Agribusiness Officer at Adam Smith International

Programme Background

The Malawi Value Chains (MVC) Project, implemented by Adam Smith International (ASI), is one of three components of the Malawi Trade and Investment Programme (MTIP), a five-year FCDO-funded initiative which aims to break Malawi’s cycle of low growth through driving exports. The overall objective for MVC is to increase the productivity, quality, production, performance, and exports of macadamia and mango as well as mining products. Clusters of medium/large enterprises with high growth potential are purposively targeted, and specific initiatives aim to be innovative and disruptive and based on what is achievable within the political context, and what will have the greatest impact. Other complementary MTIP activities/components focus on increasing access to patient capital and cutting the time and costs of trade and logistics (Trademark Africa).

 

The MVC Approach

During MVC’s inception phase, a long list of agricultural value-chains was reviewed, screened and narrowed down for their potential to generate $10m+ of additional exports per year, with macadamia, mango and mining selected for the implementation phase.

MVC facilitates engagement and dialogues between stakeholders of the selected value chains that defines priorities and develops action plans to deliver commercially driven initiatives that stakeholders want to implement to improve firm-level and overall value chain performance, notably on volumes, productivity, quality, value addition, and market penetration.

The approach uses systemic thinking to address supply, demand and eco-system weakness and opportunities. It addresses rules set and implemented by government and its agencies that constrain production and export growth. It is politically astute and adaptive to navigate through and around blockages to achieve its aims. MVC addresses the effective use of research, learning and communication to support change.

 

Team Structure

MVC has three output teams each of which are tasked with a set of results:

• The Agribusiness & Competitiveness (AC) team engages with agribusinesses, particularly estates and mid-sized (commercial) farms (MSFs) to support demand-led initiatives that improve productivity, quality, production and exports;
• The Rules & Enabling Environment (REE) team engages with private and public sectors to facilitate discussions and improvements in the rules, regulations and processes that underpin how the value chains and markets operate and are constrained by; and
• The Research, Learning & Communication (RLC) team works with the MVC teams and other MTIP components, FCDO and relevant research bodies to undertake research to generate learning around trade, investment, productivity/quality and export markets.

 

In addition to the above teams, MVC is supported by:

• A Gender Equality & Social Inclusion (GESI) team that ensures robust GESI mainstreaming across MVC’s portfolio of initiatives.
• An internal Results Management (RM) function that helps the team to measure results and to help the teams to use results to adapt initiatives.
• A Finance & Operations (FinOps) team that manages the finance, operational matters, logistics and value for money.
• The Team Leader leads the MVC team, working closely with the Programme Manager, Technical Director, and Project Director, who together constitute the Senior Management Team.
• The MVC team is supported by specialist short term technical experts through ASI partners Agri-Frontier and Delphy and from MVC’s wider pool of experts. MVC closely co-ordinates with TradeMark Africa, which is co-located at our offices in Area 15, Lilongwe.

A key mechanism for MVC is the use of dialogue processes for value-chain actors, including private and public stakeholders, to discuss priorities, resolve issues and set actions that the value-chain players will then implement and monitor. MVC will facilitate the development of flexible value chain strategies that are adjusted to changes in the wider market and operating environments.

For each reporting year (April-March), the team prepares an Annual Business Plan setting out the planned initiatives, along with budgets and supporting workplans. The implementation of the plans is monitored and reviewed so that these are adapted where the facts on the ground support a change during the year.

 

Scope of Work

General

The Agribusiness Officer will support the AC Lead to deliver the AC strategy and workplan and ensure that the targets and deliverables are met and, wherever possible, exceeded. The primary role of the Agribusiness Officer is to coordinate all the support to MSFs and SHFs including trainings, communicating agronomic practices along the mango and macadamia agricultural calendar, and targeted support to MSFs/SHFs to implement the initiatives on their farms.

This role is critical for the successful delivery and rollout of the technical programme of the MVC project. The Agribusiness Officer will form a crucial link between the project’s advice to farmers and the implementation on their farms. They will support our project partners to successfully improve productivity and quality for both on farm interactions and remotely through social media and networks developed by the project. This will amplify the voice have the project reaching more people. The role is outcome-orientated and requires the ability to prioritise, persuade and guide farmers into implementing best practise. The Agribusiness Officer will report to the AC Lead.

 

Key roles and responsibilities:

• Support the AC team in implementing the Agribusiness Competitiveness workplans on time and to a high standard, including appropriate following through to results and timely progress review and reporting.
• Support estates, MSFs, SHF organisations and supporting private sector players to implement MVC supported initiatives aimed at increasing production, enhancing quality, improving processing and increasing the volume and value of exports.
• Provide ad hoc online technical advice to MSFs and SHFs organisation.
• Plan and coordinate the delivery of agronomic messages and agronomic trainings   aligned with the agricultural calendar through nontraditional means such as WhatsApp groups, Website and Group trainings.
• Plan and coordinate implementation of events, such as field days, training sessions, and stakeholder engagements for industry players.
• Monitor the implementation of initiatives and propose adaptations in a timely manner.
• Develop and manage strong and effective relationships with estates, MSFs, SHF organisations and supporting private sector players to facilitate support and appropriate action for the target value chains.
• Regularly update the MVC database and directory.
• Enable the MVC team to identify, capture and disseminate learning from their activities.
• Any other duties as assigned by the AC Lead or Team Leader.

 

Communications

Communications and learning are key to programme delivery, so the Agribusiness Officer is expected to:

• Support and periodically lead effective communications with external parties such as MSFs and SHF organisations to ensure that these parties are aware of information that is relevant to their own activities and influences these in a positive way.
• Support effective intra-AC team communications to ensure that all team members are aware of information that could impact on their work areas.
• Support coordination between the REE, RLC, RM and Operations/Programme teams and ensure that relevant information is communicated timely and effectively. 

Timing and Duration

The position is intended to continue through MVC’s implementation period (until end March 2028). The Agribusiness Officer will be engaged for an initial term beginning as soon as possible through 31st March 2025, with extensions based on performance.

Requirements

Minimum

• Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Agriculture, Agribusiness Management or any other related field
• At least 5 years’ experience in a decision-making role related to commercial agronomy/agricultural operations
• Strong knowledge and demonstrated skill in the design of agribusiness initiatives that support improvements in productivity, quality, production, exports, and markets
• A high degree of motivation, energy, willingness to work with a wide range of partners and ability to work collaboratively and efficiently in a team to deliver initiative workplans on time and to a high standard
• Outcome-orientated and demonstratable capacity to understand commercial imperatives
• Willingness to learn and adapt from results
• High quality written and oral communications skills for internal and external audiences
• Well-organised working practices and methods

 

Preferred

• Experience in macadamia and or mango value chains
• Experience in irrigation
• Experience in managing and growing networks through leveraging social media group on WhatsApp