Professional Officer Agricultural Economist -IITA

This is a readvertisment and earlier applicants should not reapply

I General information

Title: Agricultural Economist (Impact Assessment)
Sector of Assignment: Maize Legume Systems in Southern Africa
Country: Malawi
Location (City): Lilongwe
Agency: IITA-Malawi
Duration of Assignment: Initially one year with the possibility to extend up to 3 years
Grade: P1 step 1 or P2 step 1 in the first year, depending on the level of education and relevant working experience

Note: this post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the Netherlands and is addressed exclusively to candidates from developing countries. For criteria see the website of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs: http://www.minbuza.nl/en/key-topics/development-cooperation/associate-experts-programme

II Duties, responsibilities and Output Expectations

General

The incumbent will work as a member of the IITA-SIMLEZA (Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for the Eastern Province of Zambia) project team based in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. Early adoption and impact studies will be conducted to assess the extent, pathways, and determinants of technology adoption as well as the farm level impacts of technologies among adopters in the target sites where there is significant early adoption. Research hypotheses will be formulated to test and explain gender differentials in adoption and impacts with a view to enhancing the intra-household distribution of the benefits from the project.

Summary of duties and expected output

• Undertake socioeconomic, institutional, and biophysical data collection and analyses of production constraints and opportunities, technology choices, resource use patterns, profitability, and market access;
• Assess adoption and farm level impacts of improved varieties and management practices;
• Identify adoption pathways and develop strategies for up-scaling pro-poor innovations for greater impact on food security;
• Publish research findings and contribute to dissemination of research results and development outcomes to stakeholders;
• Contribute to capacity strengthening of project staff and national partners through on-the-job training as well as structured training workshops;
• Participate actively in annual project review and planning meetings and contribute to periodic monitoring and evaluation reports; and
• Participate in centre-wide strategic research planning.

III Training component: Learning elements and expectations

The JPO training programme includes the following learning elements

• Regular mentoring by the supervisor and other senior scientists during research design, data collection, analysis, and manuscript preparation;
• Annual research review and planning meetings at the headquarters in Ibadan (Nigeria) as well as at the regional hub in Lusaka (Zambia) and duty station in Lilongwe (Malawi).
• Participation in scientific conferences and workshops related to agricultural economics and policy in general and adoption and impact assessment in particular.

Upon completion of the assignment the JPO will have/ will be able to:

Year 1:

• Conduct a review of the relevant theoretical and empirical work in the area of adoption and impact assessment conducted at IITA as well as at other CGIAR centres and advanced research institutes;
• Review “IITA Social Science Research Agenda for the Next Decade” with a view to aligning planned work with IITA’s longer term strategic research in the area of adoption and impact assessment of technological and institutional innovations;
• Develop and present detailed research plan and refine the plan based on inputs from the supervisor and the team members;
• Assemble available primary data (e.g. SIMLEZA baseline data) as well as secondary data from various sources; and
• Design and conduct community, household, and on-farm experimental surveys and establish adoption and impact databases.

Years 2 & 3:

• Undertake data entry, editing, processing, analysis, and documentation;
• Prepare 3 draft research papers;
• Deliver oral presentations to share the research results with the team members, project partners, and other colleagues at IITA with a view to refining the papers based on suggestions and comments from peers and partners;
• Produce 3 manuscripts based on the final versions of the 3 research papers prepared;
• Prepare a policy brief to communicate research results by way of recommendations for research and policy for achieving sustainable intensification of maize-legume systems in eastern Zambia; and
• Publish at least 2 peer-reviewed articles in academic journals.

IV Supervision

Title of supervisor: Agricultural Economist (Dr Arega Alene)

Content and methodology of supervision

The supervisor will provide direct scientific supervision to the incumbent. He will provide mentoring in research design, data collection, analysis, and reporting. The incumbent will prepare, with the assistance of his/her supervisor, a three-year work plan in which details of activities to be undertaken and milestones for performance monitoring will be specified. Further mentoring will be provided by the Director Southern Africa and agronomists and breeders based in Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia. The incumbent will also be able to liaise with researchers at advanced research institutes outside Africa for training and backstopping in research methodologies. The incumbent will undergo the formal institute-wide annual performance appraisals carried-out by the Director responsible for the region in consultation with the Deputy Director General-Research.

V Required Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Qualifications: Masters in Agricultural Economics or Economics

Working experience:

Preferably 2 to maximal 4 years relevant working experience, including internships and voluntary work.

• Experience with socioeconomic field surveys, data collection, and analyses
• Relevant working experience, preferably in multicultural teams
• International experience, preferably in a developing country
• Field experience in rural Africa is desirable

Languages: Fluency in English is required

Key competencies

• Excellent analytical and writing skills with demonstrated ability to write and publish scientific journal articles
• Basic knowledge of econometric methods and software (e.g. Stata, GAMS, etc.) for analysis of survey data. Knowledge of spatial analysis tools (e.g. GIS) will be an addition;
• Good understanding of the processes and constraints to technology adoption and agricultural transformation in developing countries; and
• Initiative and ability to work independently with an active interest in socio-economics research.

VI Background information on Agency/Department/Section

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), with headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria, is an international non-profit research-for-development (R4D) organization created in 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Our R4D is anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty by reducing producer and consumer risks, enhancing crop quality and productivity, and generating wealth from agriculture. We have more than 100 internationally recruited scientists from about 35 countries and 900 nationally recruited staff based in various stations across Africa. Please visit http://www.iita.org/ for more information on IITA.

VII Information on living conditions at Duty Station

Lilongwe is generally a safe place with random and consistent police patrols. Crime is rare. However, some robberies have been experienced. Proper security measures need to be taken at all times and it is not safe to walk on foot within the city at night. Lilongwe has some reputable companies which provide good security.

Lilongwe provides very decent accommodation at competitive prices. Such accommodation includes fully furnished flats/houses, semi-furnished as well as non-furnished.

Lilongwe has several reputable medical scheme firms providing good medical services. There are also reputable clinics and hospitals offering quality medical services. Reputable pharmacies are also available. Lilongwe has several international schools providing education of international standards.. These schools offer both primary and secondary education. Some of them offer kindergarten education. Partners of expatriates working with IITA are not allowed to work in Malawi. This is the same of many other international organizations.

VIII How to apply

Applications including curriculum vitae, names and addresses of three referees should be addressed to the Human Resources Manager. Please complete our online application form using this link: http://old.iita.org/cms/details/job_application.aspx

Closing date – 7th June 2012 noon

Applicants will receive acknowledgement of receipt of their submission

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.