District Agronomist and CDO at Saip Technical Team: Deadline: Jun 16, 2022

Job Description

Under the direct supervision of the SPIU District Project Coordinator & Monitoring and Evaluation in RAB, the District Agronomist and Community Development Officer is responsible for the Project agronomist and community mobilization activities in the District.

Agronomist responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the District Coordinator & M&E, the District Agronomist will:
 With the help of grass roots administration, sensitize farmers of the need to organize themselves into producer cooperatives (Group);
 Collaborate and support the Service Provider to be hired by the Project in preparing, organizing, organizing and training the farmers on the new agricultural techniques in the framework of increasing the productivity;
 Encourage farmers to use the agricultural inputs through demonstration fields and leaders farmers and promote integrated soil fertility management in the implementation of the project activities;
 Assist to put in place a transfer of knowledge strategy from the leader farmers to others cooperative (groups) members and ensure its implementation;
 Work in collaboration with researchers, train cooperative members in implementing research recommendations;
 In collaboration with extension Specialist, Horticulture Specialist, of the Project, prepare, implement and monitor all project agronomic aspect and farmers mobilization (Prepare, implement and monitor the cultivation schedule/ calendar…’’) etc;
 Assist the cooperative to access hybrid seeds, fertilizers and putting in place a simple mechanism to obtain them;
 Assist in calculation of the cost of production per kilo of crop production of promoted crops;
 In collaboration with the Project’s Agribusiness Specialist, assist the Farmers in marketing their production;
 Produce and interpret seasonal reports on output (Cultivation seasons);
 Facilitate and supervise the Service Provider to be hired by the Project for the training of the farmers in the use of Integrated Pest Management practices (IPM);
 Encourage farmers to implement the Integrated Pest Management by using participative methods;
 Follow-up of all activities related to agronomic aspect carried out by Service Providers in order to ensure its coherence with the project approach;
 Any other related job task given by the supervisor.

Community mobilization responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the District Coordinator & M&E, and in collaboration of Community Development and Gender Specialist, Community Development Officer, the District Community development officer will be responsible for the community development aspects at district level. He/she will work closely with the national level Community Development Specialist and would be responsible for social mobilization, inclusion and gender, group formation, and community level institutions District level. The specific duties would be as follows:

Specific Duties
 Arrange necessary technical support to community-based Committees so as to strengthen the overall performance of the project and Links/converges Small groups thematically with Water User Associations, Land-husbandry Self-help Groups and Common Crop (commodity)-Producer Groups.
 In collaboration with the Community development specialist, implementing the design of the Communication Strategy and Action Plan to strategically communicate with project stakeholders, and organize a community profiling process to generate sufficient and accurate information for community development plans,
 In collaboration with the Community development specialist, organize and implement (plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate) the training programs for committees and the community in situational analysis, visioning, strategic planning, and proposal writing as well as other sector-specific topics,
 Facilitate the exchange of information and experiences between village groups, community level at District Project level,
 Implementing an inclusive participatory extension delivery system aimed at modernizing and commercializing agriculture and distribution of training and extension materials on organizational management, erosion control, soil fertility replenishment, irrigation, water management, commercial agriculture plus market principles, requirements and ethics.
 Document and share lessons learned and best practices with networks
 Develop linkages with local governments to ensure sustainability and support by local leadership,
 Participation with District Staff in the Preparing Annual Work Plan and budget and Preparing Monthly/quarterly learning events and Progress reports,
 Identify and Oversee Social Safeguard issues and implements appropriate rehabilitation and resettlement implementation activities in the District Project sites.
 Exploring at District level, the opportunities for poor and vulnerable families especially design and implement development strategies for participation of women and vulnerable youth in project implementation and decision making;
 Integrate and guide the relevant staff of the District and sector in the delineation of the entire project beneficiaries’ boundaries of the project interventions;
 Conduct any other related job duties as instructed by the supervissor.