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International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)
Verified
Consultant - RE-GAIN Programme - Environmental And Social Management System, Accountability And Safeguarding
Addis Ababa - ethiopia
part-time
contract
Posted
11 hours ago
Experience
5+ years
Deadline
Oct. 23, 2026 (9 days left)
Consultant - RE-GAIN Programme - Environmental and Social Management System, Accountability and Safeguarding.
REF: C/AGRA/020/2026
AGRA seeks to recruit a consultant who can provide supports to AGRA Ethiopia to operationalize the existing RE-GAIN Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and strengthen country-level accountability, safeguarding and partner assurance arrangements.
AGRA founded in 2006, is an African-led African-based organization that seeks to catalyze Agriculture Transformation in Africa. AGRA is focused on putting smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. As the sector that employs the majority of Africa’s people, nearly all of them small-scale farmers, AGRA recognizes that developing smallholder agriculture into a productive, efficient, and sustainable system is essential to ensuring food security, lifting millions out of poverty, and driving equitable growth across the continent.
AGRA is rolling out a new 5-year strategy to catalyze and sustain an Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa to increase incomes and improve food security for 30 million farmers. Under this strategy, AGRA will deliver through an approach that simultaneously catalyzes change at farmer level, strengthens input and output market systems and puts government at the center to enable and champion private-sector-led agricultural growth at national level.
1.
GENERAL BACKGROUND
AGRA is implementing the RE-GAIN Programme, financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), to reduce climate-induced food losses and strengthen resilient agricultural value chains. In Ethiopia, the programme focuses on teff and wheat and supports the adoption of Food Loss-Reduction Solutions (FL-RS), including hermetic storage bags, drying tarpaulins, silos, threshers/shellers, communal storage and aflatoxin management. RE-GAIN is implemented in accordance with AGRA's Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS), relevant GCF environmental and social requirements, and applicable international good practice. The ESMS is integrated into AGRA's Programme Operations Manual (POM), including requirements related to environmental and social risk management, stakeholder engagement, gender and accountability. The environmental and social screening for RE-GAIN activities in Ethiopia has been completed. The current requirement is therefore to operationalise and strengthen implementation of the existing ESMS and related accountability and safeguarding arrangements, rather than establish parallel systems. The consultant will provide country-level technical support to AGRA Ethiopia to strengthen implementation of mitigation measures, stakeholder engagement, grievance and feedback mechanisms, safeguarding, accountability and partner assurance. Particular attention will be given to establishing an accessible Grievance and Feedback Mechanism (GFM), including a fit-for-purpose digital complaints and feedback management system with appropriate hotline/SMS functionality.
2.
OBJECTIVE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
Overall Objective
To support AGRA Ethiopia to operationalize the existing RE-GAIN Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and strengthen country-level accountability, safeguarding and partner assurance arrangements.
Specific Objectives
The consultancy will:
Refine and operationalize Environmental and Social Action Plans (ESAPs) for RE-GAIN interventions and partners.
Develop and support implementation of a risk-proportionate Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP).
Establish and operationalise an AGRA Ethiopia country-level Grievance and Feedback Mechanism (GFM), including a fit-for-purpose digital complaints and feedback management system and appropriate hotline/SMS channels as part of FGM.
Develop a Country Accountability, Safeguarding and Partner Assurance Framework, including minimum safeguarding standards and partner assurance tools.
Build the capacity of AGRA staff and partner focal points to manage ESMS, accountability, safeguarding and feedback systems sustainably.
- SCOPE OF WORK
The consultant will undertake the following key activities:
3.1. Environmental and Social Action Plans
Review screening results, risk categorization and existing mitigation measures.
Refine ESAPs with clear actions, responsibilities, timelines, indicators and budgets where required.
Facilitate consultations with implementing partners, suppliers and relevant stakeholders to agreed actions.
Establish and maintain a consolidated country ESAP tracker.
3.2. Stakeholder Engagement
Map and analyse key stakeholders, including farmers, women, youth, persons with disabilities, advisors, cooperatives, MSMEs, suppliers, financial institutions, government institutions and relevant community organisations. Assess their interests, influence, exposure to programme risks, communication needs and barriers to participation, and identify appropriate engagement methods.
Develop a risk-proportionate SEP covering information disclosure, participation, feedback and inclusion.
Develop an engagement monitoring framework and engagement log.
3.3. Grievance and Feedback Mechanism
Assess existing complaints and feedback channels and identify gaps.
Design and operationalize a country-level GFM that connects existing channels and includes an independent reporting channel.
Configure and operationalise a fit-for-purpose digital Grievance and Feedback management system
, including appropriate hotline/SMS functionality, secure case registration and management, categorization, referral, follow-up, resolution and closure.
Establish role-based access, confidentiality and data protection measures, automated tracking, dashboards and standardized management reports.
Develop communication materials and guidance in relevant local languages.
Train focal persons and test the mechanism before full operationalization.
3.4 Accountability, Safeguarding and Partner Assurance
Assess RE-GAIN-specific accountability, safeguarding and SEAH risks.
Develop minimum safeguarding and SEAH standards for partners.
Develop or review partner safeguarding due-diligence, capacity assessment, improvement-plan and monitoring tools.
Operationalize confidential safeguarding reporting, referral and escalation procedures.
Develop a mapping of relevant GBV service providers in programme areas.
Define youth safeguarding and child protection measures.
3.5 Capacity Building and Handover
Orient AGRA staff, partners and relevant focal persons on the tools and systems developed.
Provide practical coaching during implementation.
Prepare handover materials and a six-month follow-up plan
DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT, DUTY STATION
Duration: October 2026 – March 2027 (approximately six months)
Maximum working days: 100 working days
Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with remote working as appropriate.
Expected places of travel: Selected RE-GAIN programme implementation areas in Ethiopia, as required for stakeholder consultations, partner engagement, field validation, training and testing of GFM arrangements.
Mode of assignment: Hybrid – primarily remote, with physical presence at the AGRA Ethiopia office and travel to selected programme areas as required
- PROVISION OF MONITORING AND PROGRESS CONTROLS
Deliverables and Activities
End of October 2026
Inception report: Review of existing ESMS and screening results; stakeholder and partner mapping; methodology, field visit plan, detailed workplan and timeline.
Mid-December 2026
Reviewed and Agreed ESAPs and Country ESAP Tracker: Reviewed and agreed mitigation action plans for all relevant partners and interventions, including actions, responsibilities, timelines, indicators and budget requirements, with a consolidated country ESAP tracker.
End of December 2026
Country Accountability and Safeguarding risk Matrix: Country-level risk matrix and action plan, including minimum safeguarding standards covering PSEA/SEAH, child safeguarding, Code of Conduct, confidentiality, complaints, referral and escalation mechanisms.
Draft December 2026; final January 2027
Country Stakeholder Engagement Plan: Risk-proportionate SEP covering stakeholder mapping, engagement methods, responsibilities, key messages, engagement calendar, monitoring framework and budget
Design January 2027; operational February 2027
AGRA Ethiopia Country Office Grievance and Feedback Management System (GFM): Operational GFM incorporating existing channels and RE-GAIN requirements, for use across programmes, incorporating Accountability to Affected People principles and RE-GAIN-specific intake, referral, response, closure and reporting procedures. The deliverable shall include the design, installation/configuration and testing of a fit-for-purpose digital complaints and feedback management system, including hotline/SMS functionality where appropriate, secure case management, role-based access, automated tracking, management dashboards and standardized reports. Includes the GFM design document, grievance register/system, focal-person roles, communication materials, user guidance and installation and testing report.
February 2027
AGRA Ethiopia Country Accountability, Safeguarding and Partner Assurance Framework: Review of existing arrangements; country action plan; minimum safeguarding and SEAH standards; partner due-diligence and capacity assessment tools; safeguarding improvement-plan and monitoring tools; and confidential referral and escalation procedures.
March 2027
Final report and handover notes: Final report, handover notes, orientation/training records, user guidance for GFM and safeguarding tools, si...