Livelihood and Food Security Officer at International Orthodox Christian Charties (IOCC), Ethiopia

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL POSTING

Company Background

IOCC was established in 1992 as the official humanitarian organization of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). IOCC’s global operations are managed from its headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland with field offices in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and East Africa. IOCC has extensive experience implementing programs in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM), as well as European and other international donors. In its nearly thirty years of operation, IOCC has amassed considerable experience worldwide in emergency and development settings and across a range of sectors, including food security, WASH, micro-credit lending, health, nutrition, agriculture, shelter, infrastructure, education, livelihoods, capacity building and civil society development through programs that support communities lifting themselves out of poverty and achieve economic sustainability.

IOCC began its work in Ethiopia in 2003, partnering closely with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church Development and Inter-church Aid Commission (EOC-DICAC). In its 18 years operating in Ethiopia, IOCC has worked in cooperation with EOC-DICAC, international and local NGOs, and various ministries, including the ministries of Health, Education, and Agriculture, and provided humanitarian and development assistance to communities throughout the country. IOCC projects have improved the lives of Ethiopians and refugees from neighboring Somalia and South Sudan by helping improve the quality of healthcare, creating access to food and education, clean water, improved sanitation facilities, agriculture, livelihoods and jobs.

Project Description/Position overview

The primary purpose of the Livelihood and Food Security Officer position is to lead the planning and implementation of a funded food security and livelihood intervention in Shewa Robit, Kewet, and Tarmaber woredas of North Shewa Zone. The Livelihood and Food Security Officer will also work closely with the Agriculture Office and to identify gaps and needs in the communities for additional funding opportunities in the Food Security and Livelihood sector and contribute to the development of relevant proposals. The project’s overall goal, to which the position holder is responsible, is to contribute to Ethiopian communities’ recovery from the desert locust invasion and their resilience to shocks and crises. The project will combine humanitarian interventions that mitigate risks and vulnerability to help target families overcome the immediate negative effects of the desert locust invasion with development interventions aimed at building target families’ adaptive capacity to withstand similar crises in the future. The identified project will focus on cash and voucher assistance, food access, WASH, natural resource management, and livelihood diversification. Communities will be at the centre of this approach and the Livelihood and Food Security Officer with support from the Program Manager will play a facilitation role, providing inputs, facilitating unconditional cash intervention, building capacity and supporting the establishment of community groups and institutions that help families overcome the immediate effects of the desert locust as well as building their preparedness and adaptive capacity for future shocks. The Livelihood and Food Security Officer will also be working with the Program Manager in identifying new partnerships, design and development of the food security and livelihood program. S/he will also participate in government-led seasonal food security situation assessments as necessary.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Coordinate with relevant government authorities/office partners in beneficiary targeting.
• Ensure that selection of beneficiaries is based on agreed criteria and transparent selection procedures.
• Conduct regular visits to project sites to monitor the implementation of activities, gather feedback from stakeholders and submit detailed report about the activities and findings.
• Assist to develop and strengthen local project networks.
• Assist to identify needs and opportunities by conducting assessments.
• Collect data on project indicators and maintain an updated database on project progress.
• Track project performance at community level and report, monitor and follow up on project activities.
• Record and analyze monitoring data for reporting and timely communicate the results of analysis to inform program decision making.
• Conduct surveys and analyze data on a quarterly basis and make recommendations to improve the project based on the findings.
• Assist in the procurement and logistics procedures and proper documentation of all activities in accordance to organizational and donor guidelines.
• Support the Project Manager to prepare periodic project reports based on accurate and evidence-based data/information.
• Support the Monitoring and Evaluation team in the tracking of outcome of activities evidenced by accurate data to enhance quality of reporting.
• Identify and document lessons, good practices, human interest stories and case studies based on the successes of implemented projects.
• Assist program team in reviewing log frames, M&E work plans and targets at proposal development stage through to project implementation.
•  Perform other duties as required or assigned.

Category: Livelihood, Food Security, Agriculture, Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA), Environment and Natural Resource

Employment Type: Full Time (with possibility of extension)

Career Level: Junior to Mid Level (5+ years experience)

Duration: Full-time employment (12 months with possibility of extension).

Location: Shewa Robit or Tarmaber with frequent travel to activity implementation locations/Kebeles.

• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA): Knowledge of donors and working in humanitarian and development programs is required. Budgeting, needs assessment, and good inter-personal communication skills; good written and spoken communication skills in English and Amharic languages, and good computer skills.
• Competencies: Ability to build strong personal and organizational relationships with all internal and external staff and contacts; sensitivity to cultural conditions and practices; tenacity in observing procedures, regulations, and other requirements in implementing and maintaining IOCC programs; ability to think strategically, analyze issues, and make appropriate recommendations.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Economics, Sociology, Psychology or related fields with minimum of 5 years experience in implementing agriculture/livelihood/food security projects.
• Experience: A minimum of 3 years experience in humanitarian and development work with non-government organizations (local and international) is required.