MINISTRY : AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY
SECTION : PLANNING AND BUDGETING
TITLE : SENIOR ECONOMIC PLANNER
GRADE : H
RESPONSIBLE TO : CHIEF ECONOMIC PLANNER
LOCATION : QUTHING & MOHALES’HOEK
JOB SUMMARY
UNDER THE GENERAL SUPERVISION OF THE CHIEF ECONOMIC PLANNER, THE SENIOR ECONOMIC PLANNER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL STRATEGIES; AGRICULTURAL SECTOR PERFORMANCE REVIEW; FACILITATION OF DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW OF THE MINISTERIAL OPERATIONAL PLAN AND BUDGET; COORDINATION OF SECTIONAL ACTIVITIES; PREPARATION OF THE SECTIONAL BUDGET AND SUPERVISION AND TRAINING OF STAFF.
MAIN DUTIES:
- DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR PLANS
- Participate in the designs and development of guidelines and benchmarks that set the framework within which the different sub-sectors will develop their sub-sectoral plans to ensure adherence to the sectors policy.
- Interprets the developed guidelines to stakeholders to facilitate a common understanding and adherence so as to ensure appropriate sub-sectoral planning.
- Reviews the submitted plans to check their conformity to the set guidelines to facilitate the drawing of the agricultural sector rolling plan.
- Facilitates preparation of strategic agricultural sector development plan in order to give direction to the sectors activities and programmes.
- Negotiates and defends the strategic agricultural sector development plan at national planning discussions to ensure inclusion into National Strategic Development Plan.
- DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW OF THE MINISTERIAL OPERATIONAL PLAN
2.1 Interprets the ministry’s priorities to the departmental heads to facilitate an understanding and adherence to the ministry’s policy.
2.2 Participates in the designs and development of guidelines to set a framework within which different departments will develop their individual operational plans.
2.3 Monitors and evaluates the performance of the developed guidelines to identify areas that warrant improvements in order to ensure their responsiveness, efficiency and effectiveness.
2.4 Reviews and revises the set guidelines on operational plan formulation in order to ensure that they are realigned with the changing environmental conditions.
2.5 Consolidates the annual ministerial plan in order to harmonise and give direction to the ministry’s activities and programmes.
- PUBLIC EXPENDITURE REVIEW
3.1 Develops and interprets guidelines on data collection methodologies to ensure the uniformity and quality of data.
3.2 Collects data on the expenditure and revenue of different departments to build up information that will allow for the review of public expenditure in the agricultural sector.
3.3 Assess the state of the expenditure and revenue of the ministry to determine the expenditure trend.
3.4 Analyses the expenditure and revenue trend to determine whether they are in line with the ministerial priorities and set strategies.
3.5 Recommends to the next level of changes and revisions that need to be made according to the established expenditure trend to ensure conformity to set priorities.
- DEVELOPMENT OF PROJECTS AND PROGRAMMES
4.1 Liaise with stakeholders in order to identify key intervention areas to be included in the formulation of projects and programmes.
4.2 Reviews investment proposals from the stakeholders to ensure that they address the identified priorities and growth options in the agriculture and rural development sector.
4.3 Matches the investments proposals to the resource framework in order to establish the economic viability of the programmes and projects.
4.4 Facilitate development of the implementation plans of the proposed programmes to provide a framework within which the activities will be carried out.
- FACILITATION OF PREPARATION OF MINISTERIAL BUDGET
5.1 Modifies budgeting guidelines to address the ministerial requirements in order to spearhead the budgetary process.
5.2 Interprets the modified guidelines on the line departments and districts to ensure a common understanding and adherence.
5.3 Prepares the Department of Planning and Policy Analysis Budget and consolidate its operational plan for inclusion in the Ministerial budget and work plan.
5.4 Consolidates the prepared budget into a ministerial budget for inclusion into the National budget.
- SECTIONAL BUDGET PREPARATION
6.1 Costs sectional activities to establish the amount of money that will be needed for execution of planning and budgeting activities.
6.2 Prepares the overall sectional budget to ensure that planning programmes will be funded and ultimately smoothly implemented.
JOB SPECIFICATION
Master’s degree in Agricultural/Development Economics or Masters in Economics plus at least Three (3) years working experience in a senior position in the area of planning and budgeting; experience in planning for agriculture and rural development sector will be an added advantage
OR
Bachelors’ degree in Agricultural/Development Economics or Economics plus at least five (5) years’ experience in the field of development planning; experience in planning for agriculture and rural development sector will be an added advantage