Agricultural Statistician
Reference: PG/GAM/086
Location: The Gambia
Duration: 2 years
Closing Date: 25 Mar 2011
In 2009, the Government of The Gambia undertook a review of the flagship development programme, Poverty Reduction Strategy II, and concluded that the Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) sector holds the key to the full realisation of the achievements of the Programme, especially in meeting priority demands of food security, agricultural production, productivity and achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG 1).
The Government of The Gambia has set specific targets for the ANR sector, strongly emphasising improved planning and programming as a precondition to mobilising national budgetary resources. There is now a consensus among relevant government agencies {including the Ministry of Agriculture; the Ministry of Economic Planning, Development and Industry; the Ministry of Finance; and the Ministry of Trade} that the lack of availability of reliable agricultural statistics, data and other information relevant to a better understanding of the ANR sector are a major impediment to the development of effective policy advice, planning as well as programme development and implementation needed to advance progress against key development objectives and priorities including enhanced food and nutrition security.
On the request received from the Government of The Gambia, the Commonwealth Secretariat wishes to recruit the services of a suitably qualified agricultural statistical expert, to assist the Ministry of Agriculture to improve the quality, reliability and availability of agricultural statistics and other information and data it generates, The expert will be based in the Department of Planning of the Ministry of Agriculture and will work directly with the Agricultural Statistics and Resource Economics Section (ASRE).
The ASRE incorporates the National Agricultural Sample Unit (NASS) and the National Agriculture Data Centre (NADC). ASRE is currently headed by a Principal Statistician assisted by a Senior Statistician, Statisticians, Cadet Statisticians, Computer Analyst, Cadet Programmes Analyst and some office based statistical clerks. At the field level, the support staff includes mainly senior statistical clerks and approximately forty field enumerators.
Various international development agencies are also supporting a number of interventions in the Gambia to support the production and dissemination of reliable statistics, data and information. These include the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), African Development Bank (ADB), World Bank and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The expert is therefore expected to engage closely with these development partners with a view to ensuring a greater focus and coherence to the work programme of ASRE specifically (and Department of Planning more generally), including taking advantage of any opportunities, by way of access to resources and technical guidance, as deemed necessary or appropriate.
Purpose of Project
The project aims to strengthen the capacity within the Department of Planning and specifically the ASRE, Ministry of Agriculture, The Gambia, to enable production of accurate, timely and comprehensive information that is compliant with national, regional and international data requirement.
Scope of Work
1. Assessment of existing processes and procedures within the Department of Planning and, recommendations for strengthening the mandate(s) of ASRE in order to respond more effectively to the key information needs, including statistical data requirements, as set out in the Poverty Reduction Strategy II.
2. Provision of advice and support to the Ministry of Agriculture more generally with respect to meeting key reporting obligations at the national and international level, including reviewing of relevant documents (e.g. assessment of their methodological rigour) prior to release or publication.
3. Working with other local institutions and development partners, develop appropriate methodologies and frameworks for the collection, processing, analysis, reporting, dissemination and management of agricultural statistics and sample data at different levels (e.g. district, national etc.). This would include advice on the frequency with which certain statistics should be collected (e.g. whether on a monthly, semi-annual or annual basis).
4. Undertake and an institutional capacity (skills) assessment within the ASRE and Department of Planning in general.
5. Undertake continuous development and upgrading of the knowledge and skills of staff (structured/informal training, mentoring, on the job, etc) within ASRE and the Department of Planning in general.
6. Develop and produce a user guide for ASRE on the applications, upgraded methodologies and activities in the generation processes and management of agricultural statistics.
7. Contribute, as appropriate, to the establishment and operation of a comprehensive Data Base System in the ANR Sector.
Approach
The expert will develop a detailed work plan for the duration of the assignment setting out key milestones, deliverables and outcomes to be achieved within the two years. The work plan is likely to be developed for implementation over a number of ‘phases’. The work plan will be submitted to Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of The Gambia for approval. It will be informed by feedback obtained from consultations with relevant stakeholders, including the relevant technical teams of development partners as well as other primary stakeholders (e.g. farmers and agricultural extension workers).
Phase 1
The expert will assess both the mandate and ability of ASRE specifically, and Department of Planning more generally, to deliver, manage and disseminate reliable agricultural statistics, data and other relevant information needed to support effective policy and programme implementation in the ANR sector that reflect current economic realities and the need for a better understanding of the household food economy. The current capacity of ASRE to conduct or support agricultural censuses and other relevant surveys (e.g. household surveys etc.) will be assessed together with recommendations for enhancing any identified shortcomings.
A key deliverable for this phase will be a detailed work plan. The expert is also expected to produce a report that provides a detailed assessment of the resources (human and material, including equipment) available relative to the current mandate (or any new proposed mandate) for ASRE.
Phase 2
This phase is likely to be dominated by a tailored programme of training for ASRE personnel and other relevant staff in the Ministry of Agriculture (e.g. key agricultural extension personnel). Based on a training needs assessment, the expert will design a training programme that will be targeted at both field staff (e.g. enumerators) and technical staff in applying appropriate agricultural statistical data collection techniques, supervision and quality control, database design and management, data analysis and report preparation. The training is expected to include a combination of class-based work as well as field work involving a range of key informants in the ANR sector including farmers.
A key deliverable for this phase will be the training materials developed. A range of training materials, including manuals, will be produced and will emphasize skills and knowledge designed to reinforce confidence in the results of any surveys being undertaken (e.g. more effective techniques for estimating/calculating costs of production, the preparation of household budgets etc.).
Phase 3
This phase will focus on lending support to a number of major information gathering, including statistical, exercises relevant to the ANR sector as identified by the Government of Gambia. Current proposals are for ASRE to support the conduct of a national agricultural census as well as participation in a Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping exercise (VAM).
A key deliverable for this phase will be an assessment of ASRE performance in the delivery of the survey(s). It will highlight where any shortcomings still remain on ASREs part and propose actions for remedying these. An estimate of national budgetary resources considered essential to allow ASRE to continue to support similar surveys on a sustained basis into the future will also be produced.
CFTC Project Outputs
- Relevant national agricultural statistics, identified, collected and documented.
- A viable statistical framework (methodology and procedures) developed to inform the collection, processing, analysis and dissemination of timely and reliable agricultural statistics.
- Personnel (field and technical) in the Ministry of Agriculture and in particular ASRE, trained in agricultural statistical data collection techniques, supervision and quality control, database management; data analysis and report writing and dissemination of data.
- A strengthened and more robust system of storage and retrieval of the relevant agriculture statistics.
- User guide for Department of Planning, ASRE on the improved applications, upgraded methodologies and activities in the generation processes and management of agricultural statistics developed.
Reporting and Transfer of Expertise
The Commonwealth Secretariat attaches particular importance to the transfer of expertise and knowledge to the assigned counterparts within host institutions. The assigned expert will work closely with the staff of ASRE specifically and Department of Planning in general. The expert will report directly to the Director of Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and the Technical Cooperation and Strategic Response Group of the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation.
Required Experience and Qualification
Essential:
i. At least a masters degree in agricultural economics with extensive experience in statistical analysis;
ii. Significant experience in the identification, collection and analysis of agricultural statistics at various levels including district and national level;
iii. Extensive experience in the development of national statistical frameworks (methodology and procedures) which informs the collection, processing, analysis and dissemination of timely and reliable data;
iv. Familiarity with the information needs and measurement challenges for assessing food security and poverty alleviation;
v. Substantial experience in development of training materials and capacity building interventions: by way of formal training, mentoring, etc;
vi. Prior senior management experience;
i. Excellent IT skills specifically relevant to this assignment, particularly SPSS, CS-Pro, and other relevant social science data entry and analysis packages;
ii. Respect for diversity and ability to adapt to different cultural settings.
iii. Ability to work under challenging conditions.
Desirable:
i. Degree in economics;
ii. Prior work experience in Africa;
iii. Experience of undertaking similar assignments in developing countries.
Submission of Application
Interested applicants who are citizens from Commonwealth member countries and who meet the above requirements are invited to apply with a detailed CV including names and contact details of three referees to Miss Ishbel Allotey, Human Resources, Commonwealth Secretariat, Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5HX. Fax: +44(0) 207 747 6520. E-mail: i.allotey@commonwealth.int
In addition to the submission of a detailed CV, applicants are requested to provide a capability statement, articulating in point form, they approach to achieving the Project Outputs.
Please also complete a Personal History Form (PHF) which is down-loadable with the Skill Codes Booklet from the Commonwealth Secretariat Website, Long Term Assignments (Overseas) page.
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