National Programme Coordinator, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Mogadishu, Somalia

Job Advertisement

Post Title: National Programme Coordinator

Name of Project: Rural Livelihood and Resilience Project

Duty Station: Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, Mogadishu

Background:

The Rural Livelihoods Resilience Programme (RLRP) is an 8 year project and the lead agency for the Programme is the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MAI), Federal Government of Somalia. The project’s goal is “improved and resilient livelihoods of rural smallholders in Somalia”. The Programme Development Objective (PDO) is” to sustainably increase productivity, incomes and nutrition security and enhance the resilience of rural smallholder families in Somalia.

The RLRP’s primary target groups will be 30,000 poor small-scale agro-pastoral households (HHs. RLRP will further include proportions for vulnerable groups including IDPs (15 percent), women headed HHs (30 percent) and persons with disabilities based on prevalence.

The RLRP is a nationwide programme. It will focus its comprehensive efforts on five Federal Member States (FMS) of Puntland, Galmudug, Jubaland, Hirshabelle, and Southwest State. Implementation will be sequenced, starting with the initial two FMS of Jubaland and South West, and a total of five regions in the two states: Jubaland: Gedo and Lower Juba; and South West: Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation implements the Rural Livelihood and Resilience Program (RLRP). The program aims to enhance the livelihoods and resilience of rural communities. It focuses on promoting sustainable agricultural practices, diversifying income sources, and improving market access for farmers. Additionally, the RLRP works to build resilience by implementing measures such as water conservation, climate-smart agricultural techniques, and disaster preparedness. Community participation and empowerment are key program elements, fostering social cohesion and ownership of development initiatives. The Ministry strengthens institutional capacity to ensure effective implementation and long-term program sustainability.

The National Programme Coordination Unit (NPCU), reporting to the MoAI, will be responsible for day to day management of the Programme and will be in charge of planning, coordination, monitoring nd evaluation, financial management and procurement fuctions. The NPCU is led by the National Programme Coordinator, a position that will be filled through a competitive recruitment process.

Job Description

The National Programme Coordinator (NPC) will be responsible for the overall management and implementation of the Rural Livelihoods Resilience Programme (RLRP). S/he will also be responsible for managing the team of experts within the NPCU and ensuring the management of their performance and that of the service providers hired to implement programme activities to the highest professional standards. A key element of the position will be to ensure that the programme achieves its development objectives. The National Programme Coordinator will undertake the following duties:

• Act as Secretary to the secretariat of the National Steering Committee (NSC) for RLRP.
• Coordinate the overall implementation of the programme among the participating FMS.
• Provide guidance to the Programme Staff at both the national and FMS levels, in line with the financing agreement, the project implementation manual, fiduciary requirements and sound technical practices.
• Ensures that gender equality is completely incorporated in all the project components and project activities.
• Liaise with other relevant programmes and technical departments in the public sector and private Sector, to improve programme performance and achieve its objectives.
• Consolidate the FMS’ Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB) and submit to the MoAI/Programme Steering Committee for approval and IFAD for no objection.
• Oversee the contracting of support staff and consultants providing leadership in the development of Terms of Reference for consultants required by the programme in consultation with PSC, MoAI and IFAD.
• Coordinate timely recruitment and procurement of project services, good/materials and other requirements for implementation of project activities while ensuring procurement processes are in full compliance with IFAD procurement guidelines.
• Supervision and coordination of the State Programme Coordination Unit (SPCU) quality inputs and outputs of all technical team members/including implementing partners as well as oversee technical quality of deliverables.
• Convene monthly management meetings and periodic meetings with the staff
• Oversee preparation and ensure timely delivery of quality reports (AWPB, quarterly reports, semi-annual reports, financial statements, audit reports, ORMS data, etc.) to the MAI, Programme Steering Committee and IFAD in accordance with the project implementation manual and financing agreement.
• Coordinate with IFAD Country Office and MoAI for programme supervision missions and implementation support and other assessment missions (mid-term review and completion missions) and ensure the implementation of recommendations.
• Organize impact evaluation, beneficiary assessment, Mid-Term Review and Final Evaluation of the programme.

• Conduct performance evaluation for the staff and recommend contract renewal based on satisfactory performance assessment.
• Coordinate integration and coordination of all project components and provide leadership in planning, implementation, monitoring, control and reporting on project activities in line with the financing agreement, Project Implementation Manual, IFAD and FGS requirements.
• Facilitate proper project resources disbursements, utilization, reporting through timely submission of quarterly financial reports (IFRs) that are a basis of for reporting on expenditure, forecasting and withdrawal applications.
• Coordinate the execution of contracts, MOUs, and agreements related to goods and services contracted by the project and coordinate technical and procurement staff to ensure contractors/suppliers/service providers are meeting their obligations and are paid on time for delivered goods and services.
• Manage project communication and knowledge, including proper record keeping of all approved plans, reports, correspondences, PSC meetings and decisions, staff records and evaluation and audit reports.
• Coordinate implementation of corrective and adaptive measures as required to redirect project scope and budgets in consultation with MAI, PSC and IFAD.
• Ensure the project is implemented in compliance with the grant agreement including cascading covenants into contracts and MOUs with implementing partners, contractors, service providers and staff.
• Performs other related duties as agreed upon jointly by MAI and IFAD.

The National Programme Coordinator will report directly to the Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MoAI) or his/her representative.

Qualification and Experience

1. Masters or higher level University degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics or other relevant discipline.
2. Minimum of 10 years’ post-qualification experience, including at least 6 years of relevant working experience in project development and management in Somalia, preferably agriculture-related and donor-assisted projects.
3. Proven record in the field of project preparation, coordination and supervision of agricultural and rural development projects.
4. Good writing skills and computer literacy.
5. Possess strong interpersonal skills, teamwork ability, detailed and strategic analysis, excellent communication and negotiation skills, and the ability to work effectively in a diverse work environment.
6. Demonstrate experience in managing multi-disciplinary teams.
7. Ability to adapt, manage and cope with change.
8. Demonstrate good understanding of local dynamics.
9. Fluent written and spoken Somali and English required.

Duration: The initial contract will be for one year with a six-month probation period, renewable every year on continued satisfactory performance.

How to apply

If your qualifications and experience meet this job requirement, please submit a written application quoting the job title and reference number and an updated CV including daytime contact phone numbers, as well as the names and contact information of three references to reach the below-mentioned by close of business on April 24, 2024.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for a written interview. Mustafe Osman Saed (Waayeel) Mustafe.cismaan@gmail.com and the info@moa.gov.so