BACKGROUND

Tanzania Tree Growers Associations Union (TTGAU), is a member-based, central body formed to promote economic and social interests of private commercial smallholder tree growers in Tanzania. TTGAU was established to strengthen the collective voice of small-scale tree growers with the main aim of increasing members’ income at harvest of their woodlots through collective marketing and promotion and support for the use of improved tree seeds, alongside providing access to forestry technical advice to increase the asset value of the woodlots. The vision of TTGAU is “an inclusive forestry sector in Tanzania”.

TTGAU with support from Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), We Effect, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland (MFA), and other partners is currently implementing the Forest and Farm Facility Programme (FFF) covering Tabora, Katavi, Rukwa. Songwe, Morogoro, Njombe, Ruvuma, and Iringa regions. The goal of the FFF programme is facilitating policies, entrepreneurship, adaptation/mitigation to climate change, and improved and equitable access to social and cultural services within forest and farm value chains to secure Climate Resilient Landscapes and Improved Livelihoods.

TTGAU has secured support from partners to recruit the Business Development Manager for 12 months. During this time, the Business Manager is expected to build TTGAU’s business development capacity and generate sufficient revenues for the association to justify extension of his or her contract thereafter.

TASKS AND OBJECTIVES

The Business Development Manager of the TTGAU will undertake the following activities:

Stocktaking of the TTGAU’s trees and timber market assessment Prepare TTGAU members and TTGAU for wood trade

• Conduct a survey of local market requirements for wood products, preparing a summary to share with TTGAU members
• Organize meetings to share information about the benefits of aggregating wood products offered by the individual producers and to compare these benefits with the situation of an individual producer who faces problems of isolation and a lack of market information and opportunity
• Organize trainings on tree products value chains
• Capacity development to members of the TTGAU on harvesting best practice, good plantation management, insight of cost structures and negotiation skills
• Legal establishment of the business branch of the TTGAU (e.g. cooperative)

Oversee a TTGAU tree inventory

The TTGAU will carry out a tree inventory in 2020/21, to provide estimates of current volumes and forecasts for the TTGAU business plans. The product of these activities are (1) a tree inventory at farmer level of all the TTGAU members in the selected region and the aggregated information at association level, (2) capacities in TTGAU to replicate and conduct these trainings in other regions of Tanzania, (3) Forest information system (FIS)

Business Plan Development

Business Development of the Tanzania Tree Growers Associations Union(TTGAU) and its affiliate members

• Facilitate meetings to determine and decide on the products to be offered by TTGAU
• Identification of potential markets for the products and meetings with potential commercial partners.
• Develop a business plan for TTGAU with its board
• Implement the process for selection of five(05) business initiatives of TTGAU members that will receive grants for the preparation of bankable business plans (e.g. call for proposals).
• Support the preparation of five bankable business plans from the selected five (05) TTGAU affiliate members

Marketing, networking, and communication Preparation of business brochure of TTGAU with information products and linkages with potential buyers

• Preparation of a business brochure for the TTGAU and for the TTGAU members
• Meetings with potential buyers to share the business brochure
• Meetings and building links (visits) between the Association/new business branch/arm and partners interested in “fair business”
• Facilitation and technical backstopping to strengthen commercial partnerships.
• Favourable contracts and commercial venues established with buyers of the TTGAU products

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Academic Qualifications

• Degree in Business/Agri-business, Cooperatives, Marketing /Forestry/ Natural Resources/Rural development or related field including, Agricultural economics, Commerce (Management Science option)

Technical Competencies and Experience Requirements 

• At least 5 years of experience in business and value chains development with forest products
• Excellent written and oral communication in English, Swahili, and capacity to write a full project document
• Excellent IT skills
• Knowledge of local context will be an added advantage

HOW TO APPLY

Qualified and motivated applicants should submit a resume and covering letter with two referees in English to (info@ttgau.or.tz)with subject line “Application Business Development Manager of Tanzania Tree Growers Associations Union (TTGAU).” by 23rd November,2020.