Food Security and Livelihood (FSL) Officer at Solidarites International

Mission / Objectives

Goal / Purpose:

• Through its SI 2023-2025 strategy, SI Nigeria plans to grow and deepen the programming portfolio of its Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL) activities.
• The FSL Officer shall play a vital role towards this objective. The FSL Officer is also expected to devise innovative solutions to address the complex food security and nutrition challenges in Zamfara, where the ‘’no IDP camp policy’’ has consigned over 200,000 IDPs in informal settlements, collapsing buildings and congested host dwellings, exposing children and women to dire protection conditions.
• The food and nutrition need for NW remain dire, with the area classified under IPC 3 and IPC4 and trends continuing to worsen.
• The FSL Officers (2) shall be based in Gusau and Anka (one in each location) with frequent visits to other field locations, such as Talata Mafara, reporting to the Nutrition/Hygiene Promotion Team Leader based in Gusau.
• They will work in harmony with the other officers (Hygiene Promotion Officers, Nutrition Officers, and Agronomist officers).
• The core roles of this position include targeting, planning and executing distribution of food and related NFIs in line with SI distribution guidelines.

Main Tasks

Community Mobilization and Food Distribution:

• Under the responsibility of the Nutrition/HP team leader, take part in planning, beneficiary targeting and logistical and administrative organization, and execution of CVA distributions.
• Implement distribution using Solidarités International tools and in collaboration with stakeholders:
  • Take part in the census and registration of beneficiaries.
  • Implement CVA distribution.
  • Recruit and train daily workers
  • Delegate daily worker site tasks according to the Team Leader's instructions
  • Supervise distribution activities.
• Ensure that each registered, identified beneficiary has benefited from the CVA distributions.
• After distribution has taken place, compile and confirm the number of households which benefited, and the quantity of goods distributed.
• Mobilize and replace materials used during CVA distribution.

Project Activity Implementation:

• Plan activities (quarterly, monthly, weekly) and identify the appropriate means and resources to ensure a smooth implementation, in collaboration with the support Departments (administrative, logistics) and the local partner
• Adhere to relevant quality criteria and monitoring indicators for project activities, and ensure the regular tracking of these indicators, applying SI standard tools for project progress follow-up.
• Be the operational focal person for the local partner with regard to FSL activities.
• Coordinate with vendors on timing of voucher disbursement and mobilize beneficiaries for voucher collection at vendor disbursement sites.

Implementation Monitoring:

• Ensure proper follow-up of the beneficiaries and provision of adequate technical support during activity implementation.
• Prepare and submit weekly and monthly activity plans to the Nutrition / HP Team Leader as required.
• Participate in periodic FSL assessments including needs assessment, market assessments, activity feasibility assessments and any other Food Security and livelihood-related assessments.
• Support MEAL team in activities monitoring (market assessments, baseline, endline, post distribution monitoring, price monitoring, focused group discussions, vendor monitoring etc)
• Monitor voucher distribution processes to beneficiaries at the local vendor locations and deal with any arising complaints.
• Support complaint response mechanism by receiving, recording, and reporting complaints from beneficiaries, community leaders, community volunteers and other stakeholders.
• Organize regular evaluation meetings with team members and local partners
• Archive distribution cards / censuses and lists of beneficiaries. Keep monitoring tools and files archived at the Solidarités International office, ensuring their availability to his/her team leader.

Mobilization, Sensitization and capacity building:

• Mobilize and sensitize key stakeholders, communities and participating households on the project objectives, timelines, and other general project details.
• Ensure that the beneficiaries of the items/vouchers receive the proper training on how to use the items/vouchers received.
• Ensure the training of the daily worker.
• Collect feedback and propose improvement of the messages of good practices shared with the beneficiaries.
• Participate in identifying the training needs among the population and propose appropriate contents and training support material for the training sessions and awareness messages to be disseminated.
• Plan and sensitize beneficiaries on use of voucher, payment mechanism, their rights and benefits.
• Training of vendor on how to use the devices in making transactions and supervision of vendor’s transactions and recording the problem.

Reporting / communication / representation:

• Under the supervision of the Nutrition / HP Team Leader, participate in the drafting of CVA distribution reports:
  • Pass on any information regarding the distribution process
  • Extract and pass on distribution statistics to the team leader or and/or program manager
• Take part in seminars and training workshops relating to distribution tasks and goal attainment.
• Report to the team leader on the progress of activities and specific tasks assigned, problems encountered and the quality of relations with beneficiaries.
• Pass on any information or problems concerning his/her task, Solidarités International programs, or safety aspects.
• Act as a liaison with the local population and authorities in order to identify the needs, grievances and major events that could have potential consequences for Solidarités International activity.
• Analyze the humanitarian situation, taking protection problems into consideration / Do no Harm to the population.
• Collaborate with local administration and authorities.
• Take part in restitution meetings and clusters on request.

Job Profile

• Qualification: B.Sc. / HND or equivalent in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Animal Husbandry, Agronomy and Soil Science, Forestry, or any related field. Nutritional background is also an asset for this position.
• Professional Experience: 2 years practical experience in a similar position with other INGO or 3-4 years’ experience in National NGO in the same position or as a Team leader. Knowledge of Climate Smart Agriculture, Experience in Food distribution especially CVA and knowledge of protection and inclusion is a plus.
• Languages: English, Hausa, and other Local Languages
• IT: Good Knowledge of MS Office Word, PowerPoint, and advanced MS Office Excel knowledge
• Quick learner, ability to work autonomously, excellent organizational skills, flexibility to meet deadlines, hard worker.
• Qualified females are strongly encouraged to apply.