Business Advisor – Lobby and Advocacy Expert at Agriterra: (Deadline 11 November 2022)

Business Advisor – Lobby and Advocacy Expert at Agriterra: (Deadline 11 November 2022)

For inspiring and creative professionals with a passion for cooperatives focused on impact

Agriterra is an international agri-agency and believes that inclusive economic growth and rural transformation in developing countries is shaped by strong farmers’ organisations and cooperatives. Our mission is to strengthen farmers’ organisations and cooperatives to create long lasting socio-economic impact in rural areas of developing countries, given the importance of effectively organized farmers to sustainably address food security, economic development, resilience to climate change and climate mitigation.

We were founded 25 years ago by Dutch farmers’ organisations and have over the years evolved into an organisation partnering with and supporting farmers’ cooperatives and organisations worldwide. Agriterra assists them with advice, trainings and exchanges and we apply a three-track approach: we make cooperatives bankable and create real farmer-led companies, we improve extension services to farmer members, and we enhance farmer-government dialogues. Our advisory practice covers the full range of services on Management & Organisation, Financial Management, Governance, Business Development and Lobby & Advocacy.

Agriterra is organized with a head office in Arnhem, the Netherlands, and has a network of country offices spread over Africa and Asia, employing approximately 170 staff members. We are financed and work via donor granted projects and programs. These long-lasting strategic partnerships with a variety of donors are key for us in our day-today work. For more information, visit our website www.agriterra.org.

For our activities in Rwanda, we are recruiting a:

Business Advisor – Lobby and Advocacy expert (m/f)

Location: Kigali

As a Business Advisor with as specialization Lobby and Advocacy, you will lead the lobby and advocacy agenda of Agriterra’s Rwanda team. Agriterra intends to enhance farmer-government dialogues to create a more conducive environment for rural transformation and economic development of smallholder farmers.

Agriterra has ambitious targets related to Lobby and Advocacy in its Farmer Focused Transformation programme, which is financed by the Directorate-General for International Cooperation. As Lobby and Advocacy expert, you will lead the development of a lobby and advocacy plan for the country, in alignment with the regional strategic plan and in collaboration with relevant colleagues. You will form a national lobby and advocacy core team, make an inventory of on-going activities and initiate a scan of possible topics to be included in the plan. After developing the plan, you will identify the lobby and advocacy trajectories with the highest potential to focus on and make concrete trajectories for the selected topics. The implementation of the trajectories will be a joint effort between selected farmers’ organisations being in the driver seat, you (the lobby and advocacy expert), Agriterra business advisors and the liaison officer of the team based in The Netherlands. For the implementation of the trajectories, you are expected to do desk and field research, write policy papers, organize workshops, trainings and consultation meetings, advise farmers’ organisations, inspire partners, collaborate with colleagues and consultants and liaise with decision makers.

As Lobby and Advocacy expert you will ensure that the set targets for relevant policy notes to be developed will be achieved, and that the impact of the realized policy changes is measurable. Agriterra expects you to lead the lobby and advocacy agenda of the country team by continuously aiming for tangible results for smallholder farmers. You will have a specific target in terms of policy notes to be written in collaboration with farmers’ organisations, which you are expected to achieve.

In order to achieve the objectives, you will utilize your existing network of cooperatives and farmers’ organisations, government institutions, NGO’s, donor organisations, financial institutions, service providers and other stakeholders in the three countries.

Duties

• Lead the lobby and advocacy agenda of the country team
• Develop a lobby and advocacy plan for the country
• Co-develop concrete policy papers with farmers’ organisations
• Form a national lobby and advocacy core team and collaborate within the region
• Make an inventory of on-going activities
• Initiate a scan of possible topics
• Identify trajectories with the highest potential
• Collaborate within a team of lobby and advocacy focal points, business advisors and the liaison officer
• Ensure with close monitoring, advice and practical assistance the implementation of the defined lobby and advocacy trajectories by the partner organisations and the national agriterra business advisors
• Organize workshops, trainings and consultation meetings
• Do desk and field research
• Ensure results in terms of policy changes and donor proposals are achieved and registered
• Develop and manage a network of relevant stakeholders for the lobby trajectories in Rwanda

Profile

• Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Political Science, or a similar field.
• Proven experience in policy development/policy influencing in the agriculture sector (3-5 years)
• Hands-on attitude, able to deliver high quality policy papers in fluent English/French
• Outstanding writing abilities
• Strong networking, communication and presentation skills, including the use of internet, social media and relevant ICT platforms
• Experience in working with farmers’ organizations and authorities
• Knowledge of the policy environment of the agricultural sector of at least one of the 3 countries of the region.
• Enthusiastic, focused on results and services
• Takes initiative and communicates pro-actively
• Team player

What we have to offer 

We offer a challenging position which requires you to show initiative and use your skills to facilitate farmer-led policy influencing in the agricultural sector. At Agriterra, the work environment is collegial and ambitious, and the focus is on achieving results with our partners. Agriterra is offering a full-time position for a period of one year, with the intention of extending the contract. The working conditions and additional benefits are good.

Are you interested?

Are you interested in this position, and do you fit the profile?
Apply before 11 November 2022, with a cover letter and curriculum vitae, by sending an e-mail to vacancy@agriterra.org, for the attention of J. Spikker, Regional Manager African Great Lakes Region.

Agriterra Rwanda
KG 622 Street,
Fairview building, 3rd floor (1st wing)
PO Box 971

At Agriterra we make value chains work for organized farmers!