International Consultant – Senior Consultant to conduct a macroeconomic analysis of the impacts of Covid-19 and the Ukrainian crisis on the agriculture sector in Rwanda; Kigali (SRO-EA) at UNECA – United Nations Economic Commission for Africa: (Deadline 19 July 2022)

Work LocationKigali, Rwanda

The project is primarily home-based. The consultant is expected to be present in Kigali to present preliminary findings to UNECA and MINAGRI.

Expected durationThe selected Consultant will be recruited for a period of two (2) months or 60 working days from the start of contract.

S/he will be paid the Consultancy Service Fees in three (3) payment trenches as follows:
o 30% of total Consultancy Service Fees upon submission of the inception report and approval of dataset of required indicators report, within 2 weeks from the date of consultancy service contract;
o 30% of total Consultancy Service Fees upon submission and approval of draft Draft report summarizing key findings, within 1.5 months from the date of consultancy service contract; and
o 40% of total Consultancy Service Fees upon the submission of Final study report within 2 months from the date of consultancy service contract.

Duties and ResponsibilitiesBackground

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic and its containment measures, and the Ukraine crisis created great uncertainties globally. The Government of Rwanda put in place necessary but stringent measures to prevent the rapid spread of the virus, measures which unavoidably had a negative impact on the economy and on business. Despite the rise in importance of the service sector, Rwanda’s economy is still quite heavily dependent on agriculture, which contributes 26% of the GDP and employs 65% of the labor force (according to NISR). The lockdown resulted in limited access to business sites and services, post-harvest losses, reduced demand for labor, social insecurity, disrupted business planning, and lack of financial means.

Against this background, Rwanda’s agrarian sector is of special interest due to: (1) the sector’s weight in the economy; (2) the possible asymmetric impact of coronavirus-related measures, due to a tighter nexus of farmer activities to seasons; and (3) the impact of border closures and the related slowdown of freight on agricultural inputs and trade.

While other entities have evaluated the pandemic’s impact on the global agriculture sector, and UNDP and the EABC have briefly touched upon the challenges that Rwanda’s agricultural sector faces following the pandemic, there is a need to understand in greater detail, the modalities which have influenced the performance and socio-economic contribution of the sector. This study is intended to assess the macroeconomic impact of Covid-19 and the Ukraine crisis on Rwanda’s agriculture sector to better provide policy recommendations.

Objective of the Study

Based on a request of the Government of Rwanda, the main objective of this study is to analyze the macroeconomic impact of Covid-19 and the Ukrainian crisis on Rwanda’s agricultural sector, and its implications on future strategic policy for the sector.

Duties and Responsibilities

This consultancy is in the sub-regional Office for Eastern Africa (SRO-EA) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and is under the direct supervision of the Program Manager.

The aim of the consultancy is to evaluate the impact of the pandemic and the Ukraine crisis on Rwanda’s agriculture sector.

The consultant will :
1. Conduct a literature review on the impact of the Covid 19 and the Ukrainian crisis on the global and regional (Eastern Africa) food market, assessing changes on food prices, consumption patterns and supply chains, etc.
2. Conduct:
(i) a comparison of Rwanda’s food balance sheet between the years prior to the pandemic to now
(ii) an overview of the baseline situation of Rwanda’s agricultural sector prior to the pandemic (average of years 2017 to 2019)
3. Identify:
(i) the specific crops most affected by Covid-19
(ii) the areas of activity in agriculture most affected by Covid-19 (production, local supply, exports, distribution etc), and
(iii) the regions/provinces whose agrarian activities (production and sales) were most affected by Covid-19
4. Establish the reasons behind the different changes noted across the agricultural sector
5. Assess the overall impact of Covid-19 and the Ukraine crisis on Rwanda’s socio-economic landscape
6. Draw policy propositions to build a more robust agricultural sector.

Note: The Consultant will need to clearly demarcate between impact resulting from seasonal changes to effects of Covid 19 and the Ukrainian crisis.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic Qualifications: An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Agriculture economics, Agribusiness, Economics, Development Economics, or related fields is required. A bachelor’s degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree. PhD is preferred.

Experience: A minimum of seven (7) in the macroeconomic research field or related area, with a strong understanding of the Rwandan agriculture sector is required.

Also, the consultant should have:
– Extensive experience in Agriculture in Rwanda or comparable economies and contexts in Africa;
– Strong understanding of the local/regional / international context of the agriculture sector as well as regulatory frameworks;
– Strong background in practical economic and financial analysis of agriculture sector;
– Track record in conducting similar assignments in developing countries;
– Knowledge and understanding of public policy design;
– Good communication, facilitation skills and ability to use participatory approach to collect and make use of the most relevant inputs from stakeholders
– Excellent writing and reporting skills
– Ability to work independently, proactively and with little supervision.

Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in English is required.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.