FTF IAA SILC Field Agent at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Background
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) partnered with International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) to implement Feed the Future Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity in Borno and Adamawa States. CRS is co-implementing project activities in Song, Fufore, Yola South, Demsa, Guyuk, Hong, Gombi Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Adamawa State and Biu, Hawul, Kwaya Kusar, Shani and Bayo LGAs in Borno State to advance the objectives of inclusive and sustainable agriculture led economic growth; strengthening resilience among people and systems; and well-nourished population, especially among women and children.

To meet the Activity set objectives CRS is using Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILC) to provide informal financial services to the vulnerable smallholder farmers / households. CRS intends to achieve this through trained/mentored Field Agents with the broad aim to strengthen the institutions that form the market system and the networks that serve smallholder farmers disenfranchised by conflict. SILC will also contribute by supporting vulnerable households to diversify their agricultural productivity and marketing. Hence, smallholder farmers/enterprise groups will be supported to develop SILC as a financial service strategy for the program in Adamawa state and Southern part of Borno State.

The Activity seeks to engage the services of SILC Field Agents (FAs) who would be responsible for marketing and promoting the SILC methodology in their respective community, mobilizing, establishing, training, and mentoring small farmers/enterprise groups to start and own informal savings groups.

Specific Deliverables:

• Promote the project and the PSP-SILC to community stakeholders (sensitization / marketing)
• Mobilize/recruit, train and supervise all SILC groups under his/her formation
• Train the SILC groups on skills such as the SILC methodology, financial education, marketing bases share out process.
• Regularly visit groups to collect data and send weekly report to Supervisor using the SILC Data Collection Form (DCF)
• Support SILC groups to generate business ideas and start-up enterprises.
• Co-organize and co-facilitate project events for local community leaders, and groups as needed (mobilizes i.e. community leaders for sensitizations activities, structured interview, KII etc. FA for trainings / workshop etc., SILC groups i.e. sensitization, FGD etc.)
• Support conduct enumeration during project household registration/validation, surveys, and market assessments.

Residency:

• Living in targeted community as a permanent resident—this is critical and must be confirmed independently; beware of candidates who claim they have “just moved back” and might be commuters
• Well-known and respected by community members and leaders in the assigned area
• Reputation for integrity
• No criminal record or instances of disreputable behavior

Skills

• Basic arithmetic skills (including percentage calculations)
• Ability to read and understand the national language (used in guides and forms)
• Ability to communicate in local language(s) of assigned area
• Good community mobiliser and facilitator, with strong interpersonal and communication skills.