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infoDev: Agribusiness Innovation Specialist

Note: This is a one-year extended term consultant contract, extendable by one more year, based on business needs.
Application Closing Date: February 9, 2012
Background
infoDev (www.infodev.org) is a Global Partnership Program, coordinated and served by an expert Secretariat housed in the Finance and Private Sector Vice Presidency (FPDVP) of the World Bank Group. Its strategic goal is to promote the growth of technology enterprises to enhance sustainable inclusive growth, competiveness and jobs. infoDev focuses on the following key areas to achieve its goal: (i) assisting in taking technologies to market; (ii) assisting in creating and growing sustainable enterprises that are technology-enabled; (iii) promoting an enabling environment for innovation and adoption of appropriate technologies to promote enterprise growth as well as ensuring effective competition so that the market functions to widen access to technology at affordable prices; (iv) disseminating research and best practices to enhance growth and sustainability of enterprises in the technology and technology-enabled space; (v) building capacity to enhance the sustainability of enterprises; and (vi) providing technical assistance to incubators to ensure Access to Finance (A2F) and Access to Markets (A2M).
infoDev is a thought leader in technology-enabled small business incubation. infoDev’s global incubation network reaches to 300 plus business incubators and more than 20,000 small and medium enterprises, and has helped create over 220,000 jobs across 87 developing countries. Within the World Bank Group, infoDev has also been recognized as being cutting-edge in its use of web-based resources to develop, publish, and disseminate its work and facilitate debate and interaction among and between client countries and donors.
infoDev is implementing an ambitious work program, which includes:
• The “Creating Sustainable Businesses in the Knowledge Economy Program” (CSBKE) – a public/private partnership between the Government of Finland. infoDev and Nokia – which is focused on increasing the competitiveness and growth of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the ICT and Agribusiness sectors through a range of activities including mobile applications laboratories, social networking platforms that link mobile entrepreneurs, a program to help technology-enabled SMEs gain overseas market access, facilitating access to appropriate financing instruments for technology entrepreneurs, and advancing innovation in agriculture by exploring agribusiness innovation centers (AICs) and preparing SourceBooks as guides on how ICTs and innovation systems can be best used in agriculture projects. The program includes global activities as well as country and regional activities in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ECA).
• The “Climate Technology Program”, which aims to establish a global network of 30 Climate Innovation Centers that develop technology innovation capacity and enable accelerated commercialization and transfer of technologies for the mitigation and adaptation of climate change in developing countries.
• A seven year “Entrepreneurship Program for Innovation in the Caribbean (EPIC)”, which is designed to create and grow competitive Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the ICT, Climate Technology and Agribusiness sectors across the region by: (i) using business incubation to provide a suite of services for start-up entrepreneurs comprising advisory services, mentorship, and access to office space and equipment; (ii) upgrading skills and capabilities of incubator managers and policymakers supporting MSME development; and (iii) providing seed funding to promising MSMEs to help them successfully scale their operations.
infoDev’s agribusiness innovation work is an important growing part of its broader innovation and technology entrepreneurship programs. Through this work, we aim to identify and test new approaches to accelerating the growth of value-adding agribusiness enterprises in developing countries. Deliverables include:
• A global good practice assessment of agribusiness incubation initiatives in eight countries, documenting their impacts, sustainability, and lessons;
• A training course on agribusiness incubation aimed at stakeholders in developing countries considering or planning agribusiness incubators, complementing infoDev’s general business incubation management curriculum;
• A global community of practice to enable south-south peer-to-peer learning among developing country stakeholders focused on promoting innovative entrepreneurship in agribusiness sectors;
• Design of agribusiness innovation centers (AICs) for four African markets, including Tanzania, Senegal, Mozambique and Ethiopia; the Caribbean market; and potentially additional countries and regions.
These deliverables form the foundation for the potential establishment of a future new Agribusiness Innovation business line under infoDev, similar to the existing business lines on Mobile Innovation and Climate Technologies.
During the course of 2012, infoDev intends to build upon the findings of the global good practice assessment to complete the feasibility assessments and business models for the AICs in Tanzania, Senegal, Mozambique, and Ethiopia, and possibly also in the Caribbean, and to secure implementation funding for the establishment of at least two of them. In parallel, infoDev will be delivering a capacity building program in the four countries to prepare for implementation. The team working on these deliverables include the Task Team Leader (TTL), an Agribusiness Facilitator (based in South Africa), and local consultants based in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Senegal. The team also regularly consults with the Agricultural and Rural Development Department of the World Bank Group, the respective World Bank country offices, and a range of other institutions working in this domain.
Duties and Accountabilities
infoDev is seeking to hire an Agribusiness Innovation Specialist to assist the TTL and the Agribusiness Facilitator with completing the AIC business models, designing and implementing the agribusiness incubation capacity building program, and securing funding for the implementation of AICs. On a day-to-day basis, the Specialist will be reporting to the TTL. The position will be based in Washington, DC and will require substantial travel.
Specifically, the Specialist will be tasked to:
· Lead the development of a growth strategy and annual work program for the Agribusiness Innovation Program, including short, medium, and long-term milestones, budget, regular reporting mechanisms (including financial progress reports), and a monitoring and evaluation framework to measure results and impact, as well as proposed strategic linkages to other programs and partners;
· Liaise with local stakeholder agribusiness innovation communities to ensure that the AICs remains demand-driven and responsive to client needs;
· Assist in the development of feasibility assessment proposals and concept notes for new AICs, including the development of business plans and feasibility assessments, research, and diagnostic work and analyses for the AICs; and the needs of local innovators, entrepreneurs and SMEs; and liaise with in-country consultants, stakeholders and WBG network, regional and country teams;
· Lead or, where appropriate, support Task Managers in the implementation of AICs by providing technical support to project implementation and guidance on consistency and adherence to infoDev’s vision for the network of AICs and quality;
· Carry out all relevant research, diagnostic work, and analysis associated with the growing agribusiness program;
· Complete the peer review process associated with completing the AIC business models, including identifying and securing appropriate peer reviewers, arranging peer review meetings, and integrating the outcomes of the peer review discussions;
· Identify potential funders of the AICs, develop a fundraising plan, and prepare requisite presentations, concept notes and proposals;
· In collaboration with the Sr. Communications Officer, coordinate the updating of agribusiness communications and outreach materials, including online dissemination, outreach, and communications done via the infoDev website;
· Conduct outreach, stakeholder awareness, and engagement within the World Bank Group (WBG) as well as stakeholder awareness and engagement with external partners for the program;
· Prepare donor progress reports related to the status of implementation of agribusiness innovation deliverables;
· Help organize and prepare for all trips, workshops, and events under the program. This will include travel as part of the infoDev team for these trips, workshops, and events;
· Other tasks that may be required by the team.
Selection Criteria
· A masters degree in business, economics, or a related discipline;
· Demonstrated knowledge of agribusiness innovation and entrepreneurship in the developing country setting and at least five years of experience in a related field;
· Demonstrated track record in initiating new and innovative approaches;
· Experience in design and implementation of SME services and work experience in developing countries are preferable;
· Demonstrated knowledge of key public and private sector actors that could be approached for supporting the AICs, and experience with donor relations, fundraising, and proposal writing;
· Excellent writing skills and command of the English language. French language skills would be a plus;
· Familiarity with World Bank procurement, financial management, and hiring processes would be a plus;
· Positive, energetic, and ambitious self-starter work attitude, willingness to work within a team environment;
· Highly systematic with keen attention to detail;
· Capacity to manage multiple complex tasks in parallel;
· Problem-solving orientation;
· Excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with staff, clients, and partners at junior and senior levels; and
· Excellent command of PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
Applying for the Position
To apply for this position, go to the World Bank homepage. Click on Job Seekers under Resources. Click on Consultant/Temporary Opportunities – Current Vacancies. Look for Job #120201 and click on ET Consultant. Click on the “Apply” Button. The deadline for applying for the position is February 9, 2012.