Hides and Skins Consultant recruitment Vacancy at FAO Somalia in Nairobi Kenya 2013

Hides and Skins Consultant recruitment Vacancy at FAO Somalia in Nairobi Kenya 2013

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Vacancy Announcement No: FAO/114/2013

Deadline for Application: 30th September 2013

Position Title: Hides and Skins Consultant

Grade Level: N/A

Contract Type: Local Consultancy

Duty Station: Nairobi with travel to Somalia

Organizational Unit: FAO-Somalia

Duration: 30 Days

Eligible Candidates: Kenyan/ Somalis only

Anticipated start date: Immediately

Under the overall supervision of the Officer in Charge (O.I.C.) FAO Somalia and under the direct supervision of the Livestock Sector Coordinator and working in close collaboration with SEED Programme coordinator, Infrastructure and Capacity Development Advisor and Enterprise Development Officer, the Consultant will develop strategies and suggestions for current and prevailing opportunities of hides and skins marketing from regions in Somaliland.

The Consultant is expected to present data collection methodology, data collection tools before start of field work.

Background:

The SEED II Programme funded by DFID has been under implementation by FAO-Somalia since October 2012.

The aim of the programme is to create sustainable employment and economic opportunities for vulnerable groups especially women and the youth. Value addition along the livestock value chain trade has been one way of promoting livelihood diversification opportunities and supporting the investment climate.

The Programme is expected to result into economic growth and stability in Somalia. It is being implemented along the livestock value chain in Somaliland, Fisheries Sector in Puntland and the Agriculture Sector in South Central Somalia.

In Somalia, livestock accounts for about 60 percent of employment opportunities, generates about 40 percent of GDP and 80 percent of foreign currency earnings.

Production is closely linked to commercial and export-orientated processing and marketing structures without which, the full potential of trade in contributing to increased incomes and greater food security cannot be realised.

However, the country has been unable to fully exploit its livestock based assets of hides and skins by-products due to the lack of capacity at production levels that will promote safe recovery, simple preservation, semi-processing of the products to wet blue before marketing either to locally available commercial tanneries, export or do value addition by processing leather goods and footwear.

Adoption Good marketing strategies and exploration of more marketing outlets will improve the income generated for mainstream traders with trickle-down effect to producers and processors.

This has implications on the extent of value that can be derived from slaughter as well as hides and skins processing and trade. Moreover, lack of hides and skins grading system has diminished the income prospects of hides and skins value chain traders.

FAO, through OSRO/SOM/203/UK project is supporting capacity strengthening of Somaliland hides and skins mainstream stakeholders on the establishment of SOPs, grading systems, preservation and promotion of products marketing.

Job Role, Duties and Responsibilities

Key Functions:

Undertake a desk review of the SEED project (Sustainable Employment and Economic Development) and preparation of the questionnaire (2 days);
Through field missions in Borama, Hargeisa, Berbera and Burao, assess the current and potential market opportunities for hides and skins, leather goods and footwear products, product sales and considerations;
Identify types, volumes and the quality of hides and skins products sold in the domestic and export markets (15 days);
Identify customer tastes, preferences, and market segmentations;
Identify leather goods and footwear products seasonality of market cycles and peaks;
Establish an appropriate hides and skins product identification system and branding;
Establish an appropriate marketing strategy-wholesale, retail, institutional, domestic or export;
Explore the appropriate advertising methods for the earmarked hides and skins value chain trade products;
Conduct a one day validation workshop with 20 stakeholders (Ministry of Livestock Staff, Municipal Hygiene and Sanitation Officers and Hides and Skins Traders/flayers) in Hargeisa to provide feedback on the exiting gaps and wide range of opportunities in the hides and skins value chain trade industry;
Conduct an eight days Train of Trainers on Hide and Skins recovery; and
Perform any other duties as may requested.

Expected Outputs

One tailored curriculum and training module on business development services and marketing strategies of preserved hides and skins, leather goods and footwear products domestically and externally;
Report validation workshop on practical training; and
Six trainers trained at Ministry of livestock.

Minimum requirements:

Education and Experience:

BSc. in Agricultural and MBA in Marketing and Economics coupled with minimum ten years hands-on practical skills in a training institute with proven economic development experience in related field and training

Knowledge and skills:

Ability to prioritize and manage time efficiently and meet deadlines;
Ability to train beneficiaries of an informal educational level utilizing adult training skills;
Excellent communication and writing skills;
Ability to utilize his/her intuition and work under pressure;
Experience relevant to hides and skins improvement and leather technology is desirable attribute;
Proactive with clear ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team.

Languages:

Good working knowledge (level C) of English and knowledge of local languages.
Somalia language is a strong asset.

Selection Criteria:

Meeting the minimum qualification requirements listed above;
Knowledge and competence in the subject matter;
Good writing and speaking communication skills..

To Apply:

Send your application to:

Candidates are requested to submit a covering letter quoting the Position Title and Vacancy Announcement No. FAO/114/2013 along with their current/detailed Curriculum Vitae and FAO Personal Profile Form (PPF) available at http://www.fao.org/employment/irecruitment-access/en/.

E-mail is the preferred means of receipt and the application should be sent to HR-Somalia@fao.org

Applications must be received by the deadline.

Late applications will not be considered.

Only short listed candidates meeting all essential qualifications will be contacted.