Agriculture and VSL Officers X 2 Posts

DUE: 06 SEP 2023

Agriculture and VSL Officer x2 Gokwe North and Kariba 13 mnths
21 Giraffe Cres, Harare, Zimbabwe
Contract

Company Description

Nutrition Action Zimbabwe (NAZ) is a registered Private Voluntary Organization (NGO) (PVO 38/19) working in Zimbabwe. Its major driving force is to meet the immediate and long term food and nutrition needs of targeted communities and building their resilience to respond to repeated shocks.

NAZ is seeking to recruit two Agriculture and VSL Officer to support the implemention of NAZ projects in Gokwe North and Kariba Rural districts. #NB: This recruitment is in anticipation of funding

Job Description

The officer will Implement and provide technical support to agricultural and VSL activities and follow them up with the beneficiaries and project teams

Result area 1: Agriculture (Crop and Livestock Production)

• Prepare weekly and monthly work plans and ensure that they are followed.
• Develop phased budget based on planned activities according to the project implementation plan in consultation with the Field supervisor and FSL Program Manager.
• Actively participate in the collection and analysis of information used to determine vulnerability, and create transparent targeting criteria, assist in data collection and analysis for beneficiary and community selection, as well as for monitoring and evaluation.
• Contribute to the development of different tools needed for proper implementation of programs such as (MOU’s, FGDs, PDMs, etc.).
• Organize and conduct trainings for all program beneficiaries as per project document and implementation plan.
• Contribute to data collection, capturing and management, as needed.
• Work with logistics to follow up on procurements within the procurement plan to ensure efficient and timely implementation of project activities.
• Facilitate the smooth distribution of project inputs to selected beneficiaries, ensuring their proper utilization as per project document.
• Produce timely and quality reports for internal use (training, activity, weekly, monthly and quarterly) and contribute to donor reports on the status of on-going programming as required.
• Identify existing Paravets and facilitate their training on animal health by DVS.
• Facilitate training of Diptank Management Committees on animal health, tick-borne diseases, dipping and diptank management.
• Train and mentor Lead Farmers on Good Agricultural Practices; support them during cascade training to other farmers.
• Train lead farmers and project beneficiaries on the Healthy harvest curriculum, improved livestock production, indigenous poultry production, Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), fodder production and processing, fish farming and marketing.
• Monitor project implementation, adoption of new technologies and provide remedial support to targeted beneficiaries.
• Identify, track and document stories of significant change as required by the project.
• Act as a liaison between communities and the NAZ office; maintain good relationships with beneficiaries and local leaders/Authorities and all relevant stakeholders; and represent NAZ appropriately in the field.
• Comply with NAZ policies and regulations with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures
• Develop a clear and adaptive training work plan based on the seasonal calendar, farmer availability, project deadlines and targets, etc.
• Incorporate adult learning skills objectives and techniques to prepare and deliver training modules to follow adult learning quality standards.
• Establish and develop various locally applicable agricultural interventions and oversee capacity building of local farmers and the local agriculture sector.
• Facilitate and provide guidance to farmers on appropriate cropping patterns, farming techniques, etc.

Result area 2: Village Savings and Lending (VSL)

• Conducts community/ stakeholder mobilization, orientation, and sensitization on VSL.
• Trains NAZ staff on the VSLA concept.
• Identifies and strengthens/capacitates existing groups on Income generating activities through the SPM model.
• Trains new groups on the VSL concept and conducts community capacity building, such as training of committees, Cluster facilitators and individuals on all relevant topics, as identified by the needs assessment.
• Facilitates and trains VSL groups in value addition and market linkages.
• Trains VSL individuals with small enterprises on business development services.
• Facilitates linkages of VSL groups to micro-finance institutions and skills development institutions.
• Sensitizes VSL groups towards behavior change on decision making, power relations and other gender related issues affecting health and nutrition.
• Monitors and keeps track of group savings activities and data.
• Participates in data collection, e.g., administers questionnaires, collects statistics relevant to the project and analyses group data using the MIS.
• Monitors VSL groups and conducts verification and follow-ups and provides required technical assistance on selected value chain development.
• Facilitates registration of producer groups for market linkages and participates in collection of value of base income, production and value of sales / income tracking information at farmer level.
• Assists in identification of opportunities to link farmers to other project interventions, ensuring there is integration of project interventions.
• Regularly analyze food security and markets situation and prevailing trends; and provide constructive feedback.
• Compile monthly reports, as well as activity and training reports.

Qualifications

• Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness management, Animal Science or related field.
• At least 3 years’ experience in agriculture or agribusiness (both crops and livestock production), with training/capacity building of smallholder farmers. Hands-on field experience required.
• Experience in VSL programming required.
• Ability and willingness to ride a motorcycle an added advantage.
• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Additional Information

Follow the link and submit a copy of your application along with relevant supporting documents not later than 6 Sept 2023: Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

NB: This is an urgent recruitment and shortlisting will be done on a rolling basis.

TO APPLY

Click here to apply