ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY

Position: Senior Project Officer II, Ministry of Agriculture

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Contract

Place of Work: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Posted date: 44 minutes ago

Application Deadline: May, 8/2021 (9 days left)

BACKGROUND:

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) is a strategy and delivery-oriented government agency created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATA envisions that, by 2025, smallholder farmers are commercialized with greater incomes, inclusiveness, resilience, and sustainability, contributing to Ethiopia’s achievement of middle-income country status.

The agency focuses on two primary national approaches to catalyze agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources (MoA), its affiliate institutions, and other partners to identify and address systemic bottlenecks within an Agricultural Transformation Agenda. Second, we support Regional Governments to accelerate the development of high-priority commodity value chains in clearly defined geographic clusters, through the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) Initiative.

The Government of Ethiopia (GoE) approved the Livestock Master Plan (LMP) which aims at transforming traditional family farms into improved market-oriented systems and thereby improve household income, food, and nutrition security, and contribute to national economic growth. In addition, the GoE has decided to scale up its investment and institutional support to the livestock and fisheries sector by launching a flagship Project: The Livestock and Fisheries Sector Development Project (LFSDP) which aims at supporting the government’s strategy for livestock growth and transformation and focuses particularly on the subsistence level and smallholder farmers, where the maximum benefits can be obtained for both the sector and its participants.   The development objective of this project is to increase productivity and commercialization of producers and processors in selected value chains (dairy, red meat, poultry, and fisheries), strengthen service delivery systems in the livestock and fisheries sectors, and respond promptly and effectively to an Eligible Crisis or Emergency.

As part of the amended version of the second memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA), the ATA will hold responsibilities for agreed activities as a technical support provider for LFSDP, which includes hiring and seconding one additional qualified senior project officer working on supporting the implementation of LFSDP at the Ministry of Agriculture.

Our Culture

We have an exceptional team of highly competent employees with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results. Our culture is one where talented, dedicated, and adaptable individuals are committed to doing their best and exhibit great teamwork to achieve excellent results.

At ATA, we provide an exceptional platform for people who want to achieve their highest potential and make a meaningful contribution in changing the country’s agricultural sector. We offer rewarding work in a young, fast-paced growing organization with passionate, committed, motivated colleagues and excellent career development and training. We recognize our most valuable assets are our staff and are committed to providing our employees with the tools, training, and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Project Officer will be accountable to the federal PCU coordinator and support the implementation of the Livestock and Fisheries Sector Development Project (LFSDP) of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia with a focus on monitoring, evaluation, and learning as well as on providing project management support.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Project Management and Implementation

• Support the day-to-day management and implementation of the project activities.
• Ensure all project outputs, as listed in the project documents, are effectively achieved.
• Provide overall technical and management support for project implementation including networking with different implementing agencies of the project.
• Organize networking events, study tours, and field visits in collaboration with other actors in the livestock/agricultural sector.
• Support management of the project following project documents, work plans, and budgets and ensure that work is consistent with LFSDP’s Project Implementation manual.
• Guide the project staff in aligning their monthly work plans to the project budgets and work plans in line with the project’s planning process and schedules.
• Ensure relevant LFSDP staff, implementing agencies, and consultants are notified in due time to support high-quality deliverables.
• Take responsibility for effective management of the projects’ field activities.
• Ensure the smooth management and timely completion of all the project activities by project coordination units and implementing partners.
• Manage the performance of M&E and the operational team of the project.
• Undertake any other duties as assigned by the Federal Project Coordinator.

Project Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL):

• Develop/adopt and implement a robust monitoring and evaluation system that will ensure tracking of the project’s results at different levels.
• Develop/ Adopt an integrated database of the project and ensure accountability through regular data updates, data integrity.
• Provided support in defining the monitoring process, approaches and tools; monitor outcomes and results.
• Review and update existing data collection tools of the project.
• Monitoring – Take a lead in the design and implementation of a monitoring framework to track delivery against the project outputs and outcomes.
• Evaluation – Take a lead in the analysis of data collected under the monitoring framework for assessment of the progress and areas for improvement. In addition, facilitate and lead periodic evaluations of the project activities to determine impact levels.
• Reporting – Provide regularly updated reports to the Federal Project Coordinator and others concerned.
• Knowledge management – Facilitate and lead ongoing and collaborative learning of the project from the performance management system for continuous improvement of program delivery.
• Perform other duties as deemed necessary.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree (Ph.D. is an advantage) in Monitoring and Evaluation Agricultural Economics, Agri-business, Economics, or any other relevant disciplines.
• At least 8 years for Master’s degree (6 years for Ph.D.) of hands-on experience in managing a monitoring and evaluation system and/or impact evaluation preferably in livestock and livestock-related development projects rural development.
• Good track of record in livestock and livestock-related project management and project design
• An understanding of Ethiopia’s agricultural system in general and livestock, with a broad perspective on how the entire system operates and how public, private, NGO and informal actors interact.
• Deep understanding of the theory and application of performance evaluation as well as impact evaluation, including best-practice tools and approaches.
• Hands-on experience with data management and analytical tools/software such as SPSS/Stata.
• Excellent skills and experience in the use of computers and common office applications.
• Experience in prioritizing and sequencing both programmatic and operational activities.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, start-up environment, with an emphasis on high-performance, teamwork, accountability, and results.
• Ability to build relationships with all kinds of people.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and data gathering and analysis skills.
• A strong set of personal values including integrity, honesty, and desire to be of service; and
• Fluency in English is essential.

How to apply

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter and (ii) a CV (maximum 5 pages) click here

Please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application.

Women are highly encouraged to apply.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.