Job Description

Job Advert Summary

The Land and Agricultural Development Bank of South Africa (Land Bank) is South Africa's only specialist agricultural bank established in 1912, the bank's sole objective is to serve South African commercial and emerging farmers and bring specially designed financial services within their reach. These services enable farmers to finance land, equipment, improve assets and obtain production credit. The Land Bank provides financial services that have moved with the times and continues to provide services to agri-business and constantly reviews its offerings to ensure that they match the needs of an industry. As change has swept across the sector in South Africa the socio-economic makeup of agriculture has altered, bringing new entrants from historically disadvantaged backgrounds on to the land, these new farmers, facing the challenges of establishing sustainable agri-businesses across the agricultural value chain, Land Bank has been a commercial lifeline offering appropriately designed financial products that facilitate personal and commercial viability in a sector that is vital to the sustainability of South Africa and its people.

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB

To conduct research and analyse public and sector policy developments impacting on, or with the potential to impact, on the Bank's mandate and effectiveness.



Recommend policy positions to be taken by the Bank in support of its quest to deliver its mandate.



To undertake policy advocacy with key role players and institutions where the Bank's policy positions are promoted and policy outcomes are influenced to the advantage of the Bank and in support of South Africa's NDP objectives.

Key Performance Areas

1. RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC AND SECTOR POLICY

Coordinate and facilitate research + Identifies and conducts research on public and sector policy issues affecting the agriculture sector and the Land Bank in general
+ Integrates research and policy solutions to influence the risk assessment and credit process of the Bank
Assess and analyse policy legislative/regulatory environment. + Receives a request for the analysis and assessment of policy/legislative environment externally and analyses to determine the requirements e.g. legislative changes, discipline policies, global policies
+ Determines the exact Bank needs in terms of the analysis and assessment required.
+ Utilises appropriate tools and platforms to source data and information from t relevant and credible sources.
+ Structures the data to be analysed in the required format
+ Analyses and assesses the data and takes / initiates corrective action where data is incorrect/insufficient
+ Analyses and assesses data in accordance with policies, procedures and legal requirements.
+ Documents all analysis actions and archives for future reference purposes.
Recommend policy positions of the bank. + Advises management on the most appropriate organisational positioning or response.
+ Facilitates engagement and understanding with internal stakeholders around policy imperatives relevant to the Bank.
Compiles an analysis report in accordance with Bank needs. Interprets data obtained to make it relevant for the Bank's strategic objectives and business operations, including lending criteria. Provides the data analysis report and the data to the relevant role players for further processing.

2. UNDERTAKE POLICY ADVOCACY

Engage the policy environment in a structured and intentional way. Articulate policy positions of the bank (both internally and externally). Identifies key stakeholders to be lobbied, and collaborated with, in the Bank's lobbying efforts. Manage stakeholder lobbying and influence in support of the Bank's policy positions. Externally engages on behalf of the Bank on key policy matters. Seeks solutions through interactions with key stakeholders and provide guidance for the Bank. Participates in the implementation of policy recommendations Provides awareness and training to internal stakeholders on policy positions of the Bank.

3. LEADS THOUGHT LEADERSHIP FOR THE BANK

Identifies opportunities for facilitating policy dialogues and stakeholder engagement. Identifies opportunities for the Bank to innovate through research or policy and recommends changes based on these findings. Engages with both policy makers and academic researchers to influence policy externally through profiling Bank solutions. Externally engages on behalf of the Bank on key policy matters. Seeks solutions through interactions that provide guidance for the Bank. Investigates and comments on areas impacted upon by the Banks role.

4. REPORTING, PRESENTATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCES

Prepare correspondence and presentations that require to be presented to relevant institutions for policy engagements. Prepare reports and policy positions for submissions/presentations to internal stakeholders, including as part of internal stakeholder consultations. Receives a request for the compilation of a report and analyses the request to determine the nature and extent of the report. Collect and verify relevance of data and insights for producing reports. Generates reports utilising information in accordance with policies and procedures. Makes recommendations in accordance with the information at hand. Submits the report for approval where necessary. Distributes the report to the relevant role players. Archives the report for future reference purposes. Compiles the report in accordance with policies, procedures and legal requirements

Preferred Minimum Education and Experience

8 - 10 years' experience as a Researcher within a developmental research environment Postgraduate Qualification in any Development Field

Critical Competencies

Advanced Microsoft Office Business Acumen

Additional Requirements

Knowledge/Experience of Business Environment * Land Bank Act