The Organization

The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.

The Alliance works with local, national and multinational partners across Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and Africa, and with the public and private sectors. The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services.

About the position

As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance agricultural resilience and financial inclusivity through innovative technology, we seek a Human-Centered Design (HCD) Expert with extensive experience in building digital ecosystem products, particularly in the fintech sector. The consultant will play a pivotal role in designing and refining the Shamba Shield innovation bundle, which integrates Risk Contingent Credit (RCC), risk scoring tools, and digital agro-advisory services into a cohesive package aimed at addressing the challenges faced by smallholder farmers in accessing credit.

The consultancy will extend over a period of 4 months, with a possibility of extension.

Objectives:

•  To leverage human-centered design principles in the development and enhancement of our digital product bundle, ensuring it meets the real-world needs of our stakeholders.
• To facilitate the integration of RCC, risk scoring, and digital agro-advisories into a unified platform that is intuitive, accessible, and impactful. This will include a and design thinking approach to integrate different elements into a comprehensive innovation bundle.
• To contribute expertise in the planning and execution of the Innovation packaging and Scaling readiness (IPSR) workshop, including partner engagement and the application of HCD methodologies to the ShambaShield product bundle.
• To assist in the drafting of workshop reports and proposals that detail the role of HCD in the development and scalability of the product bundle.

Key duties & responsibilities

Product Design and Framing:

• Apply HCD methodologies to conceptualize and design the innovation bundle, ensuring it aligns with the needs, behaviors, and contexts of the target user base.
• Work collaboratively with product teams to prototype, test, and refine product features based on user feedback and interaction data.

IPSR Workshop Facilitation:

• Engage actively in the IPSR packaging workshop, providing insights on HCD principles and practices to integrate into the innovation bundle.
•   Facilitate sessions on HCD methodologies, encouraging participation from partners and stakeholders to co-create solutions that are both innovative and grounded in user needs.

Partner Engagement:

• Collaborate with a diverse range of partners, including financial institutions, agricultural experts, and technology developers, to gather insights and align objectives with the principles of human-centered design.
• Advocate for the adoption of HCD practices in the development and scaling of financial and agricultural technologies.

Documentation and Reporting:

• Assist in the preparation of detailed workshop and project reports that capture key insights, discussions, and outcomes, emphasizing the application of HCD to our innovation bundle.
• Contribute to the drafting of proposals, articulating how HCD will be integral to the development, implementation, and scaling of the product bundle.

Key Deliverables:

• A comprehensive design framework for the innovation bundle, based on RCC, risk scoring, and digital agro-advisories; by including key HCD elements.
• Detailed report from the IPSR workshop, highlighting the integration of HCD principles.
• A proposal document outlining the application and impact of HCD in the product bundle, including strategies for implementation and scaling.

Requirements

• Proven experience in human-centered design, especially within digital product development and fintech ecosystems.
• Strong background in facilitating workshops and engaging a wide range of stakeholders in the design process.
• Excellent analytical and reporting skills, with the ability to communicate complex design principles in accessible language.
•  Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in dynamic, cross-functional teams.
• Knowledge of agricultural and financial sectors, particularly in the context of smallholder farming, is highly desirable.

Applications

Applicants are invited to visit https://alliancebioversityciat.org/careers to get full details of the position and to submit their applications. Applications MUST include reference CON-KE-LC-2024-076 as the position applied for. Cover letter and CV should be saved as one document using the candidate’s last name, first name for ease of sorting. The Alliance collects and process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

Applications closing date: 28^th May 2024

Please note that email applications will not be considered.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

We invite you to learn more about us: http://alliancebioversityciat.org