National consultant for market needs assessment

This opening expired 3 years ago. Do not try to apply for this job.

FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Open positions at FAO
Logo of FAO

Application deadline 3 years ago: Monday 1 Mar 2021 at 22:59 UTC

Open application form

Organizational Setting

Small farmers are often left out of large-scale marketing and promotional activities and sell their goods at low prices at the farm gate and in local markets. Small producers of fruit and vegetables in Jordan face great challenges in accessing markets for their products mostly because of their small size, limited access to market information, lack of cold storage facilities and limited know how in grading and packaging to meet market quality requirement. In addition, fruits and vegetables often face fluctuating prices with negative consequences on resource-poor farmers, due to closure of borders with Syria since 2011.

Given the limitations of natural resources, closure of marketing channels and in-adequate marketing facilities, small scale farmers need support to access markets for their products. Therefore, it is necessary to create a new means to support small scale farmers to promote and sell their agricultural products. This would provide the opportunity for small scale farmers and food processors (both men and women) to interact with buyers and retailers and find better terms for the commercialization of their products. This would also allow buyers and retailers to make contacts with small producers and food processors. Modern facilities (cold storage and refrigerated vehicles, etc.) are costly items that only large-scale producers can afford. Agricultural Fairs are considered the appropriate places for showing and promoting new techniques and innovations in food and agriculture. They would be organized on an annual or semi-annual basis.

The overall objective of this assignment is to understand how to provide small farmers with a new channel to promote their agricultural products (fresh and processed) through annual Agricultural Fairs of three governorates of Jordan, allowing to sell their products for better prices, making contact with the private sector and benefitting from better farm returns.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative and direct supervision of the Project Coordinator and programme officer.

Technical Focus

Targeting appropriate geographic areas for intervention directly linked to availability of agricultural resource and potential expansion and the level of small-holder farmers’ vulnerability to economic situation. Geographic areas were selected based on the mutual agreement between the ministry of agriculture and FAO representation in Jordan.

Based on the above information and in order to have better informed decision for agricultural livelihood interventions,

The FAO representation in Jordan, is interested in recruiting a national consultant to undertake a market assessment for

small holder producers of local food and agricultural commodities, aiming at:

  • Preparing an analysis of problems, needs and interests of small farmers, particularly related to marketing their products in the first governorate, which will be identified by MoA.
  • Full utilization of the existing institutional arrangements (public, private sectors, agricultural cooperatives and NGO's) operational in the Governorate will be tapped.
  • Feasible partnership arrangements and support mechanisms will also be explored which could provide an enabling environment for the successful operation of the project.

Tasks and responsibilities

  • Phase One: by March 2021
  1. Develop data collection methodology including the sampling and the tools.
  2. Conduct a market assessment on the selected products, studying challenges, opportunities and practical recommendations to strengthen the marketing of the selected items including creating the linkages among the market actors and the available marketing channels.
  3. The assessment should include also studying the institutional arrangements of the public, private sectors, agricultural cooperatives and NGO's.
  4. Provide recommendations that can lead to successfully establish the agricultural fairs, and specific recommendations that can formulate the shape of the trainings that will be targeting the AF participants.
  • Agricultural Fairs evaluation: TBD linked to the AF establishment
  1. Conduct pre, during and post evaluations of the agricultural fairs, and provide recommendations after each AF to be considered in the following Fair.
  2. Compile all the evaluation process in a final report.
  • Prepare background documents

- This activity would lead to preparing reference data and information on various issues related to Agricultural Fairs, covering: Fairs organization, management, requirements, staffing and promotion of farmers produces.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

  • Advanced University Degree Agriculture, Marketing, Economics, Policy and Management, or other related fields.
  • Working knowledge (level C) of English and Arabic.
  • National of Jordan.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

· More than 5 years of international work experience in designing and conducting market assessments

· More than 5 years working in agriculture sector

· Food security livelihood and value chain experience

· More than 2 years working in local economic development

· Demonstrated work experience in report formulation including experience with logical framework preparation, project management, preparation of results-based work plans and budgets preferably with good knowledge of the FAO’s results-based management framework.

· Excellent communication and presentation skills as well as analytical skills and ability to write clear and concise reports in English is considered a strong asset.

· Proficiency in English is essential and familiarity with FAO regulations

Selection Criteria

· Selection Criteria 1: Education: Level completed, relevancy and quality.

· Selection Criteria 2: Previous Work Experience: Amount, relevancy and quality; organizational skills including the ability to work in a diverse environment, multitask and work under pressure; reliability including good attendance and punctuality.

· Selection Criteria 3: Communication: Written, oral and interpersonal.

Added 3 years ago - Updated 3 years ago - Source: fao.org