Project Officer, Dairy Production Nairobi
Job Title: Project Officer, Dairy Production
Organisation: Self Help Africa – Kenya
Location: Kuresoi South-Keringent (Nakuru County), Kenya
Reports to: Project Manager
Salary: Gross Annual Salary – Kes. 1,056,000
Benefits: 21 days annual leave, medical insurance and 10% employer pension contribution
Expected Travel: 70% country level travel
Restrictions: 6 monthsÂ’ probation; contract from reporting date to 31st March 2022
About Self Help Africa:
Self Help Africa (SHA) is an international NGO dedicated to the vision of an economically thriving and resilient rural Africa. We have 50 years of experience working with smallholder farmers, farmer associations, cooperatives and agribusinesses across Africa to help farmers grow and sell more food, improve diets, diversify incomes and make their livelihoods more sustainable and resilient to external shocks. SHA also builds awareness of issues affecting smallholders and represents their interests at policy and institutional levels... SHA is currently implementing a portfolio of 32 projects in Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Burkina Faso, Togo, Malawi and Zambia, funded by a variety of institutional and private donors including USAID, the European Commission, Irish Aid and World Food Programme. In 2019, we supported 380,000 households, reaching 2.2 million people in rural communities across sub-Saharan Africa, and had a turnover of €33.3million.
SHA is a core member of The Gorta Group, alongside three social enterprise subsidiaries – TruTrade, which supports market access for small-holder farmers in the agricultural value-chain; Traidlinks, providing market-linkages to agri-business in East Africa; and Partner Africa, an ethical auditing and consultancy firm that operates across more than 40 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East.
Job Purpose:
The purpose of the position is to coordinate the dairy farming extension services to the smallholder dairy farmers in the project areas by supporting the extension nodes towards the achievement of the project outputs and goals.
The goal of the project is to contribute to the knowledge and on-farm practice in the creation and implementation of innovative climate smart and efficient production systems through the introduction of forage-based animal genetics and application and the use of novel climate smart forage feeding systems on-farm. Specifically, the project seeks to; develop and demonstrate new improved systems of production (forage based) which can meet 90%+ of the animalÂ’s dietary requirement, and to develop an Innovation Hub in support of the dairy value chain with a particular focus on innovation support on-farm and which can build capacity in forage-based production technology.
The Project Officer who will be based at Kuresoi South (Keringent) sub-County of Nakuru County, will be responsible for coordination of project activities around the project beneficiaries institutions(mainly cooperatives) leading in identification of beneficiaries needs, work planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of all the project activities.
Key Responsibilities
Programme Management & Implementation at Country Level:
• Provide support and coordination to the cooperatives and government extension staff in delivery of livestock extension services to the smallholder dairy farmers
• Prepare monthly activity plans and budgets to support the extension work
• Prepare monthly and quarterly reports on the project implementation activities
• Provide appropriate and timely updates to the Programme Manager on project implementation
• Follow all SHA safety and security guidelines and ensure that all safety or security incidents (fires, accidents, theft, etc.) are recorded and reported.
• Ensure efficient use and management of project resources including Motorbikes.
Strategic Partnerships
• Work as the key program point person with the direct beneficiaries– through the cooperatives
• Develop mechanisms to foster strategic partnerships with external partner institutions such as Government, private sector, NGOs etc.
• Work closely with Government Institutions at the county-level to offer complementary support to the smallholder farmers
• Maintain regular coordination and strategic engagement with the project cooperatives.
Knowledge and Capacity Development
• Identify key needs of the direct beneficiaries, design and implement capacity development activities to address the identified needs
• Facilitate and coordinate relevant technical support to the cooperatives staff and lead farmers
• Take lead in capacity building activities for the smallholder farmers such as farmer trainings, field days and farmer exchange visits and discussions within the nodes/cooperative level
• Provide technical guidance and support in the establishment of forage demo plots amongst the lead farmers and promote replication of the same by the farmers
• Provide technical support to dairy farmer groups to prepare and implement efficient feeding and breeding plans.
Monitoring and Evaluation
• Develop and document good practices and lessons learnt on dairy extension to smallholder dairy farmers within the nodes.
• Participate in Result Based monitoring for the program in liaison with Project Manager and M & E team
• Develop and regularly update a database for all the farmers trained on dairy production and productivity improvement
• Undertake monthly monitoring of the farmer training and their effectiveness together with group performance and submit a report on the same every month
• Promoting community-led participatory monitoring of dairy farming activities.
• Undertake Performance Evaluation of the various forages
• Any other duties as assigned by the Project Manager
Key Relationships
Internal
• Head of Programmes
• Project Coordinators
• M&E Coordinator
External
• Relevant county government departments – Agriculture & Livestock, Cooperative, Nutrition, Social Services, etc
• Implementing organisations – Nodes/Cooperatives
• Other implementation partners like KALRO
• Other development organisations/ external stakeholders
Knowledge and Experience:
• Good understanding of Community/farmers’ capacity building.
• Good report writing skills.
• At least 3 years’ experience in a mix of dairy production or Agriculture development
• Experience working with Agribusiness and value chain projects, food security and livelihoods, Community development projects, at a similar level.
• Skills in training/facilitation of development processes, including organisation and mobilisation of communities
• Knowledge on networking among different development partners
Qualifications/Other Requirements:Essential:
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in the fields of Animal science, Animal production, Dairy Technology, Veterinary medicine from a recognized university
• Proficiency in computer packages especially with Ms Word, Outlook and Excel and other related packages.
Role Competencies:
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to work as part of team across different cultures.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision and take initiatives.
• Ability to build effective partnerships and relationships
• Ability to spend up to 70% of time in field travel
• Ability to ride a motorbike
• High level of integrity and high standards of personal conduct.
Download the Job Description
This Job Description only serves as a guide for the position available and SHA reserves the right to make necessary changes.
How to apply:
Please download the Application Form and fill it in. Then upload it with your CV and motivational letter outlining your suitability for the role by clicking on this link here. The hyperlink will take you to the application page.
Please note incomplete applications will not be considered for shortlisting.
Closing date is Friday 27th November 2020 at 5pm
Please note that Self Help Africa Kenya advocates for equal opportunity and does not require applicants to pay any fee at whatever stage of the recruitment and selection process. Canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.
Self Help Africa is committed to the highest possible standards of openness, transparency, and accountability in all its affairs and is completely against fraud, bribery, and corruption. All employees are bound by code of conduct, child protection and conflict of interest policies.
Any candidate offered a job with Self Help Africa will be expected to sign Self Help AfricaÂ’s Safeguarding Policies and Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.
Police vetting is required.
All applicants are encouraged to read through the following safeguarding policies as you make your applications:
• Code of Conduct
• Conflict of Interest
• Child Protection
Women applicants are highly encouraged; Self Help Africa is an Equal Opportunities Employer
Nairobi Kenya (+1 other)
Project Officer, Dairy Production Nairobi Self Help Africa – Kenya Nairobi
