Program Manager - Agriculture AT Catholic Relief Services

Job description

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partner, people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.

Background

Since the crisis in Northeast Nigeria escalated in 2013, the food security situation has continued to worsen. Emerging data of June 2016 has revealed that the severity of the food and nutritional crisis is well beyond emergency thresholds in Borno State. The Federal Government has declared a food and nutritional crisis in Borno, where over 750,000 people are severely food insecure; including 180,000 in Maiduguri’s outskirts, 120,000 camp residents and approximately 275,000 IDPs in newly reopened areas. A growing number of people are in urgent need of food assistance, and alarming rates of acute malnutrition have been reported.

The re-opening of Local Government Areas (LGAs), many which have been inaccessible for an extended period of time, has led to the identification of new IDP locations in Borno State, while ongoing conflict between the military and Boko Haram has resulted in the influx of more IDPs into Maiduguri metropolis and the establishment of several spontaneous camps. The number of IDPs in both Maiduguri, Jere and other LGAs continue to increase – with the current reports indicating a total of 1.6 million IDPs in Borno State alone. In order to effectively respond to the crisis, CRS Borno’s emergency and early recovery programs are focused on food security, agriculture/livelihoods, NFI, WASH and shelter, for both IDPs and host families.

Primary Function

CRS Nigeria is seeking an experienced agriculturalist to lead all aspects of CRS’ OFDA agricultural and livelihoods programming. Under the direction of the Emergency Coordinator the Agriculture Program Manager will ensure high quality implementation of CRS agriculture related activities in Borno state, Nigeria. The project manager will be responsible for all aspects of program implementation including, planning, coordination of, management and reporting of project activities, he/she will oversee the programming team and the work of implementing partners.

Job Responsibilities

Program Implementation

• Abide by donor requirements/regulations as well as CRS procedures and policies for compliance, including financial, procurement, HR, MEAL, etc.
• Lead the planning of project activities and set high quality performance targets ensuring adherence to technical standards, best practices and donor guidelines.
• Use appropriate project management tools to plan, review and track progress on project implementation as well as on the utilization of project resources; use participatory processes to overcome implementation obstacles.
• Identify technical assistance needs for CRS and partners, and take the lead in developing SOWs.
• Keep abreast of latest developments in their sector area (collaborates with regional/HQ technical advisors, learns new PQ tools, networks with outside technical experts, etc.).
• Maintain up to date documentation related to project approval, monitoring and implementation.
• Models and reinforces with others a commitment to quality programming.
• Collaborate with program stakeholders in the key value chains, including private sector, trade associations, NGOs, government agencies, universities, research agencies, value chain actors, other donor programs and strategic partners and transform this into gains for smallholder famers
• Carries out assessment of key constraints for the millet/sorghum/maize/cowpea/ground-nut/soybean/rice and small ruminant and non-ruminant value chains with proposed interventions. Present findings and produce a final action plan for selected value chain development that will guide work during the life of project.
• Assist smallholder farmers in adopting new technology and other innovations for increased productivity, quality, efficiency, management, etc. through tailored trainings and demonstration trials
• Identify promising areas for productivity-enhancing interventions in the millet/sorghum/maize/cowpea/ground-nut/soybean/rice and small ruminant and non-ruminant value chains for smallholder farmers and mobilize specialized consultants to address constraints, propose pilot interventions, develop training programs, and propose promising public private partnership in these sectors.
• Design and implement an extension strategy for rolling out SMART skills (Ag extension trainings) and agronomic trainings in the context of SHARE. This will include strategies for working with producer groups (processors inclusive) to deliver multiple technologies including small livestock production that will make agribusiness work for smallholders.
• With support from Technical Program Director and STTAs design and implement a business models for commercializing village agro-dealers and delivery processing/post-harvest equipment (as well as PICS storage bags) that will stimulate rural agribusiness that guarantees sustainability in project locations.
• With Technical Program Director and TAs, organizes and supports technical trainings, community of practice meetings and document best practices, lesson learned and success stories.
• Work with ICRISAT, IITA and NARS on the timely and effective use of resource persons and demonstration activities

Budget and Financial Management

• Prepare annual project budgets as requested by the donor.
• Complete necessary budget templates and forecasts as required by CRS.
• Support partners in the development and management of budgets in line with their scope of work.
• Ensure the financial management of the project, as per the project budget.
• Review project expenses and cash pipeline and coordinate liquidations with CRS Finance and partners.
• In collaboration with the finance teams, review and analyze monthly budget comparison reports and take necessary steps to ensure proper management and utilization of budgets.
• Ensure that program activities comply with CRS financial guidelines, policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Work with the finance team to ensure accurate donor financial reports are submitted on time.
• Coordinate with operations staff for purchasing and inventory control as per CRS/donor requirements.

Monitoring, Accountability, Evaluation and Learning

• In coordination with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team, develop and implement strong MEAL systems, using CRS tools and resources to maximize project impact on project participants.
• Ensure the project has a strong learning agenda, and champion learning with project staff and partner teams.
• Prepare and submit required donor project narrative reports, quarterly performance data, as well as other reports needed/required by the local government, donors, the region or headquarters.
• Use collaborative and structured evaluation processes to review data, reach agreement about findings, and apply learning and recommendations.
• Regularly update key stakeholders on progress and challenges.
• Prepare short success stories and briefs on innovation/best practices and project learning (including failures).
• Ensure that all project documentation is well organized and easy to access on Gateway.

Staff Management And Development

• With senior management and Human Resources, identify project staffing needs and contribute to job descriptions and hiring processes.
• With Human Resources, ensure effective orientation and onboarding of project staff.
• Supervise and mentor program team, including development of performance plans and assessment of performance.
• Continuously support the professional development of the program team by providing clear orientation, feedback and learning opportunities.
• Ensure that supervisee’ performance development plans are in place and initial discussions are held.
• Provide immediate and regular feedback on performance.
• Ensures weekly and monthly check-ins with all direct reports (identify development needs, examine workload, accompaniment).
• Develop a culture of courtesy and respect.
• Establish a conducive working environment.
• Ensure staff have needed resources to achieve their results.
• Provide orientation on staffing structural changes linked to emergency programs.

Partnerships

• Conduct quarterly visits to accompany partner and reinforce their technical skills.
• Ensure that SRFM/HOCAI assessments and monitoring visits are conducted on schedule.
• Ensure timely technical support is provided to partners to respond to the capacity gaps identified during assessments.
• Establish a working relationship that fosters dialogue with the partners and in which partners contact the PM when issues or questions arise.
• Inform supervisor when issues arise with a solution focused approach and take the lead in ensuring the resolution of those issues in a timely manner.
• Field trip reports to support the partners contain detailed information about the results of the trip and planned next steps.

Key Working Relationships:**

Internal: County Representative, Emergency Program Director/Northeast, Deputy Country Representative, Emergency Coordinator, Head of Operations, Security Manager, Senior Business Development Manager and other senior CRS programming and operational staff in Nigeria and CRS HQ and regional staff and technical advisors including CRS Humanitarian Response Department.

External: Appropriate cluster leads, UN-OCHA, state and local government offices, local and international NGOs, UN agencies, Caritas partners, and donors.

Supervisory Responsibilities: AG and livelihood specialist, Seeds system specialist

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Agriculture or related field
• At least 5 years of working experience in agriculture, development or food security programs – including focus on at least one of the following sectors – agriculture, livelihoods, nutrition, or governance
• Excellent English language oral and written communication skills. Fluency in Hausa language is an added advantage as well as experience with northern Nigerian agriculture
• Understanding of faith-based organizations and capacity-building in local partnerships
• Experience in staff development and partner capacity
• Understanding of U.S Government grant provisions, policies and guidelines, including reporting requirements and Caritas agencies
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, training and facilitation skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel and Outlook
• Experience with participatory methods and partnerships
• Willingness and ability to travel at least 50% of time
• Demonstrated ability to manage a budget.
• Proven experience working with and through partner organizations including the public sector.
• Demonstrated commitment to gender responsive programming.
• Team-oriented and strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and to organize and prioritize a variety of initiatives

Agency-wide Competencies (for All CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

CRS Emergency Competencies

Each CRS staff member working in emergencies is expected to have the following competencies to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results:

• Communicates strategically under pressure
• Manages stress and complexity
• Actively promotes safety and security
• Manages and implements high-quality emergency programs

Program Manager Competencies

These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each program manager to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

• Sets clear goals and manages toward them
• Collaborates effectively with staff and stakeholders
• Manages financial resources with integrity
• Applies program quality standards to project design and organizational learning

Required Foreign Language

• Working language – English

Required Travel

• Travel within Nigeria

Work Environment

• To live in Maiduguri, Borno State, and work in the NE.
• CRS has an office and accommodation

Disclaimer

This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.

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