Job Title: Senior Project Officer – Livelihoods
Supervisor: Project Manager I – Agriculture
Department: Emergency and Refugee Response
Position Type: Full-Time
Band: Eight (8)
Location: Yumbe
About CRS
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) supporting relief and development work in over 100 countries around the world. CRS programs assist persons based on need, regardless of creed, ethnicity or nationality. CRS works through local church and non-church partners to implement its programs.
CRS has worked in Uganda since 1965, initially providing emergency assistance to Sudanese refugees living in the north. Over the years, CRS has expanded its programming to address needs across the country. CRS’ projects in Uganda currently include agriculture and value chain, landscape restoration and climate change adaption, health and health systems strengthening, microfinance, and DRR, humanitarian response and recovery. CRS Uganda implements its programs through partnerships with other organizations, including the Catholic Church, faith-based organizations, international and Ugandan NGOs, government ministries, private sector companies and academia, for maximum impact and sustainability. CRS Uganda employs around 180 staff and has its main office in Kampala, with sub-offices in Moroto, Yumbe, and Kikuube districts.
Background
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in partnership with World Vision as lead partner and Care International in Uganda is implementing a five-year regreening (ANCP) project in Yumbe district and Bidibidi refugee settlement, funded by Australia Aid. The project aims to ‘’Improve food security, livelihoods and community resilience to climate-related shocks and stresses, especially for the most vulnerable refugee and host community households, through inclusive individual and collective action in Yumbe district’’.
More specifically, CRS is responsible for ensuring target refugee and host community individuals and groups, particularly women and persons with disability:
- Access information, extension services and agricultural inputs required to invest in improved production practices.
- Demonstrate improved knowledge and awareness of promoted climate smart agriculture practices.
This project will engage and build strategic partnerships with humanitarian and development actors, local communities, refugee structures, the private sector and government entities.
Job Summary
The Senior Project Officer – Livelihoods will be based in Yumbe and will be responsible for the field implementation of climate smart practices in the project focus areas. In direct coordination with the Project Manager, s/he will carry out capacity building of stakeholders and key project participants on climate smart practices along the agricultural value chain with the aim to improve food security, livelihoods and community resilience to climate-related shocks and stresses, especially for the most vulnerable refugee and host community households, through inclusive individual and collective action.
Job Responsibilities
- Provide strategic technical management and oversight on agriculture activities throughout their design and implementation in line with CRS quality principles and standards and industry best practices. This includes supporting climate-smart agriculture implementation through a contextual analysis, analyzing the barriers for uptake of climate smart agricultural best practices and innovative practices, and formulating recommendations for smallholder farmers, partners and local governments.
- Provide technical direction and capacity strengthening to the project participants and partners to enhance program quality and impact.
- Monitor and document progress of the agriculture activities through field visits, meetings with consultant, reviewing of consultant’s reports and provision of feedback.
- Provide technical input into the development and implementation of the program agricultural MEAL framework and ensure integration of innovations and best practices.
- Lead the documentation and dissemination of learning on promising scalable climate smart agricultural practices and lessons learned to share with the Yumbe Regreening Consortium, as well as other key stakeholders.
- Ensure timely and appropriate agriculture-related expenditures in line with detailed implementation and procurement plans, allocated budgets, and efficient use and stewardship of project material resources.
- Ensure effective partner management through periodic review of partners’ work plans and budget, follow-up, and timely submission of narrative and financial reports to facilitate proper tracking of resource use.
- Initiate and strengthen strategic relationships with key stakeholders such as the Yumbe Regreening consortium partners, OPM, UNHCR, other NGO actors, district local government and refugee welfare committees.
- Contribute to the proactive pursuit of opportunities for new funding to ensure growth of the country program agricultural sector portfolio in line with agency, regional, and country program strategic priorities.
- Lead the development and implementation of tailored climate-smart agriculture training and coaching programs for small holder farmers (including refugees and host communities), extension services providers (public, private, NGOs etc.), farmer cooperatives on climate-proofing agricultural production systems for selected crops.
Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:
Education and Experience
- Strong communication skills and ability to conduct trainings under extreme conditions.
- Bachelors’ degree in agriculture or other relevant field with a minimum of 3 years working experience
- Proven track record with over 3 years of experience in climate smart agriculture methods in rural areas; these include agroforestry and conservation farming.
Personal Skills
- Private sector experience is an asset.
- Computer literacy skills.
- Good observation, active listening and analysis skills with ability to make sound decisions.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively with diverse groups
- Highly proactive, results-oriented and service-oriented
- English fluency, including oral and written skills, required.
Travel Require
The position is based in Yumbe but may require travel for workshops and trainings.
Desirable attributes
- A capacity and desire to pass on skills and information, a confident communicator and willing to work in a collaborative and respectful way with target communities.
- Flexibility and ability to work under pressure and meeting deadlines in changing situations.
- Knowledge and understanding of good practices in protection mainstreaming.
- Knowledge of the local languages spoken by South Sudanese and host communities living in or near Bidibidi refugee settlement.
Key Working Relationships
- Supervisory: None
- Internal: ANCP Project staff, Yumbe operations staff
- External: Adraa Agricultural College, Bidibidi lead farmers, UNHCR, OPM, Refugee Welfare Council members, Yumbe District Local Government staff, Yumbe Regreening Consortium partners, and other stakeholders.
Agency-Wide Competencies (for all CRS staff)
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
- Serves with Integrity,
- Continuous Improvement & Innovation
- Builds Relationships
- Develops Talent
- Strategic Mindset
- Accountability & Stewardship.
DISCLAIMER CLAUSE:
This job description is not an exhaustive list of skills, effort, duties and responsibilities associated with the position. CRS’ recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation, CRS takes all allegations of abuse and exploitation seriously.