Project Officer (Agriculture) - (2 Positions)

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT – VA 22/2023

Position Title

Project Officer (Agriculture)

Number of positions

2

Reporting to

Resilience Program Manager

Duty Station

Baidoa & Jowhar

Contract Duration

Baidoa (6 Months)      Jowhar (12 Months)

Organisational background:

Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 24 million people every year with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 50 countries, our 8,300 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger, for everyone, for good.

Action Against Hunger USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network. As an independent NGO, Action Against Hunger USA currently manages operations in 8 countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia and Haiti. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $100 million in programs, and approximately 1,800 permanent staff based in New York City, Washington D.C, Nairobi, and country offices. Additional growth is anticipated.

1. Job Summary

The Agriculture Officer position is based in Baidoa & Jowhar and directly reports to resilience Program Manager and will play a key role in implementing the AICS Project & EU-BREACH project, facilitates community mobilization activities to support targeting and registration of beneficiaries and improve food, security and livelihood/cash based Intervention knowledge, attitudes and practices, assists in the preparation of monthly progress report, plans and provide leadership to the FSL team in Baidoa & Jowhar.  

Purpose

The Agriculture Officer position will;

·         Responsible for making follow-up of the FSL activities to ensure that FSL program objectives and outputs are achieved.

·         Ensure that the FSL activities in the assigned area of operation are implemented in accordance with ACF standard rules, regulations and operational procedures, agreed strategies, implementation plans and requirements.

Engagement

·         Represent ACF in community meetings, food security or emergency response meetings in coordination with FSL team. 

·         Coordinate the preparation of tender and contract documents for project, Bills of Quantities, and Request for Quotations, etc.

Delivery

• Implementation of project activities
• Preparation of Activity reports
• Liasson with the southwest Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation

1. Essential job duties:

Objective 1: Social mobilization and need assessment in the field

·         The Agriculture Officer facilitates community mobilization activities to support targeting and registration of beneficiaries and improve food, security and livelihood based Intervention knowledge, attitudes and practices

·         Assist in the preparation of monthly progress report, plans and provide leadership to the FSL team.

·         Contribute, participate, and lead the registration of beneficiaries for agricultural related interventions and answering technical questions

·         Contribute, participate, and lead the distribution and implementation of agriculture activities that include seed and tools distribution and Agro-related training, and Agro-related interventions among others.

·         Organize and support running of agriculture activities in the target district.

Objective 2: Support field level FSL coordination elaboration

·         Coordinate closely with the FSLPM to ensure that FSL related activities in the assigned areas of operation are implemented harmoniously and with quality.

·         Provide inputs to the design & utilization of project information gathering tools & project activity manuals.

·         Work with the other program team members on cross-learning and beneficiary capacity building initiatives especially in relation to FSL.

·         Participate in FSL related data collection together with the MEAL team.

·         Work in close collaboration with Nutrition, WASH, and Health teams on ensuring field level integration and synergy.

·         Build capacity of other staff members in relation to cash and Agro-related FSL components.

·         Other relevant duties as directed by the PM, or HOD or Specific responsibilities

Objective 3: Spearhead community facilitation activities:

·         Contribute to the development of viable community mobilisation strategies for targeting, registration, and follow-up of FSL beneficiaries.

·         Plan and execute FSL related capacity building for targeted communities.

·         Conduct follow up monitoring of FSL activities in the area of operation.

Objective 4: Documentation and reporting:  

·         Prepare and compile FSL activity reports on weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and yearly and share with resilience PM.

·         Regular monitoring of project activities and provide timely inputs and feedback to the resilience PM.

    III.            Supervisory Responsibilities

·         The position will be responsible for direct supervision and appraisal of performance of project supervisor in the field.          

    IV.            Gender Equality Commitments  

·         Ensure that targeting of FSL beneficiaries is done in a transparent and gender sensitive and conflict sensitive way.

1. Fiscal Responsibility

None

1. Physical demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions.
• Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

1. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international official matters. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and outside weather conditions, as well as infectious diseases

1. Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse

• Foster an environment that reinforces values of women and men, and equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.
• Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
• Value and respect all cultures.

·         Bachelor Degree in food security related fields; i.e. Agricultural engineering, Agronomy, Crop Science, development studies.

·         Minimum of 3+ years of experience in direct implementation of agriculture extension and working with subsistence farmers, knowledge of working environment. Development and oversight of small-scale rural agriculture projects.

1. Required Skills & Competencies

• Extensive experience in community participation and consultative-implementation methods.
• Flexibility to adjust to new implementation practices and new strategic guidance as per the changing political environment.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision  and be initiative
• Good facilitation, analytical, planning and report writing skills
• Experience in community and farmer group mobilization
• Good supervisory and organizational  skills, good interpersonal skills
• Knowledge of  agricultural issues and techniques
• Good knowledge of implementing projects
•  Self-motivated and reliable
• Experience and knowledge of working with NGOs in agriculture programs in Somalia
• Knowledge of written and spoken English, Understanding of the local language is a requirement.
• Proficient in MS Excel, MS Word and Outlook
• Willing to extensively travel throughout the project area.

Applications, including CV with cover letter and 3 professional references to be sent via email to:

[email protected]  not later than 19th June, 2023 clearly mentioning the position on the subject line.

Only Shortlisted candidates will be contacted.