Job Vacancy at Trocaire for Programme Officer – Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihoods

Description

Trócaire works in

partnership with local and church organisations, supporting communities in

over 17 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East to bring about lasting change. Trócaire envisages a

just and peaceful world where people's dignity is ensured and rights are respected; basic needs are met and resources are shared equitably; people have control over their own lives; and those in power act for the common good.

In Sierra Leone, Trócaire is working with partners to bring about positive and lasting changes on women's basic needs, socio-economic and political empowerment. Currently integrated programmes that promote women's economic, social and political empowerment are being implemented by 16 local civil society partner organisations. Core to Trócaire's partnership approach in Sierra Leone are civil society strengthening and organisational development.

Trócaire Sierra Leone seeks to recruit a Programme Officer for Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihoods based in Freetown with frequent travel to other districts. The Programme Officer will lead on the delivery of economic empowerment approaches in Trócaire's Strategic Plan, with an emphasis to support poor and marginalised women and youth to sustain their food security, livelihoods and to reduce and adapt to the impacts of climate change and environmental degradations. The role will have responsibility for managing a portfolio of partnership with civil society organisations, providing technical assistance to ensure a high programme quality for sustainable agriculture, post-harvest preservation and storage, food security nutrition, and value addition. The programme officer will ensure well-coordinated, appropriate, programmes that integrate financial inclusion strategies, sustainable enterprise development, resource rights, and natural resource management with a particular focus on equitable rights for women and men. The role will also support the development of well-designed proposals for submission to institutional donors.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Technical and Programme Quality

• Lead and assume accountability for the successful delivery of sustainable agriculture, livelihoods and food security programming of Trócaire's Strategic Plan in Sierra Leone.
• Provide high quality technical support to partners on sustainable agriculture and natural resource-based livelihoods, income generation, savings, communal natural resources management, resource rights, and climate change adaptation and resilience.
• Support the country team to proactively drive an evidence-based agenda around advocacy on agricultural and resource rights issues, particularly land and, climate and environmental justice.

2. Partnership and Capacity Building

• Lead partnership portfolio management of Trócaire's thematic partners delivering sustainable agriculture and livelihoods programming.
• Lead on capacity-building initiatives, coaching, and mentoring of partners on sustainable agriculture and livelihoods technical areas.
• Design and deliver capacity building trainings, manuals and guidance documents for partners in key technical areas using participatory techniques appropriate to a semi-literate audience.
• Monitor ongoing implementation of partner projects through field visits and provide written feedback to all partners on compliance with agreed project objectives and Trócaire's standards.
• Contribute proactively to the successful implementation of integrated programming framework as one of Trócaire's key programming strategies.

3. Reporting and Information Management

• Lead in the development of donor reports for projects within your portfolio.
• Collect and review partners' narrative and financial reports and ensure timely submission and quality assurance.
• Manage and monitor programme and partner budgets and ensure timely budget expenditure and value for money ensuring compliance with financial norms and standards.
• Manage programme M&E and support partners to have effective results-based M&E systems, including needs assessments and programme baselines and endlines.
• Develop Service Level Agreements for all Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihoods projects and lead on reporting and correspondence with the relevant line ministry.
• Contribute/lead case studies and lessons learned documents and disseminate to key stakeholders.
• Participate in wider organisational planning and review work, as and where appropriate.
• Ensure all the files of the portfolio are maintained and filed.

4. Programme Growth and Representation

• Support the development of institutional funding applications (concept notes and full proposals) in close coordination with the programme team, Business Development and Compliance, partners, and HQ.
• Explore new opportunities for the growth of off-farm sustainable livelihoods opportunities, including, value addition, enterprise development, technical, vocational, education and training (TVET)
• Represent Trócaire in thematic spaces that reflect on women's economic empowerment, food and nutrition security, livelihoods, natural resource management, climate change adaptation and resilience and actively engage key stakeholders/actors in and outside of Sierra Leone.

Requirements

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Experience:

• Third level qualification in: Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, or other related discipline, which provides an understanding of rural women's livelihood issues in Sierra Leone.
• Minimum of five years' experience working in sustainable livelihoods programme with a particular focus on agriculture and natural resource management.

• Significant experience in related women's livelihoods activities, including value addition, small business development, and resource rights with a strong gender perspective.
• Experience of working in a partnership arrangement with civil society organisations and with the use of participatory approaches to development.

Knowledge and skills:

• Technical knowledge of areas relating to Agriculture, natural resource management, food security and nutrition, and food preservation and storage. Understanding local context & issues in women's socio economic & political empowerment.
• Excellent writing skills (proposals, reports, strategies).
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and facilitation skills.
• Proven results-based management skills.
• Gender analysis/mainstreaming skills
• Excellent planning, prioritisation and problem-solving skills.
• Good financial skills, particularly in designing and managing budgets
• Monitoring and evaluation skills, including digital data collection, analysis and interpretation.
• Competent in Microsoft packages (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and with internet/email.
• Spoken fluency and written proficiency in English

Qualities:

• Commitment to Trócaire's Vision, Mission and Values and an understanding of a partnership approach to development.
• Sympathetic understanding of the Catholic Church's role in relief and development, climate and ecology approaches.
• Openness to learning especially about new agroecological food systems and gender analysis and social norms approaches.
• Strong team player who is able to establish solid working relationships with colleagues in country as well as in Head Office.
• Demonstrates an active commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment.
• Willingness to travel frequently and stay in rural areas in country.

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS:

• Agroecology experience, resource rights experience, bio-enterprises experience, and adaptation to climate change.
• Experience in related women's empowerment areas including adult literacy and financial inclusion strategies and labour-saving technology, tools and equipment suited to women's needs.
• Experience in developing youth livelihoods programming in rural settings.
• Experience in advocacy on agricultural and resource rights issues, particularly land, climate and environmental justice.
• Research, analytical and critical evaluation skills Ability to teach Participatory Assessment, Analysis and Collaborative planning methods.
• Interest in agroecology, food and products from wild habitats, traditional and local food knowledge.

Benefits

For the candidate with the required knowledge,

experience and

passion for the role, Trócaire offers a

competitive package of salary and benefits.

Closing date applications: 11th June 2021

How to Apply

Qualified and interested individuals should click on the button below to apply.

 

 

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