48 Agricultural Extension Worker USAID Project Job Opportunities – Mercy Corps
Job Title: Agricultural Extension Workers – 48 Job Opportunities (Acholi, Lango, Westnile, Karamoja and Eastern)
Organization: Mercy Corps
Duty Station: Uganda
About US:
Mercy Corps is an International NGO that exists to alleviate poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities. Mercy Corps has been fully registered in Uganda as an operational NGO. Currently Mercy Corps has an office in Kampala and is implementing Food Security programs which comprise of Water and Sanitation, Livelihood and Agriculture and Conflict Mitigation Management Program in North and North Eastern Uganda. We implement programs in the northern districts of Pader, Kitgum, Agago, Lamwo, Kaabong, Abim and Kotido with funding from USAID, USDA, Walmart Foundation, SDC, DFID as well as other private donations.
About USAID BETTER OUTCOMES Project:
The USAID/Uganda BETTER OUTCOMES Project is a five-year project aimed at improving the wellbeing of children and youth orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV and other adversities in Eastern & Northern Uganda using a multi-sectoral approach. BETTER OUTCOMES is implemented by a consortium of five partners namely, World Education Inc./Bantwana (WEI/B) as the Prime; Mercy Corps, Uganda Women’s Efforts to Save Orphans (UWESO), Youth Alive and Friends of Christ Revival (FOC-REV). MERCY CORPS ‘mandate under this project is to provide strategic and technical leadership for the Economic Strengthening component of the project that aims at empowering OVC, Youth and caregivers to access core services. Besides providing overall leadership for the result area, MERCY CORPS is also directly responsible for delivering the market system strengthening component of the project that looks at working with the public and or private sector in the agriculture sector amongst others to improve opportunities for income and asset growth for youths and caregivers.
Job Summary: The Agriculture-Extension Worker (AEW) will be responsible for providing extension services to BETTER OUTCOMES Project support youth and caregivers engaged in market oriented production of selected agricultural enterprise in their respective sub counties in Eastern & Northern Uganda. In collaboration with the private sector partners s/he will be responsible for providing relevant agronomical trainings and provision of embedded services and facilitating linkages to enhance the productivity and profitability of the selected enterprises.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- With guidance from the Economic Strengthening Officer, the AEW will be responsible for providing extension services to BETTER OUTCOME supported youth and caregivers engaged in market oriented production of maize, beans, hot pepper, chilli and indigenous poultry in their respective sub counties. S/he will be responsible for relevant agronomic trainings, provision of embedded services like establishing demonstration gardens, organizing field days and facilitating market linkages to enhance the productivity and profitability of the selected enterprises.
- Work closely with BETTER OUTCOME community based structures like Community Based Trainers (CBTs), District Based Trainers (DBTs), Para-Social Workers (PSWs) and Field Assistants (FAs) to ensure integrated approach to program implementation
- Establish and maintain productive working relationships with local government officials and line departments, soliciting their participation in all activities where possible.
- In addition, she must establish and maintain good workingrelationships and coordination with Sub County, Parish and village leaders and the local government extension workers, other development agencies, private sector partners and beneficiaries
- Establish linkages and partnerships with local stakeholders – input dealers, buyers, government extension workers and create viable business linkage e.g support input agents to support the expansion of their village agent network
- Actively participate in the developing quarterly work plan, ensure execution and timely reporting on agreed deliverables
- Participate in all trainings and meetings facilitated by the consortium and private sector partners
- Register new and existing youth and caregivers’ household engaged in BETTER OUTCOME supported market base initiatives using the market linkage tool and later using a mobile phone. S/he will be responsible for basic data/information collection e.g. the size of the plot, top cross and animals, pricing, topics of interest and other project indicators developed by the M&E Team
- Produce written reports on the program capturing deliverable outcomes and impacts related to all activities.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The ideal candidate for the Mercy Corps Agriculture-Extension Worker (AEW) job opportunity should hold a diploma or certificate in agriculture or related field like forestry or environment.
- Certificate holders must have at least a minimum of 2-year field experience in agriculture extension services, farmers training, community mobilization targeting youth and women
- Should be a youth or caregiver preferably from a BETTER OUTCOMES supported household
- Should be a resident in the community with no other job
- Should be able to read and write in English and speak local language
- Should be eager to learn new things and able to use a smartphone
- Must be willing to attend relevant trainings like use of smart phones to disseminate agriculture advisory services, HIV messages and also to collect data
- Candidate must be willing to live within the sub county of operation and be able to travel extensively throughout the parishes within the sub county or program sites.
- Good computer skills i.e. MS office, MS Excel and ability to ride a bicycle is required.
How to Apply:
All candidates should send their applications including a cover letter clearly stating your salary requirements, CV with three referees, copies of academic qualifications/certificates through the Senior Human Resource & Legal Manager to ANY BOCY Civil Society Organization (C.S.O) district level.
Deadline: 13th April 2018
: List of Current Job Vacancies / Opportunities in Uganda