Introduction

Rikolto is an international network organization with over 40 years of experience in partnering with food chain actors in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. We build bridges of trust and trade between the food industry, governments, research institutes, financial institutions, and farmers’ organizations around a central question : "What will we eat tomorrow ?"
In Africa, Rikolto has two regional offices : East Africa (Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and RD Congo) and West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, and Senegal).

Rikolto in partnership with thirty-five partners, including ICLEI Africa as the lead, secured funding from the European Union to implement a four-year project called AfriFOODLinks.
AfriFOODLinks aims to improve food and nutrition security while producing positive results for the climate and the environment and building socio-ecological resilience in more than sixty-five cities, focusing on 5 African cities, including Ouagadougou and Mbale in Rikolto’s intervention areas.

More specifically, the project will :
1) promote public shifts to sustainable healthy diets ;
2) transform urban food environments through real-world socio-technical experiments ;
3) promote inclusive multi-actor governance to empower public officials, established and informal small businesses, communities, youth and women with ownership and agency to shape their food systems ; and

4) accelerate innovative, women- and youth-led agri-food businesses to support local value addition and inclusive economic participation.
AfriFOODLinks aims to support change in the food systems of five pilot African cities (including Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso and Mbale in Uganda) and invites 10 African cities (including Dakar in Senegal) and 5 European cities to join them on a mutual learning journey, to share their work on innovative food systems and co-design specific pilot projects. Through a diverse set of AfriFOODLinks interventions, these cities will become sources of inspiration for urban food system transitions across the continent.

AfriFOODLinks aims to create a thriving network of cities in Africa and beyond, in which food systems and nutrition are firmly established in the local governance agenda. Citizen-led, multi-stakeholder governance platforms allow diverse voices to inform policy and urban planning processes that promote food and nutrition security and environmental regenerative practices.
To achieve this vision, AfriFOODLinks has set itself five cross-cutting objectives that will be implemented through 7 Work Packages (WP).

1. Build, through multi-stakeholder collaboration, an action-oriented knowledge and evidence base needed to develop and deliver resilient urban food systems in African cities.
2. Support the development of citizen-led, multi-stakeholder food governance platforms that ensure diverse and vulnerable voices are heard to support knowledge creation and policy development at the local level.

3. Improve the structure and performance of specific food environments, in collaboration with informal systems, to improve physical and economic access to nutritious food, by encouraging the adoption of healthy and sustainable diets and food practices, while demonstrating that environmental regeneration is possible through the transformation of food systems.

4. Strengthen small-scale entrepreneurial ecosystems by overcoming barriers that prevent vulnerable actors in the food chain (e.g., smallholder farmers, youth- and women-led MSMEs, informal vendors) from creating profitable [circular] food enterprises that contribute to healthy, nutritious, and sustainable food.
5. Increase and strengthen exchange opportunities and partnerships between the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) for mutual learning, partner with existing projects under the EU-AU HLPD-FNSSA priority, disseminate and adopt fair trade practices, and support African voices in shaping global urban food agendas
6. Develop a network of reference cities in which circular food systems and nutrition are firmly established in the local governance agenda.

7. Project coordination
Rikolto co-leads the Work Package (WP) three of the project with Shona (an SME development organization based in Uganda) and is responsible for coordinating partners and subcontractors in its cities of intervention (Mbale and Ouagadougou).
In Ouagadougou, the main partners of the project include the Urban Economic Development Agency of the Commune of Ouagadougou (ADEU), AFP/PME, the League of Consumers of Burkina (LCB), the DTA/IRSAT, the Municipality of Ouagadougou, Inades-Formation/Burkina, and the NGO ACRA.
Rikolto is looking for a Project Manager to ensure the implementation of activities at the level of the City of Ouagadougou, coordinate the project partners in Ouagadougou and ensure relations with ICLEI Africa, the Project Lead, in its areas of intervention.

The AfriFoodLinks Project Manager is responsible for the implementation of the project activities in Burkina Faso, the partner’s coordination in the city of Ouagadougou, as well as the overall coordination of the project in the two regions of intervention of Rikolto (East and West Africa). He/she will be responsible for the design and implementation of activities in Ouagadougou for WP3, in collaboration with city officials and partners, and in collaboration with the WP3 Project Coordinator based in Mbale. He/she will ensure the coordination of all City of Ouagadougou partners and will also ensure the relations between Rikolto and ICLEI Africa, lead of the project. As such, she/he will ensure the proper execution of the activities of various WPs by the partners concerned in the City of Ouagadougou and will serve as a relay between Ouagadougou’s partners and the Global Lead of the project (ICLEI Africa).

The Project Manager is part of the Good Food For Cities (GF4C) West Africa team and will work closely with the Good Food for Cities Regional Program Director for West Africa (based in Ouagadougou) to whom she/he reports and the WP3 coordinator of the project based in Uganda (in Mbale),

This position requires an interest and expertise in sustainable and inclusive entrepreneurship, urban food systems, multi-stakeholder process facilitation, circular economy, food governance, as well as other issues such as climate change, urban planning, and supply chain management. The Project Manager will play a key role in creating the conditions for collaboration between local governments, the private sector, civil society, and academia in planning and building sustainable and resilient food systems.

Responsibilities
• Networking : Establish and maintain good relations with stakeholders in Burkina Faso (civil society, government, private sector, development partners and media) and with members of the AfriFOODLinks consortium.
• Engagement and management of partners and subcontractors : Identify, select, and supervise partner(s) and consultants as needed in close collaboration with the AfriFOODLinks national team ; Ensure timely and high-quality deliverables and reports from partners engaged by Rikolto.

• Coordination : co-ordinate the action of partners in the City of Ouagadougou ; Ensure the liaison between Rikolto and ICLEI for the entire project. Contribute to the design and implementation of Work Package of three activities (inclusive and circular food enterprises), with the Uganda team, represent Rikolto in the governance structure of the project and the follow-up of action points.

• Research and Learning : coordinate research(ers), facilitate data collection and use, ensure adequate monitoring, draw lessons, and continuously improve the national program to achieve the highest level of impact ; Actively participate in program-wide learning activities.
• Innovation : Ensure that the program is constantly innovating, for example by establishing unusual partnerships and cooperation between urban youth and local communities ; or by supporting innovative business ideas to support the transition to sustainable food systems.

• Program, Budget Management and Compliance : Develop and oversee annual planning, regularly review and monitor project progress against approved milestones and budget (in collaboration with relevant staff), and recommend corrective actions, flag issues, and suggest mitigation measures as required ; be conform with Rikolto and donor procedures.
• Reporting : Compile technical and financial reports submitted by partners/consultants, evaluate them, consolidate, and write quality reports for donors, Rikolto and other stakeholders.

• Knowledge Management and Communication : Support the development of capitalization documents and communication materials related to the project.
• Other : Support fundraising efforts for the West Africa region ; Represent Rikolto – programmatically and operationally – vis-à-vis the various stakeholders ; Contribute to other tasks as requested. Serve as a key member of the West Africa GF4C team.
Education and Experience

• Master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant field, such as entrepreneurship, business development, development studies, rural (urban) food systems, agriculture, urban planning, or another relevant field.
• Experience in managing business incubation activities (youth-focused).
• Experience managing projects to the highest ethical standards, demonstrated effective interpersonal skills, creative problem solving.
• A minimum of five years of relevant work experience, preferably in advocacy and influence strategies (food-related).

• Minimum of five years of experience in project management, including project design and implementation, donor compliance, budget management and increasing stakeholder ownership
• Experience in managing EU-funded programs and projects is an asset.
• Valuable experience and understanding of the multi-stakeholder approach.
• Experience in monitoring and using monitoring and evaluation plans and indicators

• Experience working in or with cities in East and West Africa, or similar contexts
Skills and knowledge
• Excellent networking, relationship building and negotiation skills.
• Good understanding of urban food and agriculture issues – including food system approach and food governance issues, youth engagement in the food system, gender issues, etc.

• Results-driven professional with proven understanding of program design, monitoring and evaluation
• Professional proficiency in oral and written English language skills required for this position (English will be the preferred working language)
• Willingness to travel up country

Attitude
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision or as part of a team
• Has a positive attitude and focuses on win-win situations
• Acts with integrity and respects others
• Challenge yourself constructively and challenge others
• Can be used to meet (responsible) commitments within agreed timelines
• Is accurate and detail oriented

• Has a creative and inspiring personality
• Inspires people to act in line with Rikolto East Africa’s vision/plan
• Is willing to learn and share lessons learned
• Confidential information can be trusted
• Is willing to cooperate with diverse actors and communicate clearly in a variety of contexts and styles
• Uncompromisingly adheres to Rikolto’s ethical values
What we offer

We offer a stimulating working environment in an international professional organization with a very dedicated staff. We offer a one-year national contract based on Rikolto’s local working conditions, with compensation commensurate with experience and expertise. Contract renewable according to performance.
Reports to the Good Food for Cities Program Regional Director for West Africa to whom he/she reports.

Geographical scope : National level for the implementation of project actions – regional level for project coordination
Duty Station : Ouagadougou

How to apply ?
Interested candidates can submit their CV, cover letter and application letter in English at 20 jobs.westafrica@rikolto.org no later than December 22, 2022, 11:59 p.m. Successful candidates will be notified of the interview which will take place in January 2023.

Bureau Régional
Bénin – Burkina Faso – Mali – Sénégal – Côte d’Ivoire – Ghana
05 BP 6530 Ouagadougou 05 - Burkina Faso
Tél. (+00226) 25 37 52 98, Fax. (+00226) 25 37 41 35, Mobile (+00226) 70 52 21 16
westafrica@rikolto.org / www.rikolto.org/westafrica