drivers of inclusive business; they are called inclusive business champions.

By December 2018 the program will have developed 52 public-private partnerships in target agri-food sectors and industries, half of the partnerships specifically focusing on BoP markets. More than 600,000 farmers (40% of them women that control the revenues of the commodity) and an estimated 4,000 local MSMEs (40% women led) and farmers’ organizations will have been reached, meaning they have been empowered to participate in target value chains, to access relevant services, to innovate, and to negotiate sustainable commercial relationships. Partnerships are co-financed through private sector contribution (which doubles the donor contribution), critical to the success of the program and the sustainability of the inclusive business models being developed under the umbrella of these partnerships.

The second phase of 2SCALE (2019-2023) aims to contribute to food and nutrition security, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, and stability in Africa, by way of public-private partnerships (PPPs), accelerating and replicating inclusive business models in the agricultural sector. Target “beneficiaries” are small- and medium-scale rural enterprises, smallholder farmers, BoP consumers, and women and youth, as entrepreneurs, farmers, employees and consumers. The overall ambitions of the second phase of 2SCALE are to:

• Promote competitiveness of, and inclusive and sustainable growth in the agricultural sector in Africa.
• Reduce existing hunger and malnutrition, improved access to nutritious food for Base-of-the-Pyramid consumers.
• Empower young entrepreneurs and businesswomen in private sector development, local and regional sourcing, processing, marketing and trade and creating jobs.
• Create productive and sustainable food systems by strengthening smallholder farmers’ capacity in eco-efficient production.

More specifically, 2SCALE will:

• Develop a portfolio of 60 public-private partnerships, successfully implementing inclusive business models along target agri-food value chains.
• Support 250 small- and medium sized enterprises (SMEs, of which at least 125 female-led, and 75 youth-led) to drive inclusive business agendas in target value chain systems; and to develop leadership in industry platforms/ networks and policy advocacy.
• Improve access to nutritious food in 40 BoP markets, and for at least 1 million BoP consumers, through inclusion (awareness, availability, accessibility, affordability) in targeted value chains.
• Empower 750,000 farmers (50% women, 40% youth) through inclusion in viable agribusiness clusters and (regional) value chains and ensure the adoption of eco-efficient production practices for target commodities on 375,000 ha.
• Strengthen capacity of 5,000 micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs, farmer groups) through inclusion in target core/ supplier value chains.
• Create 20,000 additional non-farming jobs (of which at least 10,000 for women, and 8,000 for youth) in targeted agribusiness clusters and value chains.
• Strengthen capacity for advocacy/ policy influencing in 12 target food systems/ industries for sustainable and inclusive sub-sector transformation.
• Develop new knowledge on the partnership and business models that effectively enact transformative change and bring inclusive business to scale and ensure linkages with relevant African and Dutch knowledge platforms (including networks supported by DGIS).

2SCALE will be implemented by a consortium of IFDC, BoPInc and SNV. The Dutch Partnerships Resource Centre (PrC) will provide strategic support in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) and through action-research and knowledge brokering. IFDC is the lead partner of the consortium and the contractual partner of the Ministry.

Position Summary

The Program Director is responsible for overall leadership of the 2SCALE project in Africa, with activities in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Kenya. S/he ensures the project provides high-quality technical products and services, delivers required results, and uses resources efficiently as stated in the project proposal. The program director, chairs the project management team, supervises key project staff and provides team leadership. S/he serves as the principal interlocutor with key partners involved in project activities and ensures compliance with IFDC policies and donor’s rules and regulations. The Program Director will be posted in one of the IFDC offices in Africa and will travel extensively (50% of time, including regular visits to the Netherlands).

Duties

Leadership

• Provide the overall vision and leadership of the project;
• Build, guide and steer a strong implementation team of experts of the three consortium partners in 8 countries;
• Supervise and guide the deputy program director and the project coordinators of the three consortium partners;
• Create and maintain good working relationships with DGIS, Netherlands Embassies in target countries, medium- and large-scale agro-enterprises, other international players, and leaders in different sectors;
• Represent the project in meetings, conferences, and other opportunities conducive to publicizing, promoting, and marketing the project’s (and project partners’) achievements;
• Maintain coherence between activities in East and West Africa, activities by project partners in the Netherlands and the private sector partners.

Overall programmatic management

• Lead regular project management meetings \with consortium members SNV and BoP Inc and strategic partner PRC;
• Initiate and organize project supervisory board meetings at least twice a year;
• Ensure consistency among activities implemented in the 5 priority countries and 3 focus countries;
• Monitor project overall expenditure and private sector contribution against budgets and ensure financial compliance to both donor requirements and IFDC procedures;
• Supervise completion of timely and high-quality work plans, progress reports and financial reports;
• Monitor project indicators in accordance with the Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, evaluate program results and take necessary corrective actions whenever needed;
• Collaborate with IFDC HQ to ensure that managerial, administrative and financial procedures comply with provisions of the project contract, DGIS regulations and IFDC policies.

Communications and outreach

• Oversee the Communications strategy of the project;
• Supervise Communications Specialists and guide them on topics to be highlighted through success stories, case studies, fact sheets and other outreach materials;
• Oversee the Knowledge & Learning incl advocacy strategy of the project;
• Review and approve all Public Relations materials;
• Establish, maintain and strengthen relationships with IFDC and consortium member colleagues involved in other projects relevant to 2SCALE, advisory committees, the donor and Dutch embassies, cluster stakeholders, government officials and the private sector in participating countries;
• Facilitate the internal communication and sharing of experiences among staff, including among consortium members.

Finance and administration

• Approve and Monitor overall project expenditure;
• Ensure all activities are conducted within the scope of the project budget;
• Assure that cost share is obtained from partners as planned and properly accounted for;
• Compile and approve annual financial reporting;
• Compile and approve Monitor & Evaluation reports and outcomes

Requirements

• At least 15 years experience in International Agricultural Development, including experience in Africa;
• Senior Management Experience;
• Experience in Public Private Partnership Development;
• Fluent in French and English;
• Strong communicator;
• Experienced traveler, hardship resistant;
• Good understanding of the Development Objectives of the Netherlands; preferably experience in implementation of Dutch Development Programs;
• Experience with the Dutch Ministry and Embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
• Especially candidates with Dutch nationality are encouraged to apply

Position

• Internationally Recruited staff;
• Based in one of the IFDC offices in Accra-Ghana, Abuja-Nigeria, Bamako-Mali, Nairobi-Kenya or Addis Ababa-Ethiopia.