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USAID RWANU Project Careers – Agriculture Extension Coordinator at ACDI/VOCA Wednesday, November 05, 2014

Job Title: Agriculture Extension Coordinator

ACDI/VOCA is implementing the USAID-funded PL480Title II Development Food Assistance Program entitled “Resiliency through Wealth, Agriculture, and Nutrition in Karamoja (RWANU)” The RWANU Program aims to reduce food insecurity among vulnerable rural populations in selected sub-counties of Amudat, Moroto, Napak and Nakapiripirit. The Program’s strategic objectives are (1) improved availability and access to food and (2) reduced malnutrition in pregnant and lactating mothers and children under five. The RWANU Program takes a preventive approach to reducing malnutrition, focusing on the first 1,000 days of life when conditional food rations will have the highest impact. RWANU promotes diversified livelihoods strategies including linkages to market opportunities to ensure long-term food security and resilience to food insecurity shocks.

Job Summary: The Agriculture Extension Coordinator will be responsible for supporting the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the agriculture extension activities of RWANU, with a special focus on the promotion of technologies and farming practices that enhance agriculture production and productivity. The Agriculture Extension Coordinator will ensure that all activities are implemented in line with the objectives and strategies of RWANU, following best-practices and sound technical guidelines. S/he will help ensure the agriculture extension activities support broader objectives of RWANU, and are well integrated, harmonized and synchronized. The Agriculture Extension Coordinator will work in close coordination with the business /market development and the cross cutting teams to ensure cohesion around program activities and strategies. The Agriculture Extension Coordinator also will be responsible to ensure that all program activities are carried out in a manner that is responsive to the local community needs and priorities. The Agriculture Extension Coordinator will be responsible for submitting regular plans and activity reports to the supervisor and will help ensure that planned activities are implemented effectively, on time and on budget, while maintaining high quality and contribution to the program objectives.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Offer overall leadership in identifying technologies and improved farming practices for promotion through the agriculture extension system Implement, coordinate and monitor agriculture extension activities with active participation of community and local government stakeholders;
Support in developing project beneficiary targeting criteria and processes in collaboration with relevant project teams and community representatives.
Provide leadership and specific technical direction to RWANU Field Extension Workers and TSOs
Maintain and strengthen partnerships and active collaboration with NabuZARDI and district production offices and ensure that agreed on deliverables are satisfactorily met
Identify and recommend areas for specific training and capacity- building, both for staff and target communities Organize and facilitate trainings, consultative workshops and field based capacity building activities in agronomy and horticulture development
Under the guidance of the Livelihoods Director, and with support from other technical units, the jobholder will ensure all program activities are implemented in a coherent, synchronized and integrated manner within and among other intermediate results and SOs.
Regularly monitor and assess program progress, documenting activities, outputs and outcomes, identifying successes, challenges and lessons-learned to adjust practices to improve performance as necessary;
Ensure effective preparation for and active participation in program planning and reviews
Serve as RWANU’s liaison officer with other organizations with agricultural related interventions for purposes of sharing best practices and approaches
Actively participate and report on progress of field activities, including successes, challenges and lessons-learned, providing feedback into methodologies, approaches, and work plans
Maintain accurate and detailed records of the agriculture extension activities, ensuring that data is fed back to the FEWs and TSOs
Perform any other task as required by the immediate supervisor

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

The successful candidate should hold a university degree in Agriculture, specifically in Agronomy and Agricultural Extension, or equivalent
Five or more years’ experience working with international NGOs, preferably in Karamoja.
Significant experience in designing, managing and monitoring agricultural extension activities at community level
Prior experience in leading teams of agricultural extension personnel,
Past exposure and experience in practical field-based activity implementation in remote environments, and in the context of high levels of poverty,
Prior experience in conducting training and workshops, consultations and needs assessments;
Good working knowledge of best-practices in agricultural technologies and improved farming practices
Possess the ability to engage with communities to understand the various dynamics and interact effectively with diverse groups
Prior experience with monitoring and evaluation.
Past exposure and experience using data to conduct analysis on the technical direction of program
Excellent analytical and report writing skills
Computer literacy skills especially in software of Microsoft Office
Possess the ability to work with minimum supervision Good interpersonal skills

Language: Karamajong language skills highly desirable. Fluent written and spoken English language skills are a must

How to Apply for the job:

All applicants who meet the above requirements should submit their applications (only by e-mail) addressed to the Human Resources Manager attaching their application letters and CV to jobs@acdivocaug.biz .

Deadline: 14th November, 2014