MASDAR

MASDAR has just completed a reconnaissance mission for a private client to review their commercial agricultural operations in Cambodia.  This included a review of the potential for Jotropha, an alternative oil crop much in the news.

Further to gaining ISO 9001 certification for adherence to quality standards in management, MASDAR is delighted to have received ISO 14001 certification concerned with environmental management.  MASDAR will continue to pursue environmentally friendly policies and work practices whenever possible.

Social Protection in Southern Africa

After a highly successful contract jointly funded by DfID and AusAid, MASDAR have completed their 6 year contract in Southern Africa managing the Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme.  RHVP has been at the forefront of changing attitudes and government policies to social protection and we are very proud of the role we have played.

MASDAR have have completed the inception phase of  a new contract in Northern Nigeria to help evaluate a UNICEF supported programme to redress the balance of low enrolment rates of girls in basic education in Bauchi and Katsina States.  A three year Conditional Cash Transfer programme has been started with the objective of increasing girls participation in primary and junior secondary schools.   MASDAR have signed a contract with UNICEF to evaluate the processes involved in this CCC system.

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Exciting opportunities exist for commercial agriculture in Africa and Asia.  The combined impacts of climate change, population growth and diminishing resources are creating substantial increases in commodity prices and renewed interest in large scale plantations and estates.  MASDAR has over 35 years experience in this sector through activities including investment appraisal, project implementation and estate and outgrower management.  We have worked with many crops including oil palm, rubber, tea, coffee, cereals, soyabean and biofuels.  Clients have included investment funds, IFCs, private companies and national governments.

MASDAR's extensive experience throughout Africa and Asia and our network of contacts puts us in an ideal position to develop the exciting investment opportunities that agriculture currently offers.

MASDAR have signed a contract for the Monitoring and Evaluation of the World Bank funded Maharashtra Competitiveness Project.  Working in association with two highly experienced Indian companies this is the first MASDAR proposal submitted for India and we are delighted to have won.

MASDAR has finalised its proposal for a long term, independent evaluation of a Millennium Village to be supported by DFID in northern Ghana.  The Millennium Village concept, initially proposed by Jeffrey Sachs aims to lift communities out of extreme poverty by providing an integrated and intensive programme of support.  The concept is controversial and the evaluation aims to provide detailed, reliable evidence of its impact.  MASDAR prepared its proposal with the University of East Anglia.
 

MASDAR have completed the fieldwork in Zambia for the baseline studies for the Livestock Development and Animal Health Project.  This assignment is part of the preparation phase for a new World Bank funded project focussing on the major animal rearing provinces of Zambia.
 

MASDAR has completed the data collection phase for the third round of monitoring for the Millennium Development Authority in Ghana.  Two time series sets of data on Land Tenure Facilitation, Community Services and Procurement Capacity Activities have already been collected and this final round of data collection will help determine the impact made by this US$450 million programme over the last 5 years.  A final report is now being prepared..
 

Good progress is being made in helping farmers organise themselves into registered co-operatives.  A sensitization campaign has been undertaken and training provided on the establishment, registration and operations of co-operatives.  A total of 21 applications for new co-operatives have now been submitted for registration.

For this important assignment MASDAR has associated with the Cooperative College based in Manchester.  The contract will last for 1 year.

MASDAR has made good progress on this World Bank project to design a Public Works Programme and develop a PW Policy Framework.  Working with Civil Design Solutions and The Wahenga Institute, the contract continues until September 2012..

MASDAR's sister company, emapsite, has opened a new office in Saudi Arabia.  Building on the success of their recent assignment to map coastal and marine resources along the Red Sea Coast, emapsite Middle East will pursue GIS work throughout the region.

MASDAR is delighted to have received ISO 9001 certification in recognition of its adherence to internationally recognised Quality Standards.  These quality standards refer to all the key processes in the company including marketing, contract management, personnel management, financial management, complaint management and purchasing.

MASDAR in association with Palm Associates are undertaking a $450,000 contract with the World Bank to undertake a major household survey to measure the impact of Results Based Financing.  This will involve a sample size of 3500 households over 27 districts of the country.  Field work will commence in October and the contract lasts until December 2011.

Commercial oil palm is a twentieth century crop breeders success story.  It provides the highest calibre oil yield/ha of all oil bearing crops and has a productive life of up to 25 years.  There is considerable interest in promoting this crop to smallholders and MASDAR have recently undertaken a literature review for a private client of the worldwide experience with smallholder production.

The comprehensive Oil Palm Master Plan Study for Ghana has been completed.  It covers both large scale and small scale artisanal oil palm production and processing over the next 15 years.

MASDAR has concluded its contract to review project implementation and the effectiveness of the M&E system of the Land Administration Project in Ghana.  Considerable field work has been undertaken and the findings of the MASDAR team were presented at a workshop held at the end of March.  The final report has been submitted.

MASDAR and DEV (University of East Anglia) have completed their assignment for UNICEF to develop a social development policy framework for Botswana.  UNICEF rates this as "excellent work, which contained the best situational analysis of the Botswana social protection environment ever produced" and complimented the team on the excellent quality of their work.

Agricultural Marketing in Malawi

In Malawi MASDAR has completed the second phase of our Marketing assignment with the Smallholder Crop Production and Marketing Project.  This repeated the Marketing Competitiveness Study first initiated in 2008 and undertook considerable training of farmers in "farming as a business".  Phase III of this assignment will start in October 2011.

MASDAR's sister company emapsite has completed work on a major consultancy assignment in Saudi Arabia to undertake baseline studies of coastal and marine resources along the Red Sea Coast.

MASDAR is providing management support services to emapsite on this exciting new development.

MASDAR has completed its consultancy services in Decentralised Planning and Capacity Building to the Community Driven Development Project.  A final report on Decentralised Planning Processes has been prepared and a very successful and well attended, workshop has been held.

Smallscale biogas production in The Gambia

In The Gambia MASDAR has established a demonstration village at Sintet to promote small-scale biogas and the use of improved stoves and fuel-briquettes made from waste materials.

In The Gambia a MASDAR irrigation engineer designed 25 appropriate irrigation schemes for horticultural production.  He evaluated many different systems and pumps of which solar-powered submersible pumps were by far the most popular.

MASDAR operates in Europe, Africa and Asia and has been established for over 30 years.   Please send your CV in electronic format to Human Resources, email:  masdar@masdar.com

Financial Analysts - Due to our rapidly expanding interests in large scale commercial agriculture we have a requirement for farm planning/financial analysts with considerable skills using complex spreadsheets.  If you are interested please send your CV to:   masdar@masdar.com

M&E Specialists - MASDAR has a growing requirement for M&E Specialists with extensive practical experience.  If you are interested, and are not already registered with MASDAR, please send your CV to:   masdar@masdar.com

Oil Palm Specialists - MASDAR is currently involved in a number of assignments involving oil palm development in Africa.  If you have experience of both large scale and smallholder oil palm production please send your CV to:   masdar@masdar.com

If interested please send your CV to masdar@masdar.com  or register on-line