Natural Resource Management (NRM) and Market Systems Officer at Mercy Corps

Program / Department Summary: Mercy Corps has been operating in Kenya since 2008, focusing its interventions around four objectives:

1. Peace and Conflict Management;
2. Livelihood/Market Systems;
3. Governance (particularly at the county level); and
4. Youth Employment/Employability (including the social and economic development of adolescents).

The four objectives serve to increase community resilience to drought and other shocks and stresses, and to decrease fragility with a particular focus on Kenya’s Arid Lands.  Mercy Corps’ vision for change requires the private sector, government and civil society to work together to create meaningful and sustainable change.

Under the Omo Delta Project – Expanding the Rangeland to achieve Growth and Transformation, Mercy Corps in collaboration with five other partners: VSF G – lead agency, VITA (RTI) Ltd, EPaRDA, CIFA and TUPADO seeks to address the drivers of instability, irregular migration and displacement so as to expand and maximize opportunities for communities living in the rangelands along the Kenya – Ethiopia border by increasing wealth of young people in particular and especially young women; accelerating national and cross-border trade and collaboration; and increasing stability to promote growth and protect gains

General Position Summary: The Natural Resource Management (NRM) and Market Systems Officer is responsible for supporting the Program Manager in the implementation of NRM and facilitation projects that make market dynamics, actors, institutions and services accessible to households within the program focus areas namely the livestock, fish and Gum Arabica value chains.

These activities will examine traditional NRM plans within Turkana County in order to enhance their legitimacy in managing cross border shared resources and sustainability. Additionally, the officer will support Environmental Management Committees (EMC) to implement rules and actions to protect Acacia Senegal tree.

To address the conflicts arising from competition over the available but ever diminishing natural resources, this position will work with communities in minimizing such competitions and enhancing resilience of livestock dependent communities through improved rangeland productivity, availability and access to pasture and water by building on the Do No Harm approach to signing of reciprocal grazing agreements in the area to strengthen local institutions on natural resource management.

The officer will work to support the fish, livestock and gum value chains in order to accelerate economic and social factors on both side of the border to increase supply and demand, as well as incentives for cross-border collaboration.

The NRM and Market Systems Officer will support processes for engaging communities, governments and private sector actors in collective action planning that supports households and community access to and management of natural, physical environment and the socio-ecological systems supported by it.

Essential Job Functions:

Program Implementation:

• Under the direction of the Program Manager, carry out assessments in the target geographic areas to assess the current situation, economic and NRM opportunities and resources, needs and potential programs as well as obstacles that could be mitigated through the program;
• Recommend program priorities and explore, evaluate and present new NRM and market opportunities that leverage impact and/ or complement core activities;
• Emphasize the role of and opportunities for women, girls and youth in the economic and NRM sectors in both rural and urban sphere;
• Introduce the program to relevant stakeholders including local business owners, actors engaged in NRM, local representatives and community members.  Foster ongoing positive cooperation with these stakeholders and forge links between market actors, producers, end users, etc.;
• Ensure an integrated approach to program implementation in order to maximize resource utilization and synergy between the staff and different MC programs where relevant and feasible;
• Identify small business activities for seed support through basic improvements or inputs;
• Identify value-addition opportunities that strengthen economic opportunities, especially women and youth in the livestock, fish and gum arabica as identified by the assessments carried out;
• Work within local government strategic plans for resource management and advocate for cohesive implementation of projects that demonstrate government responsiveness to community processes;
• Engage pastoralists in inter-community dialogue around access to land and water for livestock management.
• Engage with remote communities to establish priorities for community-led NRM, and lead process for developing community NRM plans.

Collaboration/Networking:

• Maintain productive working relationships with sub-county and county leaders and local government departments as directed by the line manager;
• Coordinate with counterpart agencies and organizations, especially EU-funded agencies, involved in conservation, climate change adaptation for information exchange, learning and optimizing efforts and resources;
• Identify opportunities for social innovation and enterprise that could be launched through catalytic investments from public and private sector initiatives;
• Support events, exhibits, workshops that bring private and public sector entities together to collectively review and discuss technology developments and innovation and to examine private sector approaches to household and community challenges that can be incubated through public sector incentives.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Gather and document NRM and market program activities;
• Comply with M&E systems that will be established to measure program impact and desired results.  Ensure data is collected and monitoring occurs regularly;
• Analyze project implementation strategies to identify constraints to program success and provide timely recommendations;
• Submit timely reports as requested by the Program Manager;
• Support external evaluations and assessments.

Coordination and Representation:

• Attend key events, committee meetings, fora, seminars, etc. as they relate to the program;
• Support Omo Delta Project activities with consortium partners, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs.

Program Support Operations:

• Ensure close communication with field teams and consortium members regarding program activities and plans, challenges and obstacles to timely and quality implementation;
• Coordinate with program, finance, and administration staff for troubleshooting and problem solving.

Other:

• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission;
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Program Manager

Works Directly With: Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, GIRL Officer and REAP officer

Knowledge and Experience:

• A degree in Natural Resource Management, Business Administration, Economics or Finance is required;
• Minimum of three years working in the program fields of fish, livestock, microfinance, economic development, NRM within the NGO sector or within the private sector is required;
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills;
• Excellent computer skills, specifically in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Excellent teamwork abilities and interpersonal skills;
• Excellent networking and negotiation skills is required;
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills is required;
• Demonstrated flexibility, creativity and enthusiasm as well as a willingness to learn and to be continually adaptive within a dynamic and often self-directed working environment mandatory;
• Ability to focus on day-to-day tasks at hand while also working towards longer-term objectives with an understanding that these will change continuously;
• Willingness to spend considerable time in the field and work closely with program target groups and consortium members;
• Proven understanding of both urban and rural livelihoods systems, climate change adaptation strategies, public administration and resilience programming;
• Proven ability to forge relationships with community members, leader and government authorities;
• Experience in building and maintaining strong/productive relations with implementing and strategic partners;
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work independently as well as cooperatively with team members;
• Experience working in conflict environments is preferred;
• Security management experience in remote and insecure environments.