Assistant Director, Drought Response (2 Positions) at National Drought Management Authority

Position Summary/ Purpose

Drought Contingency Planning and Response function entail: - coordinate the generation and publication of drought contingency plans at county level; produce national drought contingency plans; determine the criteria for disbursement of contingency finance and produce relevant technical guidance and procedures; maintain constant oversight of the drought status in Kenya and determine the level of response required; align applications for drought contingency finance with the agreed criteria and guidelines; facilitate prompt transfer of funds to the counties within the stipulated time period; develop monitoring and control mechanisms; and develop and implement a strategy for continuous capacity development of all those involved in the Drought Contingency Planning

Key Responsibilities
Duties and responsibilities will entail:

• Ensuring that the design of the drought contingency planning and financing system in Kenya is consistent with international best practice and subject to ongoing review and improvement, including through the integration of appropriate technologies;
• Coordinating the generation and publication of drought contingency plans at county level, and the production of a national drought contingency plan;
• Ensure that the content of these plans is widely understood by relevant stakeholders and accessible through a national database;
• Collaborating with the National Drought and Disaster Contingency Fund;
• Determine the criteria for disbursement of contingency finance and produce relevant technical guidance and procedures;
• Collaborating with the Drought Information Assistant Director, maintain constant oversight of the drought status in Kenya and determine the level of response required; ensuring that applications for drought contingency finance are in line with the agreed criteria and guidelines;
• Ensuring that funds are promptly transferred to the counties within the stipulated time period;
• Developing monitoring and control mechanisms to ensure that drought contingency activities are timely and appropriate, and that all accountability requirements for drought contingency finance are met; and
• Developing and implementing a strategy for continuous capacity development of all those involved in the drought contingency planning and financing system, through the provision of training, development of manuals and guidelines, or other measures.

Qualifications
For appointment to this grade an officer must have: -

• Served in the grade of Principal Response Officer or in a comparable and relevant position in the Authority for a minimum period of three (3) years;
• Bachelor’s Degree in any of the following disciplines: - Range Science, Agriculture, Livestock, Economics or Sociology from a recognized institution;
• Master’s Degree in any of the following disciplines: - Range Science, Agriculture, Livestock or its equivalent from a recognized institution
• Certificate in Strategic Leadership Development Course lasting not less than six (6) weeks from a recognized institution;
• Certificate in Project Management from a recognized institution;
• Computer Literacy; and
• Demonstrated Assistant Directorial, administrative and professional Proficient in work performance and exhibited a thorough understanding of national goals, policies, objectives and ability to relate them to proper management of the Drought Management Sector.