District Technical Assistant(s) x4 World Food Programme (WFP)

Job Title:  District Technical Assistant, WWF Zambia
Department/Projects:  Climate Change Adaptation in Forest and Agricultural Mosaic Landscapes
Location:  WWF Zambia
Reports to:  Project Manager, WWF Zambia
Contract Tenure:  2 years renewable up to a maximum of 3 years
Supervises:  None

CONTEXT

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with funding from the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) has awarded World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to implement the Climate Change Adaptation in Forest and Agricultural Mosaic Landscapes Project. The Project will use a landscape approach that engages and strengthens uptake and diffusion of technologies and practices for adaptive capacity through Forest and Farm Producer Organisations (FFPOs), Farmer Field Schools, viable cooperatives, and other community- based organizations within local communities, including community forestry. The Project will be implemented in four districts that are vulnerable to climate risks and hazards (droughts in particular) and have high rates of forest degradation and deforestation, and these are Petauke and Nyimba in Eastern Province and Sioma and Sesheke in Western Province.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia will be responsible for executing the project, in close collaboration with the Zambian Forestry Department (FD), Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). WWF Zambia will coordinate activities with national bodies related to the different project components, as well as with the project partners. The project will use the existing Project Advisory Committee (PAC) as the main body linking the project to relevant national bodies. The project will also use existing Project Provincial Technical Committees (PPSC), one in Eastern Province and one in Western Province, as the main bodies governing the project activities undertaken in the respective provinces.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION 

This position exists to oversee and guide all monitoring, evaluation and knowledge management activities for Project. S/he must effectively manage relationships with WWF Zambia staff to effectively implement a comprehensive M & E system that will improve the quality of outcome harvesting.  S/he will also serve as the point person for M & E with FAO/GEF, and be responsible for coordinating and preparing all required reports. The incumbent will provide mentorship to program staff in order to progressively build skills in M & E, knowledge management and learning.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

The Community Forestry Expert will work under the supervision of the project manager and will perform the following tasks:

Support the identification of opportunities and challenges for FFPOs to contribute to landscape enhancing measures including assessment of how to improve the organization, spread and functions of different FFPOs in the target landscapes; the policy environment shaping their commercial activities; the state of landscape businesses (inclusive agricultural crops, fish products, timber, NTFPs, charcoal and wood energy); the current smallholder production systems (inclusive diversity and resilience); the inclusiveness of FFPOs and any social and cultural services offered to vulnerable groups
Support the identification of potential FFPO support partners including regional financial and business support service partners, research and technology providers, government services and other national experts to support project implementation;
Support the tailored assessments on the type of support needed for entrepreneurs/cooperatives to access prospective (regional and national) investors:  proposal development capacity, building links between possible implementing institutions and potential donors and investors, tools for public-private partnerships, blended finance etc.;
Collect and promote sharing of lessons learned and documentation of project experiences through the REM, Regional and Global FFF Platforms, including policy briefs and case studies of successful impact of FFF.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Internal: Senior Management Team, WWF Africa M and E Advisor, M and E Counterparts.

External: Consultants, Partners.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

University Degree in Demography, Economics, or any relevant Social Sciences.
At least 7 years’ experience in programme design and impact monitoring and/or project management and organisation development, of which 2 years must be related to FAO/GEF Projects.

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS REQUIRED:

Knowledge and experience in applying M & E Programme Standards Performance.
Experience with various planning, monitoring and evaluation approaches (i.e. theory of change, conceptual models, result chains, conservation measures, APMS, RBM).
Team player, Mature and results driven.
Excellent facilitation and communication skills, experience with training and coaching.
Works well under deadlines, accurate, eye for quality, pays attention to detail.
Culturally sensitive and proven ability to work in a global team.
Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
Capacity building experience.