JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

JOB TITLE: Senior Field Staff/ Facilitators (21)

REPORTS TO: Programme Manager

REPORTING TO POSTHOLDER: None  

LOCATION:  Five Regions in Ethiopia (Amhara, Benishangul Gumez, Gambella, Oromia, SNNP and Tigray)

DURATION:  2 years and 3 months (based on funding availability)

Farm Africa is a UK-headquartered INGO established in 1985 and with operations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and DRC. Farm Africa is a technical specialist in rural development, implementing projects in forestry, agriculture, natural resource management, and market-system development with extensive project implementation experience in Ethiopia. The organization has a deep commitment and long-term presence in the region, with over 35 years’ experience of supporting rural communities across sub-Saharan Africa to lift them out of poverty through interventions focused on improving production and productivity of crops, empowering communities to manage their natural resources sustainably, and increasing access to profitable markets.

Effective agriculture has the power to change lives. It underpins prosperity, food security and stability the world over. Farm Africa focuses on transforming agriculture and managing natural resources sustainably. We champion a holistic approach that boosts yields, protects the environment and connects smallholder farmers to thriving markets.

We work with different types of farmers in a range of regions. Their local situations vary, but the problems they face are all too familiar: lack of training and technology, inadequate inputs, no finance, vulnerability to climate change and poor links to markets.

We have an ambitious strategy to expand our work over the next five years. We’ll increase our impact, lift more communities out of poverty, work with more corporate partners who share our vision, open up more agricultural markets, provide more expertise, and make change happen.

Under the project “Climate-Sensitive Innovations in Land Management” (CLM), this technical consultancy service aims to increase the delivery capacity of agricultural extension services for services to build effective community-based SLM organisations. The impact hypothesis is that increasing the capacity of governmental and non-governmental extension services, which have a central role in planning and implementing climate-sensitive SLM measures at the local level, will result in a strengthening of local SLM organisations and thus an increase in the effectiveness of SLM measures (module objective). An underlying assumption is that communities rely on the support of extension services to implement SLM measures in order to meet the institutional and technical requirements for SLMP funding. Given the low level of education (e.g. very high illiteracy rate), it can be assumed that the support of the WSUAs in the planning and implementation of SLM measures by the DAs and private service providers acting at the interface between the communities and the state institutions must be permanent. An assumption for the achievement of the output is also that the government (and possibly a new government after the elections in 2021) will continue the reform process that has been started and the participatory approach to sustainable land management.

• Facilitate training of extension workers (DAs and woreda experts) in participatory watershed development, management and use planning, implementation, and monitoring in consultation with the regional GIZ office
• Guide, coach and backstop community and district level agricultural extension workers in establishment and registration of community watershed user’s association/cooperative
• Develop criteria for the selection of model watersheds in consultation with partner staff and regional GIZ office
• Support the establishment of model watersheds’ in selected SLMP intervention woredas/watersheds and facilitate networking and knowledge exchange between relevant actors
• Provide guidance and technical support to woreda experts (WEs) and development agents (DAs) in preparing quality and timely annual and multi-year watershed development plans
• Advise zonal and woreda administration on the establishment and registration of community watershed users
• Contribute to the development of innovative concepts in SLM which strengthen the ownership of local communities.
• Facilitate partnership and networking between training service providers and the extension service
• Facilitate community, woreda and zonal level project progress reviews and evaluations of project performance by partner institutions
• Conduct and document training needs of the extension workers and community-based organisations (community watershed executive committee members)
• Support the development of training programmes for extension workers and community watershed members
• Support the development of innovative financing solutions for community watershed users’ associations/cooperatives to sustainably manage natural resources (Payment for Ecosystem Services, management and mobilisation of local grants and contracts)
• Ensure sustainability and scaling up of project approach in the partner system, both vertically and horizontally
• Support documentation and dissemination of best SLM practices and approaches
• Provide input and assistance to project M&E, reporting and administration
• Perform additional tasks as agreed between the consultant and commissioning party
• Performs other duties as assigned by the line manager.

These essential functions are not to be interpreted as a complete statement of all duties performed. Employees will be required to perform other job related duties as required. All work responsibilities are subject to having performance goals and/or targets established.

Investing in smallholder farming is the number one way to combat poverty in rural Africa. Farm Africa is a leading NGO specialising in growing agriculture, protecting the environment and developing businesses in rural Africa.

EXPERT. Deep expertise and insightful evidence-based solutions are at the heart of everything Farm Africa does.

GROUNDED. Positive change starts with Africa’s people, so our experts work closely with local communities, engaging them in every level of decision-making.

IMPACTFUL. We take a long-term view so we can deliver lasting changes for farmers and their families.

BOLD. We model innovative new approaches and are not afraid to challenge strategies that are failing.