Food security and livelihoods specialist

Background

Present in Chad since 1974, CARE has significantly increased its presence and its operational capacity in response to the humanitarian emergency of Darfuri refugees in eastern Chad in 2004 and has continued to grow to meet the needs of internally displaced persons and the influx of refugees from Central African Republic (CAR) in southern Chad. CARE Chad currently manages a multi-sector program including the components agriculture, livestock and income generating activities (IGAs) in three Sudanese refugee camps located in the Department of Kobe and surrounding host villages.

The sector of livelihoods aims at improving agricultural and livestock production among the refugees, but also for host communities surrounding the camps. The humanitarian crisis in eastern Chad has lasted since 2004, and UNHCR and its partners are committed to a strategy that goes in the direction of greater autonomy of refugees to help them become less dependent on humanitarian aid. In this regard, the year 2012 is a pivotal year, and the incumbent will be responsible for piloting the gradual transition to greater accountability and autonomy of the refugees. He/she must ensure the proper technical implementation activities necessary to achieve excellent results in agriculture, livestock and micro finance/micro credit.

The expert(s) will be based in Iriba, in eastern Chad, and make frequent travels to refugee camps and surrounding villages.

Job summary

• Under the supervision of the Program Coordinator and Head of Field Office, the incumbent is responsible for the sector of Food Security and Livelihoods. In fulfilling all his duties, he/she shall have to comply with the guidelines of CARE Canada and the humanitarian principles of the UNHCR; he/she will work with other sectors implemented by CARE (Education, Protection) and other UNHCR partners for the implementation of activities.
• He/she will be responsible for the components of agriculture, livestock and income generating activities, with an approximate budget of $200,000 (non-staff costs).
• He/she will manage and lead a team of 15 people.
• All activities of the department must be consistent with the strategy of empowerment of refugees.
• Activities will be implemented in a difficult environment (Sahelian climate), with limited options. It will be especially important to understand the social and economic organization of the target populations and to identify the traditional structures of support to build upon.
• The integration of the concept of disaster risk reduction and adaptation to climate change must also be taken into account.
• The incumbent will have to be creative and have strong analytical skills to adapt activities to the context.
• He/she will be asked an important presence on the ground, to have direct contact with beneficiaries, and provide methodological and technical capacity building to field teams (regular staff and refugees).

Detailed responsibilities and tasks

To coordinate the implementation of the Food Security and Livelihoods activities, and create an environment for reflection, creativity and capitalization

• Establish a coordination system of its technical team, with weekly planning and reflective feedback from the field. Increase the participation of field supervisors in the needs analysis and design of activities.
• Ensure the implementation, coordination and technical monitoring of activities in the funding agreement approved by the donors, and ensure compliance with deadlines (timing of activities)
. • Take into account the recommendations of the consultant "on livelihoods" mandated by CARE (in November 2011), and adapt/improve the context.
• Attend meetings regularly with multi-functional teams in the camps, and provide support to the UNHCR to improve its functioning and efficiency. • Ensure the smooth flow of information between team members and organize permutations of assignment between camps to avoid routine. • Stimulate interaction between the Iriba field and the country office in particular with regard to the identification of new projects and funding approaches.
• Maintain regular contact with UNHCR staff in the cell "Environment Section", to reflect with them on current activities and new ideas, and joint field visits with these agents.
• Establish links with other complementary areas of activities: understanding the activities carried out in other sectors will help identifying synergies and complementarities, particularly the targeting of beneficiaries and the improvement of impact.
• Prepare the project action plans and procurement plans according to the frequency dictated by CARE.
• Monitor budgets and anticipate the necessary expenses.
• Initiate procurement records and prepare tenders for the supply of agricultural inputs, veterinary products and other materials.
• Validate compliance of technical equipment and other agricultural/livestock inputs.
• Initiate the tender for the realization of agricultural infrastructures (wells, micro dams, etc ....).
• Ensure compliance with the procedures and corporate core values at sector level.
• Ensure sound management of the equipment and the budget allocated to the sector activities.

Budget control and monitoring

• Prepare the cash projections and project spending plans, in accordance with CARE requirements of and various donors regulations;
• Monitor project expenditures compared to work plans to ensure that the expenditures comply with the requirements of CARE and donors;
• Regularly review the financial reports/budgets and provide advice on possible adjustments as appropriate and in consultation with the Finance Department;
• Conduct inspections/audits of expenditures to ensure optimum utilization project resources.


Supervise the technical staff and improve their effectiveness in the field

• Ensure that each staff member has an updated job description that clearly defines the staff roles and responsibilities.
• Ensure ongoing monitoring of staff performance and provide feedback on their strengths and weaknesses.
• In collaboration with the Head of Field Office, provide guidance or disciplinary action if necessary.
• Review regular the staff performance and the annual performance evaluation.
• In consultation with all project staff, develop a work plan for each category of staff (supervisors, animators, assistants refugees).
• Participate in recruitment of new staff program staff.
• Conduct regular meetings with program staff to identify gaps in projects, recommend and implement changes to achieve desired goals.
• Identify training needs and develop a training plan in the short (2012) and medium term. Training may take the form of study trips to other refugee sites, or in other departments, or meetings organized by the PMS manager on specific technical topics, mobilization of small grants to allow short courses in the country (for example with INADES to improve communication skills).
• Ensure capacity building of staff in communication skills, and participatory approach, with practical training on the field.

Contribute to the development of CARE Chad portfolio

• Contribution to the needs assessment and analysis.
• Co-preparation and participation in the exercise of capitalization of sector activities.
• Responsible for the development of the sector strategy for 2012-2013, based on lessons learned in 2011.
• Possible involvement in the identification and development of new projects in eastern Chad but also in other areas of action of CARE Chad.


Reporting

• Create and/or monitor tools for verification sources for projects.
• Prepare monthly detailed report and other reports as required.
• Lead the development of interim and final reports, and requests for amendment to the donors if required.
• Facilitate/organize field visits (institutions, journalists, donors ...).
• Improve the quality of reports.
• Organize a filing system (reports, surveys, curriculum and training materials, etc..).
• Avoid loss of information.

Networking and partnership

• Responsible for information and experiences sharing with others sections in the areas of environment, economic security, micro finance and/or IGAs;
• Collaboration and coordination of projects internally and with all partners;
• Representation of the section of environment, economic security, micro finance and / or IGAs towards governments’ officials, donors, food security and environment cluster).
• Participate in weekly coordination meeting at the base of Iriba.
• Create and update an info graphic on the activities, in order to facilitate planning, communication and reporting.
• Establish and consolidate a network of partnership for better sustainability of the program activities.
• Share approaches, training materials, and lessons learned with other NGOs involved in similar actions in the context of support for refugees and host populations.
• Identify and meet key stakeholders in the Section, analyze their strategy, and encourage the exchange of documents and experiences to improve field activities, and identify innovations.
• Establish and maintain links with Ministries of Livestock and Agriculture, in order to control the national guidelines, and to be able to use adequately the technical resources available locally and nationally.
• Work closely with the ONDR and Livestock Service.

Improve the assessment of the impact

• Ensure implementation of recommendations from previous evaluations/assessments.
• Develop an action plan for monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Develop and implement regular assessments of the qualitative impact.
• Conduct participatory evaluation sessions with the beneficiaries, and document them.

Candidate’s profile

Education

• Higher education in agricultural economics, agronomy, animal science or veterinary medicine.

Skills & competences

• Overseas experience of more than two years in humanitarian assistance.
• Proven experience in coaching and leading a technical team in humanitarian sector, preferably in the implementation of a project to improve living conditions of refugees, control issues related to disaster risk reduction, in pastoral areas (Sahel);
• Experience of networking and building relationships with partners and stakeholders;
• Proven experience in community outreach and participation, including experience in training of trainers;
• Good interpersonal skills, aptitude for teamwork.
• Proficiency in French; knowledge of English is an asset.
• Physical endurance, adaptability and self-developed.
• Good capacity for synthesis and analysis, proactive proposals for actions/decisions;
• Good computer skills. A good knowledge of Excel (statistical analysis, database), as well as practical basis mapping (geo-referenced information on Google Earth, for example) would be appreciated.

Languages

• French (required), English (a plus).

Working conditions

• Based in Iriba in the Department of Wadi Fira. Accommodation in the guest house of CARE, with separate bedroom and Internet 24/24.
• Limitations of the position: unaccompanied