Introduction and Context

The African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) is a specialized technical office of the Department Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) of the African Union Commission (AUC). The vision of AU-IBAR is: “An Africa in which animal resources contribute significantly to integration, prosperity and peace”. Its Mission is: to provide leadership and integrated support services for the development of animal resources in Africa.

AU-IBAR’s mandate is to support and coordinate the sustainable development and utilization of animal resources (livestock, fisheries and wildlife) to enhance nutrition and food security and contribute to the wellbeing and prosperity of the people in the Member States of the AU. AU-IBAR is the main vehicle for the AU to develop appropriate and independent expertise to support and coordinate the sustainable development and utilization of animal resources to enhance food and nutrition security and contribute to the wellbeing and prosperity of the people in the AU Member States. Under this mandate, AU-IBAR is implementing the Africa Pastoral Markets Development (APMD) Platform, a 4-year pan-African initiative for investment/market-enabled, adaptive transformation for pastoralism.  AU-IBAR recognizes that pastoralists are critical for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa as:

• Pastoralists account for 2 – 7% of national GDP and contribute 60 - 80% of meat across Africa (up to 50% of meat exports in many geographies)
• Demand for meat and milk in SSA expected to increase by more than 250% by 2050
• Pastoralists provide valuable ecosystem services, using indigenous climate adaptive practices on marginal lands, sequestering carbon, and managing water in ASAL regions
• Despite potential benefits, pastoral programs have focused on humanitarian activities instead of integrating pastoralists with livestock markets

However, pastoralists are severely marginalized and disproportionately impacted by climate change. Historic investments, though significant, have had limited impact. Given the increasing demand for livestock products, pressure on natural resources, and climate shocks, AU-IBAR is committed to promoting the adoption of a long-term systems lens and coordinated actions within and across countries and sectors/stakeholders to tailor approaches to pastoral communities and archetypes.

With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (B&MGF), AU-IBAR is hosting and operationalizing the APMD Platform, a 4-year continental initiative, which will build on prior programs and strengthen the pastoral sector enabling environment to:

• Integrate pastoralists with livestock markets, create positive cycles for investment in the value chain, strengthen business continuity, and provide more affordable livestock-sourced products for more consumers.
• Unlock the full potential of up to USD Three Billion of planned pastoral investments over the next 3-5 years
• Strengthen best practice & knowledge sharing for promoting pastoralists’ integration into livestock markets; and
• Identify potential areas to shift long-term funding and investments for better outcomes for pastoralists.

The APMD Platform will strategically influence, promote and provide visibility of market-focused interventions to enhance pastoral integration into livestock markets, among key stakeholders. The platform will achieve that by convening and coordinated actions through multi-stakeholder fora designed to implement priority actions under the three pillars below:

• Strengthening the pastoralists integration in livestock marketing,
• Policy strengthening and strategic implementation, and
• Strengthening and diffusing functional data ecosystems

Objective

For the implementation of this project, AU-IBAR seeks the services of a “Pillar-Lead Pastoral Private-Sector Market-Integration Consultant”, to lead the implementation of APMD Platform activities focused on “strengthening the pastoral private sector integration into the livestock markets across Africa, and globally”.

Under the direct supervision of the APMD Platform Coordinator at AU-IBAR, the Pillar Lead will oversee the design and implementation of activities aimed at fostering partnerships and collaborations to enhance pastoral integration in livestock markets across Africa and beyond.

Tasks

The Pillar Lead – Pastoral Private Sector Market Integration Consultant will be expected to:

• Facilitate the integration of pastoralists into formal livestock markets (local/export)
• Promote stakeholder engagement, coordination and capacity building
• Promote value addition across pastoral livestock supply chain
• Promote enhanced investments in pastoral livestock sector
• Support project implementation, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, project resource management, documentation and information sharing

The key responsibilities of the Consultant will include the following:

Project implementation and management

• Lead the pastoral sector landscape, profiling and market analyses to identify priority private sector partners, investment and marketing opportunities in target geographies / countries
• Lead the development and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive strategy for pastoral and private sector engagement, and strengthening their integration in the livestock markets
• Coordinate the National Market Integration Pillar groups activities.
• Support the development and management of a database on pastoral marketing-chain.
• Design and lead the implementation of initiatives aimed at promoting the integration of pastoral private sector into the livestock markets.
• Explore and advocate for the use of innovative technologies and digital solutions to enhance market access and integration for pastoralists.
• Contribute to Platform governance and management as a member of the Platform Management Committee (PMC)

Stakeholder engagement, coordination and capacity building

• Facilitate coordination among various pastoral market stakeholders, including pastoralists (producers), private sector entities, pastoral associations, collective initiatives; NGOs and government agencies; RECs, international partners and development agencies, to ensure seamless operations of the platform.
• Engage in advocacy and communication activities to raise awareness of the importance of pastoral integration into livestock markets.
• Facilitate public-private dialogues and develop collaborative business-opportunity proposals for mutually beneficial partnerships and collaborations
• Provide technical assistance on sustainable and inclusive business models for pastoral livestock sub-sector.
• Identify capacity building needs and programs for pastoralists, private sector entities, and other stakeholders to enhance their understanding and engagement in the market integration process, and partnership development.

Monitoring and evaluation, and reporting on project implementation

• Contribute to the development and operation of a robust M&E frameworks to track progress, measure impact, and identify areas for improvement in market integration initiatives.
• Contribute to documentation and information sharing
• Perform any other duties as requested by the Project Coordinator and the Director of AU-IBAR

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

• Comprehensive Action Plan for the Private-Sector-Integration pillar.
• An In-depth analysis of the pastoral and livestock market, identifying opportunities for market integration and potential private sector partnership, in the target countries/geographies.
• Private sector mapping and profiling for pastoral investment and marketing in targeted geographies / countries
• Comprehensive strategy for strengthening pastoralist integration into livestock markets.
• Mechanism for marketing and investment data collection, analysis, and dissemination
• Periodical progress reports (technical and financial) on project status, implementation, achievements vs. milestone, and challenges/risks.
• Materials for showcasing the private sector investment and engagement in pastoral livestock markets (investment case studies and success stories, successful business model, etc.).
• Documented capacity building need analysis; and training programs and materials for the sector stakeholders in the targeted geographies.

Duty Station

The Expert will be stationed in the AU-IBAR offices in Nairobi, Kenya with travel on specific assignments agreed with the AU-IBAR Management

Duration

The duration of this assignment is 6 months. The contract may be renewed subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

Remuneration

The remuneration for this Consultancy shall be an all-inclusive monthly fee equivalent to P2 Step 5 on the AUC Salary Scale i.e. US$ 5,303 – US$ 6,550.00.
The expert will be responsible for his/her medical and travel insurance cover for the duration of the consultancy. Expenses for travel on official missions will be covered separately by AU-IBAR in accordance with the applicable African Union Commission rules and regulations.

Supervision and Reporting

The candidate will be under the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator and under the overall supervision of the Director of AU-IBAR.

Requirements

Academic and Professional qualifications

• Minimum qualification shall be Bachelor’s degree in livestock production, agribusiness, agriculture / livestock economics, or a related field that provides a strong foundation in pastoral market dynamics, and promoting private sector integration.
• Post graduate degree, in similar fields will be considered as an advantage.
• Certifications in project management applications, such as PMP (Project Management Professional) or PRINCE2 (Projects IN Controlled Environments) will be considered as an additional asset, reflecting a standardized knowledge of project management practices.

General Experience

• Demonstrable experience of a minimum five (5) years in managing / implementing projects, with diverse team, preferably in the development sector or related fields, at national, regional or multi-country levels;
• Strong writing, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to engage effectively with various stakeholders;
• Ability to work in a diverse / multicultural environment.
• Understanding of, and sensitivity to the cultural and socio-economic contexts, ideally in pastoral communities in Africa.
• Ability to adapt strategies and approaches in dynamic and sometimes challenging environments, ensuring project resilience and success.

Specific Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in implementing and managing development projects, with a strong emphasis on market development, agricultural projects, or related sectors.
• Experience in pastoral or agricultural markets in the African context would be particularly valuable.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive work experience in the pastoral and/or livestock sector
• Demonstrated experience in pastoral / livestock sector, with a strong understanding of pastoral and/or livestock marketing, sector actors, challenges, and opportunities
• Demonstrated experience in the development and implementing private sector engagement activities, ideally in the context of livestock markets
• Strong analytical skills to navigate complex market systems and identify investment opportunities for integration and growth (e.g., market research, predictive analysis; financial analysis, risk assessment, etc.).

Other Skills

• Ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and external counterparts is required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English is required. Proficiency in any other AU official language (Arabic, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese and Spanish) is desirable.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team
• Self-starter with the ability to strategically plan own work and follow-up on implementation
• Ability to complete assignments and tasks on time.

Gender Mainstreaming

The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Evaluation Criteria

The applications will be evaluated based on the relevant technical qualifications, experience and competence of the candidates.

Applicants who meet the technical requirements may be invited for an interview (virtual or in person as is appropriate).