Activity Design Senior Advisor Full Time NEW

About Us

International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI), a U.S. based international development consulting company established in 1987, has worked in over 100 countries and implemented over 300 projects. IBTCI serves government agencies, private sector companies, and several donor agencies. IBTCI specializes in monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) and institutional support across many areas and sectors including, but not limited to, conflict and crisis, democracy and governance, agriculture, economic growth, food security, education, environment, and global health.

Assignment Title: Activity Design Senior Advisor

Department/Location: Agriculture and Economic Growth (AEG)/ Mali

Technical Point of Contact: Africa RISSA Project Manager

Type: Consultant

Classification: Consultancy

Category: Ongoing Project

Clearance Required: Facilities Access

Overview:

Across more than 50 years of partnership, USAID has contributed to major development gains that improve the lives of the Malian people. USAID has founded farmer cooperatives and improved irrigation methods to help the country meet its increasing food demands; established a community school system and interactive radio instruction to increase access to education, and expanded health services resulting in dramatic reductions in child mortality. USAID/Mali also address humanitarian needs of Malians both in Mali and in refugee camps in neighboring countries. USAID helps Malians secure a democratic, resilient and prosperous future by:

• Reinforcing the stabilization of conflict-affected areas
• Improving the adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities and households
• Advancing socio-economic well-being

USAID Mali Office of Agriculture and Economic Growth (AEG)

USAID/Mali AEG increases food security, agricultural productivity, and market systems. Our Feed the Future (FTF) program invests in value chains for cereals (millet, sorghum, rice, and maize), livestock (sheep, goats, and poultry), and horticulture which play vital roles in nutrition and household resilience. The program also highlights improved links between farming families and agricultural market actors, daily dietary diversity, and improved nutrition. We further seek to bolster the capacity of the agricultural private sector through improved access to credit, public private partnerships, and investments in productive uses of water, including small scale irrigation.

The backbone of USAID/Mali’s FTF programming consists of two agricultural production activities (Sene Yiriwa–in southern Mali and in the Delta zone) and market access activities (Sugu Yiriwa in the Southern and Delta zones). All four implementing mechanisms were designed together, coordinated closely, and are all scheduled to end in January 2026. However, these four activities are deeply integrated with AEG’s private sector, resilience, and WASH programming. We also collaborate with other sectors, such as with Health for the Multi-Sectoral Nutrition effort, with Education for Youth activities, with Democracy and Governance for water infrastructure management, and Humanitarian Assistance for resilience.

Therefore, in designing the next phase of our FTF programming, USAID/Mali seeks to go far beyond simply designing four “follow-on” activities–we want to leverage the substantial partnerships and learning that have taken place, and increasingly support identified priorities. For example, a recent cable on Mali’s GFSS policy priorities identified the following five areas of action: 1) Agricultural inputs and services, particularly fertilizer and seeds; 2) Nutrition; 3) Agricultural trade and access to international markets; 4) Enabling environment for private sector development; and 5) Resilience and risk management.

Further, AEG (and the Mission as a whole) has witnessed some highly promising successes in creatively engaging the private sector, particularly women and youth entrepreneurs. We recently issued a direct award to a LOCAL Malian private company to strengthen Mali’s mango value chain through product diversification and reduction of post-harvest loss. Finally, the Mission has recently issued an Addendum to the Locally Led Development APS, which resulted in over 400 proposals. Accordingly, not only is USAID/Mali interested in considering activities for which a local partner is the prime awardee, we would also like to engage local voices in the FTF design process as much as possible.

Accordingly, for the next phase of GFSS, AEG plans to focus on the following priorities: 1) Engage with local small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly inclusion of women and youth entrepreneurs; 2) Refine and advance the value chain approach, including exploring new opportunities to develop value chains based on their potential; 3) Engage Malian universities for collaboration with U.S. universities; 4) Engage local stakeholders.

We envision that the STTA consultants will work partly remote and partly in Mali (as described above), with the expectation of approximately two months in Mali at the inception, two months remote, and the final two months in Mali. The two Senior Advisors would work in tandem to facilitate design and co-creation workshops or other consultative events. One of the Senior Advisors will serve as the “lead” advisor, with ultimate responsibility for all deliverables outlined below.

Responsibilities

The ultimate goal of this assignment is to design a new approximately $100 million AEG activity or set of activities (total amount TBD) called Feed the Future Mali Resilience and Agriculture Advancement, summarized as follows:

• Problem summary: The overarching problem to be addressed is recurrent shocks and stresses (limited rainfall, low soil fertility, floods, crop pests and diseases, price and market shocks, etc.) that compound rural poverty and set back progress in agriculture.
• Contribution to the CDCS: The activity will be designed to achieve resilience and food security goals set forth in the Mission’s CDCS all three Development Objectives (DO1-DO2-SpO), especially the Special Objective: “Improved outcomes across the humanitarian, peace, and development nexus to save lives and increase resiliency”.
• Preliminary Activity Goal: To increase individual, household, and communities’ resilience through strengthened, well-functioning and inclusive markets.
• Preliminary Activity Purpose: To establish and strengthen a sustainable, inclusive agricultural market system that is resilient to shocks and stresses.
• Preliminary Activity Objectives: 1) Increased agricultural productivity and production, including livestock and fisheries; 2) Increased market system efficiency; 3) Increased private sector investment and engagement across the market system; 4) Increased household and community ability to recover from shocks and stresses.
• Geographic Scope: Activities will be centered in the Mission’s Resilience Focus Zone (RFZ), and other areas in the southern region (e.g., Bougouni, Koutiala, Sikasso).
• Guiding Principles and Concepts: 1) Market-based solutions and support for market systems that would use business models and catalyze private investments and capital to solve development and humanitarian challenges more sustainably and at scale; 2) Localization, 3) Private sector engagement, emphasizing deliberate alignment with private sector and local actors; 4) Integration of nutrition; 5) Integration of climate change.

This assignment calls for orchestrating all the steps from developing a Project Development Document (PDD) to completion of a Global Acquisition and Assistance System (GLAAS) package–the final step for formally launching the procurement process and issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) and/or Request for Applications (RFA). In other words, this assignment calls for design all the way up to the point of procurement.

The work will be executed in four distinct phases (deliverables for each phase described below):

1. Launch of the design process
2. Field visit to some of USAID/FtF current sites, when possible, for opportunities assessment;
3. Intensive deliberations;
4. Document production, document reviews, revisions and Mission Director approvals.

All work will be done collaboratively with a core design team composed of technical specialists from the AEG office, OHA, Health, PDG, EDU, Sahel Regional Office, West Africa Regional and specialists from the Office of Acquisition and Assistance (OAA). By the end of the assignment, capacity in AEG for designing new agriculture activities will be strengthened through mentoring provided to AEG’s core design Team. All deliverables will be completed to Mission satisfaction by the end of the assignment.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES, include but are not limited to:

• Guide the overall design process to ensure that USAID/Mali’s new GFSS program continues to:
  • Bring innovative solutions that can effectively promote financial inclusion by expanding funding sources, harnessing opportunities from the diaspora and enhancing financial accessibility for agricultural MSMEs, particularly those with a focus on women and youth owned MSMEs and leveraging digital finance platforms;
  • Strengthen commercial agriculture and adjacent sectors resulting in increased productivity, jobs created, and improved business capacity of MSMEs in Mali; and
  • Ensure that USAID/Mali widens its range of partners to include stakeholders that have not previously been involved with GFSS activities and/or marginalized groups.
• EXTENSIVELY engage internal and external stakeholders to inform the GFSS design process.
• Collaborate with existing partners, such as the Africa Trade and Investment activity.
• Prepare and facilitate a multi-day design workshop
• Work with USAID/Mali’s OAA, PRM, and OFM to produce all design and procurement documents, such as Program Descriptions up to the point of solicitation of new awards.

NOTE: The consultant will not perform other inherently governmental functions or duties (e.g. will not serve as AOR/COR or supervise staff), but rather will advise, mentor, and facilitate as appropriate on the performance of inherently governmental functions on the part of the Office or Mission.

KEY DELIVERABLES

1. Launch of the Design Process
   1. Advise AEG on extended team composition to access the following skill set: Health/nutrition, Humanitarian Assistance, WASH, Irrigation, Impact Measurement (beginning of Month 1)
   2. Compile and distribute latest guidance from the ADS on Program Design (beginning of Month 1)
   3. Develop and keep current Design Milestones Plan (beginning of Month 1)
   4. Conceive and draft agenda for kick off meeting that featured major roles for: the AEG Officer Director to explain the vision for the Mission’s Development Objective Two and the SPO as expressed in the PDD; the Contracting officer to explain the role of the CO in the design process and procurement integrity; and Legal Advisor to further expound on procurement integrity. (beginning of Month 1)
   5. Set the agenda for weekly design team meetings and special meetings on punctual issues. (beginning of Month 1)
   6. Lead all design team meetings—for each meeting, prepare and distribute background materials based on the agenda. (depends on design team meeting schedule)
   7. Complete, seek approval of the Project Development Document. (end of Month 2)
2. Stakeholder Engagement
   1. Field visit to current FTF activities, where possible (TBD)
   2. Completed summary report of engagement with internal stakeholders, including but not limited to: USAID/Mali staff; Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security (REFS); the AFR Bureau EGEA Division; the Sahel Regional Office in Dakar; the West Africa Regional Mission; other USAID Missions engaged in similar resilience and food security activities. (end of Month 3)
   3. Completed summary report of engagement with external stakeholders, including but not limited to: local communities and institutions; civil society; private sector; key government of Mali Ministries (e.g., Agriculture, Environment, Livestock and Fisheries, Entrepreneurship, Commerce, etc.); other donors and NGOs; etc. (end of Month 3)
   4. For both b) and c), develop standard questions for each of the different stakeholder types (producer groups, private agribusinesses, women, government officials, academic officials). (end of Month 1)
   5. For both b) and c), lead daily wrap up meetings with team to synthesize findings from site visits and stakeholders’ consultations (compiled set of findings end of Month 2)
3. Guiding Deliberations
   1. Organize and facilitate sessions for design team to deepen understanding of the Statement of Objectives (SOO) or the traditional Statement of Work (SOW) assemble and disseminate models of recent SOOs or SOWs to foster understanding (beginning of Month 2)
   2. Facilitate up to seven individual sessions that articulate initial activity objectives and indicators / Facilitation of multi-day design workshop (end of Month 2)
   3. Completed summary report with recommendations (end of Month 3)
4. Document Production, Review and Approval
   1. Completed, approved, Project Development Document (PDD) (end of Month 2)
   2. Completed, approved Program Description / Scope of Work / Statement of Objectives (end of Month 4)
   3. Completed, approved GLAAS package, including Activity Approval Memo and supporting documents (middle of Month 5), including:
      1. Draft and finalized Grants Under Contract Memorandum (if we decided to use this mechanism)
      2. Draft and finalize Waiver of Source/Nationality
      3. Coach and Mentor AEG local staff to draft Source Selection Plan and Individual Acquisition Plan,
      4. Coach/mentor and advise AEG’s Design team to draft the Choice of Instrument Analysis
      5. Draft information memorandum to the Contracting Officer (with Tech Office solicitation instructions)
   4. Completed, approved solicitation documents (end of Month 5)
      1. Develop draft SOO, PD, or SOW and lead integration of inputs from USAID Mali technical offices, from the Bureau for Africa (AFR), the Bureau for Resilience Environment and Food Security (REFS) staff,
      2. Oversee modifications to the PD, SOO, or SOW to address questions emanating from the pre-solicitation,
      3. Complete all other solicitation documents.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

• Master’s degree in relevant field
• At least 10 years of experience in international development, at least 7 of which should be in agriculture, food security, Natural resource Management, private sector strengthening, program design and management, or other related fields.
• Demonstrated experience in partnership development, strategic planning, and securing partnerships with specific focus on engaging the private sector.
• Experience with a diverse set of partners, such as civil society, foundation, bilateral donors, and other partners (preferred).
• Experience working and collaborating with U.S. government agencies and private sector organizations, including officials with international organizations, foreign and domestic government officials, and development partners.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other offices within USAID/Washington and USAID Missions in Sub-Saharan Africa, other U.S. government officials, other donors, partner government representatives, and implementing partners.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks under tight timelines.
• Strong oral and written communication skills

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Past experience working for USAID is desirable.
• Past experience with project and activity design is desirable.
• Past experience organizing and facilitating group consultations and workshops is desirable.
• Past experience in developing USAID design and procurement packages is HIGHLY desirable.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Travel: International travel may be required and may include travel to fragile or conflict prone zones.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

About the Organization:

IBTCI has been in business since 1987. We specialize in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL), Institutional Support (IS), Financial & Risk Management (FRM), Supply Chain Management & Procurement (SCMP); Social & Behavior Change (SBC) and Capacity Building. We provide these services across many sectors including, but not limited to, agriculture, resilience & food security, conflict & crisis, democracy & governance, economic growth & trade, education & human capacity development, energy & infrastructure, environment & climate change, global health & WASH and humanitarian and disaster assistance. At IBTCI, our colleagues are encouraged to collaborate and be part of the solution while getting the tools and guidance needed to grow and support our clients’ missions.

IBTCI is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identification, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, or any other classification protected by applicable anti-discrimination laws. We prohibit and do not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

If you are an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability, or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact the Talent Acquisition team at [email protected] (Do not send your resume to this account, for consideration please apply in our career page, https://careers.ibtci.com/jobs).

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