FARMER-TO-FARMER PROGRAM
STATEMENT OF WORK: Market Research Expert
Position: Pro Bono Expert Advisor
Reports to: IESC Program Manager
Location: Egypt
Level of Effort: 16 days
Proposed Start Date: January 23, 2015
GENERAL OBJECTIVE:
About the International Executive Service Corps (IESC)
Throughout
its fifty-year history, the International Executive Service Corps
(IESC) has stayed faithful to our mission of linking stability and
prosperity to private enterprise. We have brought practical,
cutting-edge production and marketing expertise to small entrepreneurial
clothing and consumer product firms, developed merchandising strategies
for start-up consumer product firms in Former Soviet Union countries,
helped private enterprises integrate new technologies and helped
commodity suppliers in Africa reach international markets they never
expected to access. We have set up stock markets in emerging countries
and helped arrange investment capital opportunities for non-U.S.
businesses venturing into new areas of opportunity.
IESC is a
non-for-profit organization and, at its core, IESC is volunteer-centered
organization. Our history began with the idea of deploying senior U.S.
executives to situations where their decades of practical, hands-on
operational expertise would work to complement the local expertise and
experience of in-country managers.
FARMER-TO-FARMER PROGRAM BACKGROUND:
The
Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) Program is designed to enhance agricultural
competitiveness in the MENA region and to ensure reliable and consistent
national food supplies. To help improve agricultural competiveness in
the MENA region, the F2F Program seeks to increase access to rural
finance by:
1) enhancing access to finance for infrastructure upgrades essential to improve quality assurance; and
2) supporting financial institutions to better serve farm enterprises that seek to implement quality assurance protocols.
DETAILED RESPONSIBILITIES:
The
objective
of this assignment is conduct market research activities that will
inform the formulation of a tailored lending programs for livestock
producers in Egypt. The host organizations for this assignment will
beFirst Micro Finance Foundation (FMFF) of Agha Khan Foundation and
Alexandria Businessmen Association (ABA). The pro-bono expert will
travel to Alexandria, Behira, and Aswan to conduct the market survey on
behalf of the two host organizations.
Background:
Livestock
production is a key agricultural industry in Egypt. The host
organizations (FMFF and ABA) have concluded that formulating and setting
up a tailored lending program for livestock producers in Aswan
governorate holds great potential for livestock producers in the region
and they are keen to respond with a viable financial product for this
market.
The volunteer will complete the following activities in-country:
-
Attend assignment briefing meetings at the F2F Program office in 6 October city;
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Meet with reps for ABA & FMFF;
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Visit livestock producers in Alexandria, Behira and Aswan and other value chain actors;
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Create an individual questionnaire and data collection worksheet,
covering the needs and current situation of the livestock producers and
other participants in the value chain;
-
Train ABA and FMFF staff on how to tabulate the data;
-
Test the questionnaires out with additional livestock producers;
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Present and discuss research findings with reps for ABA& FMFF;
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Attend a debriefing session with F2F Country Director and staff
members to report feedback and discuss the suggested follow-up plans on
the recommendations, as well as capture impact;
-
Submit a final report summarizing observations, findings and recommendations.
The volunteer is encouraged to bring any media or training
materials such as manuals, journals, literature, video tapes, DVDs or
CD-ROMs that will serve as good resource materials for training and for
the library of the host organizations and the Farmer to Farmer program.
Deliverables:
Project final report, submitted to the F2F Program that includes
research findings, general observations and recommendations for the
establishment of lending programs for targeted livestock producers per
each host. A simple research plan along with questionnaires and data
tabulation worksheets should also be included.
QUALIFICATIONS:
-
U.S. Citizen or U.S. permanent resident (as required by the Farmer to Farmer Program).
-
A minimum of 15 years of experience in Microfinance with an emphasis in Agricultural Lending
-
Regional experience in MENA highly desired
-
Background in livestock activities especially dairy farming is a plus.
-
Writing Skills: Reporting requires good computer skills including,
but not limited to, working and generating reports with MS Word.
Experience with graphic design and/or creating PowerPoint presentations
is desirable.
-
This is a United States government funded program. Therefore, for
the purpose of achieving desired results in accordance with the work
plan and submitting requisite reports, written and spoken fluency in
English is required. Ability to work through translators in the field,
however, is essential. This requires deliberation and sensitivity to
cultural issues in communication.
-
Arabic and/or French language skills a plus, but not required.
PRO BONO EXPERT SUPPORT:
IESC provides
comprehensive support to pro bono experts before, during, and after the
anticipated assignment. Support to include:
-
All travel and logistics arrangements and costs to be provided by
IESC including airfare, visas, medical examination, medevac and
emergency travel insurance, and transit expenses;
-
Project management and oversight from the country office and the home office in Washington, DC;
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All accommodation, transport, meals, and incidental expenses throughout the duration of the assignment in country;
-
Translation and communications support;
-
Follow up and administrative support for the production and
dissemination of the final report and deliverables for the project.
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