VSLA Officer at CARE International

Job Summary

• CARE is seeking a VSLA Officer to support the successful implementation of the Resilience and Social Cohesion (Peace) project in Northeast Nigeria. The Project is a joint initiative implemented by implemented the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and United Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with funding from the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of the German Government. The project aims to restore basic services, rebuild livelihoods and infrastructure, and enhance social cohesion by bridging humanitarian, development, and peace interventions to foster a transformational process.
• The VSLA Officer will provide support in the implementation of VSLA through capacity building of project participants, establishing linkages with financial service providers, and supporting transition of VSLAs into business enterprises for increased resilience

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS:

 Activity Planning, Implementation and Reporting

• Prepare a detailed VSLA implementation plan and ensure the respective team members understand well and properly implement.
• Ensure physical target achievements are as agreed; and review regularly the progress and maintain regular update of the workplan and track outputs.
• Facilitate and ensure establishment of VSLAs, the target communities.
• Lead and provide technical guidance on financial inclusion interventions and livelihoods diversification of the project.
• Identify technical capacity and challenges for the project participants and VSLA facilitators skills /knowledge on VSLAs, Business Management, etc. and plan for the relevant capacity trainings.
• Oversee and regularly monitor as well as provide technical support when the VSLAs are conducting the share purchase, social contributions and borrowing and repayment of loans to ensure proper documentation.
• Facilitate stakeholder, traders, and financial services providers engagements as part of establishing strategic linkages for VSLAs.
• Document lessons learned and capture stories of change on VSLAs.
• Consolidate/compile monthly, quarterly, and annual activity reports and special events showing achievements, lessons, constraints, and recommendations and submit to supervisor on agreed time.

Capacity Building/ Technical Support 

• Review and adapt basic business, financial and relevant technical training material.
• Conduct VSLA trainings for the VSLA Facilitators and monitor step down training.
• Facilitate peer-to-peer support and ensure social cohesion within VSLA

Coordination and Representation

• Participate in CARE Community on Financial Inclusion activities.
• Represent the CARE on coordination meetings at LGA, community and wards

Other Responsibilities:

• Contribute to funding sourcing and resource mobilization initiatives through information gathering, supporting assessments, learnings, and documentations
• Support other activities as assigned

QUALIFICATION/EXPERIENCE/TECHNICAL SKILLS:

Required

• Diploma or University degree in Agri-business Management, Economics, Business Management, or any related field.
• Minimum 3 years of work experience in VSLA programming. 
• Ability to write reports of high quality. 
• Sound knowledge of entrepreneurship and agricultural value chain development related activities

Desired

• Knowledge of local languages spoken in Yobe State.
• Previous experience with INGOs or NGOs. 
• Advanced computers skills (MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Ability to establish priorities, plan, coordinate and organize own work plan

Competencies:

• Integrity and Trust                                          
• Building Effective Teams Customer Focus
• Drive for Results
• Problem Solving
• Time Management
• Functional/ Technical Skills
• Conflict Management
• Listening
• Organizing