Koh e Baba Consultancy Services (KCS) is an Afghan registered consultancy provider of consulting, Agriculture development, engineering, and technical services within Afghanistan. Our reputation rests on the technical expertise and dedication of our employees—our team working together across disciplines and time zones to provide smart, sustainable solutions for challenging projects. We are proud to be home to leading technical experts in water, agriculture, environment, infrastructure, facilities, resource management, energy, and international development. KCS combines the resources of a global, multinational company with over 30+years of international development experience, we offer competitive compensation and benefits and are searching for innovative people to join our teams.

Background:

DAI Global, LLC (DAI) is implementing a new USAID-funded agriculture program which aims to reinvigorate agricultural livelihoods and catalyze private sector engagement to address food insecurity, income gaps, target populations’ empowerment, and communities’ resilience to climate change. The activity actively facilitates implementation with and through local systems actors (such as anchor firms, business development and advisory service (BDAS) providers, education and financial institutions, and local communities). This approach centers on a competitive, performance-based Partnership Facility (PF) to design interventions incorporating local Afghan knowledge, engaging target populations, and leveraging resources to ensure local ownership and sustainability. Utilizing performance-based grants, DAI will partner with stakeholders to achieve the below three objectives.

Using a private sector-led, market systems development (MSD) approach, the activity is aimed at driving local system actor behavior change. In doing so, the activity endeavors to meaningfully improve Afghan lives and agriculture sector performance through the following objectives: 

Objective 1: Food Security Improved Through Increased and Inclusive Resilience, Productivity, Diversification, and Stability of Agricultural Value Chains;

Objective 2: Enhanced Communities’ Resilience to Climate Change-Induced Shocks, Specifically Water Stress; and

Objective 3: Target Population Economic Empowerment Strengthened.

As lead Technical Partner, Prime Consulting International Ltd will be providing input and team members to assist with the implementation of Obejectives 1 and 2 working in partnership to achieve whole of project goals.

Role’s Purpose:

The Objective 1  Deputy Lead: Food Security & Agriculture Value Chains will be responsible for supporting the Objective 1 Lead in leading the implementation of project’s efforts to improve food security through increased and inclusive resilience, productivity, diversification, and stability of agricultural value chains (Objective 1). With support from the Value Chain Director, alongside the Objective 1 Lead they will work with and through local private sector anchor firms and coordinate with key partners.

Objectives and Duties

The duties of the position are to assist and support the Objective 1 Lead to undertake the following activities:

• Promote and lead the project’s aims to:
  • Improve access to and utilization of improved inputs and services.
  • Increase the adoption of production-enhancing technologies and enhance farmers’ technical capacity.
  • Improve harvesting of high-value crops through cultivation and agricultural best practices, reduce post-harvest losses, and support processing.
  • Strengthen commercial linkages within value chains.
• Work with the project Grants Team to complete necessary partnership documents and conduct periodic visits to the project partner businesses for a better implementation of project activities.
• Work closely with agribusiness and producers to improve product quality and increase their awareness about the importance of food safety and related measures and regulations.
• Utilizing professional subject matter expertise, develop curricula related to the agricultural technical content and training methods for the anchor firms and other firms in the value chain.
• Provide technical assistance to anchor firms, women-owned agribusinesses, and farmers throughout the country to improve production, processing techniques, extension approaches, and the linkages between producers and traders to supply marker-oriented products.
• Identify constraints, challenges and opportunities along the value chain related to input supply or marketing and offer recommendations for improvement, including training. Recommend topics for STTA participation in the project.
• Work closely with agribusiness and producers to improve product quality and increase their awareness about the importance of food safety and related measures and regulations.  
• Implement facilitative activities to establish relationships with various firms within the value chain.
• Assist regional field staff in providing technical information to firms in the value chain.
• Supervise and assess progress on targets to meet program objectives and provide content for weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reports.
• Support the implementation of the Partnership Fund, serve on Grants Review and Award committees, works with the Grants Team to monitor progress and milestones.
• Draft updates, reports, and other communications documents related to the Objective.
• Serve as a key subject matter expert for all activities/areas under the Objective.

• Act as the Objective 1 Lead in their absence.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Skills and Experience

• Three years of experience working on donor-funded projects in a related role, with supervisory and project management experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated technical experience in a relevant technical area (food security, agriculture value chains, community resilience, climate-change adaptation, women’s economic empowerment) is required.
• Experience working on programs that support gender equality and equity, food security value chains.
• Experience leading and managing the technical aspects of USAID projects, including a demonstrated understanding of applicable value chains-related experience.
• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement and collaboration with public and private sector actors in Afghanistan.
• Ability to effectively work with a variety of different counterparts.
• Proven analytical and persuasive skills with an ability to work under pressure.
• Proficiency in using Microsoft Suite (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Word) computer software.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to engage with a wide range of organizations, beneficiaries, and related parties.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information responsibly and ethically.
• Ability and flexibility to travel to the regions.

• Fluency in Dari, Pashto, and Fluent English is required, including demonstrated report writing skills in English.

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree in international relations, communications, public administration, economics, or other relevant field is required.

Applicants meeting the above criteria are requested to submit their CV to Jobs@kohebaba.net no later than November 15, 2024

Please write the Job Title or the Vacancy Number (KCS-0126) as the Subject of your e-mail when applying, otherwise your application will not be considered. Your CV should include clearly your total years of work experiences.

No supporting documents (e.g. diplomas, recommendation letters, identification card(s) etc.) are required at this stage.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further assessment.

Your CV should have at list three references from former employer to make able us to contact for further information, please provide the bellow information for your references.    

Name, Designation, Organization, Contact Information – Address; Phone; Email; etc.