Program Officer – Agriculture at Save The Children

ROLE PURPOSE: 

Responsible for the implementation of the agriculture component of the USAID/BHA funded humanitarian project - Integrated Multi-sectoral life-saving assistance for conflict-affected Households in Yobe. More specifically, the Agricultural Officer will work with Agricultural Extension Officers from the Yobe State Agricultural Development Programme to build/strengthen the capacity of smallholder farmers on good agronomic practices both for micro gardening and field farming. With the technical support of the Livelihoods Coordinator and the Food Security & Livelihoods Sector Lead, S/he will be principally responsible for ensuring that the smallholder farmers supported under the project receive the right trainings that will help improve their crop yield. The post holder will also work closely with the CVA team to ensure that supported households receive the seeds and other inputs using electronic vouchers. In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY: 

Programme Support (typically will be at field level):

• Support field level technical assessments on Agricultural livelihoods. This will be done in coordination with the Livelihoods Coordinator and other SC thematic areas and/or other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment findings are documented and that all assessments include a specific analysis of children’s needs.
• With support from the Livelihoods Coordinator, develop the agriculture component of the project plans and budgets, contributing towards an overall project implementation.
• With the support of Livelihoods Coordinator, oversee the field implementation of the agriculture component of the project to ensure timely delivery of project activities.
• Identify emerging issues related to the agricultural component of the programme and make recommendation for further solution.
• In collaboration with project and partner staff, train enumerators on program component, its implementation and prepare narrative report of activities carried out.
• With support from the Livelihoods Coordinator and BHA Programme Manager, identify programme supplies needs and coordinate with the logistics team to put in place a sensible phased procurement plan.
• With support from the Monitoring & Evaluation team support the M & E plan implementation within the FSL projects, ensuring this links to reporting requirements, and capacity build technical field staff in carrying out the work.
• With support from the MEAL and FSL technical teams, ensure the regular monitoring and impact tracking for all agricultural interventions. 
• With support from the Accountability team, ensure accountability is enforced in all project activities as well as ensuring that feedback from children and their families is considered in project design/implementation
• With support from the community mobilization team, ensure effective and efficient information sharing to relevant stakeholders and continuous programme sensitization.
• Work closely with partners and their staff to ensure project activities are implemented in time and within the stipulated quality.
• To ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct.

Capacity Building:

• Identify learning and training opportunities for agricultural extension officers from the Yobe State Agricultural Development Programme and communicate this to the Livelihoods Coordinator and BHA Programme Manager.  
• Identify learning and capacity building opportunities for smallholder farmers and communicate, plan for and execute it.

Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:

• Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and support Interagency Coordination forums, advocating for the specific needs of children. This may involve supporting coordination working groups within the IDP camps and host communities or target project sites.
• Contribute to communications and media work as required through correction of data and information and sharing with the project heads
• Ensure that child rights and child sensitive programming is always advocated for across the program and across the sector.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships with their team, other colleagues, and external stakeholders
• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS  

• Education to BSc/BA level in a relevant subject or equivalent field experience (in agricultural research programme)

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

Essential

• Minimum of 3 years’ working experience in the food security/livelihoods sector, including technical report writing.
• Previous experience of project management and implementation
• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability
• Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation 
• Experience of training and capacity building staff
• Some experience of representation and ability to represent SC effectively in external forums.
• Knowledge of institutional donors and experience of developing proposals
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports
• Excellent communication and strong influencing skills
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• A high level of written and spoken English; knowledge of local language is highly desirable 
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support

Desirable

• High level of communication in a local language related to working environment
• Familiarity with inter-sectoral integration of programme – FSL / Nutrition / Protection / WASH
• Experience in gender mainstreaming and disability inclusion