BACKGROUND:
Farm Africa vision is a prosperous rural Africa. We are a specialist development NGO working with smallholder farmers, forest communities, local government and private sectors across East Africa for the last 30 years. With community engagement underpinning our approach, we design and implement sustainable solution to rural poverty based on evidence and best practices. In 2015 we reached approximately 1.8 million pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, farmers and forest dwellers in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Farm Africa has worked in Ethiopia for over 28 years, throughout Oromia, SNNPR, Benishangul, Tigray and Afar regions. With funding from a range of institutional donors and foundations including DFID, EU, Irish Aid, Royal Norwegian Embassy, Comic Relief, Barr Foundation, and Ashden Charitable Trust, we have implemented a large portfolio of projects primarily focusing on three areas: agriculture (crop and livestock production), natural resource management, and market engagement. We implement projects directly with communities and these three approaches are further enhanced with integration of cross cutting issues such as climate change, gender and capacity building.
With almost 100 staffs in Ethiopia we align our work closely with regional and local government, civil society and the private sector. In addition to directly implementing projects within our core thematic expertise, we build local civil society organizations (CSOs) both to enhance development impact at community level and increase accountability and professional project management. As such Farm Africa directly contributes to the government of Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan and implementing its climate resilient green economy (CRGE) strategy.
Accelerating the Uptake of Climate-smart Agriculture for improved Agricultural Productivity of Smallholders project is a resilience project funded by Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) with the objective of improving adaptive capacity of smallholders to climate uncertainties and agricultural productivity through accelerated field uptake of bundle of CSA practices in Halaba, Damot Gale and Hadero Tunto woredas of SNNPR.
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:
The overall responsibility of this position holder is to coordinate planning and execution of CSA, weather and market information activities of the project. He/she will be specifically responsible in planning, execution of capacity building trainings, organize farmer’s SMS and digital platforms, ensure dissemination of timely weather and market info to target farmers and provide technical support to government counterparts. He/she ensures that communities are engaged in making use of weather and market info in adoption of CSA practices and improved agricultural production and marketing. This project is expecting to complement the current CSA project funded by Sida which requires close collaboration and consultation with the CSA project staff at field level and ensure partnership with government stakeholders, NGOs and other relevant agencies in the project operational woredas/areas.
KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITY:
Key areas of responsibilities are:
In consultation with the Programme Manager, concerned field staff and local partners, review and prepare the project’s work plan and budget as per Farm Africa review plan.
Ensure that project activities are implemented and outputs achieved as planned and within the agreed budget, including the development of robust CSA practices.
Plan and execute capacity building trainings, and organize farmer’s SMS and digital platforms.
Ensure dissemination of timely weather and market info to target farmers and provide technical support to government counterparts.
Ensures that communities are engaged in making use of weather and market info in adoption of CSA practices and improved agricultural production and marketing.
Provide support to SMS and digital smart phone service providers to create a direct link between the needs of vulnerable populations and any agent that can produce (and improve) climate and market information products available to them;
Design and implement a communications menses, focused on training and mentoring of government staff, lead farmers and agro-dealers on communicating weather and market info to target farmers through SMS, digital smartphone and FM radio.
Work with SMS, digital smartphone and FM radio service providers toward the implementation of all activities outlined in MoUs; handles all communication with said partners and follows up on the compliance of the partner stations to the terms and conditions of the agreement;
Provide technical support to government staff, lead farmers and targeted farmers in the uptake and adoption of bundle CSA practices that can contribute to improvement of agricultural productivity.
Access and promote innovative CSA practices including farmers indigenous knowledge in the development and upscaling of climate-smart agriculture.
Train farmers and agro-dealers on CSA and ICTs for agriculture
Facilitate access of smallholder farmers to climate information & advisory services and improved climate-smart farming practices/agricultural input.
Facilitate documentation of farmer innovations and feedback on CSA to improve further development of CSA practices
Facilitate linkages between service providers and farmers groups for effective dissemination of weather and market information.
Responsible for facilitation of capacity building trainings for farmers, woreda experts and cooperatives.
Review progress regularly, submitting quarterly internal progress review reports outlining progress, issues and actions being taken in the standard format.
Participate in quarterly internal project progress review sessions including: in-depth review of financial spend/burn rate; achievement against activity and output plan, and a forward look on whether the project is achieving against its objectives, indicators and beneficiaries.
Proactively identify and monitor any risks to non-delivery and, where required, develop and implement action plans to address issues identified;
Manage the project within the agreed budget
Undertake re-forecasts, where required, to reflect changing financial context (e.g., inflation, exchange rates) and the project’s activity
Identify and analyse the causes of spend variances to the budget and take action as needed
Implement internal project financial controls, ensuring that financial management in the project field office is in compliance with and exceeds the basic standards contained in the Farm Africa finance procedures manual.
Review budget monitoring reports, and provide timely explanations and corrective actions for any significant variances
Ensure that all procurement of goods and services follow the donor and Farm Africa financial requirements.
Ensure compliance of the project to the Charities and Societies Agency’s 30:70 directives.
Working closely with the programme’s MEL expert to develop and implement a project monitoring and evaluation process that meets the basic internal and donor monitoring and outcome reporting requirements.
Work closely with partner organisations to contribute to lessons learned, ensure dissemination and maintain dialogue on key project findings.
Work closely with Farm Africa both at field and country office.
Establish and maintain good working relationship with GO, Research institutions and community members.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Program Manager.
These essential functions are not to be interpreted as a complete statement of all duties performed. Employees will be required to perform other job related duties as required. All work responsibilities are subject to having performance goals and/or targets established.
OUR VALUES:
EXPERT:
GROUNDED:
IMPACT:
BOLD:
PROJECT: Accelerating the Uptake of Climate-smart Agriculture for Improved Agricultural Productivity of Smallholders in SNNPR
REPORTS TO: Program Manager
REPORTING TO POSTHOLDER: Cashier Accountant and Admin Assistant
LOCATION: Halaba Woreda
DURATION & HOURS: Two years
ESSENTIAL: