Project Officer – Resilient Livelihoods at DanChurchAid (DCA)

ROLE PURPOSE:

• The post-holder will support DCA and local partner’s implementation of the EU-funded project titled ‘Strengthening integrated Peace, Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction for cross-border communities in the Karamoja Cluster’ in Kenya. The Project Officer – Resilient Livelihoods (PO) will ensure that the program is implemented on scope, time and budget, with a particular focus on supporting livelihoods and employment / job creation initiatives. S/he will play a key role in actualization of DCA’s strategic goals related to Saving Lives, Building Resilience and Fighting Extreme Inequality. The PO will collaborate closely with Turkana-based MEAL, ProLog and Finance Officers, as well as fellow DCA livelihoods and resilience technical and project staff. The PO will also work closely with local partner, SAPCONE, to ensure delivery of agreed project deliverables.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct market assessments to identify potential market and job creation opportunities and inform value chain enhancements related to the project.
• Support and facilitate implementation of activities that increase and diversity production and incomes for the target population, contributing to sustainable and resilient livelihoods.
• Drive the implementation of initiatives that enhance access to gainful and self-employment through training, career guidance & counselling, apprenticeships and mentoring with a focus on the youth, women and marginalised groups.
• Lead in identifying and implementing market linkage opportunities for the target production groups in different value chains and proactively engage with private sector actors to enhance market linkages.
• Support in generation of timely and high-quality project progress reports as per DCA and donor requirements; as well as regular updates on project progress and suggested adaptations.
• Manage and facilitate DCA partnership building initiatives relevant to project objectives at field level in close consultations with the Project Coordinator. This includes operational partnerships with the County Government, consortia partners, other relevant I/NGO’s, and private sector actors.
• Lead in deploying the M&E system and plans in close collaboration with Project Coordinator and the MEAL team.
• Undertake any other duties as may be assigned by the direct supervisor.

Person Specification
Essential

• Technical and demonstrable skills and a minimum of five years hands on experience in youth &/or women empowerment projects including employment and job creation initiatives, financial inclusion work, agri-business support and organisational capacity development.
• Minimum bachelor’s degree in business development, entrepreneurship, agribusiness or any other relevant academic qualification. Additional technical formal qualification and/or master’s degree in business development, agribusiness, entrepreneurship, strategic/project management, development Studies, or other relevant fields will be an added advantage.
• Experience engaging with and bringing together different stakeholders - government, private sector and social enterprise – for strategic collaboration.
• Experience in training at field/community level.
• Experience supporting livelihoods and employment / job creation initiatives in an ASAL context is an advantage.

Attitude And Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Ability to write narrative reports of a high standard and within the reporting deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team.
• Ability and willingness to live – and work - in the programme area (Lodwar / Turkana County).