More Information
- Experience 5-10
Title: Capacity Development Officer
Reports to: Chief of Party
Level: Experienced
Job Location: Adventist Development & Relief Agency, Antananarivo, Madagascar
Travel: Up to 50%
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The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is a global humanitarian organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that demonstrates God’s love and compassion. ADRA works with people in poverty and distress to create just and positive change through empowering partnerships and responsible action.
The successful candidate must understand, respect and honor the mission, purpose and identity of ADRA.
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SUMMARY
ADRA is seeking a Capacity Development (CD) Officer for a prospective USAID-funded Feed the Future project in Madagascar. The activity aims to improve food security, increase the income of smallholder farmers, and support broader economic growth by increasing agriculture and livestock productivity; enhancing efficiency of productive resources (land, water); and introducing modern production practices. The activity will also ensure farmers have access to quality inputs, technologies, information, credit, and financial services, and that they meet market quality standards. ADRA has implemented humanitarian and development activities in Madagascar for 32 years with funding for major international donors, including USAID. This position will be based in Antananarivo, Madagascar with potential for occasional travel throughout the country.
The Capacity Development Officer will support the Project’s strategy for strengthening the capacity of local partners and leading the development and realization of local organizations’ resource mobilization and sustainability strategies. The incumbent will provide technical assistance to civil society organizations, with an emphasis placed on leveraging local expertise. Specifically, the CD Officer will monitor implementation of capacitation activities by mentoring technical teams, facilitating assessments, and ensuring adherence to targets, timelines, budget management and achievement of objectives.
This position is contingent upon receipt of funding and requires donor approval.
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PRE-REQUISITES
Required
- Master’s degree, or higher, in economics, business administration, public administration, international development, or a related field.
- 7+ years of relevant, increasing management and leadership responsibility for multi-year development programs funded by USAID or similar donors
- Proven leadership skills directly developing, leading, mentoring, and motivating diverse and talented technical teams that work effectively and collaboratively.
- Experience managing cooperative agreements in dynamic, conflict settings.
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to engage, advise, collaborate, and build consensus with a diverse set of local stakeholders, including private entities, government officials, NGOs (local and international), community leaders, representatives of civil society, and US Government partners.
- Demonstrated capacity for strengthening the capacity of local partners and leading the development and realization of local organizations’ resource mobilization and sustainability strategies – especially for USAID-funded projects.
- Knowledge and familiarity with USAID funding.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
- Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office suite.
- Written and spoken command of English. French language is strongly preferred.
Preferred
- Professional experience leading strategic capacity development efforts in Madagascar, in support of market-centered food security initiatives and objectives.
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BEHAVIORAL COMPETENCIES
- Deciding and Initiating Action (1.1) – Makes prompt, clear decisions which may involve tough choices or considered risks.
- Leading and Supervising (1.2) – Provides others with a clear direction; sets appropriate standards of behavior.
- Planning and Organizing (6.1) – Sets clearly defined objectives; plans activities and projects well in advance and takes account of possible changing circumstances.
- Persuading and Influencing (3.2)– Makes a strong personal impression on others; gains clear agreement and commitment from others.
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RESPONSIBILITIES
Contribute to the implementation of a comprehensive and adaptive capacity development strategy to strengthen the organizational and technical capacity of local partners.
Support the development, implementation, and monitoring of Feed the Future (FTF) activities in close alignment and coordination with activities across the project.
Provide written inputs and/ contribute to the development of tools required to monitor the implementation and monitoring of project capacity development activities.
Foster strong collaboration and coordination with the grants management team to integrate capacity development into all aspects of project implementation and with all subrecipients/subawardees, as needed.
Directly implement capacity and performance assessments of partners/subgrantees and support the development of Institutional Strengthening Plans for partner/subgrantees.
Oversee the development, implementation, and monitoring of capacity development plans for local partners to enhance achievement of expected program objectives, intermediate results, and sub-intermediate results.
Support high-quality technical programming through participatory methodologies, co-creation, and contextualization, as per ADRA’s capacity development overarching principles, approaches, and tools.
As feasible, conduct regular field visits to provide technical support, capacity development, mentorship, or coaching to subrecipients/subawardees.
Create and maintain a productive and cohesive peer learning and collaboration environment among partners.
All other duties as assigned.
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TRAVEL
Up to 50% domestic and international travel required. Must have the ability to travel at short notice if necessary. Travel within Madagascar dependent upon security conditions.