1. Job Description

As part of the implementation of the project “Promotion of Agricultural and Fisheries Value Chains in Guinea-Bissau,” funded by the European Union, Expertise France is seeking a Component Coordinator – Economic Development.

The Component Coordinator will join the project team based in Bissau and will work under the hierarchical and functional supervision of the Team Leader. He or she will be responsible for the operational implementation, monitoring, and adaptation of the economic development component activities assigned to Expertise France.

In carrying out their duties, they will coordinate closely with:

·       the Fisheries Component Coordinator, to ensure consistency between economic development and sector-specific interventions;

·       the Administrative and Financial Manager, for budget planning, execution, and monitoring;

·       the Procurement and Contracts Officer, for contracting services, experts, and suppliers;

·       the Grant Officer or expert, responsible for the design, selection, contracting, monitoring, and closure of grants;

·       the MEAL Officer, responsible for the results framework, baselines, data collection and analysis, indicators, learning, and reporting;

·       the Project Assistant and the remaining team members, as needed for operational purposes.

The field team will be supplemented by experts mobilized as needed and supported by Expertise France’s headquarters, particularly in the areas of contract management, procurement procedures, quality control, operational guidance, and capacity building.

2. General Responsibilities

·       Lead the activities under Expertise France’s responsibility related to outcomes R1.1 and R1.2 and Specific Objective 3, in accordance with the Document of Action (DoA), the logical framework, and the approved work plans.

·       Ensure operational, financial, and administrative monitoring and quality control of activities, including regular visits to the intervention areas.

·       Participate in the identification, selection, mobilization, supervision, and evaluation of experts and service providers associated with the component.

·       Contribute to technical and financial reports for the European Union Delegation and to internal reporting and decision-making mechanisms.

·       Ensure the systematic integration of gender equality, youth, inclusion of people with disabilities, climate resilience, and the principle of “do no harm.”

3. Specific Responsibilities

3.1 Planning, Implementation, and Adaptation

·       Take ownership of the handover package produced during the start-up phase and keep the action plan, implementation strategy, timeline, and risk matrix up to date.

·       Translate the Terms of Reference (ToR) and the overall work plan into annual, quarterly, and monthly plans, identifying activities, deliverables, responsible parties, budget, dependencies, and decision milestones.

·       Lead the planning of activities related to the business environment, inclusive finance, entrepreneurship, support for MSMEs, investment, partnerships, and market access.

·       Confirm and update, in consultation with stakeholders, the intervention areas, target groups, partners, and specific methodologies for the component.

·       Validate assumptions and needs through consultations, field visits, data, and ongoing dialogue with beneficiaries and partners.

·       Propose well-reasoned adjustments to the Team Leader when changes in context, risks, or new evidence warrant them.

·       Ensure that implementation takes into account differences among value chains, territories, types of businesses, and beneficiary profiles.

3.2 Business Environment and Public-Private Dialogue

·       Coordinate the component’s support for reforms, policies, procedures, and institutional mechanisms that affect MSMEs and the relevant value chains, within the mandate defined in the DoA.

·       Support functional and inclusive mechanisms for public-private coordination and dialogue.

·       Monitor activities related to business formalization, cooperatives, investment, trade, and other validated priorities for improving the business environment.

·       Ensure that policy and regulatory recommendations are evidence-based and discussed with the relevant authorities and economic stakeholders.

3.3 Inclusive Financing

·       Coordinate the analysis, design, and implementation of financing solutions tailored to MSMEs and operators in the agricultural and fisheries value chains.

·       Maintain dialogue with the BCEAO, national authorities, supervisory and promotional bodies, financial institutions, microfinance operators, investors, and development partners.

·       Monitor market and feasibility studies, regulatory requirements, governance models, risk management, and the sustainability of the mechanisms under consideration.

·       Prepare and monitor—once validated by the project’s competent authorities—instruments such as microcredit, guarantees, risk-sharing, grants, financing readiness, or digital financial solutions.

·       Ensure that any financial solution includes transparent criteria, beneficiary protection, regulatory compliance, sustainability, and monitoring mechanisms.

3.4 Entrepreneurship, Incubation, and Support for MSMEs

·       Coordinate support for incubators, business service providers, and support structures for entrepreneurs.

·       Ensure that business assessments, training, mentoring, formalization, technical assistance, market access, and financing form a coherent support pathway.

·       Define transparent criteria for the selection, monitoring, graduation, and exit of beneficiaries, in coordination with the MEAL Officer.

·       Monitor the creation of business connections, networks, partnerships, and investment opportunities for supported companies.

·       Promote the effective participation of women, youth, people with disabilities, and operators located outside of Bissau.

3.5 Grants, Procurement, Experts, and Quality Control

·       Keep the technical assistance needs matrix and the phased plan for mobilizing experts up to date.

·       Develop or review terms of reference that clearly define outcomes, deliverables, indicators, responsibilities, timelines, and acceptance criteria.

·       Participate in the technical preparation of procurement and grant award processes, in close coordination with the relevant officials and in compliance with the segregation of duties.

·       Participate in the selection, briefing, supervision, evaluation, and closure of missions by experts and service providers.

·       Provide technical and operational oversight of the component’s contracts and grants, including support for beneficiaries and monitoring of results, without replacing the financial, contractual, or compliance functions assigned to other team members.

·       Review deliverables and issue well-reasoned technical opinions prior to their validation by the Team Leader.

·       Ensure the transfer of the knowledge, tools, databases, and methodologies produced to the team and to national partners.

3.6 Institutional Coordination, Partnerships, and Synergies

·       Keep the stakeholder map and a schedule of consultations and coordination up to date.

·       Establish working relationships with public institutions, the private sector, professional organizations, financial institutions, civil society, and technical and financial partners.

·       Promote synergies and avoid overlaps with Camões, I.P., within the framework of the program’s overall coordination, and with programs of the European Union, the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), United Nations agencies, bilateral and multilateral cooperation initiatives, and relevant regional initiatives.

·       Develop exchanges with ECOWAS, the PALOP countries, and other regional partners when they directly contribute to the component’s results.

·       Represent the team at technical meetings when authorized by the Team Leader.

·       Document decisions, commitments, synergies, and follow-up actions.

3.7 Monitoring, Reporting, Learning, and Knowledge Sharing

·       Track the component’s physical and financial progress based on the logical framework, indicators, and approved plans.

·       Provide accurate and timely information to the Team Leader and the team to inform decisions and ensure high-quality internal and external reporting.

·       Contribute to the preparation of steering committee meetings and technical committee sessions.

·       Identify deviations, risks, results, and lessons learned, and propose corrective or adaptive measures.

·       Ensure the capitalization on and dissemination of experiences, tools, and best practices relevant to the context of Guinea-Bissau.

4. Expected Regular Outputs

Without prejudice to other deliverables requested by the Team Leader, the Component Coordinator must ensure the preparation and regular updating of the following documents:

·       Annual, quarterly, and monthly plans for the component, aligned with the project’s budget and overall schedule;

·       Matrix of risks, dependencies, decisions, and mitigation measures;

·       Matrix of needs and plan for mobilizing technical assistance;

·       Terms of reference, technical notes, quality control reports, and product acceptance records;

·       Stakeholder map, consultation schedule, and record of decisions and follow-up actions;

·       Technical monitoring table for the component’s contracts and grants;

·       Contributions to technical and financial reports, governance meetings, and monitoring exercises;

·       Lessons learned, knowledge capitalization, and recommendations for adaptation.