Coordinator
Africa
Uganda
Manager
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.
awarded Farm Africa and the North East Chilli Producers Association (NECPA)
funding for a three-year project focused on creating a more competitive and
profitable chilli value chain within Lira, northern Uganda to capitalise on
growing international demand for varieties of Ugandan African Birds Eye (ABE)
dried chillies. The project will strengthen the technical capacity of NECPA and
their extension team to support market- orientated chilli production across their
entire area of operation. Key project activities will include; delivering an
enhanced extension package to 3,000 (120 groups of 25) chilli farmers in Aromo,
Barr and Amach sub-counties; reforming input supply within Aromo, Barr and
Amach sub-counties to ensure there is an adequate flow of high-quality inputs
to service growing demand from farmers; supporting NECPA to obtain the proper
certification and licencing required in order to begin accessing and selling
their farmers’ chillies directly into high-value export markets. At the same
time, the project will promote greater inclusivity within the value chain,
encouraging female and youth led production by educating on gender
mainstreaming and creating new enterprise opportunities.
the senior management team in Uganda and is ultimately responsible for planning
and leading the implementation of the Commercialising Chilli Production (CCP)
project by both Farm Africa and our implementing partner, NECPA. The PC will be
required to manage the planning, implementation, monitoring & reporting of
all aspects of the CCP project. This will include playing a leading role in
internal and external project reporting, financial management, partner
management, monitoring and evaluation of the project activities, outputs and
impacts, and ensuring that all stakeholders at the project area are fully
engaged. The post-holder will be based in Farm Africa’s Lira office, and will
be reporting in to the Program Manager, Uganda (PM).
the CCP project implementation in accordance with the objectives, work plans
and budgets agreed with the donor.
planning:
Work in
close consultation with the Program Manager (PM) to review and prepare the
project’s work plan and budget as part of the quarterly and annual planning
process.
Manage
monthly, quarterly and annual work plans for project activities and logistics,
identifying and responding to the implications of interdependencies between
different sub-project work stream activities.
Ensure
all project staff and partners are clear on project plans and required
resources during planning.
Work
closely with NECPA management team to develop an implementation plan and budget
in line with donor requirements and contractual plans for the overall
programme.
Regularly
review delivery progress against plans, highlighting areas of concern in a
timely manner and proactively addressing them in good time.
delivery, implementation and internal reporting:
Ensure
the methodologies for each activity are clearly understood by the Farm Africa
and NECPA project teams and delivered according to Farm Africa Approaches.
Ensure
that project activities are implemented and outputs achieved as planned and
within budget and timelines that have been contractually agreed with the donor
Ensure
that accurate and detailed records are kept of activities delivered by both
Farm Africa and NECPA teams and extension staff, and logged using GPS devices
as stipulated by the donor
Participate
in quarterly programme progress review sessions with the Program Manager and
other key staff including: in-depth review of financial spend/burn rate;
achievement against activity and output plan, and a forward look on whether the
project is achieving against its objectives, indicators and beneficiaries.
Proactively
identify and monitor any risks to non-delivery and, where required, develop and
implement action plans to address issues identified;
Provide
high-quality and accurate narrative and financial reports in line with
contractual agreements
Work
closely with the NECPA management team, providing hands-on support with managing
programme delivery in line with contractual agreements
management and governance:
Closely
monitor project expenditure, ensuring that requests for variances are requested
from, and approved by, the donor ahead of time.
Work
with the Project Accountant & Administrator (PA&A) and Finance &
Administration Manager (FAM) for Uganda to regularly forecast budgets in line
with any changes in implementation plans, and where required, to reflect the
changing financial context (e.g., inflation, exchange rates)
Implement
project financial controls, ensuring that financial management in the project
field office is in compliance with and exceeds the basic standards contained in
the Farm Africa finance procedures manual and is in line with the requirements
outlined in the aBi Financial Management Guidelines
Review
budget monitoring reports, and provide timely explanations and corrective
actions for any significant variances
Ensure
that all procurement of goods and services is carried out in line with Farm Africa
procedures and also follows the terms and conditions stipulated in the donor’s
Financial Management Guidelines
Work
with the PA&A, FAM and PM to monitor financial risks, developing and
implementing mitigation actions as needed
evaluation of the project’s outcomes and impact
With
support from the wider Monitoring & Evaluation team, develop and implement
a Monitoring & Learning Plan (MLP) for the project in line with Farm
Africa’s guidelines and the donor’s requirements
Ensure
the project’s log-frame and data collection plans are regularly reviewed and
refreshed
Ensure
that KPI data is regularly and accurately recorded and submitted to the donor
on a quarterly basis in line with contractual requirements
Closely
monitor progress against the project’s ‘payment by result’ indicators –
reporting on progress and highlighting any concerns to the PM on a quarterly
basis
Lead the
project’s annual self-assessment process ensuring that necessary evidence is
collected and all staff are actively inputting into the process
Ensure
that the project is regularly conducting beneficiary surveys, collecting other
data through relevant sources, developing case studies and collating photos
Ensure
that activities delivered by the Farm Africa and NECPA teams are logged using
GPS devices provided by the donor, and in line with the donor requirements
With
support from the wider Monitoring & Evaluation team, oversee the joint
procurement of baseline and EoP evaluations by the Farm Africa and aBi teams,
ensuring that learning and recommendations from those evaluations are
explicitly incorporated into the project’s future implementation activities.
contract management for the project, ensuring that donor reports are of a high
standard
Support
annual PPR reflection processes to assess any adjustments needed to budget
allocations for the project
Produce
accurately and timely narrative and financial reporting information for review
and submission by PM and Programme Support Team
With
support from the PA&A, ensure that full transactional reports for all
expenditures are received promptly in Kampala within one week of the month end
to ensure timely onward reporting to the donor
Proactively
identify any required changes to donor-agreed work plans, objectives and/or budgets,
working with the PM, CD and Programme Support Team to agree and implement any
necessary contract revisions or renegotiations
Ensure
compliance with donor procurement and other contractual requirements
Support
management and oversee the quality of donor visits to the region
management of project team
Spend a
high proportion of the time in the field guiding the delivery of project
activities and ensuring timely and high-quality delivery in line with donor
expectations and requirements
Working
with the Country Office team, lead on the recruitment of new staff to the
project team
Hold (at
least) monthly staff meetings and send minutes and key action points to
partners and any relevant stakeholders
Provide
leadership and motivation to all project staff building values-based team
working and individual staff skills relevant to the project.
Regularly
provide both informal and formal coaching and feedback to all project staff
Proactively
mentor and support NECPA team and their extension staff to achieve their
project objectives
Effectively
and promptly deal with any poor performance and actively recognise and
encourage strong performance
Actively
seek feedback on own performance and effectiveness from both country leadership
as well as own project staff.
Hold
in-person supervision sessions with all line-managed staff at least once per
month (to discuss progress against their personal development objectives and
work targets) and carry out in-person annual appraisals with all line-managed
staff
mutually beneficial partnerships with stakeholders
Proactively
identify and raise with the PM (and others as appropriate) any project- related
delivery risks, and work with NECPA staff and other stakeholders to implement
action plans to resolve identified issues
Act as a
regional level ambassador, promoting the project, including hosting visitors,
speaking at workshops and conferences, and meeting donors and other officials
when required
Provide
formal representation of the project at regional level with respect to key
signatory government parties; ensure periodic reports are submitted to them on
a timely basis
Convene
quarterly project meetings, involving representatives from all stakeholder
groups
Support
organisation of external events, forums and conferences to share project
lessons and experiences
as a member of the Farm Africa Country team
Contribute
to the development and implementation of Farm Africa’s strategy
Identify
and explore opportunities to grow and expand the country project pipeline, both
in relation to the current project or related to new project opportunities
Work
with the PM, CD and the UK Programme Funding Unit to prepare funding proposals
where requested, ensuring that any lessons learned during implementation are
documented and built into future project design
Participate
in country-level or Pan-Farm Africa programme meetings with other project
coordinators, as reasonably requested
The
ideal candidate will should possess a postgraduate degree or equivalent in
Agriculture, Agribusiness, Rural Development, Rural Livelihoods or any other
related field.
A
minimum of three years of management experience with an INGO or agri-business
evidencing knowledge and understanding of project strategy, design,
implementation, line management monitoring and reporting
Demonstrable
understanding of private sector agriculture value chains and rural development
in Uganda
Knowledge
and understanding of the chilli value chain in Uganda and key dynamics and
stakeholders within it.
Excellent
understanding of market-based approaches to development and particularly
approaches which encourage greater participation of women and youth
Knowledge
of Global GAP and/or Organic certification requirements, and the process to be
followed to achieve certification.
Desirable
Further
relevant academic qualification in the area of Agriculture, Agribusiness, Rural
Development, Rural Livelihoods or other relevant field
Experience
of working in Lango sub-region and northern Uganda
Experience
of operationalising project plans with multiple external stakeholders and
managing implementing partners
Experience
in financial management, including the ability to develop, read and manage
budgets; and rapidly spot potential issues and solutions
Direct
experience of delivering business development services to agribusinesses and
supporting them to access finance and grow.
Experience
in combining coaching with effective and insightful feedback on organisational
strengths, development areas and ways to grow.
Direct
experience of formalising smallholder producer supply chains, or supporting
agribusinesses to do the same
Experience
of using a range of tools to monitor project outcomes on an ongoing and regular
basis.
Experience
of using a range of tools to monitor delivery of activities and collating this
information for sharing with donors.
Experience
of producing high-quality narrative reports for large-scale donors
At least
three years field-based experience implementing private sector and smallholder
projects in agriculture
Experience
of working on aBi-funded projects
Experience
of working within the chilli (ideally) or other horticultural value chains
Experience
of supporting Ugandan businesses to enter the international export market, and
gain the necessary licences
Experience
of developing strategies for small-scale private sector actors working in the
agricultural input supply chains
Experience
of designing production planning tools for smallholder farmers.
Demonstrated
leadership, line management and team building experience including conducting appraisals and managing
under-performance.
Experience
of establishing and supporting the development of VSLA initiatives (or similar group saving schemes).
Excellent
written and oral communication and presentation skills with the ability to work
with both Government, CSOs and Private Sector stakeholders.
Ability
to lead and mentor both Farm Africa and partner staff Excellent
training/facilitation skills and experience.
Fluent
written and spoken English
Adept in
Microsoft Windows including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint Excellent
network and excellent relationship with government partners Ability and
willingness to travel widely and frequently both regionally and nationally
Ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders based on trust,
collaboration, demonstrated commitment and impact, deploying a wide range of
influencing techniques as required
Negotiating
& managing partner relationships
Experience
in leading teams in problem solving
Fluency
in Langi/Luo
employ those who believe, as we do, that farmers can and will play a key role
in achieving long-term rural prosperity in Africa and who seek to deliver on
those beliefs by:
Being
experts in our field, delivering insightful/impactful evidence-based solutions
Pushing
boundaries, being creative with new and old solutions
Acting
for the long term, building relationships and delivering long-lasting change
for farmers
Working flexibly,
taking advantage of the most effective solutions, whether from the communities,
private sector or government
Sharing
knowledge with others, reaching more farmers than we do alone, ensuring
effective technologies are widely accessed.
qualified candidates should send their updated CVs, salary history, and a
two-page supporting statement detailing how you meet the person specification
to [email protected] including ‘Programme Coordinator- CCP’ in
the subject line. Please DO NOT send additional documents such as certificates
and references with your application. Successful candidates ONLY will be
required to provide these documents during the referencing process. Interviews
are expected to take place w/c 10th December 2018 at Farm Africa’s country
office in Kampala. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
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