Project: Support to the Development of Perennial Horticulture Private Sector (HPS)
Position: Citrus Post-Harvest Facility Engineer Int’l Consultant / Independent Contractor.
Location: Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan with at least one (1) multiday visit to Kabul, (appr. 3-4 days long).
Duration: Inputs are expected to take place during the period February – March 2015. Within this period, the Consultant needs to conduct a mission to Afghanistan for an overall duration five (5) weeks long. A week has six (6) working days (Saturday to Thursday). Traveling time for one (1) Working Day for each round of the deployment/repatriation trips (i.e. max two (2) working days) will count as working days.
Fee & Benefits: Daily gross rate compensation (including GoA Tax @ 7%) will be agreed with the consultant and RI will pay the consultant at the end of the mission by calculating the number of actual working days the consultant has performed. For each payment, Relief International will subtract the GoA Tax @ 7% amount and submit it to the relevant GoA Tax Department accordingly.
Accommodation will be provided by RI in a suitable Hotel / Guest House (GH) during the visits in Afghanistan.
RI will provide for the round trip economy class air tickets OR round road trip costs by the most economic and direct route. During your missions in Afghanistan, you will be covered with the standard RI Insurance package for Expatriates.
The Consultant will undertake all the necessary steps to obtain a VISA for Afghanistan and RI will reimburse the related costs accordingly after the provision of the related invoices.
Contract Volume: For the timely, satisfactory, and complete achievement of deliverables; the total consultancy fee to be paid by Relief International’s headquarters at a fixed daily gross rate for a maximum number of thirty (30) working days.
Introduction: This Project is a joint venture between Afghanistan National Horticulture Development Organization (ANHDO) and Relief International (RI) funded by Europe Aid - EU Delegation in Afghanistan. ANHDO is the lead partner for this project, broadly contributing the technical expertise, while RI is the co-applicant, mainly contributing managerial expertise.
About ANHDO: ANHDO is an Afghan NGO registered with the Ministry of Economy. ANHDO was first founded in 2009 and the development of ANHDO is part of the EU and Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) long term strategy for the development of horticulture sector in Afghanistan.
About RI: RI INGO is a humanitarian, non-profit, non-sectarian agency that provides emergency relief, rehabilitation, and development interventions throughout the world. Since 1990, RI’s programs have linked immediate emergency assistance with long-term economic and livelihood development through innovative programming at the grassroots level. RI has been operating in Afghanistan since November 2001 Implementing development and emergency assistance programs in several provinces.
Position Summary:
EU Delegation in Afghanistan has allocated the consortium ANHDO/RI Afghanistan the implementation of the ““Support to the Development of Agriculture Private Sector: Perennial Horticulture””. The project aims, as part of its specific objectives – SO4 to “A soundly based and profitable citrus industry in eastern Afghanistan is developed”.
There is an increased need for improving the citrus industry production levels & standards as well as develop and diversify the citrus value chain to meet international standards. Moreover, additional efforts for promoting public & private sector partnerships within the citrus industry in eastern Afghanistan are essential. The program is designed over four (4) years in order to permit capacity strengthening in the public and private sectors as well as institution building, which is required for long term sustainable improvements.
ANHDO/RI will organize the local citrus producers to go into the domestic market with strength (better varieties and better packages) and start to replace imports and regain the domestic market. Partnership with Nangarhar Valley Development Authority (NVDA) as well as the organizational arrangements for the Citrus Promotion Group (CPG) will be crucial. The outcomes will be better income, reduced imports, a strong partnership and the renaissance of the citrus industry in Afghanistan.
ANHDO/RI seeks a Citrus Post-Harvest Facility Engineer to provide the technical expertise and inputs required to establish a modern citrus processing facility in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. She/He will assess the existing building/s available, coordinate/mentor the relevant stakeholders and define all the technical specifications (Scope of Work) for the procurement phase. The new facility shall have an estimated processing capacity of 4-8 MT per hour and a processing line to potentially include grading/sorting, packaging and juice producing/bottling capacities to support export marketing activities to international markets. The whole line shall adopt a sanitary design i.e. can be cleaned thoroughly, with high level sanitation. The consultant will need to address issues related to facility layout, design and define the technical specifications and related Bills of Quantities (BoQs) for building renovations, connections to utilities and procurement of the required machinery. At the early stages of the consultancy, she/he will facilitate a Study Tour to nearby Pakistan where she/he will present to a group of project relevant stakeholders similar established citrus processing facilities before finally conclude to the basic layout of the facility.
Further follow up mission/s are expected for the selected Post-Harvest Facility Engineer to train local skilled labor in operation and maintenance (O&M), take part in the procurement evaluation committee for the international open tender as a technical advisor, supervise machinery installation and finally verify that the selected tender has successfully completed the citrus processing facility as per required specifications.
Notice: taking into consideration the proximity of Jalalabad to Pakistan as well as the established Pakistani citrus industry and existence of similar Pakistani made established citrus processing facilities; the recruitment of a suitable Pakistani Facility Engineer will be preferred for the referred vacancy.
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
- Participate to coordination meetings with project key stakeholders to establish a basic understanding of their expectations and mentor them towards a jointly accepted layout that meets internationally accepted standards with a reasonable production capacity.
- Assess the currently selected building to host the referred facility and the related utilities (electricity, water and drainage) to finally conclude if the available building is suitable.
- Facilitate the undertaking of a short (appr. 3 days long) tour to Pakistan to present to a small group of project stakeholders similar citrus processing facilities and examine already existing processing practices and operations. All related expenses (travel, accommodation, food etc.) will be covered by the project.
- Develop a technical layout of the finally agreed facility including a processing line potentially including grading/sorting, packaging and juice producing/bottling capacities.
- Propose necessary building renovations to permit for the operations of the processing facility under HACCP standards and practices. Prepare a detailed SoW (BoQs, material specifications and drawings) for the related works.
- Propose any other necessary renovations required to allow for the utilities supply (electricity, water and drainage) for the operations of the processing facility under acceptable standards and good practices. Prepare a detailed SoW (BoQs, material specifications and drawings) for the related works.
- Propose a list of the necessary processing machinery with their technical characteristics that meet the requirements of the referred processing facility. Prepare a set of technical specifications for each of the proposed machinery that can be used as the SoW for an international open tender.
- Propose a list (at least 6 different companies) of suitable relevant Pakistani companies that could supply, install and successfully hand over on a "turnkey" basis a fully operational facility.
- Develop a basic facility organogram including the skilled and unskilled staff required for normal operations as well as technical staff for regular maintenance including numbers, functions and basic job descriptions. Prepare the detailed capacity building requirements for operations and maintenance (O&M) staff.
- Propose a basic implementation timeframe including machinery procurement phase, renovation works phase, machinery contracting/ordering phase, machinery installation phase, O&M staff training aiming to achieve a successful hand over of a fully operational facility before autumn 2016.
Deliverables:
A. Facilitate a short (appr. 3 days long) tour to Pakistan to present to a small group of project stakeholders similar citrus processing facilities and examine already existing processing practices and operations.
B. During the last working days of the mission present to key project stakeholders during a day long Workshop in Kabul the following inputs:
- A schematic of the facility layout presenting the different processing stages of the processing line, key machinery, utility connections etc.
- A basic organogram including the skilled and unskilled staff required for normal O&M activities of the facility.
- A list of building renovations to permit for the operations of the processing facility under HACCP standards and practices including detailed SoW (BoQs, material specifications and drawings).
- A list of necessary renovations for the utilities supplies (electricity, water and drainage) for operations including a detailed SoW (BoQs, material specifications and drawings).
- A list of the necessary processing machinery with their technical characteristics that meet the requirements of the referred processing facility and the set of technical specifications per proposed machinery to be used as the SoW for an international open tender.
- A list (at least 6 different companies) of suitable relevant Pakistani companies that could supply, install and successfully hand over on a “key to hand” basis a fully operational facility.
- A basic implementation timeframe including machinery procurement, renovation works, machinery contracting/ordering, installation and training to achieve a hand over before autumn 2016.
C. Following the feedback of the project technical team; conclude the Final Report including all the required technical inputs and submit in electronic form within ten (10) calendar days from your departure from Afghanistan.
Reporting:
The Citrus Post-Harvest Facility Engineer Int’l Consultant will report to the SO4 Project Manager with accountability to Team Leader and Deputy Team Leader.
Minimum Qualifications / Experience:
- A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Engineering (BEng), MSc in Engineering will be appreciated
- Minimum of 6 years of hands on experience in a combination of establishing similar citrus packing/processing facilities and/or participate in the operation and maintenance (O&M) everyday activities of a similar citrus processing facilities.
- Demonstrated capacity as a creative, flexible and dynamic achiever able to innovate and design catalytic interventions.
- Detail-oriented and able to work independently. Maintain high ethical standards at all times, avoiding any actual or perceived conflicts of interests.
- Good knowledge of oral and written English is essential. Pashtu speakers will be preferred.
To apply for the consultancy, please kindly fill in your application here
http://ch.tbe.taleo.net/CH07/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=RI&cws=4&rid=589