Pakistan nationals: On-farm Water Management and Agriculture Specialist

Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Pakistan 🇵🇰

Objective and Purpose of the Assignment

The Emergency Flood Assistance Project (EFAP) was prepared in response to the Government of Pakistan’s request to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 6 October 2022 to support its post-2022 flood recovery and reconstruction response. The project will contribute to the economic recovery of flood-ravaged provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh, while building longer term resilience. It will finance the rehabilitation and reconstruction of high-priority transport, irrigation, drainage, flood risk management, and on-farm water management infrastructure that were damaged by the devastating floods. The project will also support the restoration of economic productivity and livelihoods of the flood-affected rural communities. The EFAP is a multisector project with a decentralized implementation modality, under which one federal agency (the National Highway Authority) and four provincial agencies from three provinces (Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan) in agriculture, irrigation, and roads will act as executing agencies. Implementing the project with speed, while adhering to technical, fiduciary, social, and environmental safeguards, is challenging and requires special arrangements for additional oversight. ADB approved a transactional technical assistance which will provide project implementation capacity support in different areas as may be needed and requested by the executing agencies during implementation. Based on analysis of the portfolio performance, the core areas of support are expected to be in social and environmental safeguard due diligence, implementation, monitoring of the social and gender plan, facilitating the fast-track procurement process, and technical advisory services across sectors including design validation. More details could be found at https://www.adb.org/projects/56312-001/main Government of Balochistan (GOB) and ADB agreed on financing of the total EFAP at $531 million of which on-farm water management (OFWM) component is $15.99 million. Additionally, farmers will also provide contributing share in form of materials and/or labour. The GOB and ADB agreed to hire Project Supervision and Monitoring Consultants for providing support to the Project in working with the Project Management Office (PMO) of the Balochistan Agriculture and Cooperatives Department and its associated field staff of the OFWM directorate in technical areas, community mobilization, outreach, grievance redressal and consultation.

Scope of Work

The expert will assist the Balochistan Agriculture and Cooperative Department in building their EFAP implementation capacity in restoring on-farm land and water management services in Balochistan including benefiting women and girls. The restoration services include small on-farm land and water management infrastructure, and land relevelling. The expert will also assist the ADB’s project team in due diligence during implementation. The targeted districts are Naeerrabad, Jhal Magsi, Kachhi, Jaffarabad, Sohbatpur, Zhob, Killa Saifullah, Loralai, Barkhan, Kohlu, Musakhail, Pishin, Killa Abdullah, Lasbela, Awaran, and Panjgur.

Detailed Tasks and/or Expected Output

The overall responsibilities of the expert will include but not limited to the following: 1. Advise ADB project team and the EA on technical matters as given below. 2. Oversee the process of preliminary assessment of the flood damages, outreach and consultation, selection criteria and shortlisting for on-farm small-scale water storages, high-efficiency irrigation systems, farm channels, diversion structures and farm embankments, dug wells and flood-damaged land. 3. Check on sample basis the field surveys, design, and costing. 4. Coordinate the overall implementation arrangements and advise integration of cross cutting compliances related to safeguards, gender, social development, procurement, financial, and contract administration. 5. During construction phase, (a) conduct field visits and monitor time, cost, quality, and safety control measures adopted and reported during construction supervision; (b) identify and analyze construction risks, response planning and execution; (c) sample- based validation of construction method statement, survey, materials, and workmanship certification record, and engaging independent testing if required. 6. Coordinate and liaise with processing and project administration missions for meeting with stakeholders and advising them on ADB review mission plans and engagements. Participate in reviews, follow up on actions and timelines proposed to address the generic and key issues highlighted in the review and report on the progress on monthly basis. 7. Develop formats of monthly, quarterly, biannual, and annual reporting on the project through consultation with ADB, EA and consultants. Monitor data collection and analysis including benchmark/baseline data for performance indicators in the DMF. 8. Review EA reporting submissions and framework and templates for project performance monitoring system. Report progress, issue(s) and recommend solution(s).

Minimum Qualification Requirements

The assignment requires 10 years’ specific experience in on-farm water management, agriculture engineering, land management, community agriculture engineering infrastructure and services. The incumbent should have completed 16 years of education; holds a four-year bachelor’s degree in Agriculture/Agriculture Engineering/Civil Engineering and preferably a master’s degree in relevant field. Understanding of ADB or other donors assisted projects is preferrable.

POSITION TYPE

ORGANIZATION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

DEGREE REQUIRED

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