About Us

International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI), a U.S.-based international development consulting company established in 1987, has worked in over 120 countries and implemented over 350 projects worldwide. IBTCI serves government agencies, private sector companies, and several international organizations. IBTCI specializes in monitoring, evaluation, research, learning (MERL), and institutional support across many areas and sectors including, but not limited to, agriculture and food security, economic growth, environment, global health, democracy and governance, conflict and crisis.

Job Title: Economics and Business Management Expert
Department/Location: Harare/Zimbabwe
Reports to: Evaluation Team Leader
Type: Short-Term
Classification: Consultant

Overview: IBTCI is seeking a qualified Economics and Business Management Expert to join our evaluation team for the anticipated USAID/Zimbabwe Evaluation of Community Gardens’ Contribution to Household Income and Nutrition in Zimbabwe. The selected candidate will play a critical role in assessing the economic viability and business management aspects of community gardens in Zimbabwe. This evaluation aims to provide vital insights into the contribution of community gardens to household income and nutrition, focusing on the economic factors that influence their success and sustainability. The ideal Economics and Business Management Expert should possess prior experience in similar evaluations, including proficiency in data collection and analysis. The period of engagement spans six months, commencing in August 2024 and concluding in February 2025.

This position is contingent upon receiving the USAID award.

Responsibilities

Essential Duties/Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Conduct an economic analysis of community gardens to determine their viability in improving household income and nutrition.
• Assess the financial management practices of community garden projects and their impact on sustainability.
• Evaluate the market dynamics, including access to markets and marketing strategies for garden produce.
• Determine the minimum plot size necessary for economic viability and effective contribution to household income.
• Analyze the economic conditions necessary for community gardens to offer meaningful contributions to household income and nutrition.
• Participate in designing the evaluation methodology, instruments, and the overall evaluation work plan.
• Conduct site visits, facilitate key informant interviews, and lead other data collection activities.
• Perform secondary data analysis and synthesize existing data and evidence.
• Process both quantitative and qualitative data, including coding qualitative data as part of the analysis.
• Review and analyze qualitative and quantitative data comprehensively.
• Prepare a detailed report on the evaluation findings.
• Develop recommendations and best practices for establishing community gardens, drawing from identified best practices during the review.
• Contribute to the development of a dissemination plan for the evaluation findings.
• Deliver a presentation of the main findings and recommendations.
• Engage in meetings with relevant USAID staff to discuss the assignment and present findings, providing regular updates on the evaluation’s progress.
• Ensure all tasks are executed to the highest professional standards, meeting both USAID and IBTCI requirements.
• Guarantee the delivery of high-quality deliverables within set deadlines.
• Maintain effective communication with the evaluation team and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with all USAID, IBTCI, and program-specific policies and regulations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

• At least five years of experience in Agricultural Economics or Business Management.
• A minimum of five years of experience in conducting economic evaluations, particularly for development programs.
• No conflicts of interest related to the project or activity under evaluation.
• Ability to travel to Zimbabwe and conduct necessary field visits.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Oral and written fluency in English required, fluency in another language preferred.

Education: A degree in Economics, Business Management, Agricultural Economics, or a related field. Additional certifications or training in evaluation methodologies is an advantage.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Expertise in Economics and Business Management, with a focus on agricultural and community-based projects.
• Experience in conducting evaluations for USAID or similar organizations.
• Familiarity with the socio-economic and agricultural context of Zimbabwe or the region.
• Strong skills in both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
• Experience with community garden projects and economic evaluations, either through prior evaluation or implementation.
• Ability to conduct econometric analysis and interpret complex data sets.
• Excellent report writing and communication skills.
• Knowledge of USAID evaluation policies and procedures.
• Familiarity with ethical considerations in data collection and research, including informed consent, confidentiality, and privacy.
• Gender experience/expertise is preferred.
• Strong time-management, multi-tasking, and organizational skills.

Working Environment: Work is typically performed in an office environment.

Physical Requirements: This is largely a sedentary position that requires the ability to speak, hear, see, and lift small objects up to 20 lbs.

Supervisory Responsibility: This position has no supervisory requirements.

Travel: This position is primarily remote, with travel to Zimbabwe as required.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Equal Opportunity Employer

IBTCI is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identification, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, or any other classification protected by applicable anti-discrimination laws. We prohibit and do not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

If you are an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability, or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact the Talent Acquisition team at TalentAcquisition@ibtci.com (Do not send your resume to this account, for consideration please apply in our career page, https://careers.ibtci.com/jobs).