Project Manager – OFSP UK NGO Jobs – Farm Africa

Job
Title:         
  Project
Manager – OFSP
Organization: Farm
Africa
Duty Station: Soroti,
Uganda
About US:
Farm Africa is an
international non-governmental organization working to end hunger and bring
prosperity to rural Africa. We work to increase the incomes and improve food
security of smallholder farmers, pastoralists, agro-pastoralists, and forest
dwellers in East Africa. A core part of our strategy is to ensure that our
interventions are both economically sustainable and scalable. The systematic
integration of market linkages in implementing programmes is crucial to our
ability to scale our interventions cost-effectively. Farm Africa has the
ambition to be the leading European NGO specialising in Agriculture, Natural
Resource Management and Market Engagement.
About Project Nature & Job Summary:
During this 18-month
fixed-term contract, the post-holder will be responsible for managing and
delivering the second (and final) stage of a three year project to improve
livelihoods and incomes of 1,000 farmers in Teso sub-region through developing
the production and marketing of orange-flesh sweet potatoes (OFSP).  The main objectives of this project are:
  • To increase the quantity and regularity of quality OFSP available
    for sale through improved planting, harvesting and post-harvest management
    practices
  • To develop and strengthen OFSP processing and marketing channels for
    farmers in Serere district and across Teso sub-region. The post-holder
    will be based in Farm Africa’s Soroti office and will receive functional
    support from the Project Accountant & Administrator.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Project management
and reporting including:
  • Planning and ensuring the timely implementation of deliverables at
    project level, making sure that targeted results as defined in project
    plans are achieved in accordance with Farm Africa procedures and processes
  • Carrying out quarterly reviews with the Country Director, Uganda
    (CD) highlighting progress of activities, expenditure and results against
    plans and forecasts
  • Ensuring that project plans and budgets are revised and updated in
    line with the annual planning process, as well as in response to any
    changes in implementation or delivery timelines
  • Ensuring timely delivery of high-quality quarterly and annual
    progress reports in line with Farm Africa and donor requirements
  • With support from the Project Accountant & Administrator based
    in Soroti office, monitor expenditure rates in line with the project
    budget and sure timely submission of accurate and financial reports that
    are compliant with accounting procedures and processes
  • In collaboration with the M&E team, developing and implementing
    a project monitoring and evaluation process, capturing project
    outcomes/impact and lessons learned
  • Collecting, documenting and sharing project success stories, case
    studies, best practice and lessons learned in line with the requirements
    of Farm Africa’s communication’s team
Partner management
including:
  • Managing the relationship with project partner Soroti Sweet Potato
    Producers & Processors Association (SOSPPA), as per the Memorandum of
    Understanding (MoU) and project documents – ensuring compliance with fund
    disbursement and reporting requirements
  • Ensuring that partner performance conforms to clearly defined
    expectations laid out in the MoU between Farm Africa and SOSPPA
  • Conducting regular planning and review meetings with SOSPPA
Providing technical
leadership and playing a hands-on role in delivering project activities
including:
  • Providing technical leadership and ensuring technical excellence in
    the delivery of project activities
  • Overseeing delivery of extension services by the SOSPPA PCM,
    ensuring excellence in delivery standards in line with Farm Africa
    Approaches.
  • Working with the PCM and SOSPPA team to ensure the that OFSP
    processing centre already constructed as part of the programme is well run
    and maintained, and appropriate business records kept and shared with the
    Farm Africa team for reporting purposes.
  • Ensuring that the project is delivered (including partner
    activities) in line with donor guidelines and Farm Africa policies and
    procedures.
Supporting SOSPPA
to develop a profitable OFSP processing and marketing enterprise by:
  • Working from the initial Organisational Capacity Assessment of
    SOSPPA, highlight areas of weakness and work with SOSPPA leadership team
    to overcome them – with a particular focus on governance, and financial
    processes and systems.
  • Working with the leadership team at SOSPPA to develop and implement
    a business plan
  • Providing business development support and mentoring to the SOSPPA
    team.
  • Working with Farm Africa’s Technical Manager for Markets & Value
    Chains to build the capacity of the SOSPPA team to build market linkages
    and manage contracted buyers.
  • Working with the SOSPPA team to identify and implement a financial
    mechanism to incentivise/facilitate bulking of produce for onward sale
Networking and
liaison with relevant Government agencies including:
  • Ensuring that conditions necessary for the legal implementation of
    the project are met
  • Maintaining a close working relationship with all relevant
    government partners both within and outside the project areas of
    operation.
  • Ensuring that project implementation is informed by, and in keeping
    with, the local and national policy environment
  • Managing and nurturing mutually beneficial partnerships with
    stakeholders, including service providers, local NGO’s and private sector
    companies
  • In consultation with the CD, acting as an ambassador for Farm
    Africa; promoting the project and our broader programme of work, hosting
    visitors, speaking at workshops and conferences and meeting donors and
    other officials when required.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience: 
  • The ideal candidate for the Farm Africa Project Manager – OFSP job
    placement must hold a Degree in Agricultural Marketing, Agricultural
    economics, Agribusiness, Cooperatives or related field
  • At least three years’ experience of implementing agricultural
    marketing projects for individuals or groups
  • Experience of engaging and mobilising rural communities in
    development programmes
  • Experience of playing a hands-on role in supporting the growth of
    small agribusinesses or associations
  • Good understanding of how small scale producers can be linked to the
    private sector or markets for their produce
  • Experience of leading and inspiring others
  • Experience of managing budgets
  • Experience of producing content for donor reports
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, in particular Word,
    Excel and PowerPoint
    .
  • Flexible and ‘can do’ attitude.
  • Able to work under own initiative with minimal supervision
Desirable
  • Working for an INGO
  • Fluency in Ateso
  • Field experience in OFSP production and the OFSP value chain
  • Experience of using gender disaggregated approaches for farmer
    outreach
  • Experience of evidencing success for impact assessment and
    communications purposes
  • Experience of managing monitoring and evaluation activities and
    fieldwork
  • Experience of working in a remote setting
  • Holder of a valid motorcycle permit (or willing to obtain one ahead
    of joining)
How to Apply:
All suitably
qualified and interested candidates should send an updated CV, salary history,
and a two-page supporting statement detailing how you meet the person
specification to ugandarecruitment@farmafrica.org including ‘Project Manager –
OFSP’ in the subject line.
NB: Please DO NOT
send additional documents such as certificates and references with your
application. Shortlisted candidates ONLY will be required to provide these
documents during the interview process.  Interviews are expected to take
place w/c 11th June2018 at Farm Africa’s country office in Kampala. Only
shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Deadline: 6th June 2018 by 5.00pm EAT
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