About FEWSNET:
USAID’s Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is a leading global provider of objective, evidence-based food security information and analysis. FEWS NET collaborates with international, regional and national partners to provide timely and rigorous early warning and analysis of potential, emerging, and/or evolving food security issues in order to inform decisions and guide response. Chemonics International Inc., based in Washington, DC, has been contracted by USAID to manage FEWS NET technical and field activities. In an effort to understand current and to foresee future market anomalies, the FEWS NET project relies on a broadly defined Markets and Trade Knowledge Base, which includes market context documents (Market Fundamentals Reports), special reports, and databases of historical market information (including production, food balance sheets, and prices). The Markets and Trade Knowledge Base largely serve as baselines, against which to assess the existence and extent of market-based anomalies that could contribute to food insecurity. Most recently, FEWS NET has been tasked with also providing USAID with market response decision support, including but not limited to assessing the impact of potential food assistance programs on a given country’s local economy. Over the remainder of the current contract, FEWS NET III plans to produce Market Fundamentals Reports for up to 10 countries, globally.
Job Summary: The Agricultural Economist (Consultant) will be tasked with finalizing a field assessment agenda, methodological approach, and assessment tools; acquiring knowledge of past and current conditions in the focus country relevant for food aid programming; reviewing any market assessments in the focus country conducted in the past five to ten years; compiling data on food aid deliveries; and reviewing and carrying out markets assessments.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Keen review existing guidance and methodologies used to assess market structure, conduct, and performance.
Regularly review and analyze all existing secondary data (including price data, agricultural production and trade statistics, and other market data) and reports (including existing market studies) on selected commodity markets and country (or countries) of interest.
Carry out in-depth meetings with key informants about the current state of the commodity markets of interest. This will include but will not be limited to facilitating 2-3 day workshops with groups of key informants of specific geographic or thematic expertise related to the commodity markets of interest to USAID.
Compile available data on any food aid deliveries in the past five years.
Assure that local consultants obtain relevant data (including price data, agricultural production and trade statistics, and other market data) and reports (including existing market studies) from government and non-government offices for use in research by the team in a timely fashion.
Identify remaining information gaps and develop field assessment plan to fill those gaps through interviews with key informants and focus groups.
Draft sections of the Market Fundamentals report, with guidance from the Home Office Technical team.
Provide general support to the team to ensure the successful completion of the Market Fundamentals and market response analysis reports. This may involve making phone calls to set up interviews, data entry, as well as other forms of ad hoc logistics and technical support over the duration of the contract.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
The applicants should hold at least a Master’s Degree in Economics or a closely related field and should possess extensive experience in agricultural market analysis and/or food security analysis.
The applicants should have prior experience in the implementation or research of local and regional procurement, cash, and voucher programming is highly desirable. (USAID Food for Peace, USDA, WFP, etc.)
Previous experience conducting external evaluations of food assistance programs is highly desirable.
Significant experience with major donor organizations or research institutions involved in food assistance or food security analysis (e.g., USAID, USDA, WFP, IFPRI, universities) is highly preferred.
Prior exposure and experience facilitating technical workshops and/or focus group interviews.
Proficiency in the assessment focus country official language and English is required.
Demonstrated ability to work with international and multidisciplinary team members with minimal supervision.
Past professional experience in the assessment focus country is highly desirable.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send their updated CVs and cover letter in English to: UgandaEMAConsultants@gmail.com. Please note the position title in the subject line (Ex. “Logistics Assessment Specialist Market Analysis Consultant”).
Deadline: 6th March, 2016