Individual Consultant: Contracting and Contract Monitoring Specialist

Job Description

Background

Founded in 2006, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), is an African-led African-based organization that seeks to catalyze Agriculture Transformation in Africa. AGRA is focused on putting smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. As the sector that employs the majority of Africa’s people, nearly all of them small-scale farmers, AGRA recognizes that developing smallholder agriculture into a productive, efficient, and sustainable system is essential to ensuring food security, lifting millions out of poverty, and driving equitable growth across the continent. AGRA has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya with offices in 11 other priority countries.

In an effort to ensure efficiency in our procurement and contracting processes, AGRA needs services of a specialist to support the procurement team in contracting and contract performance monitoring. The procurement process is automated from requisitioning to contracting, the successful candidate shall be familiar with use of ERP systems.

Objective of the assignment:

Through use of AGRA contracting templates, the successful candidate shall draft all contracts in a timely manner and follow through approvals, signature, and monitor contract performance in coordination with contract supervisors. Contracting will be done through an existing oracle-based e-procurement system.

Scope of Work

This consultancy assignment will be based in Nairobi, Kenya. In consultation with the Head of Procurement, the candidate is expected to carry out the following activities:

• Ensure procurement processes have been carried out in compliance with the procurement policy before initiating any contract.
• Ensure timely initiation of contracts and purchase orders and follow through to signature and performance
• Prepare weekly and monthly status reports of all contracts under implementation and contracts under drafting and approval.
• Coordinate with contract supervisors and ensure timely contract performance and submission of deliverables. Any challenges shall be reported and resolved in a timely manner.
• Report on problematic contracts in a timely manner and recommend actions to be taken in accordance with the contract provisions including recommendation for blacklisting in line with the procurement policy.
• Analyze vendor/consultant complaints and ensure they are resolved in a timely manner.
• Through use of the e-procurement system, monitor payment status of all consultants/vendors and report any delays.
• Initiate contract renewals at least three months before they come to an end.
• Support in vendor database management.
• Support to build supplier relationships to deliver breakthrough performance in cost, service and quality.
• Review contracting templates and recommend changes aimed at improving efficiency in the contracting and contract management cycle.
• Assess new vendor forms to ensure they are well supported before approval.
• Monitor and close all open purchase orders within the stipulated time.
• Support in carrying out due diligence on vendors/consultants before contract award and during contracting/contract implementation.
• The specialist shall carry out any other relevant activities that may from time to time be assigned by the Head of Procurement as per agreed work plan.

Criteria for selection of the Individual Consultant

Only individuals meeting the below criteria are eligible to bid. The successful candidate shall be a person of high integrity with a track record of high performance. The candidate shall provide a detailed curriculum vitae and academic certificates. The consultant will be selected based on the following criteria:

General qualifications (general education and training):

• Bachelor’s degree in Law or a related field
• Specialized experience in contracting
• Professional membership is an added advantage

Experience in use of ERP systems:

• Demonstrate experience in use of ERP systems and other ICT applications

General experience and experience working with similar international organizations:

• Over eight years demonstrable experience in drafting a varied nature of complex contracts with top tier law firms or in a busy corporation or multi-national
• Experience and knowledge of procurement processes shall be an added advantage

Adequacy for the Assignment (understanding of the assignment and similar assignments):

• A maximum of two-page executive summary of the understanding of the assignment
• Share list and description of similar assignments carried out in contracting and contract management, including client contact details and dates when the assignments were carried out

Regional experience (East Africa, South Africa and/or West Africa) and fluency in English

Application Instructions

If you believe you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with the required documents (including your e-mail address and telephone contacts to recruit@agra.org noting to quote the consultancy reference number in the subject of your email)

To be considered, applications must be received on or before 2^nd March, 2021.

About the Organization

AGRA works to achieve a food secure and prosperous Africa through the promotion of rapid, sustainable agricultural growth based on smallholder farmers. Smallholders--the majority women--produce most of Africa's food, and do so with minimal resources and little government support. AGRA aims to ensure that smallholders have what they need to succeed: good seeds and healthy soils; access to markets, information, financing, storage and transport; and policies that provide them with comprehensive support. Through developing Africa's high-potential breadbasket areas, while also boosting farm productivity across more challenging environments, AGRA works to transform smallholder agriculture into a highly productive, efficient, sustainable and competitive system, and do so while protecting the environment.