Lead Agricultural Engineer (Mechanization Expert)- Retainer

Background Information - Ghana Multi Country Office (GMCO)

GMCO is responsible for managing strategic and operational risks associated with a subset of the regional portfolio of engagements, developing and delivering cost effective services contributing to partners’ sustainable results and achievements of UNOPS management results.

• Liaise and develop engagements, and deliver services responding to partner needs.
• Leverage advice and integrate delivery modalities of the three Delivery Practices and the Global Partner Service Office.
• Maintain appropriate arrangements and capacity for direct transactional support for delivery of the sub-regional portfolio.

Small-holder farmers dominate the Ghanaian rice production system. In fact, it is estimated that small scale rice production account for nearly 72% of the total volume produced in the country.  Given this situation, the strategy of the Government of Ghana is to reduce rice importation by 30% within the next three years and boost domestic rice production. In line with its objectives of reducing the importation of rice, Ghana needs to increase domestic production of milled rice from 442,000 MT to 600,000 MT between 2018 and 2020 to meet its target of 30% import substitution. 

Despite its efforts and objectives, the Government is far from achieving its national rice self-sufficiency agenda due to several key constraints, including: 

1. Farming systems are heavily reliant on rain-fed agriculture. Only 16% of the area planted with rice is irrigated. 
2. Low use of productivity-enhancing inputs. The adoption of improved seeds is estimated to be 16%, fertilizer use at 18 kg/ha versus the target of 50 kg/ha. This problem is exacerbated by limited supply of suitable and locally adapted fertilizer blends and weak extension services caused by inefficiencies and inadequate number of extension workers. This low adoption of improved inputs and good agronomic practices have resulted in high yield gaps: maize: 2 MT/ha (36%); rainfed rice: 2.2 MT/ha (30%); Cassava: 14 MT /ha (22%); and soybean: 1.2-1.7 MT/ha (21%) 
3. Low use of mechanization and poor water management leading to low performance particularly in the rice sub-sector; 
4. Lack of adequate storage capacities that contribute to additional high post-harvest losses 
5. Limited access to finance in the agricultural sector (8% of total lending) due to high cost of borrowing and few agriculture focused financial products, as well as unfavourable risk assessments; 
6. The access to markets of the locally produced rice, remains uncertain and is challenged by the importation of Asian rice, highly subsidized both at production and export. 

Moreover, poor linkages between farmers, seed producers, fertilizer dealers, millers and providers of financial and mechanization services negatively affect the adoption of improved technologies and practices among rice value chain actors. This project will strengthen upstream and downstream linkage.  

On the basis of the justification above, KOICA and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture have embarked on a joint project to implement a rice value chain development systems in the central region.  

The Project to Improve Rice Value Chain in the Central Region of Ghana (PIRVC) was signed in August 2019 and will focus on four (4) intervention pillars: 

1. Increased productivity and quality of paddy rice based on the development of sustainable and competitive rice production systems; 
2. Increased efficiency of local rice sourcing, processing and marketing through structured value chain linkages, improved technology and process management 
3. Improved access to finance (incl. financial services) along the value chain 
4. Enabling environment at national and district level including policy framework and strengthening of rice sector initiatives. 

As part of the overall project, UNOPS has been engaged by KOICA to provide implementation support for:

1. The development of agricultural infrastructure
2. Procurement of non-agricultural equipment and
3. Procurement of agricultural equipment

Scope of the Assignment

Within the context of the procurement of the agricultural equipment component of the project, and subsequent projects in the agricultural sector, UNOPS seeks to engage an Agricultural Expert to join the team.  The contribution of the Agricultural Expert is essential to the quality management strategy of the project. 

This assignment is scheduled for 3 months on a full time basis. Any subsequent extension will be a retainer contract (the consultant will only work when and as required)

S/he will undertake the following activities:

●        Carry out market research through strategic consultations and market research to identify machinery suppliers, including collecting field data on agricultural machinery inputs along the rice value chain by way of spot and routine checks to determine the field capacities of supplies and after sale services such as spare parts to be provided to sustain project to destinations of end-users;

●        Carry out market research on the availability of machinery maintenance suppliers to support the project’s sustainability management strategy;

●        Support the implementation of the sustainable procurement and gender mainstreaming strategies;

●        Collect and analyze the data on agricultural production levels at targeted farmer groups regarding farm sizes in the country and determine need, adequacy, adoptability, profitability and efficiency;

●        Actively contribute to the development of the project’s Quality Management Plan and facilitate its implementation throughout the project cycle;

●        Consider all protocols from the Agricultural Mechanization Policy and others that can be useful to this agricultural mechanization intervention to look at linkages and how these complement or strengthen each other;

●        Actively take part in the Technical Working Groups of the project on behalf of UNOPS;

●        Advise the project manager and other project partners on the technical considerations of agricultural machinery;

●        Develop detailed specifications for the value chain machinery listed for rice production and processing with regards to productivity and environmentally soundness;

●        Provide technical advice to the partners (and TWG) on machinery characteristics and specifications as required;

●        Provide technical advise on the training needs for equipment operations and maintenance;

●        Present briefs on the developed draft specification to limited stakeholders;

●        Participate in all evaluation bidding processes and provide technical evaluation reports;

●        Contribute to monthly highlights reporting and quarterly end stage reports as required;

●        Take part in receiving, inspection and handover of equipment to partners;

●        Perform other related duties as may be required to complete the consultancy project.

Deliverables

●        Detailed Technical Specifications of Agricultural Machineries to be procured on the project;

●        Technical Evaluation Reports during evaluations

●        Receiving and Inspection Reports (RIR) signed and

●        Handover vouchers accepted by clients

• Master's Degree in Agricultural Machinery Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Agriculture Development or a related field is required.

• Bachelor’s degree with 7 years of relevant professional experience will be accepted.  

• A Professional Diploma in relevant discipline with relevant combination of academic credentials and/or industry certifications and qualifying experience of 9 years may be accepted in lieu of the university education.

• At least 5 years of relevant post qualification working experience in agriculture development environment is required;
• Demonstrated experience developing technical specifications for agricultural machinery is required;

• Experience in providing technical assistance to institutions in the area of Agricultural Mechanization is highly desirable;

• Experience working with and training farmers and artisans machinery operation for agricultural productivity or a related field is an advantage;

• Experience with UN Agencies is desirable.

• Fluency in written and oral English is required.

• PRINCE2® Foundation is an asset
• PRINCE2® Practitioner is an asset.

Contextual Skills

Interpersonal skills

Effective communication to non-technical audiences

Market research

Analytical skills

Technical Specifications

Follows guidelines and adjusts approach to requirements

Applies evidence based methods

Problem solving and dispute resolution

Capacity building and training

Transparency and objectivity

Mechanically inclined

Agricultural Technology

Project Management Skills

Budget Management

Effective planning

Time management

Team-player

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Accra is a Family Duty Station.
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Africa Region

AFR helps ensure that projects are executed to the highest standards, providing a shared knowledge base and ensuring that best practices and lessons learned are disseminated between projects across the entire region.