Job Title: Project Officer

Self Help Africa (SHA) is an international NGO, dedicated to the vision of an economically thriving and resilient rural Africa. Working in ten countries throughout Africa, SHA focuses on agriculture and agribusiness as the engine of growth in Africa.

We believe in market-based solutions to the alleviation of long-term poverty and our primary clients are smallholder farmers in Africa. We work with all participants in the agricultural value chain and believe that you can only achieve long-term sustainable growth by creating profitable businesses (whatever the size) and farmer organizations that can operate at scale.

Our approach is collaborative and market-based: although we see our primary clients as smallholder farmers in Africa, we work with all participants in agricultural value chains. SHA currently runs programs on behalf of a range of organizations including two Challenge Funds for the European Union, Irish Aid, the World Food Program and the UK Department for International Development. SHA has an ambitious growth strategy to increase its global footprint and expand into new areas.

The organization also has a number of social enterprise subsidiaries – TruTrade, which supports market access for small-holder farmers in agricultural value-chains and Partner Africa, an ethical auditing and consultancy firm that operates across more than 40 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.

Job Purpose:

The purpose of the job is to support the local implementing Partner-USTADI Foundation, to manage a Cassava Value Chain Program funded by the European Union, whose overall objective is to increase food and nutrition security, employment and income among 20,000 smallholder-farming households (at least 60% women) in Six Counties (Kisumu, Homabay, Migori, Siaya, Busia and Kilifi).

Specifically, the program intends to increase income levels amongst target households through increased cassava production for both subsistence and trade; it will reduce the hunger gap amongst target households by promoting cassava, a drought-tolerant crop; Create 5,600 net equivalent jobs amongst the Farmer Business Groups supported by the program; increase the decision-making power of female farmers through an integrated gender sensitive approach and improve on the dietary diversity of cassava-producing households through the promotion of intercropping with legumes and pulses, cassava products and nutrition education.

The Project Officer will be based in Kilifi County supporting the Implementing partner. Specifically, he/she will be responsible for supporting the partner field implementing staff in monthly/quarterly activity planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of all the project activities, while supporting the Project M&E officer undertake some M&E activities within the county. This position requires a highly committed, self-starter and results-orientated person with good coordination and communication skills.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Provide guidance to the partner field staff in the implementation of all aspects of the program in Kilifi, including detailed work planning and implementation and monitoring.
  • Work with the partner organization to ensure that the monthly plans are implemented as per the approved budgets and activity lines.
  • Prepare monthly and quarterly monitoring reports on the project implementation activities.
  • Provide appropriate and timely updates to key stakeholders including the Head of Programs, and Program Manager on project implementation.
  • Maintain project files and related documentation
  • Work closely with Government institutions at the County level as Self Help Africa’s representative in collaboration with the Partner staff
  • In liaison with the M&E officer and Program Manager, document and share lessons learnt and best practices with partners, stakeholders, and SHA.
  • Support the Partner in coordination and organization of workshops and public events at the county level.
  • Work with Program Coordinators to ensure that Nutrition, Gender and social inclusion, enterprise development and Agriculture and Financial Inclusion issues are effectively mainstreamed in the program.
  • Ensure adherence to all relevant SHA and EU policies (gender and social inclusion policy) during implementation of project activities.
  • Follow all SHA safety and security guidelines and ensure that all safety or security incidents (fires, accidents, theft, etc.) are recorded and reported.
  • Ensure efficient use and management of project resources including transport.
  • Any other duties as assigned by the Program Manager.

Key Relationships:

Knowledge & Experience:

  • Good understanding of project cycle management approaches, project appraisal, monitoring, evaluation, and partners’ capacity building.
  • Good report writing skills.
  • At least 3 years’ experience with community-based programming
  • Skills in training/facilitation of development processes, including organization and mobilization of communities
  • Experience in networking among different development partners such as community-based organizations, government officers and other NGOs.
  • Commitment to international and humanitarian NGO codes, standards and practices and donor reporting mechanisms.
  • High level of integrity and high standards of personal conduct.
  • Proficiency in computer packages especially with Ms Word, Outlook and Excel and other related packages.

Qualiications:

  • At least degree in Agriculture, Agronomy and agribusiness, rural development or related disciplines.
  • Experience working with agriculture, agribusiness and value chain projects/ resilience and food security and livelihoods and community development projects at a similar level.
  • Experience in M&E related activities, an added advantage.

For full job description and application: https://selfhelpafrica.org/ie/project-officer-based-in-kilifi-county-kenya/

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