In a bid to reinforce the African Union’s comprehensive commitment to agricultural development in Africa, the first-ever meeting since the formation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Communication and Knowledge Management Thematic Working Group took place at the Movenpick Hotel, Nairobi, from 3-4 August.
Some Participants at the AU CAADP KM & Comms Workshop
The main objective of the meeting was to propel the CAADP agenda forward through meticulous communication, advocacy, and knowledge management. The meeting also aimed to assess the strides made, design a concrete work plan, and establish a coordinated mechanism to bolster CAADP and forge a coordination blueprint for the CAADP Communication group following recommendations from Yaounde’s engagement, from 1-5 August 2022.
The desired outcomes of this coordination meeting were manifold, from highlighting the progress made in communication, knowledge management and advocacy at all levels to defining coordination tools for the CAADP Communication group. This will help improve awareness of the CAADP Malabo declaration, and support the implementation of the CAADP Business Plan 2022-2025 and the Jointly developed CAADP work plan.
Ms Panduleni Elago – Senior CAADP Advisor – African Union Commission
The meeting was officially opened by Ms Panduleni Elago, the CAADP Advisor, who emphasized the African Union’s anticipation towards the thematic working group to expedite the AU agenda. “The AU looks forward to the Key Performance Indicators that will emerge from this group that will address the knowledge and information gap in the Biannual Review Process,”.
Ms Peace Mutuwa the Communication and Knowledge Management expert, echoing the sentiments of the African Union Commission (AUC), emphasized how pivotal this group would be in propelling the AU’s goals forward. “As we commence this mammoth task, we need to develop Terms of Reference (TORs) that will govern our modus operandi. We should also not forget the critical role of the media in disseminating information to the communities on the CAADP process.
A palpable sense of duty settled in the room as the discussions pivoted to the 4th Biannual Review (4BR) of the CAADP. Two decades after the inception of Malabo, a gap remains; farmers are still in the dark about its potential. The need of the hour is curating content specifically tailored for small-scale farmers, ensuring it’s digestible and beneficial.
The African Union envisions this esteemed assembly to be the foundation of a robust CAADP Communication strategy. Policy LINK, a global Feed the Future program to advance leadership and collaboration for better policy systems implemented by DAI and working with the AUC, voiced the importance of technical and financial backing. They stressed, “It’s time we lay down tangible recommendations, lighting our path forward.”
CCARDESA, through its Information, Communication, and Knowledge Management Officer, Mrs Bridget Kakuwa-Kasongamulilo, joined the chorus, recognizing the CAADP as Africa’s agricultural cornerstone, she urged the assembly to prioritize the seven commitments, though it demands perseverance.
Mr Benjamin Abugri, FARA’s Knowledge Management and Communication Cluster Lead, urged the Working Group to be forward-thinking in using existing knowledge services and tools such as the FARA Africa Community (Dgroups) to discuss BR processes as they also act as interactive tools that allow information exchange and knowledge co-creation.
The meeting’s purpose shone clear: addressing the gaping communication void, ensuring synchronization with technical processes, advocating for CAADP, and strategizing its communication. The dialogue flowed, touching upon the support communications provided to the Biannual Review reporting and the Malabo. The ensemble also considered the potential of leveraging annual events like the CAADP Meetings, the AASW, the KM4AgD Conference, the Fertiliser Summit, and others, ensuring these platforms spread the right message.
Delving deep into recommendations from the Critical BR Analysis Report, the group proposed developing a protocol for the Biannual Review mechanism and a review of the toolkit for communication and knowledge management.
In attendance were participants from AUC, AUDA-NEPAD, AU-IASPC, RECs, Policy Link, FAO, ILRI, TASAI, CCARDESA, FARA, AU-IBAR, and other esteemed organizations. With two days of productive discourse, this meeting in Nairobi, from 3-4 August 2023, was not just a gathering, but a revolution in the making.
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]
Consultancy to Support Inclusive Capacity Development, Business Incubation along Country Priority Value Chains for Smallholders & Other stakeholders
Name of Project:
European Union (EU) Funded – OACP (FARA, ASARECA and EAFF)
Activity Ref No:
AIRTEA Project/ Activity 3.1 / 2021
Procurement Ref:
FARA/OACP/CS/IC/2021/01
Date:
Thursday, May 27, 2021
The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) together with the Sub-regional agricultural Research Organizations (SROs) offer a strategic platform that fosters continental and global networking to strengthen the innovation capacities of Africa’s agricultural research system. With its mandate from the AUC to serve as its technical arm on agricultural research and development (AR&D), FARA in collaboration with ASARECA and EAFF have secured resources from the European Union (EU) under the Organization for Africa Caribbean and Pacific (OACP) to Strengthen Agricultural Knowledge & Innovation Ecosystem for Inclusive Rural Transformation & Livelihoods in Eastern Africa.
The overall aim of this assignment is to carry out a capacity needs assessment for women and youth in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, as well as identifying major axes for investment.
This request for expression of interest aims at engaging a consultant to help identify priority value chains, key stakeholders, and conduct capacity gap assessment, in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
As part of the responsibility, the Consultant will work with the FARA Agribusiness Expert, in collaboration with ASARECA and EAFF to carry out the following functions:
Contribute to the development of an instrument for the identification and validation of stakeholders and priority value chains within the scope of the project.
Undertake a scoping exercise in the Eastern Africa sub-region, to
Identify priority value chains and key stakeholders (guided by the national agricultural plan)
Identify capacity gaps for women and youth in agribusiness.
Harmonize and recommend available materials for addressing the capacity gaps.
Review and analyze country agribusiness frameworks and action plans.
Develop a framework for establishing linkages and agribusiness alliances for increasing profitability and employment opportunities for women and youth in Eastern Africa.
Facilitate a virtual workshop with key partners on reviewing the framework and development of a guideline to establish an agribusiness learning alliance, with its supporting documents.
The detailed terms of reference are in the link 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 proposed methodologies, references related to the execution of similar contracts, experience in similar areas or evidence of knowledge and a proposed timeline. Brochures, CV’s, 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. This is expected to be fully completed by October 2021.
The individual consultant shall be selected based on procedures defined in the Procurement Guidelines of FARA.
Interested consultants may obtain further information from FARA’s Agribusiness Expert, Karen Munoko [[email protected]] and copy the Procurement Expert, Mr Callistus Achaab [[email protected]], during the following hours: 9h00 to 15h00 GMT.
Expressions of Interest should be submitted electronically to [email protected] and addressed to Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo, Executive Director of FARA, No 9 Flower Avenue, New Achimota, Mile 7, Accra, Ghana, no later than Thursday, 10th June 2021, 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.
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.
H.E. Josepha Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner of the African Union Commission’s Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture has called on Africa’s development partners to allocate at least 10% of the resources committed to fighting the COVID-19 Pandemic to supporting agricultural research institutions in Africa.
The Commissioner made the call on Wednesday 20th May, during the first regional and continental eForum hosted by the implementing institutions of the European Union funded CAADP XP4 programme which is administered by the IFAD; on the contribution of agricultural research and innovation in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 in Africa.
“…to our member states and development partners, I’d like to call for the allocation of at least 10% of the emergency financial resources being mobilized for COVID-19 to support science, technology and innovation in Africa”, says Her Excellency Josepha Sacko.
Clarion Call for Home-grown Science
While lauding the prompt action of FARA and its partners for the sense of urgency in initiating a homegrown response to the pandemic, Her Excellency Madam Sacko pointed to the fact that COVID-19 is rapidly exacerbating the already existing food safety and nutrition crisis on the continent. She indicated that the room for maneuver for Africa in the face of COVID-19 is getting smaller by the day and any further delays could pose real and existential threats to the continent’s rural economy and food and agriculture system.
“We need to be careful not to move from a health crisis to a food crisis as a result of the worsening trend of COVID-19”. She indicated that this calls for an enhanced role agricultural research in the face of the pandemic, saying, “therefore, the next best time to invest in Africa’s food system is now”
Stating the need for urgent boosting of Africa’s science and research infrastructure, the Commissioner renewed the clarion call for governments to meeting the 10% investment target in the agricultural sector as defined by the Malabo Declaration, and 1% to agriculture research in particular.
The webinar which is the first in the series, is based on the response to COVID-19 by the implementing partners of the CAADP XP4 programme namely, AFAAS, ASARECA, CCARDESA, CORAF and FARA. It was attended by more than 200 hundred participants drawn from research, academia, NGOs, farmer organizations,
The CAADP XP4 COVID-19 Response Issue Paper identified three critical intervention areas namely technologies for fast-tracking mitigation of food shortages and extending storability, strengthening of food supply systems, trade and labour markets and foresighting vulnerabilities in Africa’s food system.
