Consultant for Services on Market-Driven Standards and Certification, Myanmar 160 views

Since 1963 and in 148 countries, ACDI/VOCA has empowered people in developing and transitional nations to succeed in the global economy. Based in Washington, D.C., ACDI/VOCA is a nonprofit international development organization that designs and delivers technical and management solutions in agriculture, economic growth, and resilience to promote economic prosperity and social inclusion.

Consultant for Services on Market-Driven Standards and Certification, Myanmar**

ACDI/VOCA is seeking a Consultant for Services on Market-Driven Standards and Certification for the USAID-funded Agriculture and Food Systems Development Activity (AFDA) in Myanmar. The AFDA facilitates the transformation of agriculture and food systems by increasing productivity, inclusiveness, and competitiveness of the agricultural market system in the zone of influence (ZOI) such as Kachin State, Shan State, Mandalay Region, Sagaing Region and Magway Region.
The objective(s) for the consultant will be to do a gap assessment of the food safety and phytosanitary systems and standards and certification service providers in Myanmar for AFDA prioritized sectors (oil seeds, pulses, horticulture, maize, beverage crops, and spices). The gap assessment will identify key gaps in the food safety and certification system as well as summarize the needs and requirements of certifications for specific ASEAN markets to increase awareness of the need for a well-functioning food safety and quality certification system.
The anticipated timeframe for this assignment is between July to September 2020 with up to 35 days of effort. The primary location of this assignment is Yangon and the ZOI, Myanmar.

Responsibilities

• Conduct interviews with Government of Myanmar’s Food and Drug Administration and other relevant government agencies as well as relevant donor’s such as GIZ’s Sustainable Agriculture and Food Quality Initiative to understand critical gaps in the food safety and certification systems.
• Interview private sector providers offering certification services as well as a mix of agribusinesses in AFDA’s priority sectors that have attained certification for export.
• Research other ASEAN food safety and certification systems that could be a model for Myanmar to follow.
• Identification critical gaps and solutions within Myanmar’s food safety and certification system that AFDA could address in the next one to three years.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Food Science Technology, Agriculture, or relevant degree.
• At least five years’ experience in Agricultural Product Standardization and Certification Processes and/or agricultural commodity export systems.
• Knowledge of global GAP, ASEAN GAP, and Myanmar GAP including regulation, practices, the requirement of recorded documents, and certification process.
• Knowledge of export trade and requirements of standard and certification documents especially of AFDA prioritized commodities.
• Excellent spoken and written English