US/TCN PSC, Agricultural Development Specialist, GS-13 - Madagascar

The United States Government, represented by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is seeking offers from qualified persons to provide personal services under contract, in Madagascar, as described in this solicitation.

The Agricultural Development Specialist position is located in the Mission’s Sustainable Environment and Economic Development Office (SEED). SEED Office oversees all development assistance in the environment sector, which includes support for community-based natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, counter-wildlife trafficking, conservation-friendly enterprise development, climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts, and improved natural resources governance. The office also covers the economic growth sector, energy and Power Africa, trade and the Prosper Africa Initiative, Private Sector Engagement (PSE) and market system approaches that can be applied successfully in the Madagascar context. In addition, SEED provides services to ensure effective environmental compliance and climate risk management (EC/CRM) of the Mission’s entire portfolio of development programming, including the provision of relevant and required training for staff and implementing partners, assuring quality control for EC/CRM documentation, and providing expert advice to activity managers through document reviews and site visits. To implement its work, SEED has a staff of seven US and Malagasy staff overseeing the procurement and management of more than $45 million five-year conservation and development program as well as Mission compliance with Agency-mandated EC/CRM requirements.

The Agricultural Development Specialist provides technical support for natural resources management and private sector engagement in the agriculture sector and assists the Integrated Development and Emergency Assistance (IDEA) office on agricultural development and food security issues in regards to Humanitarian Assistance. The incumbent manages a staff of 1-2 people and may serve from time to time as Acting SEED Office Chief when that officer is absent. S/he manages one and/or two activities of the SEED portfolio.  S/he engages with host government officials and other partners working with donor institutions, private sector actors, and NGO organizations to advance Mission programming in the areas of conservation friendly agriculture and environmentally-sound development. S/he provides expert advice on agriculture market systems, conservation-enterprise and value chain development, and linkages between food security, sustainable agricultural development, and natural resource management interventions. The position includes leadership responsibilities, in terms of providing strategic vision for the office, enhancing team cohesion, and coordinating the work of other professional staff.

The overall responsibilities of the Agricultural Development Specialist are to provide technical expertise and professional guidance to USAID/Madagascar and the U.S. Mission as a whole in the broad area of environmentally-sustainable agricultural development. The incumbent requires a depth of technical expertise and program management skills that will allow him/her to provide leadership on these and other policy issues, meeting and collaborating on a regular basis with senior officials and partners working with USAID and Embassy Antananarivo, other donor organizations, USAID contractor and grantee organizations, professional organizations, Government of Madagascar (GOM), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations, and the private sector. His/her management decisions require the ability to identify, assess, understand, and systematize complex issues as they relate to Madagascar’s broader economic, political, and cultural realities that can lead to important changes or adaptations in relevant national policies.

S/he serves as the Mission’s chief technical expert and resource person on sustainable agricultural production systems. S/he represents USAID in donor groups where s/he is responsible for ensuring the coordination of USG and other donor policies and investments and coordinates closely with the USAID/Southern Africa Regional Mission, USAID/Kenya and East Africa Regional Mission, and USAID/Washington.