As part of the future implementation of the Technical Assistance to the Integrated Development of Agriculture and Irrigation Programme Expertise France (EF) is seeking a Romanian-speaking project manager specialized in social water management.

The Technical Assistance (TA) aims at supporting the Agency for Land Improvement (ANIF) with the implementation of the AFD EU-funded Integrated Development of Agricultural and Irrigation Programme (iDRIP) on a 60-month (5-year) period. The Moldovan Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry delegates iDRIP’s management and implementation to ANIF, which will be supported by Expertise France to complete its missions. Expertise France and ANIF will jointly work on the sound management and implementation of the programme, thanks to a coordination between a TA team recruited by EF, and a Project Team that will be composed of assigned ANIF staff.

Description of the TA endeavors

•        Project administrative and financial management, procurement, vetting of staff and suppliers, etc;
•        Implementation of the M&E system;
•        Implementation of environmental and social management plans;
•        Implementation of the Gender Action Plan;
•        Project technical and financial reporting, preparation of the Steering and Technical Committees meetings.

Reporting to the head of Expertise France's Agriculture division (at headquarters), the project manager will be responsible for:

•          Support to ANIF Project Team for iDRIP implementation management & capacity building of ANIF staff
•          Operational management, and financial and administrative supervision of the TA
•          Management of TA team Coordination with partners, national and regional institutions, and international donors

Support the ANIF in the implementation of iDRIP activities: rehabilitation of irrigation systems, GIS, social engineering principles application with Water User Associations etc. In general, the project manager will be responsible for ensuring that the contractual objectives of the TA agreed between Expertise France, ANIF and AFD are met. He/she will be required to carry out all activities necessary for the successful implementation of the TA.

EF TA team is composed of support functions (procurements, financial and administrative, M&E, etc.), as well as medium and short-term local and international experts who will ensure the technical supervision of the project (including E&S specialist, Gender specialist). The project manager will be assisted by Expertise France’s HQ project officer, the Agriculture Unit Manager, and the support services.

Mission-specific tasks

More precisely, the project manager will have to implement the following tasks :

Support to ANIF Project Team for iDRIP implementation management & Capacity building of ANIF staff 

• In continuous collaboration with ANIF’s Head of Project Team, ensure the operational coordination of the project: supervise the timely production of expected deliverables, both on activities and the project as a whole (progress reports, final reports);
• Support iDRIP’s financial planning with relevant ANIF Project Team staff;
• Coordination and supervision of the implementation of all iDRIP’s components together with ANIF’s project manager;
• Overall support to ANIF on procurements, in accordance with AFD Procurement Guidelines and templates, and with the Moldovan procurement regulations: sourcing, formalization, supervision of the infrastructure works on site, follow-up etc;
• Support ANIF in coordinating all involved and relevant institutions within iDRIP’s implementation.
• Oversee the implementation of ANIF’s Capacity Building Plan thanks to the TA Team
• Supervise, with ANIF Project Team, financial management and monitor iDRIP project expenditures, including budget forecasting and procurement execution, financial reporting, cost efficiency, and financial accountability, in collaboration with the finance and administrative manager of ANIF Project Team.

Operational, financial and administrative management and supervision of the TA

• Develop and implement strategic and operational planning for the technical assistance activities;
• Identify risks, analyse and propose mitigation measures to ensure the success of the TA and implement the necessary adjustments;
• Oversee the preparation of internal reporting, planning, and forecasting exercises for Expertise France (three exercises per year);
• Oversee monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEAL) activities to measure impact and ensure accountability, in conjunction with the project's MEAL Officer;
• Draft annual activity reports, both technical and financial, in collaboration with the TA team, and ensure their technical quality.
• Ensure overall compliance with the procedures required by Expertise France (rules on eligibility of expenditure, purchases, contracts, grants, reports);
• Oversee Expertise France procurement and purchase contracts, in coordination with the procurement officer and the finance and administrative manager (EF headquarters);
• Supervise financial management and monitor TA expenditures, including budget forecasting and procurement execution, financial reporting, cost efficiency, and financial accountability, in collaboration with the finance and administrative manager of Ef headquarters.

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TA Team management

The TA team will be located in Chisinau and will be composed of three full-time local staff in addition to the project manager: a finance and administrative manager, a procurement officer, and a MEAL officer. Medium and short-term experts and consultants will be recruited regularly on an ad hoc basis. Working closely with the project officer at EF HQ, the project manager will be responsible for:

• Ensuring coordination between team members, participating in TA team recruitment, setting clear objectives, and supervising the distribution of workload;
• Ensuring hierarchical management and leadership of the TA team;
• Organising the attendance and absence of project team staff (management of working hours and leave);
• Ensuring compliance with security policies and procedures for the staff operating in the country, in collaboration with Expertise France’s regional security coordinator;
• Supporting the local TA team and Expertise France HQ in the identification and selection of experts to support thematic procurements, and supervise short-term and long-term technical experts when   mobilised (validation of work plan;
• Fostering a positive, supportive, and dynamic working environment.

Technical support to the implementation of activities 

• Oversee with technical expertise the multiple procurement processes of iDRIP managed by ANIF: rehabilitation of centralized irrigation systems, works supervision, provision of equipment and goods to farmers, development of a water basin model tool, extension services to farmers, building of Hedgerows, capacity building of Water User Associations etc.
• Mobilization of ad hoc national and international technical experts providing tailored expertise to the project’s activities implementation on topics that have been pre-identified and deemed necessary : preparation of terms of reference for individual expert missions, establishment of selection criteria, interviews and technical evaluation of the applications, technical and financial evaluation of candidate’s offers, negotiations etc.

Coordination with stakeholders

In close collaboration with AFD and according to the needs of the project:

• Network with relevant actors in Moldova from the agricultural/irrigation sector;
• develop and maintain excellent relationships with local institutions and administrations, as well as international donors involved in the irrigation sector such as ERBD, WB etc.
• Facilitate dialogue and coordination between implementing partners to ensure synergies and complementarity;
• Support the organisation of project steering committee meetings (COPIL Programme/COPROJ/COTECH), provide secretarial services and draft minutes when necessary.