Project Assistant -Afar, Ethiopia

Background on ACTED

ACTED is a French humanitarian NGO, founded in 1993, which supports vulnerable populations, affected by humanitarian crises worldwide. ACTED provides continued support to vulnerable communities by ensuring the sustainability of post-crisis interventions and engaging long-term challenges facing our target populations, in order to break the poverty cycle, foster development and reduce vulnerability to disasters. Their interventions seek to cover the multiple aspects of humanitarian and development crises through a multidisciplinary approach that is both global and local and adapted to each context.

ACTED is looking for a professionally confident, self-motivated, experienced, and committed team player to fill the Project Assistant position in Semera, Afar.

Position Profile:

The Project Assistant is primarily responsible for community mobilization and support of community governance activities, under the direct supervision of his/her line manager. This includes but is not limited to conducting information campaigns, implementing complaints and feedback mechanisms on the site, ensuring that vulnerable groups and people with specific needs are represented and participating in food security and livelihood (FSL) activities, and building the capacity of the village development committee (VDC) in community governance and community mobilization The PA is also responsible for community mobilization and support to cash distribution activities that includes but is not limited to ensuring smooth distributions and liaison with sites’ stakeholders and financial service providers and supporting the MEAL team in conducting Post-Distribution Monitoring exercises.

Duties and Responsibilities:

·       Community mobilization for all project activities, e.g., farmers’ training or meetings and encourage active farmers’ participation.

·       Support beneficiary mobilization, identification, registration, and verification activities

·       Conduct Project awareness and community meetings at the beginning of the project in project-targeted communities.

·       Supporting and promoting the participation of women, youth, and people with specific needs and marginalized groups in FSL Activities at the village level.

·       Organize community public meetings and facilitate the formation of project committees at the community level.

·       Assist project committees to Follow the selection criteria and identify project beneficiaries in the targeted communities.

·       Responsible for the Beneficiary selection process, registration, and verifications.

·       Involve in targeting and tracking distribution of agriculture inputs & Cash for Work (CFW) tools.

·       Preparation of training material and training of project beneficiaries on Farmer’s Field Schools (FFS) on agricultural production.

·       Conduct farmer’s training on Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs).

·       Conduct visits to provide individual, contact farmers & group farmers with practical application of useful extension knowledge.

·       Supervise ongoing project activities including Cash for Work (CFW) at the field level.

·       Collect Post distribution monitoring monthly, market surveys, case studies, and most significant success stories.

·       Supporting in developing work plans and providing any necessary job training and guides.

·       Assess capacity-building needs and organize capacity-building events and processes.

·       Ensuring that the CRM mechanism integrates different ways of collecting complaints and feedback, not only through desk but also through formal and informal meetings with the community leaders, outreach activities, etc.

·       Lead transparent and accountable participatory targeting of project target groups and beneficiaries.

·       Considering gender, protection, and GBV concerns in all aspects of activities.

·       Promoting and adhering to Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse policy and guidelines (for site residents, ACTED staff, partner agencies, casual laborers)

·       Prepare and compile activity reports on a weekly or monthly basis and share them with the respective line manager.

·       Supporting the line manager in devising weekly and long-term work plans for the project implementation, particularly information management activities

·       Provide translation of various documents (e.g., reports, minutes, beneficiary lists, information signs) upon request

·       Perform other duties as required by the relevant supervisor.

Essential qualifications and experience:

·       Bachelor’s Degree in food security, Agronomy, Extension Services, Agro-veterinary, Development studies, or any other related fields.

·       Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in direct implementation of FSL interventions and working with subsistence farmers.

·       Prior experience in community work, training, and coaching farmers, proven problem-solving and decision-making skills.

·       Demonstrated experience in CASH management in an NGO/INGO is an advantage.

·       Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and be initiative.

·       Good facilitation, analytical, planning, and report-writing skills

·       Knowledge of agricultural-related issues and techniques.

·       Experience and knowledge of working with INGOs in Agriculture/Livelihood programs.

·       Proficient in MS Excel, MS Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

·       Willing to extensively travel throughout the project areas.

Essential knowledge and skills:

·       Extensive knowledge of Afar farmers’ context.

·       Excellent communication skills.

·       Excellent interpersonal and team-playing skills.

·       Highly flexible, with the ability to use initiative.

·       Ability to work in a multicultural environment.

·       Commitment to humanitarian principles and values.

·       Understanding of gender, protection, and human rights.

·       Commitment to promoting gender equality.

Preferred experience:

·       Proficiency in English and Afar language, both oral and written.

·       Experience, including leading/supervising subordinate staff, organizing activities, and report writing.

·       Experience in training and capacity building of staff.

·       Preferable experience in Farmer’s field schools and soil & water conservation.

·       Knowledge of logistics and procurement processes.