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The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is located on Mindanao, the second biggest island of the Philippines, and is home to about 23 million people, almost a quarter of the total population of the Philippines, and home to about a third of the Philippines’ poor.
Mindanao has a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society, including Muslims, Christians, and indigenous peoples (IPs). Muslims make up 5-7% of the total population of the Philippines and approximately 21% of Mindanao's population. Mindanao development is hindered by two long-standing armed conflicts: (i) the communist insurgency that affects North and Central Mindanao and (ii) the ‘Moro’ insurgency in Mindanao, which dates to the early 1970s, and is one of Asia’s longest running rebel movements.
The BARMM is currently in transition as part of the implementation of a peace agreement signed by the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2014. The Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) inaugurated the BARMM and it endows the region with a degree of autonomy via a completely new governance system consisting of a new and well-functioning assembly reflective of the diversity of the Bangsamoro, a new form of Government with its own public administration along with an ‘independent, strictly merit-based civil service system, as well as a restructured multifaceted judicial system in religion and cultural rights, some fiscal control and greater control of its natural resources. Among the other key issues are the redefinition and management of new relationships with the state and local entities, as well as the development of an enabling environment for a flourishing civil society and private sector. The law installed the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority (BTA) until May 2025 when the first regional elections are due to take place.
As of 2021, the BARMM saw the economy grow by 7.5 percent in 2021, emerging as the second-fastest growing region among the 17 regions in the Philippines. Data on poverty incidence also shows a reduction from 55.9% of the population living below the poverty line in 2018 to 39.4 percent in 2021 (source PSA). However, the three island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi remain mostly under-developed and with persistently high poverty incidence and a key priority for the full execution of the peace agreement. Employment and income are rated as the top concern across all areas of the region. The lack of employment opportunities is also the reason why the region is a source of most migrating workers, most of them young, leave.
Objectives of the TA:
The specific objectives (Outcomes) are as follows:
Specific objective (Outcome) 1: Provision of technical assistance to support the production and commercialization objectives of BAEP:
- Production: Local agricultural production improved in quality, diversity, consolidation and its response both to the needs of the market and for people’s food security and good nutrition; and
- Commercialization: BARMM has an elaborate policy and strategy for further development and investment promotion in Agri-Business that is at the same time coherent with and reinforces the Government’s commitment to respect and promote human rights and while ensuring the inclusive development of human capital as core priority to reduce poverty and vulnerability).
Specific objective (Outcome) 2: Coordination of the BAEP component actions results in optimal achievement of collective outcomes at overall Programme level.
- University degree (minimum MSc.) in Economics, Agro-economics, Social-economics sciences or business administration.
- Demonstrated strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent verbal and written command of English.
- Ability to interact in different cultural settings and to create good working relationships with peers and with political and professional hierarchies – to be substantiated by a statement to be submitted together with the expert’s CV which includes the applicant’s understanding of the issue, past contributions to it and plans to advance good working relationships in different cultural settings, if hired.
- Ability to facilitate meetings, seminars, and workshops.
General professional experience:
- A minimum of twelve (12) years of relevant professional experience, or in its absence equivalent experience of professional experience of 10 years plus 2 years of relevant studies, out of which eight (8) years of relevant international experience in at least two (2) developing countries.
Specific professional experience:
- A minimum of three (3) years of experience as a team leader in the management of a technical assistance contract in a relevant sector to this assignment (trade, economic cooperation, investment promotion or business-related services; agriculture, fisheries, rural development, environment, climate action, green growth, circular economy; good governance, public administration reform, post-conflict reconstruction or regional integration.).
- Strong expertise in rural development, in the agribusiness sector and/or in agri-fishery sector structural issues; for a minimum of five (5) years.
- Experience in providing institutional strengthening or capacity building to public administration bodies for a minimum of five (5) years.
- Experience with the financial regulations and procurement procedures applicable to the general budget of the European Communities and its implementing rules and / or the European Development Fund; for a minimum of one (1) year.
- Experience with do-no-harm approaches and moving from post-conflict to development issues, for at least one (1) year. In its absence, proven operational knowledge of these issues is accepted.
- Experience with mainstreaming gender equality and women’s empowerment, social inclusion, environmental and nutrition safeguards in economic development programmes, for at least one (1) year. In its absence, proven operational knowledge of these issues is accepted.
From July 1st 2023 over 41 months
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