Job Description

Post Title:                 Livelihood Project Officer                                         

Duty Station:           Somali Regional State, Jigjiga

Reports to:               Senior Livelihood Project Officer                            

Salary:                      As per the organization scale

Required:                 One

Duration:                  5 (Five) months with possible extension based on budget availability and performance review

Introduction

Islamic Relief is an international relief and development charity founded in 1984 with its headquarters in Birmingham, UK. As well as responding to disasters and emergencies, Islamic Relief promotes sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities – regardless of race, religion or gender. The office officially started its operation in Ethiopia in 2004. Islamic Relief Ethiopia (IRE) is operational in the Somali Regional State with a base office in Hargelle, Elkere, Bare and Dekasuftu, Afar Regional State; Ewa and Gulina, Oromia Regional State; Chiro and Meayso and an additional operational office in Addis Ababa. For more information please visit our website: http://www.islamic-relief.org/work-with-us.

Job Summary

The post holder will provide strategic Livelihood Sector guidance and leadership under the supervision in regular consultation with the supervisor, implements sustainable livelihood promotion activities at Somali Regional State, Farfen Zone, Jijiga/Tulugulid. Responsible for the technical contribution to the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Livelihood and food security interventions that able to enhance livelihood of Somali agropastoral communities who affected by recurrent drought. 

Create a transparent and environment friendly service in the project area where he/she is responsible to improve food security and livelihoods of the vulnerable intervention agro-pastoral and pastoral households, through enhanced existing Livelihood base of the target community members and improved Livelihood diversification of target community members that would help to improved access to diversified livelihood opportunities. She/he provides overall technical, organizational support and plays a leading role in livelihood and food security intervention activities she/he is assigned, including technology and best practices, awareness creation and linkages and behavioral change through education, information and communication. She/he supports people’s empowerment, collective action and solidarity. Facilitates and encourages active participation of and networking between individuals and communities in recognizing problems, identifying solutions, and implementing project activities related to the identified solutions.

He/she will lead the design, monitoring and evaluation of Islamic Relief’s livelihood and food security sector interventions.  He/she will lead the overall livelihood and food security intervention in and provide technical support in livelihood and food security thematic area to the field teams and represent Islamic Relief in the Regional National livelihood and food security forum and other related clusters. Central to his role will be building the capacity of field staff and relevant offices.

The livelihood Officer will also be responsible for timely implementation of the planned activities, documentation of the project plans, outputs, outcomes and reporting as per the reporting schedule set by the project under close supervision of the Senior Livelihood Project Officer.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

·         Develops strategies that would increase the organizational and institutional capacity of the local community together with its staff

·         Provides technical assistance to establish the livelihood resilience of the pastoralist communities in the targeted Jijiga and Tuligulid areas

·         Compiles and regularly updates the livelihoods data-base at the field office, ensure the filing systems are secured, maintained and up to date

·         In collaboration with project staff prepares an annual action and budget plan for the project and ensure that all payments are made as per the rules and regulations of the donor/organization

·         Works with WASH expert on development of successful irrigation scheme development that help to support the fodder production

·         Provides support and training, coaching and skills development for the project and technical team in-line with innovative components of the project as related to the livelihood components of the programme

·         Ensure the proper mainstreaming of protection, inclusion, safeguarding and gender within the livelihood project interventions. 

·         In collaboration with other project staff develops clear monitoring and evaluation plan and tools

·         Conducts situation assessment on pastoralist economic conditions and comes with clear recommendation

·         Prepares and submits consolidated weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly plan report in line with monitoring tool

Project Cycle Management & Programme Quality

·         Develops and maintains a detailed project plan and manages project deliverables in line with the project plan

• Develop an overall programme guidance in terms of work plans/budget work plans, spending plans, MEAL plans, procurement plans;

·         Work closely with the Islamic Relief technical coordinators and support staff to provide appropriate guidance and managerial support to implement the project in line with the objectives laid out in the donor approved proposal (s);

·         Ensures that  the livelihood  project components are  planned, implemented, monitored and evaluated in line with the terms and conditions of the agreement

• To lead in preparing mid-term and final reports for the donor in collaboration with partners, project staff, technical coordinators.

• Ensure narrative reporting and financial accounting meet Islamic Relief and donor’s requirements;

• Support and promote programme quality and project strengthening activities e.g. data management, project quality meetings, learning events and partnership reviews;

• Monitoring and evaluating the project regularly, ensuring partners’ and community participation as appropriate, as well as accountability towards communities;

• Follow up on MEAL activities and findings ensuring that learning from monitoring and evaluation is included and strategies and programme implementation are adapted accordingly;

• Mainstream gender, protection, safeguarding and inclusion within the intervention, with advice from the protection and inclusion focal person;

• Establish and maintain clear lines of communication with project staff and ensure internal communication is effective;

• Ensure project activities have the appropriate visibility in compliance with donor requirements and procedures.

• Actively participate in monthly financial review meetings to plan and monitor the budget expenditure, review procurement and spending plans, and ensure funds are spent within the time frame acceptable to Islamic relief and the donor and ensuring rules and regulations of IRW are adhered to;

• Support the Delegated project officer to review actual financial performance against the budget, and explain variances on a regular basis;

• Ensure that donor contractual requirements are fulfilled, including by partners, with particular reference to the Grant Agreement and internal regulations, throughout the entire project period;

• Lead on initiating relevant procurement processes, with support from Logistics, in line with programme spending and procurement planning.

Management

• Project relevant staff in line with Islamic Relief policies, ensuring that they have the necessary training and support as required;

• Ensure staff are compliant with key internal procedures, including security requirements and code of conduct;

• Solicit appropriate training and learning opportunities for team members in line with development objectives and ensure regular coaching of staff;

• Oversee performance management and staff development of team members, and provide necessary and timely feedback to all staff being directly managed;

• Build the capacity of staff in key project management principles, tools and approaches and ensure that these new skills are utilized on the job;

• Facilitate effective working relations with colleagues around communications, policy and advocacy issues and concerns, ensuring evidence-based programmatic input into policy and media messaging.

External Representation and Consortium Coordination

• Serve as primary project representative to local stakeholders and partners, responsible for addressing all project matters;

• Develop and maintain positive relations with relevant partner, project right holders and community members;

• Assist with the coordination of visits of donors, and/or partners related to the project;

• Facilitate effective working relations with colleagues around communications, policy and advocacy issues and concerns, ensuring evidence-based programmatic input into policy and media messaging;

• When needed, lead on organizing events, such as joint advocacy, research, project launch etc., coordinating closely with the policy and media team.

Competences and Professional Skills

• Demonstrated technical expertise and experience in local economic development, livelihoods and/or social integration programming;

• Familiar with the “Decent Working Conditions” and the indecent aspects faced in country by stakeholders (employees, women, People with Disabilities, refugees, children and more);

·         Proven experience in livelihood activities including income generating activities, food security, resilience and managing risks;

·         Understanding of poverty, vulnerability and resilience and inequality in access to resources, assets and services;

·         Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments;

·         Creating synergies through self-control;

·         Proven knowledge of and experience with donor funding environment and good financial and project management skills;

·         Diplomacy, tact and negotiating skills;

·         Good interpersonal, influencing and communication skills;

·         Proven team leadership and ability to work independently as required;

·         Sensitivity to cultural differences, and the ability to work in a wide variety of cultural contexts;

Skills and Qualifications

Formal Education/Qualification

·         Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline from recognized university in Development Studies, food security, rural and urban  livelihood, or related fields; 

Work Experience

·        Minimum 5 years of professional work experience in development work (specifically in managing programmes in the humanitarian sector

Skills and Competences

Excellent spoken and written English languages; and local language (Somali) is Mandatory   

·         Experience working in pastoralist setting specially in Somali region

·         Good written and spoken English;

·         Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications;

Safeguarding and Equal Opportunity

Islamic Relief and Islamic Relief staff considers the welfare and protection of children, young people and people at risk to be paramount to the organization. And must adhere the principle of ‘do no harm and leave no one behind.’ It is critical we do not expose communities or staff we work with to the risk of harm through our interventions.  With a zero tolerance approach Islamic Relief have a number of related policies which also describe standards in behavior expected from the organization, its staff and representatives towards each other and those we serve. Islamic Relief is committed to responding swiftly, appropriately and constructively to any and all information children, young people and people at risk have disclosed.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. We participate in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and child abuse during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment before signing the contract agreement.

Islamic Relief believes everyone has the right to be safe, respected and valued regardless of who they are or their circumstances, and an equal employment opportunity  to all candidates and qualified applicants, we do not discriminate on the base of age, sex, race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability status and diversity.

How to apply

·         Interested candidates are required to submit a complete Job application form with all required supporting documents (copy of credentials and testimonials) through Ethiopia.HR@islamic-relief.org.et.

·         You can access the Job Application Form with this link: http://www.islamic-relief.org.et/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Employment-Application-form-1.docx. Failure to follow the instructions will invalidate your application.

·         Closing date for the application is November 03, 2022.

·         Due to the high volume of application, we regret that we will be able to contact only the shortlisted candidates.

·        Female candidates are highly encouraged.