International Technical Assistant (ITA) (Senior Engineer of the PSU)

Organizational Setting:  ROOTS Project

The Government of The Gambia and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) prepared the ROOTS (Resilience of  Organizations for Transformative Smallholder Agriculture) project.  The project will be funded by IFAD, GoTG and development partners  and will be implemented over a period of 6 years, from 2020 to 2026.  The main components of ROOTS are: Component 1 (Agricultural productivity and adaptation to changes climatic); Component 2  (Market access); and Component 3 (institutional development, project  management and citizen engagement).

Objectives of ITA’s Assignment: For the efficient delivery of project outputs, quality infrastructure development and capacity building, an ITA (Senior Engineer) will be recruited. The ITA will be a core PSU staff and reports to the Project Director. S/he will work in close collaboration with the Leader of Project Component 1 and the Ministry of Agriculture —MoA. The ITA will give technical advices to the Project Director and the Project Steering Committee (PSC). 

This is necessary to ensure that the project is delivered on time and reported to the required quality standards in line with the design specifications and international good practices. The aim is, therefore, to provide expertise hands-on support and showcase best practices and experiences to ensure that proper quality management and reporting system are in place to ensure proper progression on works and infrastructure throughout the project processing cycle and mentor the MoFWR-based National Technical Assistant (NTA).

Institutional Arrangement: With its office in the PSU, the ITA will work closely with the Project Director and leader of component 1 to enhance quality management (i.e. quality enhancement during FS&DD upstream-work, quality control during implementation) of the Sustainable Land and Water Development subcomponent under the Agriculture Productivity and Adaptation to Climate Change component of ROOTS. Specifically, the ITA will provide international best practice advice to the Project Director and Component Head. S/he will support the Project Director in overseeing the third-party delegated contract management (DCM- see separate ToRs) public entity (that will support to project in the quality management of all contracts). The technical support the ITA will provide to the project will also include similar assistance to market infrastructure development activities under the Inclusive Commercial Partnerships and Value-Addition component (component 2). In addition, the ITA will assist the PSU (i.e. Project Director and M&E officer), the MoA and other key stakeholders to play their respective roles effectively/efficiently.

Scope of the Assignment  : The specific role covers providing technical advice and guidance in the implementation of the Sustainable Land and Water Development subcomponent of ROOTS, covering critical like intervention site identification, participatory consultations/citizen engagement, FS&DD quality enhancement and product delivery through quality control, timescale planning process management, monitoring/reporting, communication as well as containing and managing risks.

The responsibilities of the ITA will include but not limited to the following:

• • Assist the Project Director in the overall planning, review, site identification and FS&DD. This includes providing technical supervision, overseeing and routine monitoring of the works of the DCM public entity;

• • Provide technical advices on project management planning and perform AWPB as it relates land and infrastructure development;

• • Oversee the quality management strategy thereby engaging with the DCM starting from the onset (site identification) and project completion and commissioning including providing hands-on support on enhanced quality standards, quality management procedures, quality assurance controls and reporting as desired;

• • Provide support for the proper development of a typical irrigated garden design/guideline;

• • Systematically provide proper reporting templates of interventions, including providing advice on the timely/appropriate and adjustable configuration of management strategy for land and infrastructure development activities as well as control mechanisms for ensuring project deliverables from these activities;

• • Provide advice on managing scope issues, reviewing project related changes escalated to the Project Sponsors including situation assessment, analysis and recommendation as required to ensure successful implementation of land and infrastructure development works;

• • Advise on risk management strategy including risk identification, assessment, controls and mitigation;

• • Undertake periodic monitoring and review of the project progress reports on the relevant subcomponent and activities, intervention site identification and FS&DD status for each site, scope and timing, identifying potential gaps and overruns and suggesting solutions;

• • Make sure that the status of FS&DD or ongoing construction in any region is instantaneously updated by working with the regions and providing support for overseeing the DCM and the project-wide instituted project status tracking and database update system;

• • In collaboration with the Project Director, oversee the DCM to ensure that problems are identified, reviewed and addressed before escalation. This includes providing related updates to the Project Director.

• • Advice and alert the alert the Project Director on issues such as conflicts on the delivery of the project works and provide technical advices in resolving them;

• • Confirm that project activities on infrastructure and works are in compliance with agreed work plan and budget, procedures and standards;

• • In collaboration with the technical team of subcomponent 2 under component 1, reconfirm the appropriateness of selected intervention sites (through deskwork and field visits) and provide independent opinion about ongoing and completed sites;

• • Provide technical and strategic guidance to ensure that the sustainability of completed sites are ensured through pre-informed, clear and agreed upon responsibility of operating and maintaining (O&M) them. This requires, among others, ensuring that the mechanism for generating resources for O&M and future replacement is instituted and responsible entities for O&M are consultatively identified with the required guarantee secured before the intervention starts.

• • Support the Project Director in the follow up of action plans agreed with IFAD’s implementation support missions from-time-to-time;

• • Shall from-time-to-time, organize capacity building trainings in related technical areas to assist the MoA and MoFWR staff in fostering the smooth execution of the relevant activities; and

• Assist the Project Director in any other ROOTS related matters/activities linked to his/her areas of specialization as deemed necessary.

Deliverables: The ITA will provide support to ensure that all the engineering aspects of ROOTS are duly guided and tailored for a successful project execution to meet international standards throughout the project processing cycle. Deliverables for this assignment include, but not limited, to submitting three hard copies and a soft copy of the monthly Technical Reports and quarterly Progress Reports of her/his activities to the Project Director. The Quarterly Reports would detail summary of milestones within the quarter, challenges and recommendation for way forward. However, a final report will be submitted by the ETA at the end of each milestone: 

DELIVERABLES	TIME
Inception Report	Within two weeks of contract signature
Monthly Technical Reports	Within First week of the next month
Quarterly Progress Reports , Progress Reports ,	Within the first week of a new quarter
Yearly Report	One week to the end of each year
End of contract	One month before end contract

Aside from the monthly and quarterly reports, ad hoc papers will be produced from-time- to-time on demand for the Project Director. This will include:

• • Ensure that effective/efficient system of processing all planning and implementation reports with clear submission deadlines are instituted by overseeing the DCM;

• • List of sites reviewed and technically cleared for upgrading/rehabilitation and those identified for new development;

• • Consultancy reports reviewed and technically cleared including findings and recommendations become readily handy;

• • Train the MoA staff to effectively/efficiently play their role in the project and undertake their professional role within the ministry;

• • Timely on the spot technical advice to contractors/consultants through the DCM during joint field visits;

• • Conduct a situational analysis of the project/contract management status and highlight areas of improvement to the DCM;

• • Ensure that consolidated and verified roster of site intervention report categorized by status are developed and communicated by the DCM (for example, classified by: site identification, feasibility studies, detailed design, under review, approved, contract, supervision and competition) by intervention typology and resources level;

• • Assist the Project Director in facilitating the Project Steering Committee (PSC) meetings;

• Ensure that all technical documents are organized and archived under appropriate category to warrant ease of accessibility as appropriate.

Profile/Professional Requirements.

The prospective professional is expected to have:

• • A minimum of Master’s degree in Irrigation Engineering, Soil and Water Resources Management with and other related fields and having a strong practical hand-on experience in irrigating development in western Africa, preferably in the Gambia;

• • At least 15-20 years’ experience in irrigation engineering projects FS&DD and contract management, ideally with accreditation;

• • Experience of managing/dealing with public service giving organizations;

• • Proven experience in strategic planning;

• • Demonstrable experience and good understanding of issues and engineering best practices and projects development in irrigated agriculture. This include new development and consolidation/rehabilitation of such irrigation typologies as tidal irrigation (rice) and community gardens (vegetables) as well as development of valley bottom cascade and micro-catchment wet-season water control structures for rice cultivation.

• • Experience in project risk assessment and mitigation;

• • Demonstrable experience of advising on matters relating to complex project development and quality management to technical service providers and senior management as appropriate;

• • The ability to motivate and engage with project stakeholders and user contactors;

• • Effective written and verbal communication skills;

• • Proven time management skills (incl. prioritization to ensure project goals are met);

• Knowledge of financial management systems experience in IFAD project would be an added advantage.

Remuneration, Reporting and Timing/duration: The remuneration of the ITA will be in line with what is obtainable internationally for such position and as agreed by both parties. The ITA will report to the ROOTS Director. Its activities shall commence immediately when he/she is duly engaged to perform functions as earlier highlighted and on the basis of specific project needs and requirements. The ITA is expected to work for a cumulative period of four years, subject to review and renewal for each period after successful completion of assignment during the period.

Resource Contribution: PSU will provide a vehicle, office space, and access to computer network, internet and telephone as well as use of conference room and related expenses as required. This includes paying travel/per diem expenses of counterpart staff in case of field activities.

Special provisions:

• • Qualified female applicants are encouraged to apply.

• • People with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

• • All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

• Only applications received through the provided link will be considered

Closing date: All the application should be submitted by 12/08/2022

Special provisions:

• • Qualified female applicants are encouraged to apply.

• • People with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

• • All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

• Only applications received through the provided link will be considered