Vi Agroforestry is a Swedish development organisation fighting poverty and climate change together. The organisation supports smallholder farmer families to lift themselves out of poverty through sustainable agriculture land management (SALM) based on agroforestry. What started as a tree planting initiative in 1983, is today an expert organisation implementing development projects through local partnerships with member-based farmer organisations.
The aim is to reduce poverty, hunger, deforestation, harmful gendered norms, and contribute to increased mitigation, resilience and adaptation to climate change, increased biodiversity and sustainable food systems. Current projects and programmes target smallholder farmer families – especially women, youth and children – in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The head office in Stockholm, Sweden focuses on fundraising, advocacy, and programme monitoring and evaluation. The regional office in Nairobi, Kenya coordinates operations, advocacy and expertise. Projects and partnerships are managed by country offices in each country.
Purpose of the position:
Vi Agroforestry Uganda is recruiting a Program officer for the PMERL role. The position will support planning, monitoring, evaluation, reporting/accountability and learning with the goal of increasing program effectiveness and ensuring professional, high-quality communication about Vi Agroforestry’s programmatic activities and results. (S)he will provide technical guidance, quality control and review all country office and partner organization related PMERL tools, methodologies, processes and products. (S)he will also play an important role in building capacity of staff and partner organization for improved information management, data quality, data analysis and responsible for strengthening knowledge sharing and learning across the organization as well as with internal and external stakeholders.
The role will work collaboratively with the Resource mobilization, communication and advocacy functions of the organization.
The position reports directly to the Country Manager
Values:
Vi Agroforestry is a human rights-based organisation. The core values of non-discrimination, meaningful participation, accountability, transparency, empowerment and continued learning guide all work – including the work with partners. People are stronger together and sustainable development requires respect for human rights, democracy and the environment. Through all actions, Vi Agroforestry therefore seeks to live by the principles of respect, transparency and together.
General Responsibilities:
• Promote and support the interest of Vi Agroforestry
• Be committed to and contribute to the fulfilment of the Vi Agroforestry strategy.
• Ensure and promote rights-based approach in all that we do.
• Ensure adherence to Vi Agroforestry policies, guidelines, operating procedures and workplans.
• Ensure compliance to donor requirements.
• Ensure high quality in all that we do.
• Be committed to fighting corruption and fraud and always report when there is any kind of suspicion.
• Ensure that gender is mainstreamed, and Gender Transformation is promoted in all our operations.
Keep abreast with the development in your areas of responsibility.
• Liaise with partner organisations researchers and other relevant stakeholders.
• Contribute to effective cooperation among staff in the global organisation.
• Contribute to a healthy work environment at the workplace.
• Support teamwork and assist each other as needs arise.
contribute to the development and implementation of risk management plans, work plans and budgets for the country office.
• Keep your manager updated on opportunities and challenges as well as on the progress of your assignments. Make sure to inform your manager well in advance if you have difficulties meeting your deadlines.
Key Responsibilities
• Provide technical leadership and support to country office and partner staff in planning and implementing PMERL systems and activities.
• Support the development, evaluation of progress and updating of the country strategy, annual work plans and budgets, risk management plans (country office, partners and projects)
• Collaborate with the IT team to maintain and improve existing PMERL tools and dashboards by reviewing and flagging data quality issues and contributing to system fixes.
Ensure Vi Agroforestry’s development approaches (Gender Equality, Do no Harm, Human Rights
• Based Approach) are included in development projects, programs and in PMERL processes
• Improve upon and maintain existing indicator tracking tools and dashboards; develop additional databases and tracking tools as needed to demonstrate the effectiveness and progress of project interventions.
• Support results-monitoring of the projects and programmes in line with Vi Agroforestry and donor requirements and ensure collection of reliable and coherent data, achieving the right balance of qualitative and quantitative evidence, for improved performance and evidence for decision making.
• Conduct field visits for data validation and monitor the quality and completeness of data sets.
Responsible for holistic monitoring and other partner organization assessment and monitoring processes
• Ensure timely submission of quality reports as per the reporting schedule.
• Support project teams and partners organizations with technical advice on data use, interpretation and analysis to assess project results, improve project quality, identify trends, and inform future decision-making processes for internal and external reporting.
• Create and integrate infographics in reports and information products to help visualize data in a meaningful way.
• Provide technical leadership and support the design and implementation of program and project evaluations.
• Document, synthesize and disseminate findings, impact, innovations, and lessons learned and champion scaling up of best practices.
• Facilitate in-country learning as well among partner organizations and participate in local to global sharing and learning forums.
• Support the resource mobilization team with the development of Theories of Change (ToC ), logical frameworks, PMERL plans.
• Support the resource mobilization team in the development, design, and writing of concept notes and proposals.
• Support the Communications, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization teams to have access to relevant data for reporting, publication, development of visibility material, advocacy and proposal development.
• Build the capacity of country staff as well as partner organizations on PMERL related activities as per identified gaps.
• Upon request from the country manager, fulfil other tasks at the country office/regional office or department level.
Required Qualifications
Education
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
• Master’s degree in statistics, social sciences, project management, development studies, or related field required.
• Certification in Project Management/Monitoring &Evaluation/Results Based Management
• Other Professional Qualifications
• Knowledgeable on grant management and compliance issues
• Demonstrable track of resource mobilisation efforts
• Experience working with (or in projects funded by) big donors (EU, SIDA, DFID, USAID, DANIDA, Norad, Embassies and others)
• Good knowledge on common IT tools, database management and ability to operate web-based applications.
• Strong network and networking skills
• Well versed with application of Do not Harm, Conflict Sensitivity and Human Rights Based Approach, gender Equality.
Work Experience
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively more responsible relevant experience in PMERL preferably related to the field of environment, agriculture and sustainable development is required in an NGO setup; out of which 3 years are in a supervisory role.
• Experience in strategic planning and performance management, including indicator selection, target setting, reporting, database management, and developing PMERL and performance monitoring plans.
• Experience in partnership development and systems analysis.
• Experience in planning and managing surveys, developing and refining data collection tools, and with data quality assessments and oversight.
• Demonstrated experience using digital technologies to support monitoring, evaluation, analytics and presentation.
• Demonstrated experience building the capacity in improving data quality, data management and analysis, and use of data for understanding program performance and solving problems.
• Technical and administrative experience in implementing partners management and engagement.
• Experience working in consortium arrangements.
• Experience integrating inclusive approaches into PMERL activities (especially for gender, youth and social inclusiveness).
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment set priorities and meet deadlines.
Languages
• English
Personal Competencies
• Strong management and leadership skills – Attention to details.
• Strong analytical skills
• Excellent communication skills – Written and spoken.
• Decisive
• Respectful and transparent
• Collaborative skills
• Strategic and conceptual thinking skills
• Structured
• Self-driven
• Flexible and creative personality
• organizational and time management skills.
• Excellent presentation and facilitation skills
Apply by sending your CV and cover letter indicating your salary expectation to: recruitment@viagroforestry.org no later than 27th October 2023 with subject heading “Program Officer – PMERL- Uganda.”
The employment is a fixed term contract position with a six (06) months’ probation period, starting date is as soon as possible.
We look forward to receiving your thoughtful application. Your time in preparing your application is much appreciated, however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Vi Agroforestry strive for diversity in the organisation and welcome applicants regardless of gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity, religious belief, or disability.
If you want to alert Vi Agroforestry on suspected discrimination, corruption or other serious misconduct during the recruitment process, do not hesitate to use our whistleblowing system:
report.whistleb.com/en/viagroforestry