I. TechnoServe Background:
TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses and industries. We are a nonprofit organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital and markets. With more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives.
II. Program Description:
Tikkun Olam Ventures (TOV) is a new philanthropic development fund and program established by the American-Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). Ethiopia is TOV’s pilot country of operations. TOV supports social businesses in emerging economies to access, invest in, and adopt Israeli technology and innovations to improve the lives of smallholder farmers. Additionally, the fund promotes sustainable business models by facilitating loans for small and medium enterprises (cooperatives, unions, and private Agri-businesses) and by providing them with technical support services that increase their chances for success. TOV addresses all barriers to the introduction of new technologies – and facilitates access to finance, technology, learning, and market channels. The first year and a half of the program will serve as the program pilot and focus on supporting enterprises working with smallholder farmers in various horticulture market systems. There is a special focus on increased engagement/empowerment of women and youth.
III. Position Description:
Support Program Manager in set-up of program operations at field sites. Implement and follow-up on program interventions to facilitate enterprises’ successful purchase of and support to their member smallholder farmers in investing in and adopting Israeli technologies and innovations that ultimately improve their incomes. Interventions include but are not limited to do primarily plant protection activities and agronomic practices, follow-up supply of Agro-chemicals to and proper application of the agro-chemicals by farmers and capacity building for experts, DAs and farmers to improve their agronomic and plant protection skills. The position will also include site layout, plot design, system installation and maintenance, supporting enterprises in access to finance, general business and governance skills, loan management, technology utilization, and marketing.
Mobilize and facilitate other key market system players (farmers, local government, research centers, traders, and input/equipment suppliers) to implement program interventions, which will require negotiating, collaborating with, and providing follow-up support to these players.
IV. Duties & Responsibilities
Implement TOV project interventions:
· Conduct continues pest and disease monitoring methods at the field level using scouting and assess the threshold of pest and disease attack to take the necessary action;
· Make chemical calibration based on the field assessment;
· Train BAs, experts from woreda and cooperative unions, and DAs on pest and disease control, support woreda experts and DAs to train the farmers at the field levels;
· Develop training materials of plant protection to the DAs to facilitate farmers’ training;
· At the field level, doing continuous follow-up and technical support to cooperatives and individual farmers to ensure the vegetable crops are well protected from pest and diseases;
· Provide technical support on crop protection and agronomic practices, safe use of chemicals at farmers’ fields, and post-harvest handling of vegetables to reduce product loss;
· Facilitate supply of Agro chemicals to the vegetable producers;
· Providing technical support to SMEs that includes Farmers cooperatives, Unions and other business organizations engaged in input supply (Agro-chemicals and other inputs), marketing and other related activities.
· Working with woreda experts, cooperative unions, Development Agents (DAs) and private actors to manage pest diseases and implement the project activities effectively.
· Facilitating round tables and collaborative problem solving meetings with a range of market system actors at the field and woreda levels;
· Negotiating with potential private sector or other implementing partners; persuade market system players of the business benefits and means to adopt more inclusive business models;
Setting Up and Supporting Program Operations
Enterprise Capacity Building
Teamwork and Reporting