TERMS OF REFERENCE
Terms of reference for Agriculture Insurance Specialist service to the Rwanda national agriculture insurance scheme project management unit (RNAIS-PMU).
Background
Rwanda’s economy is largely agrarian. Rwanda’s agricultural sector employs over 80% of the country’s workforce and accounts for approximately 33.3% of Rwanda’s GDP and more than 40% of export revenue. More than 70% of Rwandan households who rely on agriculture for a majority of their income are poor and depend on subsistence production for household food requirements.
Livestock, particularly dairy cattle, has historically been an integral part of the agricultural production systems in Rwanda. The supplementary income derived from the rearing of livestock is a great source of support to the farmers facing uncertainties of crop production, apart from providing sustenance to poor and landless farmers.
However, the untimely death of cattle could have a debilitating impact on the owner’s income, more so if the owner happens to be a marginal farmer or landless labourer or a dairy farmer. It is to meet this exigency that the livestock (cattle) insurance scheme has emerged as a savior and security for cattle owners in recent years by providing for indemnity in the event of the death of the insured animal.
A carefully designed and well-implemented National Agricultural Insurance Scheme can support a range of government policy objectives such as increased access to credit, improved agricultural productivity, reduced vulnerability, and social protection. Based on the feasibility and demand-side study and in consultation with all key stakeholders involved and engaged in the agricultural value chain, the National Livestock Insurance Scheme has been designed by the team of international experts.
The overall scheme architecture can be implemented through a multi-agency framework by selected insurance companies under the overall guidance and control of the Rwandan Government. The Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) will be primarily responsible to promote insurance through a consultative and participatory approach (addresses the concerns of farmers, private sector players, national and local governments as well as development partners) which establishes an enabling legal and regulatory environment for National Agricultural Insurance Scheme.
Public-private partnerships (PPP) can create an environment that is more conducive to agricultural insurance. The essential pillars and achievements of this PPP model include:
- Public co-financing of premiums and catastrophe losses
- Setting insurance enabling uniform terms and conditions
- Efficient, transparent and uniform settlement of claims
The objective of the National Scheme
- To provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of death of livestock The Livestock Insurance Scheme will act as a protection mechanism to the farmers and cattle rearers against any eventual loss of their animals’ due to death and demonstrate the benefit of the insurance of livestock to the people and popularize it with the goal of attaining qualitative improvement in livestock and their products
- To ensure the flow of credit to the agriculture sector and livestock thereby encouraging farmers to engage in livestock
The Phase I of this project will be implemented in line with the proposed National Agricultural Insurance Scheme so that the learnings from this pilot/ Phase I can directly flow into taking appropriate corrective measures and modifications prior to a national – level rollout.
In Phase I the livestock insurance scheme will be implemented in eight districts and in three provinces of Rwanda, based on the following given criterion:
- Cattle population and milk production
- Milk Collection Centers (MCCs); dairy processing plants, animal feed factories
- Percentage of households benefitting from one-cow policy or other social protection schemes
The initial phase will predominantly target:
- Girinka” beneficiaries, who have already received / will receive a cow in-calf, and pass on the first heifer to a qualifying neighbor
- Smallholder dairy farmers who typically own up to three cows and associated with primary dairy cooperative and supply milk at milk collection centers (MCCs).
Roles and Responsibilities of Local PMU
A dedicated Project Management Unit (PMU) will be set up under the MINAGRI to serve as the program implementation coordination and monitoring agency initially for a one year period. The PMU would include a team of national experts with relevant domain experience. The PMU will also establish and manage a team of full-time district-level coordinators (field agents) to support and coordinate program implementation by community networks, dairy cooperatives, MFIs, and specialized training and financial literacy delivery agencies. The PMU will also serve as a single-window resource hub for collecting, producing and disseminating information, knowledge, data, and research on agriculture insurance and implementation issues to government departments and other domestic and international stakeholders including multilateral and bilateral aid agencies involved in the scheme development and implementation.
The PMU would be expected to proactively assist the MINAGRI in a range of areas including:
- Lay down procedures & principles /operational guidelines and modalities for the operation of the National Scheme
- Review and monitor the implementation of the Scheme, risk pool strategy and including coverage, premium rates, etc.
- Provide an oversight role on the value and appropriateness of the agriculture insurance and risk transfer products
- Create a conducive environment to support private sector participation
- Take responsibility for identifying insurance products and appointing suitable insurance companies for underwriting the insurance schemes
- Lead the implementation of capacity building for all key stakeholders and contribute to mobilization and awareness-raising for farmers (includes consumer education and/or mass awareness programs)
- Helpline – operate the national helpline dedicated to farmers availing insurance benefit
- Closely monitor and support implementation efforts by various stakeholders during the Phase I as well as during the mass-scale rollout phase
Place of work: The consultant’s place of work shall be Kigali, Rwanda (but mostly working out of one of the Districts in Rwanda).
Tasks and Responsibilities:
- Assist the PMU in achieving the objectives of the project to the satisfaction of the Government (MINAGRI) and AFR (Access to Finance Rwanda)
- Identify key personnel and develop partnerships with local implementing agencies/ channel partners (e.g. cooperatives; MCCs; SACCOs, banks and MFIs).
- Assist Insurance Companies in signing SLAs (Service Level Agreements) with relevant channel partners and implementation agencies (e.g. vet practitioners and agronomists) and monitoring of SLAs to ensure complete adherence of SLAs by all participating agencies.
- Conduct training programs on insurance scheme and assist insurance companies and delivery channels during the delivery of educational training to farmers and other beneficiaries
- Coordinate with insurance training specialists and field channel partners/agencies to design training contents and other awareness materials (IEC materials). Seek necessary approvals from the communication team at MINAGRI and AFR before printing of IEC materials
- Drive uptake of insurance by farmers. Design innovative strategies to ensure higher enrolment and participation of farmers into the scheme
- Assist MINAGRI and PMU in overseeing project implementation and the functioning of the implementing partners (includes insurance companies, vet practitioners, crop cutting agencies, channel partners) especially adherence to procedural guidelines and operational manual
- Gather feedback related to NAIS from the farmers and other implementing partners/ agencies for further improvisation both at product and process levels.
- Examine ways the project could best serve the interest of the small-scale farmers (target clientele) and provide necessary recommendations to insurance companies and other implementation agencies
- Conduct fortnightly stakeholder meetings at the field and at the capital city (Kigali) to review progress, challenges and to agree with mid-course process or strategy corrections.
- Carry out any other task assigned by the Project Manager; Project Coordinator (SPIU Coordinator); International Consultant or Access to Finance Rwanda related to a successful implementation of the National Agricultural Insurance Scheme
Deliverables
The following will be undertaken and delivered:
- As a field agent, the primary responsibility is to ensure that 50,000 policies (12,500 livestock and 37,500 crops) are issued to cover farmers in allocated districts and enrolled into the scheme in the given one year. This target number/performance will be assessed on a quarterly basis
- Assist in preparing periodic reports related to the implementation and progress of the project and flag any risks to the PMU and AFR
- Weekly reports to the Line Manager
- Monthly consolidated reports to MINAGRI and AFR
- Submission of minutes of the fortnightly stakeholder meetings held at field level with key stakeholders involved in the implementation of the scheme at the district level
- Ensure 95% adherence of service TAT by insurance companies and services providers in the following activities
- Issuance of the policy certificate
- Service request
- Claims settlement
- Complaints and grievance redressal
Experience, Qualifications, and Requirements:
- Master’s Degree in Crop Production, Agriculture Economics, Agribusiness, Economics, Rural Finance/ Micro-Finance, Business Administration, with relevant professional work experience of at least 3 years in the field of insurance or rural finance, Or Bachelor Degree in the abovementioned fields, with at least 5 years of working experience in relation to the subject matter. Having experience in agriculture insurance would have an added advantage.
- Basic knowledge of insurance principles and their application to insurance delivery
- Understanding of agricultural risks (e.g. expertise in plant physiology; diseases in livestock) and/or experience in working with agri cooperatives is desirable
- Collaborative nature and, excellent communication and project management skills. This position will require liaising with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
- Ability to appropriately handle confidential materials,
- Ability to work in a team environment and effectively demonstrate team-building attitude and skills,
- Experience in the use of computers and office software packages and handling of web-based management systems,
- Excellent communication skills and fluency in English, French, and Kinyarwanda,
- Able and willing to travel as required,
- Ability to perform under deadlines, which are subject to change and have short time constraints,
- The position is open to Rwandan nationals only.
How to Apply
- If your qualifications and experience match the requirements for this role, please apply using the “Apply for this job” button below before the 12nd August 2019.
- Please attach your CV containing your e-mail address, daytime telephone contact, qualifications, achievements, experience, present position and names & addresses of three referees together with a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) summarizing why you consider yourself particularly well suited for the position. Do not attach any other documents at this point.
- All applications will be selected on merit and only shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews.
Women candidates are encouraged to apply.
