Terms of reference for the

Recruitment of Program Managers

  February 2008
Call opening date: 01/03/08
Call closing date: 01/04/08

Background

•  The Conseil Ouest et Centre Africain pour la Recherche et le Développement Agricoles/ West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development [CORAF/WECARD] comprises 21 member states, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. It is an International not-for-profit Organization established in 1987.

•  CORAF/WECARD along with the other two sister sub-regional organizations for Eastern, and Southern Africa respectively, founded the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). Currently, CORAF/WECARD is composed of 21 National Agricultural Research Systems from West and Central Africa . Its Executive Secretariat is based at Dakar where it benefits from Senegalese Government the privileges of a headquarters agreement since March 1997.

•  CORAF/WECARD is funded by its member NARS, and by bilateral and multilateral co-operation development.

CORAF/WECARD Vision

•  CORAF/WECARD vision is to ensure “…A sustainable reduction in poverty and food insecurity in WCA through an increase in agricultural-led economic growth and sustainable improvement of key aspects of the agricultural research system…”

CORAF/WECARD Mission

•  And its' mission is to provide: “ … Sustainable improvements to the productivity competitiveness, and markets of the agricultural system in West and Central Africa by meeting the key demands of the sub-regional research system as expressed by target groups…"

•  In its Strategic Plan there is a clear statement of what it intends to deliver over the next ten years, and shows how this will achieve broad-based improvements to the productivity, competitiveness and markets of the sub-regional agricultural system. It is a bold and ambitious target and to make it a reality will require a solid organizational base, adequate funding and a firm commitment from all stakeholders.

•  Following an extensive and intensive consultative and participatory process, an Operational Plan has been developed to ensure delivery of these strategic outputs and objects.

•  Within this current framework, CORAF/WECARD is subject to new different challenges, but despite this, the organizational structure and institutions have remained largely unaltered over the recent past. As a consequence management of the implementing units, as projects, has become increasingly hampered by an over-stretched administration and incompatible management and organizational structures, systems and governance mechanisms.

•  It is a sign of CORAF/WECARD's success that it has now outgrown its original structures and systems. To deliver the Results indicated in the new Strategic Plan, and create the impact needed, it will be necessary to do things differently. The Operational Plan, which addresses the technical, organizational and institutional issues that are required, will achieve this, it includes a new organizational, institutional and governance structure.

Vacant Positions

•  Following this recent extensive revision, and prioritization of its Strategic Plan, and the elaboration of a new Operational Plan, CORAF/WECARD is seeking to engage the services of Professional Staff to manage its new Programs as described in the new Operational Plan. Each successfully selected Manager will guide, support and manage the relevant Programs in full support of the Director of Programs.

•  Program Managers are currently being sought for the following Programs:

•  Livestock, Fisheries and Aquaculture

•  Natural Resource Management

•  Policy, Markets, and Trade,

•  Capacity strengthening

Duties and responsibilities

•  The first key duty of the Program Manager will be the establishment and development of CORAF/WECARD's relevant Program. This will include working closely with the Change Management Team .

•  In addition to fully supporting the change process and the initial stages of implementing the OP, the successful candidate will have responsibility for Program implementation including, inter alia :

•  Annual and medium-term planning

•  Financial management

•  Financial resource allocation

•  Intra and inter-program co-ordination

•  Program and project impact assessment

•  Quality assurance

•  Representation of the Program both internal and external to CORAF/WECARD

•  Resource mobilisation

•  Strategic Partnerships/linkages

•  Strategic planning with the other Program Managers and the Director Programs

•  Team building/mobilisation, including identifying specific skills training for project leaders

Qualifications

•  The successful candidate for each post will have a Ph.D in an agriculturally related topic and would, ideally, be bilingual in French and English, with the ability to write and communicate effectively in at least one of these. Failing this he/she will be fluent in one with the ability to communicate in the second language.

•  Formal management qualifications would be desirable. He/She will be computer literate and fully familiar with the Microsoft Office ® Suite of software.

•  A prospective candidate should not be older than fifty at the time of application.

Management Expertise specifically required for each Program :

•  The following specific expertise will be required

•  Livestock, Fisheries and Aquaculture: Expertise in Priority identification in the livestock, fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector; must have the capability of driving the sub-sector so as to realize CORAF/WECARD's poverty and hunger reduction goals. The candidate must have had a significant part of her/his career in this sub-sector. Possession of a professional management degree is an advantage.

•  Natural Resource Management: Expertise in Priority identification in the Natural Resources Management sub-sector; must have the capability of driving the sub-sector so as to realize CORAF/WECARD's poverty and hunger reduction goals. The candidate must have had a significant part of her/his career in this sub-sector. Possession of a professional management degree is an advantage.

•  Policy, Markets, and Trade : Expertise in Priority identification in the Policy, Markets and Trade sub-sector; must have the capability of driving the sub-sector so as to realize CORAF/WECARD's poverty and hunger reduction goals. The candidate must have had a significant part of her/his career in this sub-sector. Possession of a professional management degree is an advantage.

•  Capacity strengthening and co-ordination: Expertise in identification of the learning needs of stakeholders so as to productively empower them within the context of the new IAR4D concept. The prospective candidate must have a passion for working with less privileged/marginalized groups; must be prepared to demonstrate his/her capacity in successfully implementing empowerment programs that might have transformed livelihoods of the stakeholders. The candidate must have the capability of driving the Capacity Strengthening Program of CORAF/WECARD. The candidate must have had a significant part of her/his career in this sub-sector. Possession of a professional management degree is an advantage.

Experience

•  The successful candidate will have at least 10 years experience of successfully managing and implementing agricultural research in West and Central Africa ; He/She should be able to demonstrate successful delivery and performance.

•  He/She will have experience of managing institutional and organizational development and change processes. He/She will have had successful Program and project development experience.

•  He/She should be able to demonstrate experience of CORAF/WECARD and its operations, and possess a broad vision of national, regional, international research issues and place CORAF/WECARD's Programs and initiatives into this context.

Competencies

•  The key competencies required relate to management skills with experience of agricultural research and the demands of achieving effective impact.

•  The successful candidate must be a strong leader as well as a team player, capable and willing to delegate; He/She should be able to operate in the role of facilitator and mentor to project leaders, and support the Director-Programs.

•  He/She will be an excellent communicator and have the necessary skills to advise, guide and support the Program development and organizational, institutional and governance changes required.

•  He/She will be flexible, and adaptable to the influences and issues that arise during implementation of the Operational Plan, and be innovative and creative in their management and management style.

•  He/She should be willing to fully utilize any training or capacity strengthening offered to them to improve their personal and management skills.

Location

•  The Program Manager will be based at the CORAF/WECARD Secretariat in Dakar , Senegal , or in any other location in the sub-region chosen by CORAF/WECARD.

Reporting

•  The Program Manager will report directly to the Director of Programs CORAF/WECARD, and comply with the reporting requirements of CORAF/WECARD for its senior management.

Duration

•  This contract will be for a period of twenty four months, and subject to annual performance review.

Recruitment Modalities

•  The vacancy for this position is being published by the Executive Secretariat of CORAF/WECARD. The dossier required from the prospective candidate includes the following:

•  An application letter;

•  A detailed curriculum vitae containing the complete names of candidate, complete addresses (postal, email, phone and fax); and at least names and complete contact details of three of your referees.

•  The dossier should be addressed to Executive Director of CORAF/WECARD, Executive Secretariat, N° 7 Avenue Bourguiba, BP 48 Dakar -RP, Senegal .

•  Application dossiers should reach the Secretariat not later than April 1, 2008 .

•  Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview.

•  The successful candidates will undergo some medical test as required by labour rules.

Remunerations

•  The remunerations are according to the approved wages scale of CORAF/WECARD which is internationally competitive.