Individual Consultant: Implementation and Delivery Advisor

Job Description

Introduction

AGRA invites qualified individual consultants to submit proposals for a Consultancy for ECOWAS CAADP implementation and delivery advisor. This document outlines the requirements and guidelines for the submission of proposals.

Background

AGRA is a not-for-profit organization working with African governments, other donors, NGOs, the private sector, and farmers to improve the productivity and incomes of resource-poor smallholder farmers in Africa. AGRA aims to catalyze an inclusive agricultural transformation in Africa by increasing incomes and improving food security for millions of smallholder farmers in Africa. For more information about AGRA, please visit www.agra.org.

The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), a flagship continental initiative under the African Union’s Agenda 2063, was launched in 2003 following the Maputo Declaration and reaffirmed in 2014 by the Malabo Declaration in Equatorial Guinea. Its overarching goal is to significantly raise agricultural productivity, increase public investment in the sector, and stimulate agriculture-led economic growth across Africa, thereby contributing to the elimination of hunger and the reduction of poverty. As Africa’s most ambitious and comprehensive agricultural reform effort, CAADP serves as the cornerstone framework for driving agricultural transformation, fundamentally shifting development towards full ownership and leadership by African governments.

In January 2025, the African Union Extraordinary Summit on the Post-Malabo CAADP, held in Kampala, Uganda, adopted the new 10-year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan (2026-2035), alongside the Kampala CAADP Declaration on Building Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa. In alignment with this continental vision, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has consistently oriented its agricultural policy towards the CAADP agenda. Adopted in 2005, the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) remains the principal framework guiding agricultural development, governance, and transformation in West Africa. As the regional expression of CAADP, ECOWAP has been central to implementing CAADP principles and commitments throughout the ECOWAS region.

Despite these foundational frameworks and commitments, the ECOWAS region faces significant challenges in achieving sustainable agricultural development. The 2023 4th CAADP Biennial Review report regrettably indicates that none of the fifteen ECOWAS member states are on track to achieve their agricultural transformation scorecards by the 2025 target. While some progress has been noted, the continent as a whole generally lags in implementing the seven commitments of the Malabo Declaration aimed at accelerating agricultural growth and transformation for shared prosperity and improved livelihoods. The report strongly emphasizes the urgent need for practical actions to build a resilient African food system. These actions include strengthening political leadership and commitment at all levels, bolstering institutional capacities within Regional Economic Communities (RECs), improving data quality by integrating the Biennial Review (BR) process into national statistical and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems, and fostering greater synergy among Member States, Continental, and Regional bodies concerning BR processes, National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIPs), and Joint Sector Reviews (JSRs).

ECOWAS has implemented various initiatives and policies to tackle youth unemployment, focusing on agribusiness as a key sector for economic growth and stability. At the regional level, ECOWAP, aligned with CAADP, emphasizes agricultural transformation, food security, and youth inclusion through the Regional Agricultural Investment Programme for Food Security and Nutrition (RAIP-FNS). These programs support youth-focused agribusiness projects involving value chain development, market access, and technology adoption. ECOWAP also provides training, access to land, and promotes modern agricultural practices to attract younger generations.

Objectives

The overall objective of this assignment is to support ECOWAS to strengthen its institutional delivery capacity to execute regional and continental commitments effectively with emphasis on coordination, capacity building, delivery, M&E, and to enhance mutual accountability capabilities. Specifically, the objectives include:

• Enhance ECOWAS’ secretariate’s institutional capacity to effectively deliver on its agrifood systems transformation mandate by enhancing organizational systems, human capacity, internal processes, and culture of performance.
• Review and design new RAIP that responds to the Kampala CAADP and ECOWAS’s vision 2050, strategy and policies.
• Strengthen ECOWAS Secretariat’s institutional capacity to effectively deliver on its agrifood systems transformation mandate by
• strengthening coordination platforms with key stakeholders to improve policy harmonization and domestication of CAADP commitments. This will involve improving coordination, evidence generation, and building the capacity of ECOWAS staff and regional members and promoting collaboration and coordination between different stakeholders to ensure RAIPs and NAIPs, policies reforms and strategies are effectively developed, domesticated, harmonized and implemented,
• establishing delivery tracking mechanisms to monitor execution progress of RAIPs, NAIPs, and flagships,
• Support M&E teams to create actionable, real-time reporting for CAADP BR
• Engage the Youth and women engagement through better delivery of existing initiatives in the region’s policy design and delivery.

The expected outcome of this consultancy is to enable ECOWAS to successfully implement the CAADP Kamapala Declaration and achieve the targets within the prescribed timeline. The consultant will enhance the coordination, delivery and resource mobilization capabilities of the Secretariat.

Scope of Work

The Delivery Advisor will perform the following tasks divided into six (6) tracks:

• Review and Design Kampala Compliant New RAIP
• Institutional Capacity Strengthening
• Delivery Coordination and Acceleration
• Performance Monitoring & Evaluation and Learning
• Youth & Women-Focused Program Delivery

Location and nature of the assignment

The consultant shall undertake the assignment from ECOWAS Secretariat based in Abuja, Nigeria. He/She will work under the Director of Agriculture & Rural Development for daily supervisory work. And coordinate with the AGRA Regional Senior Specialist Policy and State Capability Lead.

Duration

The initial assignment will take 12 months (48 weeks) to complete and subject to renewal based on performance and availability of funds.

Key Responsibilities

The Adviser will be responsible for:

• Preparing a workplan with detailed activities, timelines and contingencies
• Submitting documents (in word & PDF format) of activities done against the work plan on a fortnightly basis
• Share any raw data or information used for preparing the deliveries of the consultancy.
• Escalate to the contract supervisor any issues that delay or block implementation and completion of the consultancy within the timeframe provided.

The contact supervisor will be responsible for:

• Establish regular reporting and problem-solving sessions monthly.
• Supporting the consultant to secure meetings with country team experts and government representatives
• Providing feedback on deliverables when submitted by the consultant for review
• Approving payments based on deliverable milestones when satisfied quality of output is aligned with this TOR.

Qualifications and Experience

Education and Qualification

• Master’s degree and above in Agricultural economics, economics, management or related fields. A PhD will be an added advantage.

Experience, skills and competencies:

• At least 7 years of experience in working with inter-government institutions; experience in managing stakeholder relations is an added advantage.
• At least Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in agricultural policy development, with a preference for candidates with multi-year experience in the CAADP process at national or continental level
• Demonstrated experience in applying institutional capacity strengthening methodologies in government or regional institutions.
• Familiarity with results-based management and delivery tools is strongly preferred.
• Deep understanding of the agrifood systems sector in West Africa.
• Proficient in English language, and ECOWAs working language is an added advantage.

All communications regarding the RFP should be directed to procurement@agra.org.

Bid submission: Electronically via the AGRA Oracle SCM System.

Deadline: September 30, 2025

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