Animal Health Expert – Animal Health Systems Facilitating Trade Project

Background

The African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), a specialized technical office of the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (DARBE) of the African Union Commission (AUC), is mandated to support and coordinate the utilization of livestock, fisheries, aquaculture and wildlife as resources for both human wellbeing and economic development in the Member States of the African Union. The Vision of the AU-IBAR Strategic Plan 2018-2023 is an Africa in which animal resources contribute significantly to integration, prosperity and peace.

The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) entered into effect on January 1, 2021, aspiring to create a free trade block consisting of 55-member states. Implementation of the AfCFTA Agreement Annex 7 on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures highlights the pressing need to support Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and Member States (MS) in strengthening legislation and regulations that are based on risk analysis, science and international standards to facilitate the trade of agricultural products. Recognizing the importance of SPS measures in facilitating intra-African and global trade, the AU Heads of States endorsed the AU SPS Policy Framework and Animal Health Strategy for Africa (AHSA) in 2020. AHSA is aligned with the SPS Policy Framework which is the primary tool for implementing the Annex 7 of the AfCFTA Agreement. AHSA serves as the implementation framework for the animal health component of the AU SPS Policy Framework. Implementation of the AHSA will contribute to building sustainable animal health systems aligned with international standards to facilitate safe trade in animals and animal products.

The implementation of AHSA will lead to improved capacity to anticipate and mitigate the negative impacts of animal diseases, zoonosis, climate change, and disasters for healthy and productive animal populations and increased access to regional and international markets for African animals and animal products. AU-IBAR, with support from the United Stated Department of Agriculture – Foreign Agricultural Services (USDA-FAS), is implementing a project on “Animal Health Systems Facilitating Trade” and the “Support for the Participation of African Nations in the Work of the World Organisation for Animal Health” project. The two projects will be implemented over a two-year period. The overall objective of the projects is to improve animal health systems, animal health related SPS governance and management at continental, regional and bilateral levels in Africa.

The strategic objectives for the project are:

• Objective 1: To generate evidence to inform capacity development and disease risk management
• Objective 2: To harmonize SPS processes for trade facilitation in animals and animal products with WOAH standards as the basis
• Objective 3: To build core competencies for the design and implementation of evidence-based SPS measures

Overall Objective

The overall objective of the consultancy is to provide technical support for the implementation of the Animal Health Facilitating Trade Project” and the “Support for the Participation of African Nations in the Work of the World Organisation for Animal Health Project”.

Tasks

The Animal Health Expert will undertake the following tasks

1. Provide technical support for the implementation of the “Animal Health Systems Facilitating Trade” project and the “Support for the Participation of African Nations in the Work of the World Organisation for Animal Health” Project
2. Coordinate generation of evidence in beneficiary AU Member States and RECs to inform capacity development and disease risk management
3. Jointly coordinate with ECOWAS Commission on the harmonization of SPS processes for trade facilitation in priority animals and animal products in selected regional trade corridors
4. Support the delivery of capacity building activities to build core competencies for the design and implementation of evidence-based SPS measures in the animal health sector
5. Contributing to the identification of trade enhancing policies, regulatory, and procedural improvements in collaboration with RECs, AU Member States and relevant Partners to facilitate intra-African trade in animals and animal products
6. Develop relevant policy briefs for decision making
7. Monitor trade in animals and animal products in Africa and coordinate with RECs to prepare Outlook Report for trade in animals and animal products
8. Support the coordination of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and AU Member States to facilitate the development and presentation of African Positions on draft Chapters of WOAH on priority animal health issues
9. Coordinate dialogue platform to exchange views and comments on WOAH standards among the Africa Region and the Region of the America’s
10. Prepare final Technical Report on Project Implementation.
11. Any other duty as may be assigned by the Director of AU-IBAR

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

1. An inception report developed outlining detailed methodology and work plan to undertake the tasks
2. Evidence generated to inform capacity development and disease risk management interventions in selected beneficiary countries
3. Trade enhancing policies, regulatory, and procedural improvements to facilitate intra-African trade in animals and animal products identified
4. Activities to harmonize SPS processes for trade facilitation in priority animals and animal products in selected regional trade corridors coordinated
5. Capacity building activities on core competencies for implementation of SPS measures undertaken
6. Policy briefs developed and disseminated to stakeholders to support decision making
7. Outlook Report for trade in animals and animal products
8. African Positions on draft Chapters of WOAH on priority animal health issues coordinated and presented at the Specialist Commission meetings and the General Assembly of the WOAH
9. Dialogue platform to exchange views and comments on WOAH standards among the Africa Region and the Region of the America’s operationalized
10. Final Technical Report on Project Implementation.

Academic Qualification

At least an advanced University Degree in veterinary medicine, veterinary public health, epidemiology or relevant animal health related field. A PhD degree will be an added advantage.

General experience

1. At least 7 years of proven experience in public and/or private sector animal health services at national, regional or international levels;
2. At least 7 years’ experience working on management of priority transboundary animal diseases in the different regions of Africa particularly ECOWAS region;
3. At least 7 years’ working knowledge of the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) standards and the WTO SPS Agreement;
4. At least 7 years working knowledge of evaluation and assessment of various aspects of veterinary services using tools such as PVS, JEE etc

Specific Experience

1. Experience in delivering capacity development interventions for veterinary services in key competency areas for prevention and control of transboundary animal diseases based on WOAH standards;
2. Proven knowledge and experience on harmonization of disease prevention and control especially in cross border areas with focus on the ECOWAS region;
3. Proven record of familiarization with and participation in policy processes for adoption of instruments, initiatives and development of recommendations by ECOWAS and AU Policy Organs
4. Experience in formulating regional and continental animal health strategies and frameworks;
5. Demonstrated experience in the principles and practice of risk analysis as a tool for facilitating safe trade in animals and animal products
6. Proven working knowledge and experience on livestock values chains development;

Skills and Competencies

1. Demonstrated experience in establishment and implementation of sanitary agreements/protocols and undertaking technical negotiations to facilitate safe trade in animals and animal products;
2. Diplomacy and good interactive skills necessary for dealing with senior officials in Government, Regional Organizations, and donor/development organizations;
3. Proven record of scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals;

Language

Proficiency in at least two official AU languages

Gender Mainstreaming

The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Duty Stations

The consultants will be stationed in Nairobi with travel on specific assignments agreed with the AU-IBAR Management.

Duration

The effective duration of this assignment is 6 months. The contract is renewable depending on availability of funds and satisfactory performance. The selected candidate should be available to undertake this assignment on the 1st March 2023.

Remuneration

The remuneration for this Consultancy is a fixed amount of USD6800 (Six Thousand and Eight Hundred US Dollars) per month.

Expenses for missions will be covered separately in accordance with the applicable African Union Commission rules and regulations.

Supervision and Reporting

The project is being implemented under the Standards and Trade Secretariat (STS) for Animal Health of AU-IBAR. The successful candidate will be under the direct supervision of the Coordinator for STS and overall supervision by the Director of AU-IBAR.

Evaluation Criteria

The applications will be evaluated on the basis of the relevant technical qualifications, experience and competence of the candidates.

Criteria Scores (%)

Qualifications 15

General Experience 20

Specific Experience 50

Skills and Competencies 10

Language 5