Project Officer at Self Help Africa

Key Responsibilities

Effective Planning and Implementation

• Provide effective, innovative, and technical leadership for the implementation of the project.
• Develop detailed, realistic, and timely plans that will support delivery of the project goals and objectives throughout the project period appreciating the unique context.
• Facilitate adoption of proposed practices/ approaches/ models during the implementation of the project.
• Ensure the project implementation focuses on the right beneficiaries as intended.
• Manage community expectations in terms of the support that the can provide and enhance accountability & transparency mechanisms.
• Ensure that business processes, standards and guidelines related to Livelihood & resilience initiatives are effectively applied in project implementation.
• Track, in liaison with Project Accountant, project implementation expenditure levels and manage work plans and budgets & implement project audit recommendations.
• Ensure timely and effective implementation of all project interventions as well as the successful achievement of proposed outcomes and intended impacts.
• Support producers to set up robust extension systems that effectively serve smallholder livestock (cattle, sheep, goats, and bees) farmers and crop (sorghum, finger millet, green gram, cassava and sweet potato) farmers to increase production and productivity
• Work with input service providers, distributors, plant doctors and other stakeholders to ensure that they deliver training and quality services to famers including seeds, agrochemicals, feeds, equipment, technical advisories and breeding and vaccination services.
• Work with technical officers from county government departments to facilitate the training of Lead Farmers and follower farmers on the aspects of agriculture and livestock production and productivity

Quality Assurance – Monitoring, Reporting and Documentation

• Monitor project interventions in strict adherence to EU, SHA, Kenya government regulations and other agreed standards.
• Ensures participatory monthly data collection are conducted (involving communities and partners) using the standardized tools.
• Use the Daily Questionnaire tool for data collection regularly as per the project guidelines.
• Ensure Monthly, Quarterly, Semi- Annual and Annual reports prepared and submitted.
• Ensure budgetary utilization is within acceptable limits/range.
• Contextualization and utilization of reporting guidelines.
• Ensure that the project achieves acceptable financial and operational audit results by implementing activities in accordance with established norm and policies
• Submit timely weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports indicating progress for each of the targeted producer groups
• With guidance from the M&E Assistant and the Program Manager, implement robust production monitoring indicators including a database for all production and productivity parameters
• Develop and regularly update a database for all farmers recruited and trained.
• Undertake monthly monitoring of the farmer trainings and their effectiveness together with group performance and submit a report on the same every month
• Produce monthly field monitoring reports
• Prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly work plans for implementing in line with the project operational plans and submit them within the expected timelines.

Enhanced Empowerment & Capacity Building

• Mobilize and sensitize community for common actions, empowerment, and sustainability
• Build the capacity of the community to enable them to effectively intervene in food, nutrition and income security and economic empowerment appropriately.
• Together with SHA programme team, conduct regular reflection and learning events.

Advocacy, Engagement, Networking and Partnerships

• Strengthen networking with relevant government departments especially Ministries of Forestry and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, and Water and Irrigation to lobby for their active participation in building relevant structures for sustainability.
• Ensure that Project interventions are in synergy with other related Programs within the area of coverage for sustainability.
• Participate in the Baringo County Government’s Planning and Budgeting process and influence resource allocation to the priority needs within the sector.
• Ensure active engagement on policy at county level on issues to do with the food and nutrition security sustainable use of natural resources.
• Engage in advocacy activities with the government structures at the County level, to address the needs of local communities.
• Facilitate the training of farmers groups on group dynamics and social capital strengthening

Other Duties

• Perform any other duty assigned to you by the supervisor (PM).

Key Relationships:

Internal

• Head of Programmes and Programme Coordinators
• Finance and Administration Team
• Cassava Value Chain Programme staff
• Self Help Africa Kenya Country Management Team 

External

• Project implementation partners
• Stakeholders including government, research institutes, financial institutions, external auditors, donors, academic institutions and private companies

Knowledge, Experience and Other Requirements:

Essential:

• Bachelor’s Degree preferably in Agriculture, Agri-business or a related field.
• Strong computer skills especially with MS Word and Excel and other related packages
• At least five years’ experience in the implementation of agri-business projects, market systems/value chain or related projects, at a similar level
• At least 3 Years of staff management experience
• Experience in managing multi-year donor-funded programmes
• A thorough understanding of project cycle management approaches and tools – including participatory vulnerability and capacity assessment and planning, project appraisal, monitoring and evaluation and partners’ capacity building,
• Experience in working with Agricultural MSMEs
• Experience in Agri- Value chain financing and working with financial institutions
• Experience in designing strategies and approaches for enhancing agricultural production and rural livelihoods among small holder farmers
• Familiarity and experience with EU funding and regulations preferred
• Experience in networking among development partners and government departments
• Ability to work in partnerships with local NGOs: diplomatic, supportive (including coaching), capable of ensuring best practice and dealing with performance issues