Livelihoods & Food Security Officer at Norwegian Refugee Council

Role and responsibilities

The Project Officer is responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the Livelihoods and Food Security (LFS) activities.  The Project Officer is responsible for supporting the implementation of LFS activities in Dadaab refugee camp and the surrounding host communities, supporting programme development through assessments, stakeholder engagement and coordination.  This includes supporting the development and delivery of NRC’s market-based skills training in selected value chains (including online/digital skills and energy) and entrepreneurship and business development training, mentorship and support to refugee and host community, youth, and local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in partnership with other organisations and private sector actors.

Responsibilities

• Ensure adherence to NRC policies, tools, handbooks, guidelines, and donor requirements.
• Implement LFS activities according to strategy, proposal, budget, and plans.
• Prepare periodic status report and other documents as required by management.
• Ensure proper filling of all types of project document.
• Breakdown the annual operational plans into weekly, monthly, and quarterly plans.
• Coordinate with relevant partners and authorities in the project area.
• Ensure that procurement plans, training activities, distribution of equipment/materials and other project activities are done timely and according to procedures.
• Conduct training in specific value chains according to the livelihood options selected by programme participants, these may include, vegetables and poultry production training
• Promote and share technical improvement to improve the quality of the activities.
• Ensure that project team target most beneficiaries in need and explore new better and innovative ways to assist.

Specific responsibilities

• Provide technical support in the Design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the NRC livelihood activities in Kakuma & Kalobeyei.
• Undertake or organise assessments in relation to employment and income generation opportunities for refugee and host community youths.
• Explore opportunities for digital livelihoods for youths and create linkages with relevant partner organisations and online platforms in coordination with private sector actors including social enterprises
• Facilitate training of programme participants on agricultural or business enterprises to increase income generation for the participants
• In coordination with other LFS actors in Dadaab continuously identify potential value chains in Dadaab, analyse them and select a few ones that NRC can focus on developing for benefits of youth groups and SMEs in the area.
• Create linkages between SMEs and credit institutions and facilitate agreements on favourable lending and repayment terms.
• Plan, coordinate and work closely with the other core competency teams, particularly Education for skills training activities and ICLA for legal support and civil documentation issues.
• Design and coordinate baseline surveys, market assessments, conduct feasibility studies and Identify Livelihood opportunities in line with Graduation approach model and supervise the smooth start up and running of selected livelihood projects.
• Provide technical direction, leadership and training to the livelihood’s beneficiaries on business planning, income generation, group savings and loans, revolving funds, vocational skills training and strengthening of small-scale businesses for the beneficiaries to enhance their self-reliance.
• Participating in proposals development and budgeting for new projects in accordance with the provided guidelines and standards
• Responsible for overseeing implementation of livelihood project activities in accordance with approved time schedules, budgets.
• Responsible for promoting and facilitating refugee and selected vulnerable host community youths and other vulnerable groups to participate in business planning, VSLA works and other post training activities.
• Represent NRC in Livelihood Sector and working group meetings in the Camps and where relevant in other locations. Liaison with NRC partners (local authorities, others) and other stakeholders (returnees, host community, community leaders, CBOs, NGOs, UN) on food security and other related issues, and sharing information as requested and agreed with the Area Manager.
• Conduct end team and midterm performance appraisal review meetings with LFS Assistants. Ensure timely outcome/output monitoring and post-distribution monitoring (PDM) for all LFS projects. Participate in the area level PCM and other coordination meetings
• Perform any other duties and responsibilities assigned by the supervisor or designate.

QUALIFICATIONS

Professional competencies:

• Experience working on Livelihoods or Food Security projects in a humanitarian/recovery context
• Experience in implementing livelihoods activities, especially capacity building or training on agricultural value chains, digital livelihood skills to employment or income generation opportunities, developing business plans, supporting SMEs to grow and assisting refugees or other host community vulnerable groups to access credit and legal documentation
• Previous experience from working in complex and/or protracted displacement situations is desirable
• Experience of carrying out market assessments
• Understanding of market-based livelihoods programming
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
• Fluency in English both written and spoken

Specific skills, knowledge, and experience:

• Bachelor of science degree in agriculture, agricultural sciences, business management or related subject
• At least 3 years’ experience working in livelihoods and food security sector, and on crops and livestock value chains.
• Good practical knowledge on facilitating training for rural households on crop production and poultry husbandry
• Knowledge of the local context is preferable
• Good level of competency in working with social enterprises, online marketing/work platforms is desirable.
• Proven skills and experience in report writing.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to work with minimal supervision