ASEAN FARMERS ORGANISATION SUPPORT PROGRAMME – ENGAGING WITH ASEAN
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Background
The ASEAN Foundation (AF) was established in December 1997 by the
ASEAN Foreign Ministers in fulfillment of the decision of the ASEAN Leaders. It
is a non-profit ASEAN body under the ASEAN Charter and is mandated to support
the Secretary-General of ASEAN and collaborate with the relevant ASEAN bodies
to support the ASEAN community building process. Its objectives are to promote greater
awareness of the ASEAN identity, people-to-people interaction, and close
collaboration among the business sector, civil society, academia and other
stakeholders in ASEAN.
In its early years, the ASEAN
Foundation through the Japan-ASEAN Solidarity Fund have engaged the Asian
Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Asia (AsiaDHRRA) to
organise small farmers in several ASEAN countries and to facilitate access of
small farmers to suitable markets. The region’s farmers, rural entrepreneurs
and agricultural workers are essential stakeholders of ASEAN. It is essential that farmer organisations and
rural societies are provided the means to participate actively in shaping the
future of the region.
In 2015, ASEAN will be establishing an ASEAN
Community that is committed to promoting ASEAN people to participate in and
benefit fully from the process of ASEAN integration and community
building. The ASEAN Charter, the ASEAN
Community Roadmap and other important frameworks for the ASEAN Community like
the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, Initiative for an ASEAN Integration Work
Plan II (2009-2011), the ASEAN Roadmap toward realising the Millennium
Development Goals and the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) and Phnom Penh
Statement on the adoption of AHRD are testament of ASEAN’s need to continue
engagement with all stakeholders of the ASEAN Community – both private and
public sectors to foster a better understanding of ASEAN and pave the way for
more support, confidence and participation in ASEAN processes.
The ASEAN Farmers Organisation
Support Programme (AFOSP) is to improve the livelihoods and food security of smallholder farmers and rural
producers in ASEAN countries through strengthened capacity of
farmers and their organizations to influence national government and ASEAN
policies impacting on the livelihoods of poor producers, and to provide
effective services to members.
To
achieve this, it will pursue three objectives: i) strengthening the roles
and functions of Farmers’ Organisations (FOs) in policy processes and services
to members, including policy dialogue with regional, sub-regional and national
levels. ii) promoting the
interests of rural smallholders and addressing their concerns in policy
processes, iii) providing effective pro-poor services through FOs. Objective i)
includes broadening of policy
dialogue between farmers and rural organisations and ASEAN level institutions,
including ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC),
Sectoral Working Groups and Senior Official Meetings, as well as the
ASEAN Foundation.
The Programme purpose is that
ASEAN FOs evolve into stable, performing, accountable organisations capable of
providing effective and sustainable services to their members and of
influencing policy and corporate processes on agriculture and food security
issues at local, national, ASEAN regional and global levels.
This programme to support FOs in
ASEAN is consistent with the EU and ASEAN policies and complements many EU initiatives in the region.
Its beneficiaries include several million of small farmers across South
East Asia.
GENERAL FUNCTIONS
The Project
Manager (PM) has the responsibility to ensure the effective and efficient
day-to-day implementation of the project under the overall guidance and
supervision of the Executive Director. The
PM will ensure the functioning of the project from the beginning to the end
including project inception activities, annual and quarterly planning and
reporting and implementation of project activities, project reviews and project
closure.
The PM is expected to provide technical support
and advice related to the ASEAN structure, process and dynamics and will keep
close relations, good coordination and sharing of information with the ASEAN
Secretariat (ASEC). S/he will liaise and
coordinate project activities with ASEC, IFAD and Asian Farmers Organisation
(AFA) and identity
thematic learnings for knowledge sharing in ASEAN.
- Prepare and update project annual and quarterly work plans with clearly stated milestones together with budgets for submission to the Executive Director for clearance
- Prepare and participate in work planning and progress reporting meetings of AFOSP
- Review project resource requirements and provide advice on the need for budget adjustments and possible revisions
- Advice on revisions to work plans and budget plans based on project implementation Prepare Terms of References (TORs) for required inputs (individual and institutional consultancy services, the procurement of goods, organisation of training, seminars, etc) to the Executive Director for clearance, and administers the mobilization of such inputs
- Provide technical advice to the implementation of the project activities, review technical reports and monitor technical activities carried out by the responsible parties
- Ensure that all agreements with implementing parties are prepared, negotiated and agreed upon
- Convey and facilitate meetings among the different stakeholders in ASEAN and in the AFOSP when required to get agreements that support the implementation of the project
- With respect to external project implementing agencies/sub-contractors:
- Ensure that these agencies mobilise and deliver the outputs in accordance with their letters of agreement and contracts and
- Provide overall supervision and/or coordination of their work to ensure the production of the expected results
- Provide problem solving support when needed, to debottleneck issues and progress key deliverables according to planned milestones
- Assumes direct responsibility for managing the project budget by ensuring that:
- Project funds are disbursed properly
- Expenditure in accordance with the project document and project work plans
- Accounting records and supporting documents are properly kept and financial reports are prepared
- Financial operations are transparent and financial procedures/regulations are properly applied
- Follow-up and ensure that required inputs are processed in a timely manner and transparent manner and attest to the timeliness of submission and the quality of goods and services procured for the programme
- Supervises Programme Assistant and local or international short-term consultants working for the project
- Prepares project progress reports and the project final report and organize project committee meetings, review meetings and evaluation missions, in coordination with APA
- Ensure the timely submission of work plans, reports, outputs and other deliverables to AFA for review and evaluation as appropriate
- Regularly report to and keep AFA up-to-date on project progress and implementation issues
- Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation (M&E) mechanism for project’s financial, administration, and operation activities in coordination with the ASEAN Foundation’s process and procedures and ensure timely submission of progress and financial reports
- Keep good records of project documents, by establishing and maintaining a systematic filing system of key documents (in hard copy and soft copy) in line with audit requirements
- Report regularly to Executive Director up-to-date project progress and problems
- Prepare brochures, publications, press releases, content for social media regarding the program implementation.
- Identify gaps in the program, additional needs and unfunded potential for sustained engagement, and work with partners to mobilize resources accordingly
- Build relations and effective networks with relevant project partners, ASEAN sectoral bodies, civil society, donors, the private sector to further interest of the project
- Prepare together with the Executive Director relevant proposals for mobilsing of human, technical or financial resources
SPECIFIC TASKS:
- Engage AFO to actively contribute at ASEAN meetings in order to contribute to policy making, leveraging on existing platforms in ASEAN
- Enhance AFO’s confidence and ability to work with national governments to feed into the ASEAN policy making process and as well as increase confidence of ASEAN in working with farmers organizations
- Familiarise AFOs on ASEAN structure, processes, and dynamics and also to familiarise of ASEAN on FOs initiatives both at national and regional level
- Supervise a participatory monitoring/research related to the implementation of ASEAN work plans affecting AFOs.
- Convene of multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder forums/meetings at national and regional levels by AFOs to share monitoring/research findings or design partnership projects
- Attend regularly share monitoring/research findings or policy/program proposals at ASEAN related meetings leveraging on existing platforms
- Mentor AFOs’ participations in other ASEAN related bodies meetings e.g. AICHR, ABAC, ASEAN Rice Trade Forum (ARTF), TWG-Climate change if relevant
- Conduct thematic learning exchanges/knowledge sharing with EU and MERCUSOR related to similar issues/topics bringing together AFOs leaders and key representative from ASEAN member states.
Specifications
Education and Experience
Essential
- University degree (preferable post-graduate degree) in natural resource management, sustainable development, environmental science, agriculture management, development studies, public policy, or related field.
- At least five years of progressive experience in coordination activities as well as project management, planning and implementation
- Familiarity with EU funded projects is an asset
- Experiences with ASEAN projects and procedures are an asset
- Knowledgeable about ASEAN sectoral bodies, processes and dynamics
Qualifications and Technical Skill
Essential
- Excellent working level of English language in both writing and speaking
- Advanced user level computer skills and strong knowledge of various software including Excel, Power point and Word;
- Strong analytical skills
- Experience coordinating multi-partner projects, and proven experience in partnership building and networking
TIME FRAME
The
duration of the project is for 5 years (2015-2019)
REMUNERATION
A lump sum monthly salary will be provided commensurate with the
qualification and experience.
APPLICATION PROCESS
All
interested applicants to send application, stating the post with the following
documents to recruitment@aseanfoundation.org – a)
application letter, b) curriculum vitae and salary history and expected salary
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION
Sunday, 3
May 2015
