Provision of various training programmes to FARA Staff
Name of Project:
CAADP-XP4
Procurement Ref:
FARA/TrainProGs/RFPs/2022/01
Date:
Monday, 21st February 2022
Submission Deadline
Tuesday, 8th March 2022
The human resources of FARA comprise the primary asset the organization relies upon to perform its mandate. The management of these resources and specifically the attraction, retention, motivation, and maximization of the productivity of high calibre employees is a critical function of the Secretariat. Therefore, a core objective of the Secretariat’s Human Resource Management function is to enhance the skills and capabilities of the personnel to ensure delivery through the provision of various training programmes for its staff.
The central objective of this activity is to conduct various training programmes for FARA secretariat staff in Leadership & Management; Advanced Microsoft Excel and Word, Internet Security; Partnership Management and Negotiation Skills; and Corporate Communication and Media Engagement.
This request for proposals aims at engaging consulting firms and individuals to carry out the following functions:
No
Training Programme
Expected Commencement Date
Duration of Assignment
1
Training of FARA Staff on Advanced Microsoft Excel and Word
End of March 2022
10 man-days
2
Training of FARA Staff on Internet Security
Second week of April 2022
3 man-days
3
Training of Staff in Leadership & Management
Second week in June 2022
5 man-days
4
Training of FARA Staff on Partnership Management and Negotiation Skills
Second week in August 2022
5 man-days
5
Training of FARA Staff on Corporate Communication and Media Engagement
Second week in October 2022
5 man-days
The detailed terms of references for each of them are in the links below:
The Executive Director of FARA invites interested firms/individuals to submit proposals in carrying out these assignments.
Interested Firms/individuals shall provide information on their qualifications and experience demonstrating their ability to provide the services (proposed methodologies, supporting documentation, reference for similar services, experience in comparable assignments, availability, and CVs of qualified staff, etc). Interested Firms/individuals should provide a detailed financial proposal with budget lines and resources for activities to be performed.
The anticipated periods of performance for these assignments are indicated in the table above.
The firms/Individuals shall be selected based on procedures defined in the Procurement Guidelines of FARA and the requirements stated in the respective TORs. Proposals will be evaluated and contract awarded to the most respective firm or individual per training programme.
Interested firms or Individuals may obtain further information from the HR and Administration Manager, Ms Ama Pokuah Asenso [[email protected]], and copy the Procurement Expert, Callistus Achaab [[email protected]], during the following hours: 9h00 to 15h00 GMT.
Please download the Terms of References below for further information on this opportunity.
Proposals should be submitted electronically to [[email protected]] and addressed to Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director of FARA, No 7 Flower Avenue, New Achimota, Mile 7, Accra, Ghana, no later than Tuesday, 8th March 2022, at16h00 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.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) was formally established in March 2018 at the 10th Extraordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda. It is one of the key priorities of the Africa Agenda 2063 and a major step towards African continental economic integration. It also featured highly in the political declaration of the fifth AU-EU Summit of Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. Recently, remarkable progress has been made. Fifty-four of the 55 AU Member States have now signed the Agreement. The Agreement went into force on May 30 and entered its operational phase on 7th July 2019, following the 33rd Extraordinary Summit of the African Union. As of September 2021, 39 member states have ratified and deposited ratification instruments. Trading under the AfCFTA was launched on 1st January 2021 “based on a single rule-book for trade and investment”.
The AfCFTA aims at providing a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of people and investments. Its goal is to accelerate Intra-Africa trade through better harmonisation and coordination of trade liberalisation. A dramatic boost to economic growth and the attraction of investments from both within Africa and the world are among the expected outcomes. The potential gains from increased regional and economic integration are substantial, as the continent has the lowest percentage of intra-regional trade. Only 15% of exports take place within Africa, compared with 25% in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and over 60% in the EU. In addition, exports are often limited to natural resources with little added value from other sectors of the economies. The EU, with its extensive experience with creating an internal market, has been supporting the Africa Free Trade Area since its inception in 2015 and remains committed to supporting its ratification and implementation process.
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the African Union Commission (AUC) Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE) are currently finalizing an assessment of economic effects of the AfCFTA on African countries with a focus on the agri-food system. The study analyses the economy-wide (continental, regional and national) and distributional impacts of policy and/or structural shocks, sectoral transmission of sector-specific policies for sectors and regions. The output of the study includes projections of GDP, employment, bilateral trade, capital flows, household consumption and welfare. The results of the model will be presented to the Policy Organs including the 4th Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment in December 2021.
Please download the full guidelines for applicants and call for proposal in both English & French:
Proposals developed must be submitted in English. To facilitate the evaluation procedure, proposals developed in French, Portuguese, and Arabic should be translated into English before submission.
FARA and JRC are available for further clarification and can be reached via email at the email listed below. Proposal submission should be done no later than 10th November 2021. Proposals should be submitted to [email protected], [email protected] and, [email protected]
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is the apex continental organization mandated to coordinate agricultural research and innovation in Africa and advocate for its effective deployment as a driver for African agricultural growth. FARA also serves as the technical arm of the Africa Union Commission (AUC) and the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) on matters concerning science, technology and innovation for agriculture.
The mission of FARA is to contribute to generating high, broad-based and sustainable agricultural growth by catalyzing improvements to the productivity and competiveness of the sector through increased and effective application of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI). FARA executes its mission by performing the following functions within the context of supporting the implementation of the Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa: (i) advocacy for increased application of STI in agriculture which is a necessary condition for achieving national and continental agricultural development goals; (ii) strengthening the human, institutional and systemic capacities for agricultural innovation; (iii) facilitating the exchange of information and knowledge in STI for agriculture; and (iv) facilitating partnerships among research, innovation and agribusiness actors within Africa as well as between Africa and external regional or national entities.
The roles served by FARA are such that their successful execution is heavily dependent on the effectiveness of the communication function.
FARA has a vacancy for the position of Communications Specialist at its headquarters in Accra, Ghana. The successful candidate will be in charge of ensuring smooth and effective implementation of the Strategic Communication plan of the Institution.
Reporting to the Knowledge Management and Outreach Officer the successful candidate shall inter-alia perform the following roles and responsibilities:
Implement the current communications strategy in line with the new institutional strategy and operational plan;
Ensure FARA’s visibility
Issue weekly post on FARA’s activities
Oversee the implementation of, or conduct directly the following:
Develop an annual communications plan, work plan and budget;
Design and/or manage the creation of innovative communications initiatives that contribute to enhancing FARA visibility and stature with key target audiences;
Coordinate and supervise communication activities including digital and print media relations, social media platforms, audiovisual productions, outreach and promotion, corporate web presence, publishing, library and knowledge services; (FARA periodicals, e-newsletters, videos, infographics, news releases, media kits, media briefings, social media activities; corporate publications, impact stories; websites where appropriate);
Build strong professional relations in communication with FARA’s partners;
Ensure public relations and media relations activities which contribute to FARA visibility with identified target audiences;
Monitor and ensure the full application of the current FARA brand identity in all communications products, initiatives and projects;
Organize promotional events or side-events (including exhibitions, stands, displays) where they contribute to the effective delivery of key FARA messages and contribute demonstrably to FARA goals;
Develop and oversee the production of key FARA communications products, including the annual Corporate report;
Manage the implementation of a coherent social media strategy to match target audiences and FARA needs;
Develop a robust, analytical framework for evaluating social media and other FARA communications initiatives and channels;
Work with other colleagues to systematize access to FARA research publications;
Oversee communication and media relations for major conferences
Implement, in conjunction with other colleagues key recommendations of the FARA Communications Audit.
Required
The desired candidate for this position should be a qualified professional with strong skills and competences as described below:
Master’s degree in communication or Public relations or any other relevant field or equivalent experience;
At least five (5) years of working experience in the communication field. Experience/familiarity with FARA and/or with agricultural research will be an advantage; Preferably with scientific writing and editing experience
Proven experience in developing and implementing corporate communication strategies at national or sub-regional levels;
Experience in developing and implementing media, advocacy or marketing campaigns including the development of the relevant publicity materials;
Social media knowledge and skills, and the ability to manage website content;
Knowledge and experience in the use of data and analytics to evaluate communications performance
Excellent editing and graphics skills.
Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (fluency in French would be a valuable asset).
Demonstrated ability to leverage communication and marketing as critical instruments for achieving organization goals;
Ability to plan and execute a work program effectively and efficiently;
Strong mentoring abilities for working with other staff
The Candidate should have the following personality traits: outgoing and confident; speaks persuasively; strong teamwork and interpersonal skills with the ability to relate effectively to people at all levels; organized and able to meet tight deadlines; persistent, objective and innovative.
Compensation
FARA offers competitive salary and benefits in accordance with position and scale.
Location
The position is based at the FARA secretariat in Accra, Ghana
Applications
Qualified candidates are invited to submit via email comprehensive Curriculum Vitae together with a cover letter and names/contact details of three referees to Dr Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director, FARA, PMB CT 173, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana. Email:[email protected]. Applications will be assessed against the required skills, experience and aptitudes set out above. Applications will be accepted up to 5th February 2021
Due to the anticipated high volume of applicants, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
FARA Affirmative Action Statement on Employment: there is no discrimination on the basis of gender race, religion, ethnic orientation, disability or health status.
NB: Please quote in your application the reference code of the vacancy for which you are applying.
