Project Analyst – Agri-business & Private Sector

Background

Nepal's Constitution has established food security, the right to food, and food sovereignty as fundamental rights, with the government entrusted to uphold them. However, Nepal ranks 73 out of 117 food-importing nations in the 2022 Global Hunger Report, with approximately 45 out of 77 districts facing food insufficiency. To address this challenge and align with Sustainable Development Goals, a project named " Renewable Energy for Resilient Agri-Food Systems (RERAS)" is being funded by the Norwegian Embassy and implemented by UNDP in 11 local governments across Sudurpaschim, Karnali, and Bagmati provinces. This project focuses on enhancing agricultural productivity and food security by leveraging affordable energy solutions, empowering local farmers through modern technology, and partnering with government bodies and national organizations. with the support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy. 

The project aims to contribute to the “improved food and nutrition security of the communities in targeted municipalities of Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces by promoting indigenous crop varieties through mechanization of agriculture using renewable energy-based technology.” The project will support establishing dedicated funds at local level to support the farmers for use of modern technology in production, processing, and marketing. The project will work with the local and provincial governments, academia, cooperatives, traders, and service providers to enhance their knowledge on use of modern technology for food production and sustainable food system management through capacity building and provisions for climate information, policies, access to finance, and research based improvised farming. Extensive use of energy-based and climate smart technology will help reduce the cost of production and increase local food supply. This will also support economic empowerment of women, returnee migrants, youths and marginalized groups through job creation and contribute to poverty reduction, environmental safeguarding, sustainable production and consumption, and gender equality and social inclusion.

In the context of the ‘Renewable Energy for Resilient Agri-Food Systems (RERAS), UNDP is looking to recruit a dedicated, experienced, and competent Project Analyst – Private Sector and Agri-Value Chain. S/he will be responsible for providing technical guidance to project team and implementing partners on effective implementation and private sector engagement with market linkages and value chain of agri produce.
 

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Analyst – Agri-business & Private Sector will report to and work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager. 

A.    Provide technical guidance on private sector engagement and scale-up agri-business

• Provide technical guidance to project team, implementing partners, government officials and other stakeholders, related to private sector engagement, public private partnership, promotion of agro-based enterprises and market value chain. 
• Lead and assure quality of the agro-business opportunities and expansion.
• Provide guidance to partners and local governments in setting priorities particularly on engaging and promoting private sectors, financial institutions, and SMEs; and leveraging conditional, equalization, special grant of the federal and provincial governments in municipal priority areas including project support funds.
• Support the development and structuring of alternative financing mechanisms, including blended finance, impact investing, guarantees, and other de-risking tools.
• Provide technical support in establishing market outlets, and post-harvest management.
• Provide technical backstopping to the partners, local governments, cooperative and other extension providers for the promotion of appropriate tools, digital systems and improved production and marketing practices to enhance productivity and agri-value chain mechanism.
• Assist in integrating data and results of private sector engagement and its benefits in the project interventions.
• Conduct regular meetings and follow ups with project team, partners, relevant stakeholders, and private sectors on achieving program results.
• Timely monitoring of the project activities and ensure that the proper and relevant knowledge management has been carried out at project and partners’ level. 
• Ensure the training modules are developed and organized events accordingly.
• Analyze financial incentives for farmers’ adoption of postharvest technology.
• Capacitate local governments, partners, farmers, community groups and relevant stakeholders on private sector engagement, economy promotion, and supply chain mechanisms. 
• Support local governments and cooperatives in market facilities in collaboration with the project team, partners, and stakeholders.
• Lead in mapping of local value chain actors and build their capacity to strengthen value chain of selected commodity. 
• Identify and assess alternative financing models suitable for development initiatives.
• Map potential investors, impact funds, DFIs, and private financial institutions.
• Support in formulating legally and locally accepted financial instruments like local agricultural policies, strategies, acts, guidelines, procedures, standard norms, for smooth operation of agriculture program -beyond project. 
• Support the provision of postharvest handling and marketing of fruit and vegetables to operators of collection centers and satellite markets.
• Contribute to build the capacity of staffs of local government and cooperatives on themes relevant to the position.
• Support the cooperatives and market centers to prepare business plans, operational plans, and other relevant policy documents, and their smooth implementations, 
• Support in establishing market information system at collection centers and satellite markets and identify opportunities to strengthen the system. 
• Identify potential market actors and business development service providers and connect with producer’s organization for assured market and services.

B.    Strengthening capacity of project partners and beneficiaries: 

• Provide technical back stopping to the partners, local governments, cooperative and other extension providers for the promotion of appropriate production technologies and improved production and marketing practices to enhance productivity and reduce postharvest losses of fruit and vegetables. 
• Support local governments and cooperatives in market facilities in collaboration with the project team, partners, and stakeholders. 
• Provide technical inputs in mapping of local value chain actors, prepare roadmap, and support them in capacity development at different node of value chain of selected commodity to strengthen resilient energy-food system. 
• Undertake gap assessment and capacitated local government, cooperatives, farmers groups, women entrepreneurs, and other service providers. 
• Support in formulation of legal instruments like local agricultural policies, strategies, acts, guidelines, procedures, standard norms, for smooth operation of agriculture program -beyond project.  
• Support the provision of postharvest handling and marketing of fruit and vegetables to operators of collection centers and satellite markets. 
• Contribute to build the capacity of staffs of local government and cooperatives on themes relevant to the position. 
• Support the cooperatives and market centers to prepare business plans, operational plans, and other relevant policy documents, and their smooth implementations,  
• Support in establishing market information system at collection centers and satellite markets and identify opportunities to strengthen the system.  
• Identify potential market actors and business development service providers and connect with producer’s organization for assured market and services. 

C.    Reporting and documentation responsibility

• In consultation with the Project Manager prepare and finalize progress reports periodically as agreed in monitoring and reporting timeline and deliverables as per the standard template of UNDP and donor. 
• Prepare and submit periodic delivery reports. 
• Prepare and finalization of project briefs and other documents and ensure their quality.

D.    Ensure Gender Equality and Social Inclusion throughout the project intervention.

• Capacitate and empower women and ensure gender equality and social inclusion component in all project interventions.
• Ensure meaningful participation of women, dalit, janajati and people with disability in all stages of project cycle.
• Ensure integration of GESI aspects in all stages of the project in coordination with Project GESI Focal Person.
• Create a safe working environment by developing respectful and safe organizational culture and supporting practices.
• Collaborates with team members, programme partners, and sub-grantees to ensure safe implementation of programmes at the community level applying Do No Harm approach.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
 

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: Level 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: Level 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
• Learn Continuously: Level 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: Level 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 
• Act with Determination: Level 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: Level 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Level 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business direction and strategy    

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system. 

Business development     

• Collective Intelligence Design: Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information, ideas, and technology to solve problems and design solutions or services. Knowledge and understanding of Collective Intelligence Design principles, methodology and practices.

Business Management    

• Partnerships Management: Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies. 
• Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making

2030 Agenda: Planet    

• Climate: Climate Change Adaptation: Fostering Food Security and resilient Agricultural systems

2030 Agenda: Partnerships    

• SDG Finance: Inclusive and Sustainable Business Models

2030 Agenda:   Peace    

• Governance: Inclusion and Participation of Marginalized Groups

2030 Agenda:   People    

• Gender: Gender and Crisis

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Agri Economics, Public and Private Sector Management, Enterprise Development, Agribusiness Management, Value Chain or a related field is required; or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above fields, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum two years (with Master´s degree) or four years (with Bachelor´s degree) of work experience in the field of agriculture value chain, market linkages, marketing, access to finance, private sector engagement, private partnership, and fund mobilization.

Required skills:

• Good knowledge in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.)

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

• Experience of working with local governments, private sectors and cooperatives on access to finance is highly desirable.
• Experience in the development and structuring of alternative financing mechanisms, including blended finance, impact investing, guarantees, and other de-risking tools.
• Experience to design, implement and train diverse partners on private sector engagement, access to finance, agricultural value chain, market linkages and fund mobilization is highly desirable.
• Experience of implementing similar projects on food-energy-water nexus is highly desirable.
• Proven experience of private partnership promotion and engaging local financial institution for food and nutrition security in remote areas is highly desirable.
• Sound understanding of agricultural policies and agriculture research, development, and extension systems of Nepal will be an advantage.

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English and Nepali is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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