Natural Resources Management- Project Officer at World Vision

Job Description

World Vision Uganda (WVU) is a Christian relief, development and advocacy non-government Organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. We currently work in 43 districts and have 48 Area Programs implementing projects in health & nutrition, water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH), livelihoods & resilience, education and child protection. World Vision (WV) is committed to the protection of children and adult beneficiaries from exploitation and abuse and will not employ people whose background is not suitable for working with these beneficiaries. All employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of all applicable background checks, including criminal record checks where possible.

Due to expansion in scope of our programs, we are now seeking for a qualified and passionate individual willing to share in our vision and join the team in the following role.

Position: Natural Resources Management Officer – ANCP Regreening Project
Report to: Project Manager–ANCP Regreening Project
Location: Yumbe District
Advert Start Date: 30th August 2023
Advert End Date: 5th September 2023

Purpose of the Position:
The Natural Resources Management Officer will be responsible for ensuring quality and effective project implementation. The Project Officer will be responsible for incorporating technical models across the consortium, planning, reporting, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning. The Project Officer will ensure trainings, compliance of approaches and standard tools are understood and implemented throughout the consortium by the partner staff and volunteers. Ensuring technical oversight mainly focusing upon farmer group capacity development and delivery of the different project components and provides the link between the partners. S/He will work closely with the Resilience and Livelihood in Emergencies Specialist, and other actors in actively training, coaching partner staff and volunteers for greater impact. The Natural Resources Management Technical Officer will work closely with the leadership structures of both refugees and host communities (Agriculture Officers, Forest Officers, Environment Officers, Community Development Officers, LC, RWC, religious and traditional leaders) in regard to smooth implementation of project activities. The job holder will be a collaborative attentive lead, driving continuous improvement in programming through their technical expertise, facilitation of learning and innovation. This guidance shall be seen both within consortium and externally with other key stakeholders including on delegation representing in Livelihoods & Environment Sector Working Group meetings. The job holder will work under the direct supervision of Project Manager with functional reporting to the Resilience and Livelihood in Emergencies Specialist.

Key Duties/Responsibilities.
Ensure activity Implementation; planning, monitoring, standards, quality technical models and approaches.
• Oversee the implementation of all components of project i.e. landscape restoration and climate resilient value chain development for improved livelihoods to ensure project targets and outputs.
Ensure technical programming delivery, quality assurance and compliance to donor requirements and regulations.
• Support ongoing project assessment and design processes based on findings from Baseline report, including indicators, targeting and alignment.
• Take part in environment and livelihood technical capacity building of project staff, partner staff and other key stakeholders, as required
• Formulate strategies/activities for sound sustainable management of natural resources and ensure that they are effectively implemented on time and within budget.
• Offer technical support to ensure integration of sound natural resource management considerations into the District Environment Action Plan and development plans
• Support development of annual project activity plans, updated quarterly in collaboration with key departments and external stakeholders, and oversee implementation to high standards by scope & timelines
• Provide expertise and technical assistance in Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration-FMNR, climate smart agriculture, IGA, DRR and Natural Resource Management across the consortium.
Promote use/adoption of modern farming practice and techniques through training, advising farmers, farm visits and demonstrations to transform targeted families from subsistence to commercial farmers in line with GoU policy.
• Promote new smart climate technologies and models as necessary with possibilities of scaling-up and replication.
• Promote environment educational activities and resources to target audience through leaflets, sign post brochures;
• Promote restoration of the depleted forest cover, biodiversity through tree-planting at household and community levels.
• Support the established demonstration plots to act as learning and multiplication sites for farmer groups.
• Enforce participatory selection of project participants/ beneficiaries, prioritization of enterprises, life skills awareness raising and capacity building of the community and farmer groups.
Work with Project Officers to identify technical capacity gaps and challenges for beneficiaries in agronomy, business development and income generating activities

Stakeholder’s engagement, networking and collaboration
• Work with partners across the consortium partners to ensure coordination of activities with other stakeholders especially Yumbe DLG, partners, OPM and UNHCR.
• Participate in stakeholder engagements during planning and development meetings, workshops and other fora.
• Build farmer’s capacity to protect and conserve environment, improve production and productivity of selected enterprises of desired quality by market through demonstrations to farmers
• Act as a liaison between the consortium partners and the Technical Advisory Team (TAT) sharing agreed standards and tools as well as guidance from time to time.
• Participate in quarterly review meetings to reflect on approaches, tools, impact of interventions, best practices, exit and sustainability strategies as well as create opportunities for action-learning
• Facilitate integration of the project with other Resilience and Livelihood on going activities across the consortium.
• Organizing ing monthly field planning meetings with consortium partners to guide effective implementation

Linkage, networking, collaboration and mentorship
• Work in liaison with the relevant agencies, institutions and individuals to promote environmental management for mitigating environmental damage
• Increase the capacity of project participants to adopt high value, export standard and space saving enterprises
• Provide consistent and regular business support, mentoring and follow up to enterprises including production support to ensure a successful enterprise
• Conduct regular scoping of business, identify gaps and take measures to fill the gaps to reduce business failure
• Support enterprises to have access to loan to ensure expansion or diversification
• Support enterprises to have access to business input
• Identify opportunities for value addition of products and provide instant training to project participants

Documentation, Reporting and knowledge management
• Support preparation and review of monthly, quarterly and annual progress reports, and special reports requiring technical input and any other reports when necessary to his/her supervisor in a timely manner.
• Work closely with Project Manager; to prepare realistic annual and quarterly work plans
• Work with Project Manager & MEAL Officer, compile and submit timely quarterly and annual reports on sustainable environment and natural management
• Support Annual review of progress towards project objectives
• Support documentation and sharing of impact/success stories and best practices to promote learning

Child Protection and Wellbeing
• Monitor the wellbeing and child abuse cases and report any incidents in line with child protection policy and guidelines
• Work with local leaders to protect children from child violations and abuses
• Sensitize children including most vulnerable, guardians/parents and other stakeholders about children’s rights and responsibilities.

Gender and Social Inclusion (GEDSI).
• Ensure alignment of the project with donor and WV gender or GESI policy framework/ standards including selection of project participants.
• Provide active support to WVU, consortium partner agencies, to deliver results of the project.
• Respect the local community’s culture, diversity, norms and values.
• Improve children, women and persons with disabilities welfare and participation.

Qualifications: Education/Knowledge/Technical Skills and Experience.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources, Environmental Sciences, Forestry, Agro-Forestry, Agriculture or other relevant field is a requirement.
• Broad knowledge and understanding of emerging sustainable and appropriate natural resource management practices, energy technologies and renewable energy
• Broad knowledge of supporting a comprehensive approach to biodiversity, community participatory approaches, disaster risk reduction and/or climate change.
• At least three years’ experience working with vulnerable communities and familiarity with humanitarian programming and implementation
• Proven facilitation skills and experience in facilitating technical trainings for different categories of participants
• Technical skills: academic and/or direct programming experience and expertise in at least three of the following thematic areas is required: natural resources, environmental management, climate change, mitigation and adaptation, financial inclusion/micro-finance, value chain development, small enterprise development, emergency livelihoods programming,
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in field-based program management roles working in natural resources, environment and food security with International NGOs or local government.
• Experience with relevant technical models such as farmer managed natural regeneration, savings for transformation, building secure livelihoods, enabling rural innovations, local value chain development and ultra-poor graduation.
• Experience in Program Designing, Assessments, Monitoring & Evaluation.
• Acquaintance with donor relations and evidence-based programing
• Capacity in relationship management/networking, and coordination is essential.
• Good interpersonal skills, strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Proven conceptual & analytical skills, ability to take an evidence-based approach to program design.
• Proven facilitation skills and track record demonstrating high integrity, innovativeness, creativity, reliability and dependable
• Proactive personality, self-driven and strongly motivated.

Applicant Types Accepted:
Local Applicants Only