Practical Action Senior Project Officer (Agriculture and Livelihoods) Jobs in Kenya

Practical Action Senior Project Officer (Agriculture and Livelihoods) Jobs in Kenya

Practical Action About the Role

Practical Action is commencing a five-year project that will be implemented in Kisumu, Homabay, Siaya, Migori, Nyamira, Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia and Vihiga Counties.

The project aims to make agriculture an attractive and resilient employer for young people by promoting agricultural livelihoods for the youth underpinned by agro-ecological principles and practices.

The project aims to break the cycles of low productivity and increasing rural poverty, through a holistic approach which will enable young men and women to increase their income through agri-business.

The Senior Project Officer will coordinate the field level activities in the project intervention areas with the primary responsibility of promoting agribusiness activities among youth ages between 81 – 35 y ears.

The function involves directly supporting young people to start and/or grow their agribusinesses while earning an income to support their livelihoods.

This will include supporting the young people access skills and knowledge, finance and markets as well as working with different stakeholders to ensure an enabling markets and policy environment that supports growth of youth led agri businesses.

The role works closely with the technical staff both in the Kenya and UK office.

The position holder will be expected to directly support the enhancement of personal and economic development of the youth and work with technical experts based in Kenya and the UK

S/He will ensure that young people generate a livelihood from agri-business and attain skilled based education and training; agricultural extension and related services as well as an increase in access to financial services (e.g. , financial literacy, generating savings, and access to credit).

Accountabilities

Leadership and Strategic Alignment

Contribute to the development process of the Kenya Strategic Business plan (SBP)

Ensure that Practical Action Agriculture change ambition is shaped by learning from the project.

Provide information needed to inform routine quarterly and annual reporting of the SBP including reporting on the Global Indicators.

Apply agroecological and market systems focused lens to analyse the nature, causes and scale of the problem we want to address, using a systems approach.

Strengthening Profile, Generating Funding and Managing Relationships

Represent Practical Action in the Project area to local government, local communities, NGOs and other actors when requested to do so.

Convene and participate in local coordination / networking meetings as required.

Work collaboratively and effectively with partners for learning and adoption of innovative, gender responsive and inclusive interventions to improve project delivery.

Contribute to effective lesson learning, information management and lesson sharing within Practical Action and externally through different medium.

Develop and maintain professional links with development agencies, government bodies, county governments, technical and economic specialists, universities, and other professional institutions as required by the project.

Develop formal and informal networks to assist in the planning and review of work as appropriate

Support fundraising initiatives for Practical Action in the agriculture change ambition by participating in program design processes.

Ensure key approaches in the agriculture change ambition: Markets systems analysis and regenerative agriculture are embedded in program design and delivery and budget for effectively

Contribute to ensuring safeguarding in the project, including capacity building of partners in safeguarding and reduce the risk of safeguarding incidents.

Delivering Quality

Directly implement the project interventions and ensure the active and meaningful participation of young men and women in the project intervention areas

Ensure the formation of youth led initiatives and groups and ensure the timely, quality delivery of activities designed and delivered.

Capacity building, training, and empowerment of the youth in the project location areas while ensuring that support to the youth is timely and as per project expectation.

Capacity building of partners to ensure they implement assigned project activities including in safeguarding and gender mainstreaming

Work effectively

with the Project Manager and other teams to ensure that the on-going project is implemented according to contract (in terms of budget, ctivities, and time frame) and that any amendments are cleared in a timely manner.

Oversee MEL activities in the project including data collection and reporting

Identification and analysis of trends, threats and risks in the area of youth and livelihoods, building this into research and learning from the project.

Support the project’s effective, systematic and gender sensitive monitoring and evaluation and ensure findings are recorded and escalated to guide the continued successful implementation of other projects and inform the development of other new initiatives.

Participate in team reflections, identifying learnings and challenges and contributing ideas for adaptation for increased impact

Support accountability with communities and stakeholders including the running of feedback and response mechanisms for safeguarding in the project target counties.

Work with partners (and t times building their capacity) to adopt gender inclusiv e strategies in implementation of project activities.

Contribute towards effective monitoring and implementation of safeguarding measures in the project and update the safeguarding assessment tool.

Adhere to and ensure that the principles of safeguarding are embedded in all project planning, implementation and reporting and that project staff and other stakeholders receive regular sensitization on same.

Person Profile

To be successful in the role, the ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:

Experience & Knowledge

Graduate in Agriculture/Agribusiness/Natural Resource Management/Social Science/Development studies or any other relevant subject from any reputed University.

Over five years of working experience where at least three years’ experience in a rural development field.

Proficient in communicating with different stakeholders i.e. youth of rural communities, urban youth, government representatives etc.

Essential

Commitment and understanding of reducing the risk of safeguarding incidents

Significant knowledge and understanding of the agricultural sector and climate resilience

An excellent understanding of input systems and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)

Strong experience in activity planning and implementing in a way that ensures gender
inclusion is embedded strongly

Ability to innovate, initiate and accept challenge

Knowledge and skill in developing IEC/BCC materials

Good communication, facilitation and representation skills

Ability to work with, support and influence others

Desirable

Fluency in Swahili or other regional/local languages

Existing strong relationships and networks within the change ambition area of interest

Knowledge of monitoring, evaluation and learning strategies.

Knowledge of gender and safeguarding best practices

Post-graduate degree in relevant subject is an added advantage.

How to Apply

If you are ready for an exciting challenge with an organisation whose mission and values are particularly relevant in these rapidly changing times, please forward your application, curriculum vitae and cover letter as a single document in PDF to:

Practical Action, Kenya Office by email: recruitment@pr acticalaction.or.ke no later than 9th December 2022 indicating ‘Job Title and your preferred job location’ in the subject line of the email e.g. Project Officer – Migori County.

Your cover letter should outline why you feel this is the position for you and you are the right candidate.

Please include the names of 3referees in y our CV.

Please do not attach copies of your certificates/ testimonials.

Additional Information

The successful applicant must have the pre-existing right to both live and work in Kenya.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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