Senior Policy/Institutional Development Specialist at Crown Agents, Kigali, Rwanda – DEADLINE: 16/04/2014

Our Business

Crown Agents is an international development company employing over 600 personnel worldwide with a presence in more than 40 countries, subsidiaries in 12 countries, and permanent staff working on the ground in 22 corporate offices in Africa, Asia Latin America, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Crown Agents provides direct assistance, management consulting, and human and institutional development for public and private sector clients in customs and trade facilitation, public financial management, procurement, logistics, and health systems strengthening.

Crown Agents USA (CA-USA), the U.S. incorporated subsidiary of Crown Agents, provides direct technical assistance, capacity development, and procurement services to stimulate economic growth, establish good governance, and improve health outcomes across the developing world.

Since its incorporation in the United States in 1998, CA-USA has provided technical assistance services and support to U.S. Government agencies and international organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), Department of State (DOS), and the Gates Foundation.

Project Description

The goal of USAID Private Sector Driven Agricultural Growth Project (PSD-AG) is to increase smallholder incomes by promoting private sector investments– internationally and domestically – that contribute to the Government of Rwanda’s (GoR’s) Vision 2020 aim of “transforming agriculture into a market-oriented, competitive, and high value sector.” PSD-AG has two primary objectives:

Assist the GoR to Increase Private Sector Investment
Facilitate Increased Private Sector Investment in Upgrading Agricultural Value Chains
PSD-AG will support GoR agencies involved in investment promotion by facilitating the transition that the government envisions for itself – as demonstrated through government agency policies – from that of direct agriculture investor to a role of regulator and facilitator.

PSD-AG will also build private sector capacity and facilitate expanded investments for existing and new private sector entities. PSD-AG envisions creating a virtuous feedback loop where a robust private sector is investing in markets and producers for continual upgrading, while the government is creating the enabling environment for this upgrading to occur.

The Senior Policy and Institutional Development Specialist will lead a group of long term and short term technical advisors to work on Objective One of the PSD-AG project: to assist the GoR to Increase Private Sector Investment.

Objective One will include the development and implementation of a clear roadmap for attracting and supporting private investment, including clear definition of roles and responsibilities within the GoR to improve the enabling environment and work with potential investors from their expression of investment interest to the implementation of the investment.

The Senior Policy and Institutional Development Specialist will also be expected to include a number of systemic and/or cross cutting issues that are critical to achieving this objective, including gender-equitable solutions to improved productivity and competitiveness, integration of youth and sustainable natural resource management that supports productivity improvements.

Specific Responsibilities

Coordinate establishment of a comprehensive GOR inter-agency investment framework for increasing private sector investment
Organize publication of a GoR approved Investment Framework to serve as a practical guide for GoR efforts to increase investment in agriculture and agribusiness.
Guide the incorporation of the Investment Framework into the implementation plans and guidelines of all GoR agencies, including provincial government agencies, with an investment promotion mandate.

Collaborate with stakeholders to identify and define the roles and Responsibilities of different public entities
Coordinate an internal agreement of the GoR relevant institutions and related procedures and systems on the roles and responsibilities of public institutions in attracting, promoting, facilitating and supporting agriculture-related investment.
Strengthen the capacity of relevant public entities to effectively support agriculture-related investment through improved performance-based capacity
Work with the investor community and assist the GoR to adopt regulatory cost compliance indicators to inform policy through quantification of regulatory burdens.
Enhance the ability of government and business to productively engage each other.
Support the existing public-private dialogue process and other similar existing local forums to bolster interactions between Rwanda private and public sectors.
Oversee and develop a team of long and short term expatriate and locally hired professionals as well as conduct the performance review process;
Provide dynamic leadership, long-term strategic vision, and mentorship to the team using the highest standard of personal intelligence, transparency and accountability;
Strategically identify, evaluate and seek opportunities to collaborate with in-country partners as well as funding sources to expand programmatic objectives;
Successfully represent the project’s best interests to government officials, partners and USAID in Rwanda;
Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Quantitative Social Science or other relevant degree is required.
15 years of progressively responsible experience in the area of trade, investment framework development is highly desirable.
Working experience with host country public agencies and ministries as well as with private sector advocacy organization is desirable.
Demonstrated experience in policy reform process facilitation, public-private dialogue and institutions coalition building in rural economies is desirable.
Working experience on policy research and policy advocacy coordination and support to both public and private business and related civil society organizations is desirable.
Working experience and familiarity with agricultural development and policy issues in the African context, agriculture sector strategies and investment plans is desirable. Excellent verbal and written communication in English is desirable.
How to apply:

To apply to this position, please email your CV to [email protected]. Include your name, along with “14-23A Senior Policy Specialist”, in the subject line. Visit our website at www.crownagents.com for more information about our company.

No phone calls, faxes or walk-ins please. Crown Agents USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and affords equal opportunity to all qualified applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other status protected under local, state or federal laws.

Crown Agents USA will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with qualified disabilities in accordance with the ADA. If you require a reasonable accommodation for our application process, please contact our Recruiting department directly. Requests will be kept confidential and shared strictly on a need-to-know basis only.