Forest Finance and Investment Technical Advisor

Organizational Setting

The FAO Representation in Uganda (FRUGA) is responsible for leading FAO's response to country priorities for food security, agriculture, forestry, and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in the country. FAOs mandate is to support governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security, reduce hunger and malnutrition, and promote sustainable use of natural resources.

The project “Sustainable Wood-based Value Chains in Uganda” - GCP/UGA/072/EC - aims to promote sustainable management practices of existing wood resources through wood resource planning, timber yield regulation plans, and certification schemes. It also seeks to enhance processing capacity and market development of wood products, strengthening aggregation models and supporting primary and secondary wood processors. In order to address gaps related to investment and access to finance for SMEs in the wood-based industry, the project will provide capacity development and advisory services to local financing institutions (banks and non-banks) together with facilitating policy dialogues to improve the enabling environment for investors in the wood-based industry. This position is in FAO Uganda.

Reporting Lines

Under the general supervision of the FAO Representative in Uganda and the direct technical supervision of the Team Leader, Forestry FAO Uganda, and the technical backstopping of the regional Lead Technical Officer, the Forest Finance and Investment Technical Advisor shall work with other Technical Advisors, programme specialists, and analysts in the implementation of the project.

Technical Focus

The role of the finance and investment advisor is to provide advisory support to facilitate unlocking private capital (debt and equity) for wood-based SMEs. The role will particularly involve (i) Supporting the implementation of an investment readiness programme for wood-based SMEs; (ii) provide technical assistance to bank and non-bank financial institutions to strengthen their capacity to appraise forest business cases, develop and deliver appropriate financial products and services for wood-based SMEs; (iii) Provide support to mobilize and attract investment in the wood sector.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Forest Finance and Investment Technical Advisor will be responsible for the following:

I. Technical Assistance (TA) to support the implementation of an investment readiness programme for wood-based SMEs. • Lead the design and implementation of the investment readiness programme • Lead business diagnostic and profiling of wood-based SMEs useful for identifying technical, governance and financial needs for the design of SME investment readiness programme. • Prepare ToRs of reference, milestones, deliverables, and selection criteria for the identification of a Business Development Service (BDS). • Review BDS providers’ tools and approaches used for training, mentoring, and coaching to ensure appropriateness in meeting SME training and advisory support needs. • Contribute to the training and coaching SMEs through facilitating training workshops and, mentoring and coaching sessions delivered under the SMEs investment readiness programme

II. Develop the capacity of bank and non-bank financial service providers to develop and deliver appropriate financial products and services to wood-based SMEs. • Lead the capacity development needs of financial service providers and develop priorities for technical assistance. • Organize training workshops, seminars, and other identified capacity building activities of financial service providers. • Develop/set up financing criteria for sustainable finance / green finance. • Facilitate local financial institutions to mobilize long-term finance through DFIs and other appropriate sources of finance. • Develop monitoring tools to track project progress in terms of unlocking private finance for wood-based SMEs.

III. Provide support to attract investment in the wood sector. • Organize Business-to-business meetings, investment fairs and expos. • Assess required data and information for investment decision-making and develop information tools and platforms for potential investors. • Facilitate policy dialogue with government representatives, investment authorities and other key stakeholders (including private sector investors) in order to push for policy changes and strengthen regulations in the wood sector. • Any other duty assigned by supervisor.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree in Finance, Agribusiness, Economics, Business Management or any related field. • At least 10 years of professional experience in the areas of finance, development finance, banking, and investment. • Working knowledge of English.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience in an advisory role in support to SMEs and capacity building of financial service providers. • Experience in working with the private sector and financing institutions. • Knowledge and understanding of local and international forestry and wood sector regulations and standards • Experience with fintech solutions tools and business diagnostic tools • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. • Good level of proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) • Experience in assessment of investment operations, development finance and banking. • Experience in capacity development of SMEs to work with bank and non-bank financiers and the ability/readiness of SMEs to access finance • Strong understanding of investment appraisal techniques and financial modelling. • Knowledge of financing schemes in the context of Uganda and other countries is an advantage. • Experience and knowledge of the commercial forestry sector and wood processing is an important asset for the candidate. • Proven leadership skills with the ability to manage and motivate a diverse team. Experience in working in multi-cultural, interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and professional domains. • Proven analytical capacity and problem-solving skills. • Ability to work independently, analyze and solve problems and prioritize issues. • Ability to be flexible, versatile and adapt to changing environments. • Ability to plan and deliver work according to time scales and required milestones with a strong commitment to quality and paying attention to detail.