This Request for Expression of Interest (REOI) follows the General Procurement Notice for this Project that appeared on the African Development Bank Group’s Internet Website(www.afdb.org) 12th August 2022.
The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has received financing from the African Development Fund toward the cost of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Phase II and intends to apply part of the agreed amount for this grant to payments under the contract for TAAT CDTO Compact Accountant who will be based in Accra, Ghana.
The Consultant will be a member of the CDTO Compact Team shall oversee the preparation and maintenance of timely and accurate financial statements and reports per the bank regulations and accounting principles; maintain complete record of all-important project documents and coordinate with project leaders to ensure adherence to the financial implementation aspects of the project agreement, clarify financial issues, answer queries, and give updates on the financial status of the project; monitor funds utilization of projects and schedule of instalments to ensure readily available up to date funding status information necessary for management decision-making; in collaboration with the project Coordinator, draw up quarterly, semi-annual or annual budgets in line with the overall project activities, operational and procurement plans as per grant’s requirements and monitor expenditure to avoid over-expenditure of allocations; participate in the annual budgeting and planning process; handle accounting treatment and financial transaction with respect to disbursements to project collaborators and partners, as needed; review and verify adherence to budgetary requirements of expenditure of projects and ensure proper recording of valid transactions during the month-end and year-end closing of books; produce reports, statements and schedules for audit purposes; in close collaboration with the TAAT CDTO Coordinator, manage cash-flow and prepare cash-flow forecasts in line with the workplan; provide bank reconciliation status as required; maintain advances and asset registers related to the project; analyse the variances against approved budgets monthly and determine the main reasons for major variations and discuss corrective steps with the Budget-holder and Finance Manager; document project procurement of goods and services and management of property and equipment in keeping with donor rules and procedures; prepare, to the satisfaction of the donor, initial advance to the Special Account and subsequent replenishments and justification for expenditure from special account required for the smooth implementation of the project; facilitate collection of financial and technical supporting documents during audit and respond to queries in relation to financial documents; liaise with Contracts and Grants Unit on donor report deadlines and submission; responsible for the Risk Management of area of activities; develop and maintain a system for evaluating/ monitoring contracts and ensure strict compliance with AfDB financial contractual obligations; coordinate the transfer of funds per established agreements and schedules; perform any other duties which may be assigned from time to time by the immediate supervisor.
The selected candidate will report to the Coordinator TAAT CDTO Compact and the assignment shall be for an initial period of One (1) year and subject to renewal with satisfactory performance.
The consultant is expected to commence work on 1st November 2023.
The selected candidate should possess a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in accounting or related fields; full Professional accounting qualification i.e. CPA, ACCA or CA; 5 Years of working experience on AfDB or a related multilateral development project and donor project financial management; familiarity with the AfDB funding mechanisms; international development and current issues in international aid and finance mechanisms; excellent knowledge of fund accounting, including reporting requirements of development partners; demonstrable skills in the development, monitoring and evaluation of finance and accounting policies and procedures; excellent organizational and communication skills.; demonstrable experience in planning and strategic thinking with strong analytical and problem-solving skills; highly professional in outlook and approach, tenacious and results focused with a commitment to and passion for quality and integrity; experience in multi-cultural environment with proficiency in English and/or French with a working understanding of the other; good knowledge of agricultural research for development in Africa is desirable.
FARA now invites eligible individual candidates to indicate their interest in providing these services. Interested consultants must provide information indicating that they are qualified to perform the services (including their detailed CV and letter of motivation detailing past related experience similar to this assignment.).
Accra, Ghana – The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) ex-Pillar IV( CAADPXP4) partners, in collaboration with the Strengthening agricultural knowledge and the innovation ecosystem for inclusive rural transformation and livelihoods in Eastern Africa (AIRTEA) Consortium led by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), have commenced the Agribusiness Learning Alliances (ABLA) Proof of Concept Workshop in Accra, Ghana today.
The two-day workshop brought together key stakeholders and experts to review and articulate the ABLA concept, develop a methodology for establishing the ABLA proof of concept, and explore its potential to enhance economic value derived from innovation platforms.
In his opening remarks, the executive Director of FARA, Dr Aggrey Agumya expressed his delight to see all partners reconnecting for this important concept. He emphasized that this engagements will lead to the formulation of approaches for enhancing outcomes and impact of research and innovation.
He added that “We have a unique opportunity to make history by definitively formulating and framing the methodology for testing a concept that will revolutionize IPs and ultimately the livelihoods of farmers and other value chain actors, especially women and youth.
This innovative approach seeks to strengthen the business dimension of Innovation Platforms, ultimately improving the economic value derived from these platforms.
African agriculture has long grappled with challenges such as low technology adoption, limited resources, and insufficient institutional collaboration. To address these issues, Innovation Platforms (IPs) were established, aiming to foster collaboration between research, producers, the private sector, extension services, and policy. However, these platforms have not fully realized their potential for economic efficiency and increased profitability for farm enterprises.
This collaborative effort between CAADP-XP4 and AIRTEA Consortium led by FARA marks a significant step towards revolutionizing African agriculture, promoting economic growth, and enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
International Expert, Consultancy for Resource Mobilization Support Services for the Common African Agro-Parks (CAAPs) Programme
Name of Project:
FARA/CAAPs
Procurement Ref:
FARA/CAAPs/CS/Res.Mob/IC/2023/01
Date:
Tuesday, August 29, 2023
The Common African Agro-Parks Programme (CAAPs) was initiated in 2019 as one of the concrete initiatives of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Programme (CAADP) to be implemented within the framework of the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 for achieving the CAADP Malabo commitments, especially the one on “tripling Intra-African trade for agricultural commodities and services.
CAAPs emerged from the major recommendations of the Inaugural CAADP-Biennial Review (BR) Report presented to the 2018 AU Assembly of Heads of States, where recommendations were formulated for the AU Commission to initiate continental actions that shall aim at: i)- boosting regional trade for agricultural commodities by increasing locally processing of key agricultural products and their respective value chains; ii)- promoting and facilitating increased consumption of locally and regionally produced agricultural commodities; iii) -achieving self-sufficiency and lowest possible importation of key agriculture commodities in Africa; and iv)-stimulating local and regional private sector investments in agriculture. The implementation of the CAAPs will help Africa to take over the African Food Import Market of about USD50 billion per annum that is currently outsourced to the rest of the world.
The CAAPs is coordinated by the AU Commission, through the Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE); the Economic Development, Trade, Industry and Mining (ETIM) in partnership with the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); – African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim Bank); and the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA).
These core institutions are steering the coordination of the CAAPs through two major organs: the CAAPs Steering Committee (CAAP-SC) and the Technical Coordination Team (the CAAPs-TCT), with the CAAPs-Secretariat hosted at FARA.
The CAAPs was recently adopted as a Flagship Program of the AU Commission by the Extra-Ordinary Session of the Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARDWE) in March 2023. This development will result in AU establishing a robust Secretariat to support the implementation of the program. Additionally, the CAAPs is being piloted in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Scaling out the CAAPs at the continental level based on the lessons learnt in these two countries and supporting the operations of the envisioned CAAPs Secretariat will necessitate resources.
Therefore, the CAAPs-Secretariat requires the support of a Resource Mobilization consultant to support the development of a Resource Mobilization Strategy and Implementation Roadmap for the Programme.
To achieve the foregoing; FARA proposes to engage a suitable consultant to carry out this assignment with the needed professionalism and ethics.
The Resource Mobilization Consultant will review the existing technical study of the financial options available for the implementation of CAAPs and other relevant CAAPs documents and develop a resource mobilization strategy and a joint implementation roadmap for AUC and FARA Secretariat. The Consultant will establish a clear overview of current and potential funding opportunities for CAAPs program to increase the long-term sustainability of the program.
This request for expression of interest aims at engaging a consultant to carry out the following functions:
Consult with the CAAPs team to understand the vision, mission and focus areas of the program;
Review the CAAPs current strategic project documents, technical studies, work plans, project proposals, knowledge management products and current funding models to better understand the needs and help position the program for resource mobilization;
Map the CAAPs products and services to identify funding gaps;
Map potential donors’ strategic areas of interest, priorities as well as funding windows, and explore opportunities for partnerships from emerging donors (both traditional and non-traditional);
Develop a comprehensive resource mobilization strategy that includes an overview of the situation, exploration of future opportunities and strategies, and detailed workflow/roadmap on how the CAAPs will raise funds to support the achievement of its key results;
Provide a detailed synopsis of the proposed options for financing the CAAPs;
Maintain regular contact with CAAPs Coordinator in FARA and other FARA Secretariat staff involved in the CAAPs.
The Executive Director of FARA invites interested consultants to express interest in carrying out this assignment.
Consultants interested in this call must provide an Expression of Interest no longer than 10 pages, outlining proposed methodologies, references related to the execution of similar assignments, experience in similar areas, or evidence of knowledge and a proposed timeline. Brochures, CVs, and other supplementary materials submitted shall not be accounted for as part of the 10-page limit.
The anticipated period of performance for this consultancy is 16 man-days spread over two months (2nd October 2023 to 30th November 2023).
The individual consultant shall be selected based on procedures defined in the Procurement Guidelines of FARA.
Interested consultants may obtain further information from the CAAPs Programme Coordinator,Anselme Vodounhessi[[email protected]], and copy the Procurement Expert, Mr. Callistus Achaab [[email protected]], during the following hours: 9h00 to 16h00 GMT.
Please download the Terms of Reference below, for further information on this opportunity.
Expressions of Interest should be submitted electronically to [[email protected]] and addressed to Dr. Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director of FARA, No 7 Flower Avenue, New Achimota, Mile 7, Accra, Ghana, no later than Tuesday, 12th September 2023, at 14h00 GMT. Tel: +233 302 772823/744888.
FARA Affirmative Action Statement on Recruitment: there is no discrimination based on gender race, religion, ethnic orientation, disability, or health status.
Establishment of a Human Resource Information System (HRIS) for FARA
Organisation:
Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
Procurement Ref:
FARA/HRA/CS/QCBS/HRIS/2023/01
Date of REOI:
Thursday, July 27, 2023
FARA serves as the technical arm of the African Union Commission on matters concerning agriculture science, technology and innovation. FARA mobilizes a wide spectrum of stakeholders around a portfolio of continent-wide programmes and projects that are co-developed and implemented with the stakeholders. It currently coordinates twelve (12) programmes and projects that, taken together, contribute towards the CAADP goal of increasing agricultural productivity in Africa.
The deployment of relevant information technology is an integral part of FARA’s operational effectiveness, this is further enhanced through the deployment of the Human Resources Information System (HRIS).
FARA continues to embrace the digital revolution, and its increasing reliance on Information Technology tools to perform its functions. A human resource information solution is essential to provide a one-stop shop for workforce data and streamline all relevant employee details and assist in the analyses of data. FARA, therefore, intends to deploy a contemporary human resource solution to assist in the attainment of its objectives.
Currently, FARA has approximately 28 employees and this number is expected to grow as new funding opportunities emerge. FARA would require a web-based software service to access HRIS modules, customized as per our requirements and needs.
To achieve the foregoing; FARA proposes to engage a suitable consulting firm to carry out this assignment with the needed professionalism and ethics.
The purpose of the assignment is to deploy a human resource information system to provide improved and timely HR informatfaion, increase the efficiency of HR processes, enhance data security and confidentiality, enhance the ability to track and report on human resource metrics, and meet the key deliverables as outlined in the Terms of Reference (see link to TOR in section 7 below).
The Executive Director of FARA invites interested consultants to express interest in carrying out this assignment.
Consultants interested in this call must provide an Expression of Interest no longer than 10 pages, outlining references related to the execution of similar assignments, experience in similar areas, or evidence of knowledge and availability of qualified staff etc. Brochures, CVs, and other supplementary materials submitted shall not be accounted for as part of the 10-page limit. Expression of Interest must also include copies of the following Mandatory documents: Business Registration Certificates and Valid Tax Clearance Certificates.
The anticipated period of performance for this consultancy is 8 weeks after the signing of the contract (1st November 2023 to 31st December 2023).
The consulting firm shall be selected based on Quality Cost Based Selection (QCBS) procedures defined in the Procurement Guidelines of FARA.
From among those who have been considered eligible bidders, a shortlist of at most six (6) proponents scoring 75% or above shall be drawn up. The general criteria for shortlisting are:
CRITERIA/PARTICULARS
POINTS
I
Technical organization and management of the firm
A proper organizational structure (organogram)
10
II
Applicable Experience of the Firm
Must be an IT development company with at least five (5) years business operation; In case of joint ventures, the lead firm should have at least 5 years’ experience in Systems Development;
20
Must have implemented and completed a Human Resource Information System or project similar in nature within the African subregion
30
III
Qualification & Experience of Key Personnel
The key personnel to be assigned to the project must hold at least a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Applications, Information Technology, Social Science Discipline or its equivalent and also have at least three (3) years’ experience in systems development: Key Personnel should consist of at least the following: One (1) Project Manager; One (1) Systems Analyst/Technical or Functional Specialists & One (1) Database Specialist
40
GRAND TOTAL
100
Pass Mark
75
Interested consultants may obtain further information from FARA’s Human Resource Officer, Courage Nunya Dzormeku[[email protected]], and copy the Procurement Expert, Mr. Callistus Achaab [[email protected]], during the following hours: 9h00 to 16h00 GMT.
Please download the Terms of Reference for further information on this opportunity below:.
Expressions of Interest should be submitted electronically to [[email protected]] and addressed to Dr. Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director of FARA, No 7 Flower Avenue, New Achimota, Mile 7, Accra, Ghana, no later than Thursday, 10th August 2023, at 14h00 GMT. Tel: +233 302 772823/744888.
FARA Affirmative Action Statement on Recruitment: there is no discrimination based on gender race, religion, ethnic orientation, disability, or health status.
[Abuja, Nigeria – April 3, 2023] – The Agricultural Research and Innovation Fellowship for Africa (ARIFA), a flagship program of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), has inducted its first set of fellows in Nigeria. The program aims to produce a new fit-for-purpose workforce to re-engineer the African agri-food sector and provide the change factor for rapid agricultural transformation in Africa.
ARIFA is implemented in partnership with Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). The inducted fellows were trained at Brazilian universities, notably Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Universidade Federal de Goiais, Universidade Federal de Lavras and Universidade Federal de Itajuba.
The induction ceremony was officiated by the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arch Sonny Echono, and the Executive Director of FARA, Dr Yemi Akinbamijo. Both institutions’ commitment towards this program’s success is highly commendable.
Held on the margins of ongoing training on Innovation System thinking as a post-training component of ARIFA, the induction ceremony was attended by Directors from TETFund Centers of Excellence, designated ARIFA institutions, the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), ARIFA Faculty Focal Leads, and other stakeholders from Nigeria’s Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) landscape. The fellows are expected to form part of a national pool of scholars supporting at least thirteen TETFund ARIFA Innovation Platforms across the county. Their expertise is expected to increase the productivity of over 24,000 farmers.
The event was a celebration of the program’s success, a recognition of the fellows’ achievements and the launch of the establishment of Innovation Platforms.
Dr Akinbamijo and Arc. Echono encouraged the fellows as they prepare to be part of the TETFund ARIFA Innovation Platforms across the country, where they will be supported to put their newly acquired skills and knowledge into practice. The ARIFA program is a vital step towards realizing the vision of transforming Africa’s agricultural sector and ensuring food security on the continent.
