E T Consultant

Job #: req38380 Organization: World Bank Sector: Agriculture Grade: EC2 Term Duration: 1 year 0 months Recruitment Type: Local Recruitment Location: Astana,Kazakhstan Required Language(s): English Preferred Language(s):

Closing Date: 9/25/2026 (MM/DD/YYYY) at 11:59pm UTC

Description

Working at the World Bank Group provides a unique opportunity for you to help our clients solve their greatest development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries; a unique global partnership of five institutions dedicated to ending extreme poverty, increasing shared prosperity and promoting sustainable development. With 189 member countries and more than 120 offices worldwide, we work with public and private sector partners, investing in groundbreaking projects and using data, research, and technology to develop solutions to the most urgent global challenges. Visit www.worldbank.org

Context and Rationale

Central Asia Farming and Agribusiness Portfolio. The World Bank maintains an active and growing farming and agribusiness portfolio across Central Asia. In Uzbekistan, the Bank supports the Agriculture Modernization Project (US500 million), the Second Rural Enterprise Development Project (US200 million) — which has established 21 Business Incubation Hubs and supported nearly 13,000 entrepreneurs — and the Second Livestock Sector Development Project (US240 million), focused on smallholder dekhan farmers who produce 80% of domestic meat and milk. In the Kyrgyz Republic, the Integrated Dairy Productivity Improvement Project (US17 million) has trained over 10,000 farmers (62% women), complemented by the Resilient Agri-food Clusters Development Project (US35 million) targeting dairy and horticulture clusters. In Tajikistan, the SRASP (US108 million) supports seed and fertilizer distribution and five Agro-Logistic Centers, despite a current US$18 million financing gap. The Bank is also working with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to scale up One Health investments, in support of food system resilience and pandemic prevention.

One Health MPA Implementation in Central Asia. The World Bank is supporting a Multi-Phase Programmatic Approach (MPA) for Pandemic Prevention, Food Systems Resilience, and Ecosystem Health in Central Asia. Phase 1 covers Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and a regional component under the Central Asian Regional Environmental Centre (CAREC); Phase 2 and 3 cover Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Following the first Implementation Support Mission (February 2026), overall implementation progress was rated Moderately Satisfactory, reflecting early-stage challenges including delayed project effectiveness in the Kyrgyz Republic due to parliamentary dissolution, limited local animal health expertise in Tajikistan, and fiduciary risks related to the dual exchange rate system in Turkmenistan. Key priorities going forward include accelerating effectiveness and disbursement, recruiting critical PMU specialists, strengthening procurement and financial management systems, and advancing regional governance through the Regional One Health Coordination Council (ROHCC) and the Regional One Health Action Plan (ROHAP). Preparing Grant Agreement for participation of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is also a priority.

ECA-AgriConnect MPA Preparation. The World Bank is preparing the ECA AgriConnect Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA), a US4 billion program to transform agrifood systems across Europe and Central Asia. The Program Development Objective is to connect farmers, producer organizations, and agri-SMEs to markets and increase job creation in agribusiness. Phase 1 targets Türkiye (US750 million), with Board presentation targeted for September 2026. Phase 2 will target Uzbekistan, with Board presentation targeted for Q3, FY27. In Central Asia, subsequent Phases will target Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. The program is organized around six pillars: (i) farmer aggregation and producer organization; (ii) AgTech solutions and digital public infrastructure; (iii) physical infrastructure including irrigation, cold chains, and logistics; (iv) skills, extension, and research (AKIS); (v) financial ecosystem development; and (vi) policy reform and regulatory alignment. Preparation requires intensive analytical, operational, and stakeholder engagement support across all pillars, with close coordination between the World Bank and IFC under a One World Bank Group approach.

The consultant will provide technical, analytical, and operational support to the World Bank's agrifood portfolio in the ECA region, with a primary focus on supporting implementation of the Central Asia One Health MPA (about 40% of the time allocation), preparation of the ECA AgriConnect MPA (about 40% of the time allocation), and overall portfolio support (20% of the time allocation).

Duties & Accountabilities

1. Analytical and Advisory Work (Central Asia and ECA Region)

• Sector and country-level diagnostics: Conduct sector and country-level diagnostics to inform project preparation and implementation, including value chain analyses, institutional capacity assessments, and food systems reviews for ECA AgriConnect Phase 1 countries.

• Technical background papers: Contribute to the preparation of technical background papers on agrifood systems, One Health approaches, climate resilience, and market connectivity for Central Asia and the broader ECA region.

• One Health MPA implementation lessons: Analyze implementation lessons from the One Health MPA across Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, and CAREC to inform program adjustments and strengthen regional coordination mechanisms.

• Knowledge products: Draft technical notes, policy briefs, and working papers synthesizing lessons from One Health MPA implementation and ECA AgriConnect preparation for internal and external audiences.

• Communications materials: Prepare blogs, op-eds, and communications materials to highlight program achievements, innovations, and development impact on the World Bank's public knowledge platforms.

• Knowledge exchange: Contribute to the organization and facilitation of regional knowledge exchange events, technical workshops, and peer learning sessions on One Health and agrifood systems transformation.

• Knowledge repository: Develop and maintain a structured knowledge repository of analytical products, supervision documents, and operational tools relevant to the ECA agrifood portfolio.

• Communities of practice: Engage with regional and global communities of practice on One Health, food systems resilience, and agricultural digitalization to identify and integrate relevant innovations and good practices into program design and implementation.

2. Operational Support (Central Asia and ECA Region)

Implementation Support to the One Health MPA

• Prepare and quality-review procurement documents (Terms of Reference, technical specifications, evaluation criteria) for goods and services under the One Health MPA, including laboratory equipment, vehicles, and advisory services.

• Monitor implementation progress across all country and regional components, track agreed actions from supervision missions, and flag emerging risks to the TTL.

• Support coordination among PMUs in Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, and CAREC, including preparation of mission aide memoires, progress matrices, and back-to-office reports.

• Assist in the preparation and conduct of the next Implementation Support Mission (September 2026), including review of disbursement data, financial management reports, and procurement status updates.

• Provide technical review of Project Operational Manuals, staffing plans, and environmental and social compliance documents.

Preparation of ECA AgriConnect

• Support technical preparation of the MPA and Phase 1 project in Uzbekistan, including review of feasibility studies, technical designs, and implementation arrangements at the component level.

• Coordinate with government counterparts, IFC teams, and development partners to align program design with national agrifood sector priorities and institutional frameworks.

• Assist in the organization and documentation of stakeholder consultations and technical preparation workshops.

• Contribute to procurement strategy design, risk assessment matrices, and financing modality options for Phase 1 projects.

• Track preparation milestones and maintain updated preparation timelines and action matrices toward the Board presentation dates.

Overall Portfolio Support

• Support the monitoring of implementation progress and operational milestones across the Central Asia agrifood portfolio by tracking indicators, flagging bottlenecks, and preparing briefing materials for supervision missions.

• Contribute to portfolio-level reporting and results monitoring, including disbursement data, output and outcome indicators, and performance summaries across all active projects, in line with agreed results frameworks and World Bank reporting standards.

• Support knowledge management by documenting operational lessons, good practices, and emerging challenges from the Central Asia farming and agribusiness portfolio, and disseminating findings to inform project design and implementation decisions.

• Assist in stakeholder coordination across implementing agencies, government counterparts, and development partners.

Selection Criteria

• Education: Degree (Bachelor or Master’s) in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Political Sciences, Rural Development, Environmental Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, or a closely related discipline.

• Experience: A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience in the agrifood sector, of which at least five years must involve direct, hands-on operational experience with World Bank or other international financial institution (IFI) projects. This operational experience must include demonstrated involvement in at least two of the following: project preparation (concept note through PAD); supervision and implementation support missions; procurement document preparation and review; financial management and disbursement oversight; or environmental and social standards compliance in an IFI context. Prior experience working directly with World Bank operational policies and procedures is required.

Technical Competencies

• Thematic expertise: Demonstrated expertise in at least two of the following thematic areas: Economics, One Health and animal/human/environmental health interface; climate-smart and nature-based agricultural solutions; digital agriculture and AgTech; agricultural policy reform and subsidy repurposing; or communication and divulgation. Experience working in the ECA region, and particularly in Central Asia, is a strong advantage.

• Operational competencies: Proven ability to independently prepare and review technical procurement documents; support results monitoring and reporting; draft high-quality operational documents including aide memoires, mission back-to-office reports, and project manuals.

• Analytical and Advisory Services: Ability to translate evidence into actionable policy recommendations and deliver advisory services to high-level government clients.

Behavioral Competencies

• Client Orientation: Ability to build trust and credibility with a wide range of clients in diverse political and institutional settings.

• Stakeholder engagement: Proven ability to engage effectively with government counterparts, implementing agencies, and multi-partner teams in complex, multi-country settings.

• Communication: Excellent analytical and writing skills in English with a demonstrated ability to produce high-quality outputs for both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Languages: Proficiency in Russian, Turkish, or Uzbek is an advantage.

• Results Orientation: Ability to manage tasks and deliver high-quality outputs under tight deadlines.

WBG Culture Attributes:

1. Sense of urgency: Anticipate and quickly respond to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
2. Thoughtful risk-taking: Challenge the status quo and push boundaries to achieve greater impact.
3. Empowerment and accountability: Empower yourself and others to act and hold each other accountable for results.

World Bank Group Core Competencies

As per WBG policy, an Extended Term (ET) appointment is subject to a lifetime maximum of three (3) years. Former and current ET staff who have completed or are in the process of completing their third-year ET appointment are not eligible for future ET appointments.

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