Closing Date: 13 February 2013 , 5:00 p.m. (1700 Manila Time, 0900 GMT)
Job Purpose:
Internship TopicIdentifying Strong Agribusiness Sponsors in Target DMCs
Summary of Job Description
A. Background
Agribusiness is a new sector of focus for ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department (PSOD), and the department needs to develop more knowledge about the sector to identify suitable interventions. The key condition for PSOD to achieve development impact is to work with good sponsors. For two reasons: (i) good sponsors have strong implementation capabilities, and (ii) the sponsor’s financial strength is crucial from a credit perspective.
The purpose of this internship will be to conduct desktop research, phone interviews, and potentially missions to selected countries to identify “investment grade” agribusiness sponsors in target developing member countries (DMCs). Two types of sponsors could be considered “investment grade” in the context of this study: (i) "national champions" in the field of food processing, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), or agricultural commodities (e.g. sponsors having strong market shares and strong brands in food products sold locally or in agricultural commodities traded on international markets); and (ii) multinationals, either FMCG or agriculture commodities traders – provided projects suitable to ADB’s objectives can be identified in their investment plans.
The proposed Target DMCs include countries with strong agriculture potential, and where PSOD has sufficient headroom to invest:
- Central & West Asia: Georgia, Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan
- East Asia: Mongolia
- South Asia: Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan
- Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos
1. Review agriculture and agribusiness sector in each Target DMC:
a. Description of existing major agricultural commodities (including both crops and animals), in particular subsectors where the DMC
has a “competitive advantage” compared to other countries (due to climate conditions, geographical position, industry structure
etc.)
b. Identification of any major local/international players active in the DMC, both “upstream” (e.g. any big plantations) and “downstream” (FMCG/ food processing)
c. Assessment of the agriculture and agribusiness “value chain”: Fragmentation? Any potential for forward/backward integration?
d. Key obstacles (government policy, soil, transportation, land acquisition, etc.)
2. Identify 1-2 “national champions” in each Target DMC:
a. Description and financial information
b. Strategy (export? backward integration?) and investment plans
c. Any previous work with IFIs (e.g. IFC, EBRD), in particular structure of the intervention (e.g. corporate loan, equity?)
3. Identify major multinationals in such subsectors identified in (1.a):
a. Brief description and financial information
b. Countries they operate (experience in developing countries)
c. Any previous work with IFIs, in particular structure of the intervention (e.g. project finance, loan with parent guarantee?)
4. Review financing available for agribusiness in Target DMCs and, more broadly, in the subsectors identified in (1.a):
a. Assessment on financing available from local/international commercial sources and other IFIs
b. Typical financing structures employed and/or common in the context of Target DMCs
c. Risks (including market/price risk, supply risk, weather, etc) and how these risks are typically mitigated (or not)
d. Identification of “financing gaps” (e.g. lack of long-term financing) that ADB could address
5. Summarize proposed PSIF interventions in the context of ADB and PSOD strategies
a. Review of agriculture sector assessment in the relevant country strategies, ADB sector strategies (e.g. food security), and on-going agriculture projects by the regional department
b. Close coordination with the consultant in charge of the technical assistance (TA) on "Innovative Financing in Agriculture Value Chains"
c. Review of PSOD strategy, including the Capital Markets Division’s plans in agribusiness (e.g. trade finance, warehouse finance, input finance, agri-SME financing)
d. Recommendation of interventions in the Target DMCs, in particular in reference to other IFIs’ best practices identified
e. Identification of areas where ADB could distinguish itself from other IFIs (e.g. through various TA modalities, joint projects with public sector departments)
f. Identification of key challenges for the implementation of the recommended intervention, and recommendation to address these challenges
6. Support on-going PSOD agribusiness transactions (research, financial modeling, financial analysis, etc.)
Expected Outcomes
The intern can acquire first-hand knowledge of ADB’s and PSOD’s operations, and will be able to have an impact by contributing to PSOD’s new initiative through his/her research and proposal.PSOD can benefit from the comprehensive information on its potential engagement in the agribusiness sector, which is expected to come to fruition in actual projects in the near future. PSOD may also benefit from the intern’s experience in agribusiness.
Lastly, the intern is expected to:
- present findings to interested ADB staff; and
- submit a final report.
Educational Requirements:
Candidates must:- be enrolled in a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) program and/or Public Policy degree, at a school in one of the ADB member countries, both prior to and after the internship assignment; and
- be engaged in academic study in a field directly related to ADB's work.
Relevant Experience And Other Requirements:
Experience in agribusiness, preferably in developing countries.Core Competencies:
Candidates must be able to:- exhibit professionalism in the conduct of his/her project tasks.
- analyze data and recommend solutions.
- be self-directed.
- build professional relationships to achieve results.
- prioritize work to achieve assignment outcomes.
- experience in statistical packages.
Immediate Reporting Relationships / Other Information:
Other Information- Position reports to assigned Professional Staff Supervisor.
- Candidates must be a national of one of ADB’s member countries.
- Past interns are ineligible to apply in subsequent years.
- Close relatives of ADB personnel are ineligible to apply but ADB spouses may apply if the eligibility requirements are met.
- Internship duration is 8-12 weeks.
- Assignment is from June to August 2013.
1. Submit your CV by uploading in “Documents” section in the application; and
2. Answer essay questions below in Ms WORD or PDF document, maximum of 1500 words per question. Upload in "Documents" portion in the
application.
ESSAY QUESTIONS
(1) Describe one example of your experience that demonstrated your interest in working in ADB.
(2) Highlight your qualifications that will help accomplish this internship assignment (e.g., course
work, research, work experience, etc.).
Non-submission of CV and essays will deem application INCOMPLETE and WILL NOT BE PROCESSED FURTHER.
Important Instructions
Queries can be directed at adbintern.orgApply Online
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