Senior Project Officer, REGAL-IR

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

Adeso is an expanding and vibrant African based international development and humanitarian organization. At Adeso, we work with African communities who are yet to realize their full potential; working inside these communities to create environments in which Africans can thrive. Our belief that economic, social and environmental security is the bedrock of a healthy community drives the nature and intent of our programming. We work to prevent and overcome situations that adversely affect community well-being by: reinvigorating the economy, developing skills for life and work, providing humanitarian aid, and influencing policy.

For the past 20 years we have strengthened rural livelihoods through environmental awareness, training, technology transfer and innovative humanitarian projects in pursuit of a peaceful, self-reliant, and greener future. At present, Adeso has programs in Somalia, Kenya and South Sudan.

Adeso is an exciting and dynamic organization experiencing managed rapid growth. It offers sound employment conditions with opportunities for personal growth and development.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Resilience and Economic Growth in Arid Lands-Improving Resilience (REGAL-IR) is a 5-year program sponsored by USAID/Kenya and Feed the Future (Ftf) to reduce hunger and poverty, increase social stability and build strong foundations for economic growth amongst pastoralists and transitioning pastoralists in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). The program is designed to empower communities to take charge of their development and to strengthen their capacity to select, design, implement and monitor activities toward increasing their social, economic, and environmental resilience to natural and human-induced shocks.

REGAL-IR is led by Adeso and is implemented by a consortium of partners. An intensive community engagement process - Participatory Learning, Planning and Action (PLPA) - guides program implementation in six thematic areas including diversifying livelihoods, improving value chain inclusiveness, natural resource management, conflict management and mitigation, disaster risk reduction, and improving nutrition. REGAL-IR is based in Isiolo Town and implements in Isiolo, Garissa, Wajir, Marsabit, and Turkana Counties.

POSITION PURPOSE

1. Lead teams of Project Officers (PO) and Community Facilitators (CF).
2. Ensure regular planning and high quality project implementation in line with the overall REAGL-IR strategies, approach and methodology.
3. Implement project work with communities.
4. Ensure regular monitoring, documentation, and reporting.
5. Liaise and coordinate with government, development and humanitarian agencies, private sector, and other stakeholders at county level.

SPECIFIC ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Lead teams of Project Officers (PO) and Community Facilitators (CF).

· Support recruitment of POs and CFs and ensure adequate implementation structures are fully operational that are capable to implement project operational plans in time and with high quality.

· Ensure that all POs and CFs are sufficiently skilled to perform their work. Assess POs’ and CFs’ capacity building needs, jointly develop capacity building plans and supervise their implementation.

· Train POs and CFs. Provide on-the-job capacity building for POs and CFs.

· Supervise and backstop POs regular field work.

· Organize (in cooperation with TAs) PO exchange visits and learning trips.

· Coordinate directly with Field Operations Assistant, Technical Advisors, Operation Manager, Communication Officer, M&E, and other REGAL-IR staff to ensure smooth technical field implementation and operation.

1. Ensure regular planning and high quality project implementation in line with the overall REAGL-IR strategies, approach and methodology.

· Lead regular monthly planning as well as development and use of weekly work plans by all POs.

· Support POs to develop CFs’ work plans.

· Ensure that all work plans in the county are in line with the overall REGAL-IR work plan. Ensure that work plans are coordinated across all implementation sites in the county for avoiding duplication and for making use of complementarities and synergies.

· In cooperation with TAs ensure that all field work is implemented in line with REGAL-IR’s approach and implementation methodologies. Ensure high quality standards of field implementation that achieves measurable impacts at target group level.

· Establish transparent and accountable mechanisms for targeting and ensure appropriate targeting as per REGAL-IR strategy. Report errors of inclusion and exclusion.

· Ensure that project implementation is community-led and driven and follows evidence-based better practices and approaches.

· Ensure mainstreaming of gender equality, focusing on the enhancement of women’s economic and social empowerment.

· Lead sector/theme integration at field level.

· Support needs assessments and other missions for the development of additional proposals, which are integrated in REGAL-IR, e.g. Crisis Modifier.

· On the basis of the REGAL-IR sustainability strategy, ensure project implementation adequately incorporates impact sustainability.

· Contribute to internal learning, quality enhancement (technical, operational) and cross county learning through feedback, sharing of better practices and lessons learned as well as suggestions for improvements.

1. Implement project activities with communities.

· Liaise with elders and other community representatives.

· Facilitate PLPA processes with communities.

· Lead transparent and accountable participatory targeting of project target groups and beneficiaries.

· Assess capacity building needs.

· Organize capacity building events and processes.

· Conduct trainings.

· Provide technical advisory assistance.

· Organize exchange visits.

· Conduct regular supervision and monitoring of field implementation.

· Identify and select Community Facilitators (CF).

· Build CF’s capacities in order to enable them to catalyze community learning and action plan implementation, including planning, facilitation, monitoring, and documentation.

· Liaise with other POs for cross-learning.

1. Ensure regular monitoring, documentation, and reporting.

· Lead field work for baseline, annual/mid-term/end-term evaluations and other surveys at county level.

· Lead regular project monitoring at field level. Coordinate monitoring with M&E and other TAs.

· Lead project documentation (e.g. success stories, photos, case studies) at field level. Coordinate documentation with Communication Officer and TAs.

· Ensure timely, comprehensive and complete monthly reporting from POs and CFs.

· Review and validate PO reports.

· Prepare project monthly county reports and other documents. Ensure reports and documents reach the M&E TA and/or other users as per agreed deadlines.

· Lead regular and timely early warning information sharing.

· In cooperation with M&E TA ensure up-to-date and accessible county data base for all project activities and sites. Take appropriate measure to avoid data, information and document loss.

· Translate conversations and documents for non-local language speaking staff to English when required.

1. Liaise and coordinate with government, development and humanitarian agencies, private sector, and other stakeholders at county level.

· Liaise regularly with communities, elders, local authorities, private sector enterprises and other agencies operational in project counties in North Eastern Kenya to ensure coordination and effective implementation of intervention activities.

· Participate in stakeholder coordination meetings and pro-actively contribute to county coordination.

· Represent REGAL-IR at county level.

· Lead practical cooperation between REGAL-IR and government programs, REGAL-IR and other USG-funded projects as well as REAGL-IR with other projects in the county.

· Support organization of visitors’ and other trips at county level.

· Support organization of workshops and meetings.

· Any other duties as required.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• University degree and or Diploma in Agriculture, Livestock, micro-entrepreneurship, NRM, DRR or related livelihoods field and at least 10 years’ experience working in similar projects.
• Minimum 5 years practical work with NGO/ Government or UN experience in pastoral ASAL is required.
• Ability to multi-task and effectively handle stressful situations.
• Ability to manage own workload and juggle competing priorities in order to meet deadlines.
• Strong proficiency in providing capacity building, training and mentoring to project staff and partners.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Fluency in English and fluency in the specified County dominant language is essential.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations within a team and with other stakeholders.
• Proven problem-solving and negotiation skills, and evidence of successful team leader and player;
• Proficiency in computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, power point, etc.
• Strong report writing skills;
• Ability to live and work in an isolated ASAL area in conditions of limited comfort.
• Willingness to travel frequently.
• Driving licence for motorcycle and ability to use motorcycle in the project area.

HOW TO APPLY:

This is a challenging opportunity for a dedicated and highly motivated professional. If you would like to join this dynamic team, and help bring better resilience and economic growth for Africa, please quote the position in the email subject matter and submit your application to jobs@adesoafrica.org, quoting the position title in the email subject matter by 13th March, 2015. Kindly note that applications screening and interviews will be on a rolling basis.

Each application should be addressed to the Regional Human Resources Manager and include the following:

· An updated CV; and

· An application letter which should include cover letter, remuneration requirements and contact information for three work-related referees.

Applications not including all of the above information will not be reviewed. We regret that only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Adeso is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based onone's background, beliefs, gender or sexual orientation.