Project Officer Agronomy/Forestry at Concern for Women and Children Development Foundation (COWACDI)

Qualification:                MBA/MSc/MA

Vacancy:                       1

Contract Duration:       10 Months

Start Date:                     ASAP

Role purpose

The Project Officer Agronomy/Forestry will be responsible for designing and implementing high-quality, efficient Project Officer Agronomy/Forestry activities including nutrition assessment and promotion of healthy eating habits, directly and indirectly through training/mentoring of project community volunteers and beneficiaries, linking up with LGA BOSADP Officers, other NGOs, and private sector actors at the community level.

The role shall provide overall project supervision, promote, and value participatory approaches at the community level throughout the projects’ cycle, awareness raising and sensitisation, and all related program activities, Pre and Post Project Officer Agronomy/Forestry activities Monitoring as well as monitoring and evaluation under the direct supervision of the Project Manager.

Promote the vision, mission, and the values of COWACDI as expressed in the policies, regulations & guidelines of the Organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager and in collaboration with the extension agents, field agents and community volunteers and CPAs and other team members of the program and of the base, the Project Officer Agronomy/Forestry will:
• Facilitate initial community entry activities.
• Implement the community project plans and make recommendations to the Project Manager for approval of community agronomic project activities.
• Implement training of beneficiaries on rain fed seed crop production, dry season crop production and micro-garden farming.
• Facilitate Agronomy related surveys in communities.
• Prepare action plans and provide direct support to beneficiaries through visits, in line with the action plans and as required.
• Facilitate links and referrals relationships between the beneficiaries and community groups and local sources of support.
• Ensure all documentation, reports, and records from the community on rain fed/dry season seed crop production and micro-garden farming are maintained per agreed procedure, and information is provided on these community activities as required.
• Co-facilitate step-down trainings with beneficiaries and community groups on various topics on rain fed /dry season seed crop production and micro-garden farming as outlined in the implementation plan.
• Support beneficiaries and community groups to conduct assessments/project activities to all special women and youths in the communities.
• Work on facilitating partnerships with relevant agronomic value chain actors and their service providers.
• Support activities on community disaster risk reduction, famer field schools, asset transfer and revolving fund management, community-based saving, and lending groups opportunities.
• Ensure data collection on rain fed/dry season seed crop production and micro-garden farming under technical guidance of the M&E officer.
• Coordinate with community- based LGA BOSADP Officers, other NGOs, and private sector actors.
• Monitor and supervise the community field agents and government extension workers.
• Perform any other responsibility that will be assigned to him/her.

To respond to ever changing demands within the environment, COWACDI operates within an agile framework (both in workforce and operational) that requires from all employees, a high level of responsiveness and adaptiveness to processes and structures making flexibility and a project based working approach the norm. To sustain this system, managers may/will agree further details of specific tasks and duties as part of the performance agreement. Any reasonable duty may be assigned that is consistent with the nature of the job and its level of responsibility, and employees may be required to change the focus of their role from time to time.

Applied skills/knowledge and expertise.

Essential Requirement

• Level of Education – University Degree in Agriculture or a closely related field with at least 3 years’ experience
• Must have substantial experience in implementing community-level development projects, using participatory engagement and grassroots mobilization techniques.
• Experience working on value chain actors and their service providers.
• Sound experience working on disaster risk reduction, famer field schools, asset transfer and revolving fund management, community-based saving, and lending groups.
• Excellent training and facilitation skills with a wide variety of groups having diverse experiences, backgrounds, skills, and education levels.
• Experience in handling grants to local groups, ensuring appropriate basic documentation and accountability at the community/field level.
• Excellent verbal communication and listening skills.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft word, excel, power point.
• Language Requirements: Spoken English-Excellent; Written English-Good (ability to type and prepare reports and other documents as needed.)
• Must be able to speak at least one local language predominant in that state.

Analytical skills

• Works on complex issues, Problems, risks and benefits that may have implications across several project components. 
• Required to develop new ways of doing things to better meet program goals requiring creative or analytical ability.

Decision making

Budgetary/savings responsibility: Make decisions to manage community gatekeepers effectively, from identification of volunteers and village agents to the day-to-day management of community programme teams. Day to day decision to ensure community projects are running effectively and supporting the projects informed by COWACDI's strategy and strategic focus areas. Make contributions around project proposals, ensuring they are prepared and comply with community expectations.

Desirable

• Involvement in relevant value chain projects, and/or those involving vulnerable people, especially those with Project Officer Agronomy/Forestry component interventions.
• Experience in engaging directly with vulnerable people, facilitating women activities and/or facilitating vulnerable people’s participation in meetings, discussions, etc.
• Involvement in projects and/or initiatives that address issues of power, diversity, exclusion, participation, and gender.
• Ability to multi-task, engage in long-term planning, meet deadlines, and handles last-minute demands; exercise patience, and adapt to changing circumstances.

Relationships

• External: Build strong relationships with partners, networks, donors, stakeholders, and community beneficiaries
• Internal: Build a strong relationship with program departments, MEAL officers, program managers, M&E units, and all staff.