Location: Melkadida, Ethiopia
Deadline: March 17, 2023
Job Description
Terms of Reference
Organizational Context:
The Associate Food Security – Market Linkages Officer is a member of a UNHCR Sub-Office Melkadida (SOMEL) Livelihood and Economic Inclusion (LEI) unit providing practical and timely technical and advisory guidance to UNHCR and partners including on the design and scope of UNHCR’s responses in food security including improved market linkages for sustainability and improved resilience. The incumbent also supports to ensure that UNHCR’s food security programmes meet minimum standards (UNHCR and international), to support improved nutrition and improved food security of populations of concern. The
incumbent works under the direct supervision of the Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer at SOMEL.
The Ethiopia Multi-Year Strategy (2022-2024) envisioned that refugees, returnees, IDPs and other populations of concern become self-reliant, enjoy freedom of movement, are economically engaged in society, and included in improved national services and protection systems.
Over the past years, UNHCR in partnership with the IKEA Foundation has supported investments in the Somali Region of Ethiopia that have been crucial in supporting self-reliance and socio-economic inclusion of refugeesin line with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR). Leveraging on the agriculture investments, the Associate Food Security – Market Linkages Officer (UNOPS/IICA2) the incumbent will provide guidance on planning, designing, and implementing food security partnership strategies with a view to building sustainable local food systems based on strengthened local market linkages and viable local value chains. S/he will also provide technical expertise to project partners on interventions aimed at improved availability and access to foods while also ensuring farmers in the cooperatives continue to earn an income from agricultural production and trade. Climate smart food production for local markets and consumption is a key component of the Somali Region 10-year development plan and UNHCR’s food security and livelihood strategy and approach aims to complement it through a facilitation and technical support role.
The incumbent will support the LEI unit with existing and potential new mixed agriculture cooperatives (refugees and host communities) in the process of adapting climate smart practices in crop and food production using a market systems development approach that seeks to increase competitiveness, inclusivity, and resilience towards local food security and improved nutrition.
Under the supervision of the Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Officer, the incumbent will work closely with internal and external stakeholders such as the Government counterparts, UN Agencies, Development partners and NGOs involved in nutrition and food security to support a coordinated multisectoral approach to agriculture-based food security responses in line with the global guidance and commitments. This includes technical support to responding to the IDP situations through the cluster approach with WFP.
S/he will share information and experiences, carry out joint assessments, identify new opportunities for collaboration on specific nutrition and food security issues, support resource mobilization, conduct relevant trainings, support operational research.
Responsibilities and Deliverables:
• Support coordination as part of the LEI unit of food security activities for Persons of Concern (POC) and advocate on their behalf in support of government and in conjunction with other government,
UN agencies, donors, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other humanitarian partners including development actors to ensure food security is in line with the Global Compact on Refugees and in support of the Sustainable Development goals, including SDG 2.
• Provide technical market linkage guidance to food security and livelihood interventions. This includes technical support to the LEI unit to support mixed agriculture cooperatives (refugees and host communities) in the process of adapting climate smart practices in crop production using a market systems development approach that seeks to increase competitiveness, inclusivity, and resilience towards local food security and improved nutrition. Additionally, provide technical support to enable mixed agriculture cooperatives to adapt sustainable business models that improve profitability and promote local food systems (the availability, accessibility, and affordability of safe and desirous food in the local food environment) as part of the IFC transition.
• Coordinate the development and implementation of a community engagement strategy and action plan to support a shift towards in food production for local markets for improved food security and sustainable livelihood opportunities as part of IFC transition.
• Conduct necessary market and value chain assessments to identify priority food and feed crops to ensure informed crop enterprise selection processes by cooperatives.
• Technical lead to develop and pilot crop enterprise selection guidance and tools for existing agricultural cooperatives to shift towards meet local food market needs.
• Identify key actions on supporting improved market linkages as part of mixed agriculture cooperatives capacity development plans.
• Manage the implementation of market linkage actions with cooperatives in close coordination with key staff, units, partners and stakeholders.
• Work closely with the LEI unit in coordinating and developing capacity of relevant regional and local government authorities to support agriculture and livestock cooperatives and improved market linkages as part of UNHCR’s role in the implementation of the Somali Region 10-year development plan.
• Conduct rapid assessment to identify priority agriculture and livestock market linkages and development activities with relevant regional and local level authorities in line with UNHCR’s facilitation and technical support role. Key government authorities are agriculture bureau, cooperation promotion agency, irrigation bureau and woredas.
• Lead on the implementation of identified market linkage capacity development activities through LEI unit and in close coordination with key staff, units, partners and stakeholders.
• Identify, support development and implementation of partnerships in line with GCR approach that ensure improved market linkages of agriculture and livestock cooperatives to meet local consumer food needs.
• Provide specialized technical support to ensure SOMEL strategy on food security and livelihood integrates market linkage and value chain assessments as part of context-specific needs assessment with due consideration to multi-sectoral linkages, links to existing food security, livelihoods and social protection programmes, and identifying strategic priority partners.
• Coordinate the market linkage component with the LEI unit on the joint WFP-UNHCR initiative to support both existing and new cooperatives.
• Provide technical guidance and support for expansion of agricultural initiatives including the in line with Somali Region strategy and as part of UNHCR’s facilitation and technical support role.
• Provide support to LEI unit to develop monitoring, evaluation and learning strategies and tools to track the progress, evaluate impact and facilitate learning on market linkages for sustainable local food systems for improved food security and nutrition outcomes.
• Other duties as required by the supervising officer.
Essential minimum qualifications and professional experience required:
Work Experience:
- For IICA1- 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree.Field (s) of Education:
- Agricultural economics;
- Economics; Agronomy;
- Development studies;
- Marketing or other related fieldsCertificates and/or Licenses :
- UNHCR Protection Learning Programme (PLP)Relevant job experience:
Essential
• Proven technical expertise in the areas of food value chain analysis, agribusiness, digital technologies for improved market linkages.
• Experience conducting food security assessments with a value chain and market linkage focus.
• Demonstrated ability to provide advisory support to the development of strategic plans for food security and livelihood to include market linkages as part of the partnership and implementation approach.
• Proven technical competencies in subsectors relevant to inclusive market systems development in agriculture e.g., entrepreneurship, agriculture value chain development, private-sector development, crop and livestock, training etc.
• Proven experience in multisectoral nutrition-sensitive agriculture and food systems.
• Proven experience in market development approaches e.g., Approach to Inclusive Market Systems (AIMS).
• Proven experience in economic inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized groups including refugees and IDPs.
• Experience in collaborating with private sector actors as part of value chain development and market linkages.
• Experience in designing and conducting capacity building trainings forstaff and local partners on value chain assessments, plan development and market linkages.
• Experience in designing and implementing cash-based interventions on food security, nutrition, livelihoods, agriculture.
• Work experience in the Somali Region of Ethiopia or similar remote and arid settings with a nascent agricultural sector an asset.
Living and Working Conditions:
Accommodation will be provided by the Sub-Office Melkadida within the UNHCR compound with a monthly rental charge of about $221. All staff living in the UNHCR provided accommodation must pay their accommodation in accordance with the UNHCR Policy of UNHCR Provided Accommodation in the Field issued under the IOM/FOM 020/021/2012 dated 28 Feb 2012 as well as the Administrative Instruction on the Measures in Support of Personnel in High-Risk Duty Station (Non-Family Duty Stations Where Danger Pay Applied), UNHCR/AI/2018/11 dated 15 August 2018. All office and accommodation premises are within walking distance within the same compound.
The compound includes a medical facility staffed with a doctor and nurse for UN personnel, two cafeterias, and some facilities for leisure activities (volleyball court, basketball court, pool table, ping pong table, gym etc.).
Most accommodations are fully furnished, with a single room and living room with an open kitchen. They include their own duvet bed and bed sheet, private bathrooms, desk, AC, lamp and closet. WIFI is available across the compound and in most of the apartments a private residential WIFI. Transportation in and out of Melkadida is usually by UNHAS flights (2.5 hours) directly to Addis Ababa. Due to road insecurity, road travel to Addis is not advised; it also takes more than two days. Only under unavoidable circumstances is it authorized.
Given the remote nature of the duty station, there are very few items that can be purchased in Melkadida, particularly food items and other personal items that staff may need. It is therefore advised that you bring such items with you. Food provision in the area is limited, with very few vegetables, it is advisable to carry your own food/ food supplements. Cleaning services take place from Monday to Friday.
Required Languages
- English
Additional Qualifications
Education
- BA: Agricultural Economics,
- BA: Development Studies,
- BS: Agronomy
Work Experience
- Livelihood