UNDP Liberia

UNDP EXTERNAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT No. SSA/017

Post Title: Lead Consultant, Frameworks for Financing Agricultural Development in Liberia
Post Level: Special Service Agreement
Duty Station: Monrovia (with travel to key agricultural areas)
Duration: 6 weeks
Start Date: December, 2006
Advertised on: 4 DECEMBER 2006
Deadline: 15 DECEMBER 2006

Background

The agricultural sector is the engine of growth of the Liberian economy on which the livelihood of about 80 percent of the population depends. Like others, the sector declined considerably during the course of the protracted 14 year civil conflict. The sector was heavily affected by massive displacement of farming families and destruction of semi-mechanized agricultural facilities as a result of the civil war. The displacement of farmers and destruction of basic agricultural infrastructure caused a significant reduction in the production levels of the sector and this trend has generally continued, thus exacerbating the problem of a heavy reliance on imported food. This reliance has also increased the country’s vulnerability to food shortages and food insecurity.

Against the above background, and in line with the policy direction of the new, democratically elected administration, the Government of Liberia is desirous of revitalizing the agricultural sector as an important component of its multi-pronged strategy to attack poverty, especially in rural areas of the country. In this regard, the Government aims to make financial services easily accessible and affordable to farmers and other rural-based productive services that are essential for broad-based economic growth and poverty reduction.

In order to undertake initial assessments and articulate options for implementation, the Government has secured UNDP support for a two-person consultancy to review the past efforts and current state of rural agricultural financial services and develop and recommend alternative frameworks for financing agricultural development in Liberia. Such frameworks would lay the foundation for the creation of an agricultural financing institution with an appropriate structure and clear mandate, underpinned by transparent, service oriented and less bureaucratic governance.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultants will be required to carry out the following duties and produce the following outputs:

* Suggest at least two alternatives of non-traditional banking frameworks for channeling financial resources to the agricultural sector and small scale rural-based economic activities;
* Review and provide a brief assessment of the past and current state of agricultural financial services in Liberia; This review will also take into consideration the concept of cooperative banking and its successes or failures in similar environments.
* Suggest possible funding modalities, including donor funding in partnership with GoL, linkages to participatory microfinance schemes, on-lending through commercial banks, etc.;
* Design possible operational structures with a view to minimizing overhead and managerial costs and giving priority to decentralized service delivery;
* Provide a road map for putting in place suggested frameworks;
* Put forward options for building the capacity of rural farmers in agric-finance management
* Perform other duties as may be required with respect to developing financial services for the underserved markets, rural areas and agriculture sector

Qualifications and Experience

* Advanced degree in Economics, Agricultural Economics, Banking, Finance or closely related subject areas
* At least 7 years relevant working and research experience in agricultural financing, rural financial services, programme planning and evaluation, development banking, etc.
* Work experience in a developing country is an advantage
* Ability to work independently and establish clear goals to achieve desired results
* Computer literate
* Fluency in both written and oral English

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS:

Address all applications with a covering letter, copies of academic/professional certificates and updated Curriculum Vitae to:

Deputy Resident Representative (Operations)
ATTN: Human Resources Unit
United Nations Development Programme
Simpson Apartment, Sekou Toure Avenue, Mamba Point
Monrovia
Liberia

 

cc: All UN Agencies and UNDP Programmes/Projects and All Counties

 

Note: All applications/queries must be addressed to: vacancies.lr@undp.org
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