Terms of Reference – Mining Adviser at Adam Smith International

Scope of Work

The Mining Adviser has overall responsibility for supporting the successful delivery of MVC’s mining activities and

deliverables. The primary role of the Mining Adviser is to support the Team Leader in the delivery of MVC’s mining

strategy and workplan through providing high-quality technical inputs that ensure that the project targets and

deliverables are met.

The Mining Adviser reports to the Team Leader and collaborates with Agribusiness & Competitiveness (AC), Rules &

Enabling Environment (REE), Research, Learning & Communication (RLC), Result Management (RM) and Finance and

Operations (FinOps) teams.

Approach

The Mining Adviser will be expected to:

1. Follow a problem-driven methodology with an emphasis on identifying, and addressing key issues, problems

and opportunities for developing the mining sector in a pragmatic, adaptive and evidence informed manner; and

2. Adopt a facilitation role working in close collaboration with the government/public sector, private sector,

development partners and other mining stakeholders to enable them to make appropriate changes in the rules

and enabling environment and to invest.

Key Tasks

The Mining Adviser will support the Team Leader to:

1. Update and implement the mining workplan, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery;

2. Provide expert advice and inputs on the mining sector for effective programming, coordination and facilitation;

3. Undertake appropriate research and analysis to support delivery of the MVC programme;

4. Engage with relevant stakeholders to support improved coordinated development of Malawi’s nascent mining

sector;

5. Support facilitation of dialogues that result in realistic strategies and action plans;

6. Support resolution of divergent views in a constructive and practical manner;

7. Represent MVC at key fora and events;

8. Manage the delivery of support to mining action plans, including use of short-term technical assistance (STTA);

9. Manage spending following programme procedures within overall limits;

10. Ensure that mining results inform programme activity to deliver more impact;

11. Be effective in team working and coordination, engaging in and contributing to team meetings, reports and
activities; and
12. Identify keys risks to delivery on strategy and develop mitigating actions for effective implementation of activities.
Stakeholder Engagement
The Mining Adviser supports the Team Leader to:
1. Develop and manage strong and effective relationships with key stakeholders at senior level across private
sector, Government of Malawi, Development Partners and non-government organisations/bodies (NGOs) to
facilitate support and appropriate action for the mining sector;
2. Support the Team Leader in their engagement with FCDO in-country, to develop positive relationships;
3. Identify and manage political economy issues that can support or undermine progress in the mining sector and the programme more widely.

Reporting
The Mining Adviser supports the Team Leader to:
1. Participate in team progress reviews and strategy sessions and provide written inputs to monthly, quarterly and
annual reports as required;
2. Manage the development of the mining team’s workplans;
3. Support the development of the mining strategy and action plans;
4. Prepare and deliver presentations to key stakeholders to report on progress;
5. Contribute to key reports prepared by the team on finance, VfM, learning and impact assessment; and
6. Ensure all reports and presentations prepared by the mining team are to a high standard of clarity, accuracy,
and presentation.
Knowledge Management
There is a strict requirement to ensure that copies of all working documents, drafts, data sets, models, reports, etc. are
placed promptly on MVC’s Microsoft Teams folder in an editable format.
Results Management
Result Management is integral to the delivery of an effective programme. The Mining Adviser supports the Team Leader
to:
1. Ensure that RM is integrated into the design and implementation of the mining workstream;
2. Monitor the mining component’s performance against the Logframe ensuring it is up to date and that action is
taken if performance is or may fall short or the levels required; and
3. Adopt and promote a culture of adaptive learning so as to improve results.
Communications
Communications and learning are key to programme delivery. The Mining Adviser supports the Team Leader to:
1. Ensure effective communications within the Mining Team so that team members are aware of information that
could impact on their work areas;
2. Ensure that communications with AC, REE, RLC, RM and FinOps teams are good and that relevant information
is communicated timely and effectively; and
3. Ensure that communication with relevant external parties is good so that these parties are aware of information
that is relevant to their own activities and influences these in a positive way.

Job requirements