AGRICULTURAL / RURAL DEVELOPMENT, TECHNICAL ASSISTANT (F/M)

Local contract or French International Solidarity Volunteer Contract (due to COVID context, only applicable for foreigners currently living in Mongolia)**

Tsetserleg, Arkhangai Aimag – 12 months contract

Context

Set up in 1976, Geres is an international development NGO which works to improve the living conditions of the poorest and tackle climate change and its impacts. As a grassroots actor, the energy transition is a major lever in all its actions. In order to drive societal change, Geres promotes the development and dissemination of innovative and local solutions, supports climate-energy policies and actions and encourages everyone to commit to Climate Solidarity by taking action and supporting vulnerable populations.

Geres main focus in Central Asia:

· Introduction of bioclimatic solutions through passive solar energy and energy efficiency techniques for rural and urban domestic housing and public buildings sectors

· Income generating activities development in agriculture (counter-season greenhouse cultivation, crop selling staggering with small-scale storage)

· Innovative technical solution development (heating stove, cooking stove…)

Geres experience in Mongolia:

Since 2010, Geres has supported the vegetable sector in Mongolia, relying on affordable and locally adapted production and preservation technologies. In the past three years Geres implemented further, a comprehensive economic development program focused on organic vegetable production and farm-to-fork approaches encompassing the whole vegetables value chain and its enabling environment in Arkhangai and Khentii provinces.

This program saw the implementation of numerous activities as for example: building Passive Solar Green Houses (PSGH) and Bioclimatic Cellars (BC); providing necessary tools and seeds; leading technical training on crop management (seedlings, amendments, watering, crop protection, harvest and conservation) associated with a close follow-up on the field by agronomists; animating cooking classes; organizing producer exchange visits, raising awareness in school and hospital …

All these actions aiming to improve significantly the understanding, the knowledge and the skills of a number of producers in both provinces.

Geres is, furthermore, implementing the CEMAATERR[1] Program in 4 countries, with a specific Mongolian component in Arkhangai since 2017 and with aim to raise awareness and provide support to local actors and authorities to harness climate change in the development of their local policies and plans.

In urban set up and related to energy efficiency in the housing sector, Geres has started in 2018 the implementation of the EU SWITCH Asia funded “Switch Off Air Pollution” project to contribute to address pollution & energy efficiency challenges in Ulaanbaatar’s peripheral district population and decrease related GHG emission and mitigate climate change. The action is implemented in partnership with four national and international NGOs and aims at limiting coal consumption through improving the energy efficiency of 1000 individual houses in the so-called Ger district by mobilising green finance.

Since November 2019, Geres started a 3-year project funded by the EU Civil Society and Local Authorities budget line: “IMPACT – Improve – Act! Engendering rural economic development in Mongolia”, in a consortium led by Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières NGO (AVSF) and with Mongolian Women’s fund NGO (MONES).

IMPACT has for the overall objective to contribute empowering women as agents of development and change in their productive activities and in the policy-making process in Mongolia with specific objectives to strengthen rural women’s groups’ role in agricultural (organic vegetable and sustainable cashmere) productive systems and towards their local and national representatives.

The Project will be implemented in the rural provinces of Arkhangai and Khentii, with a strong national advocacy component in Ulaanbaatar.

Actions are designed around 4 complementary outputs:

Ø Result 1: Women’s groups are empowered in their role in income-generating activities, rural cooperatives and household financial management.

Ø Result 2: High potential agriculture value chains (organic vegetable and sustainable cashmere) are supported for economic empowerment of women’s groups.

Ø Result 3: Women’s groups are empowered in their dialogue capacities with Local Authorities for mutual support and conducive local policies

Ø Result 4: To strengthen rural women’s group’s role in productive agricultural systems and towards their local and national representatives

Mission
and TASKS

Under the hierarchical and managerial supervision of Geres Country Director, the Technical Assistant (TA) will be in charge of ensuring the timely implementation of field activities related to organic vegetable and Sustainable Cashmere value chain development (with support of AVSF) in Arkhangai until the end of the project. She/he will support AVSF and MONES in ensuring quality of the agriculture component in Khenti Province. She/he will ensure appropriate coordination between the partners’ field staff.

The scope of work and coordination of the TA will include an international Value Chain Development TA (AVSF) based in Khentii Province, a driver based in Arkhangai and a part-time Finance/Admin Assistant based in Ulaanbaatar. TA will be further supported by Mongolia Country Director and Central Asia Director and expert involvement from Head Quarter is further expected (Quality, Gender & Energy).

She/he will work in coordination with AVSF and MONES Project staff assigned to action:

• MONES Project Coordinator & gender expert based in Ulaanbaatar.

• AVSF Ulaanbaatar office Country Director and Senior Value Chain Technical staff for backstopping and overall reporting/M&E/donor relation management

• In provinces (Arkhangai and Khentii), with AVSF TA counterparts, MONES 2 gender experts, Field coordinators and officers.

She/he will be based in Arkhangai Province, with frequent trips to Ulaanbaatar for coordination needs and Khentii Province for supporting the project operational team.

Expected tasks for this position

1/ To provide Agricultural/Rural Development Technical Assistance – Organic vegetables and Sustainable Fiber value chains:

· To contextualize, elaborate & disseminate the methodology & training materials based on the capitalization studies and current practical handbooks developed by Geres and AVSF.

· To train trainers for (i) vegetable farming and; (ii) replication of AVSF Sustainable Cashmere mechanism with the support of their technical team

· To upscale and disseminate energy-efficient & innovative solutions for vegetable farming activities: implementation and monitoring of demonstration small-scale infrastructure (Geres’s Passive solar greenhouses and bioclimatic cellars), and to support and coordinate a study on up-scaling and dissemination strategy. In coordination with Geres energy expert

· To provide agronomic technical support to farmers in Arkhangai Province and advises to the project team in Khentii Province.

· To replicate AVSF’s Sustainable Cashmere mechanism in Arkhangai with the support of AVSF Value Chain Development TA and technical team.

· To support the selection of projects and beneficiaries, follow the implementation (incl. technical assistance) and do the monitoring-evaluation of subgrants allocation to sustain vegetable and cashmere value chain.

· To coordinate with French head quarter/Central Asia team the realization of a technical study on PSGH and BC.

· To coordinate with MONES the integration of gender equality in the activities under her/his responsibility

· To provide technical agronomic input to MONES related to Results 1,3 & 4

· To coordinate with partners in the provincial advocacy-related activities and organize a consultation process to elaborate provincial strategy on vegetable sector development & sustainable pasture management. Collaborate with Geres Country Director in the national advocacy components.

*2/ To coordinate and manage field teams

· To oversee and manage the completion of tasks/duties of the field staff

· To directly oversee Geres driver in the province

3/ To *support Geres National Coordination

· To report narrative and financial Geres project activities, with the support and supervision of Geres Financial and Administration Officer, HQ Finance manager and Geres Country Director, incl. collecting and gathering relevant information for project partners in Arkhangai.

· To coordinate with CEMAATERR’s project manager Geres activities in Arkhangai

· To support CEMAATERR’s project manager in Arkhangai to represent Geres towards local Government, private sector and civil society organizations

· To represent Geres towards local Government, private sector and civil society organizations in Arkhangai Province

· To support Country Director in the identification & design of new project proposals

Requirements

Required profile

Education and experience

· Bachelor (Master preferred) degree related to rural/agricultural socio-economic development

· Demonstrated experience in vegetable production, open field or greenhouse, value chain approaches is required

· Demonstrated experience in pastoral resources management, support to herder’s organizations and value chain development is required.

· Theoretical knowledge/experience in rural project management in international cooperation is appreciated

· Understanding/Know-how in the construction of Passive Solar Greenhouses and bioclimatic cellar is an asset

· Experience in strengthening Pasture Users Groups and Herders Cooperatives is an asset.

Skills

· Strong interpersonal skills and a strong autonomy aptitude is required

· Ability to work in the field, with limited comfort and access to certain goods and services, is required

· Good facilitation and dialogue skills with farmers’ organizations and Mongolian local government is required

· Precision in work, follow-up and report writing in English is required

· Ability work as part of a team, to adapt, travel and be proactive is required

· Organizational skills (autonomy, priority management) is required

· Sensitivity for solidarity and sustainable development

· Interest in energy efficiency technologies

· Enthusiasm, taste for fieldwork and isolated living conditions is an asset

· Fluent in English (speaking, writing and reading) is required

· Fluency in MS Office suite (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint) is required

Conditions

· Starting date: October 2020

· Duration: 12 months (possibility of renewing one more year until the end of the project)

· Position based in Tsetserleg, Arkhangai, with frequent travels to Khentii & Ulaanbaatar

· Status/type of contract:

1. Nationals (Mongolian nationality): local contract

2. Salary based on Geres Mongolia grid according to position and experience

3. Paid leaves according to Mongolian law

4. Foreigners (due to COVID context, only applicable for foreigners currently living in Mongolia): Volontaire de Solidarité Internationale (VSI) status, French International Solidarity Volunteer Contract

5. indemnity and expatriation allowance (paid monthly)

6. 26 leaves per year + days

7. health insurance, retirement, repatriation insurance

8. Two return flights a year, including a return at the end of the contract

[1]CEMAATERR: Climate – Energy: Measure of Adaptation and Mitigation on Rural Territories