Country: Kenya, Somalia
Closing date: 01 Apr 2016
Background
The African Union Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) is a specialized technical office of the African Union under the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission. AU-IBAR is mandated to support and coordinate the utilization of animals (livestock, fisheries and wildlife) as a resource for human well-being in the Member States of the African Union and to contribute to economic development, particularly in rural areas.
AU-IBAR is implementing a project for Reinforcing Animal Health Services in Somalia (RAHS) in partnership with two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) namely, Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI) and Terra Nuova with financial support from the European Union (EU). The RAHS project aims to enhance the quality, access and sustainability of animal health services in Somalia. Towards this, the project is supporting the public animal health institutions in Somalia to develop and implement appropriate strategies to improve the control of priority diseases of livestock. AU-IBAR is seeking the services of a Consultant Epidemiologist to support the Line Ministries to develop strategies for the control of PPR and other small ruminant diseases.
Overall Objective
The overall objective of the consultancy is to provide assistance to the Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range of the Federal Somali Republic, the Ministry of Livestock and Animal Husbandry of the Puntland State of Somalia and the Ministry of Livestock in Somaliland to develop strategies for the control of PPR and other small ruminant diseases that are aligned to the Global, Pan African and IGAD region strategies for the control and eradication of PPR and other small ruminant diseases.
Specific Objectives
The specific objectives of the consultancy are as follows:
- Provide technical guidance and lead national Policy Hub task forces to design and document appropriate strategies for the control of PPR and other priority small ruminant diseases in Central/South Somalia, Puntland and Somaliland incorporating key elements from the Global, Continental and IGAD PPR control and eradication strategies.
- Provide technical support for stakeholders workshops to validate the draft strategies.
Tasks
- Review available surveillance reports and data on the occurrence of PPR and other priority small ruminant diseases in Somalia
- Review available livestock strategy documents and PPR contingency plans for the respective line Ministries
- Review the draft strategy prepared by FAO for the control of PPR in Somalia and any other available national strategies for the control of PPR and other priority small ruminant diseases in countries in the IGAD region
- Review the Global, Pan-african and the draft IGAD strategies for the control and eradication of PPR and other small ruminant diseases
- Lead the preparation of draft strategies for the control of PPR and other small ruminant diseases in Somalia
- Incorporate key elements from the global, Pan African and IGAD Strategies into the strategy for Somalia taking due consideration of the institutional arrangements in the Puntland state of Somalia and Somaliland
Requirements
Qualifications
A degree in Veterinary Medicine from a recognized University. A Masters or PhD in Veterinary Epidemiology will be an added advantage.
- Knowledge and experience of using participatory approaches
- Strong analytical skills
- Excellent communication skills and fluency in English
General Professional Experience
- At least 10 years of proven experience in public sector animal disease control at national and/or Regional levels.
- Prior knowledge and experience in the design of national or regional disease control strategies and policies.
- Knowledge of the epidemiology, diagnosis and control of PPR with proven field experience of PPR control.
- Experience in conducting and facilitating dialogue with livestock sector stakeholders at national level.
Specific Professional Experience
- A good understanding of PPR and other Small Ruminant Diseases control particularly in the IGAD region
- Conversant with international animal health standards related to surveillance, prevention and control of transboundary animal diseases (TADs)
- Previous working experience in the Somali livestock sector
Skills and Competencies
- Excellent oral and written communication skills with ability to brief and debrief staff and stakeholders in English.
- Self-starter with the ability to strategically plan own work and to work with minimum supervision and withstand stress under different field conditions including high insecurity.
Language Requirement
Proficiency in English is required.
Tenure of Appointment
The appointment will be for a period of 40 days.
Gender Mainstreaming
The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.
Expected Outputs and Deliverables
The following are the expected outputs:
- An inception report including the methodology and the work plan to undertake the task.
- Comprehensive draft strategies to guide the control of PPR and other small ruminant diseases by the Ministry of Livestock, Forestry and Range of the Federal Government of Somalia, the Ministry of Livestock and Animal Husbandry of the Puntland State of Somalia and the Ministry of Livestock of Somaliland.
- Presentations of the draft strategies in the stakeholders’ validation workshop.
Following completion of the tasks the consultant will prepare and submit a report to the RAHS project Coordinator within 15 days of completion of the assignment.
Minimum Requirements
- University Degree in Veterinary medicine and advanced training in epidemiology.
- Over 10 years of relevant working experience in disease management and control of trans-boundary animal diseases in the greater Horn of Africa.
- Knowledge of disease dynamics in pastoral communities (especially in the Somali ecosystem) is essential.
- Experience in development of emergency preparedness and contingency plans for key trade limiting animal diseases with special emphasis on diseases affecting small domestic ruminants is essential.
- Training skills for a wide range of stakeholders in the livestock sector.
- Excellent communication skills with ability to write clearly in English.
- Ability to work independently to high professional standards.
Duty Station and Duration
The consultants will be stationed in Nairobi (25%), Hargeisa (25%), Garowe, (25%) and Mogadishu (25%) for the duration of the assignment. The duration of this assignment is forty days. The selected candidate should be available to undertake this assignment with minimum delay.
Payment of Consultants
The remuneration for this Consultancy is a fixed amount of USD Nine Thousand (USD 12,000). Expenses for field missions will be covered separately in accordance with the applicable African Union Commission rules and regulations.
Supervision
The successful consultant will work under the supervision of AU-IBAR’s Animal Production Officer and the Senior Fisheries Officer.
Selection of Consultants
The selection of the consultant will be based on the technical evaluation. The consultant with the highest technical score will be selected.
Evaluation Criteria: The applications will be evaluated on the basis of the relevant technical qualifications, experience and competence of the candidates.
Submission of the Proposal
The deadline for submission of the proposal is 01 April 2016 at 15h00.
How to apply:
The address for submission of the proposal is procurement@au-ibar.org