Livelihoods Officer – Turkana

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.**

Program / Department Summary **

With funding from USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), Mercy Corps’ Nawiri Program is leading a consortium of Kenyan and international partners on a five year journey to sustainably reduce persistent acute malnutrition in Turkana and Samburu Counties of Kenya. Through a phased approach that emphasizes evidence gap analysis, as well as partnership, learning, and co-creation, the program takes a robust county-centered design with government leadership, active engagement from communities, the private sector, and civil society. Mercy Corps’ consortium brings together the global leadership, research capacity, technical expertise, and implementation experience necessary to partner with local institutions to test, adapt, and scale evidence-based solutions. Together we will sustainably reduce persistent acute malnutrition for vulnerable populations in Turkana and Samburu counties.

General Position Summary

The Livelihoods Officer will be responsible for technical oversight and support of the Learning Agenda that is in development. S/he will coordinate closely with the Research, Learning and M&E to ensure that activities are in place to track, analyze and report results. Livelihoods across Turkana are diverse and further diversifying as stability and investment spreads across Kenya’s northern arid lands. Although some communities and households are able to benefit from growth and change, others are struggling to find a place in the increasingly diversified economy. The Livelihoods Officer plays a pivotal role in supporting community and household livelihood activities that support positive nutritional outcomes. Activities will likely include support to poverty graduation models aimed at supporting human capital development, conflict management and peaceful co-existence around natural resource management, and Ward development planning.

S/he will support implementation strategies in coordination with the Field Director and Alternative Livelihoods and Inclusive Markets Advisor. While support will be available from a variety of internal sources, the Livelihoods Officer will largely draw on technical support from Nairobi to assist with moving the program forward and supporting partners with technical assistance. It will be critical to ensure that common strategies and approaches are applied that lead to sustainable nutrition outcomes. S/he will keep abreast of changing contexts in the County and advise on the integration of new ideas and approaches as appropriate.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Program Management

• Contribute to team work plans and guide successful implementation of program activities, ensuring teams and partners follow work plans so activities are in alignment and achieve desired impact;
• Provide technical guidance on the poverty graduation model and all alternative livelihoods and markets based interventions where required and ensure that interventions are responsive to stakeholders and consistent with Mercy Corps’ learning agenda and plan.

· Oversee the design and implementation of nutrition sensitive Ward Development Plans and alternative livelihoods and Markets based interventions.

· Ensure that interventions are evidence-based and adhere to adaptive management principles;

• Work with teams on community based wealth ranking, participatory rural appraisal and scoring through Participant Targeting Tool at the Ward and Community levels;
• Identify links for program participants to other traders, markets, financial institutions, public and private institutions;
• Support research, assessments, evaluations and monitoring surveys in area of operation. This will entail development of Scopes of Work, development of survey tools, trainings and management of data collectors, report write and facilitating results discussion;
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate including certifying all interventions to adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards;

· Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security, administration and human resources teams to ensure operational systems support field activities.

COMMUNITY AND COUNTY ENGAGEMENT

• Conduct community mobilization and sensitization
• Support the facilitation of planning meetings and workshops with government, NGO, private sector, and community partners to revise plans and promote partner acceptance/buy-in;
• Engage and support county government in the WDP process and ensure their participation and integration of plans into county priorities.
• Link livelihoods to Ward Planning Committees to relevant county government departments and other development partners (like LMS)
• Support with collaborative partnership with other development partners and identify potential opportunities for linkages

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

• Assist Field Director coordinate activities with consortium partners, sub grantees, local government and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs
• Facilitate planning meetings and workshops with government, NGO, private sector, and community partners to revise plans and promote partner acceptance/buy-in;

SECURITY

• Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.
• Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.

OTHER:

• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission;
• Other duties as assigned.

Organizational Learning

As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Participants

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Supervisory Responsibility: N/A

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Field Director with a dotted line to the Technical Support team’s Alternative Livelihoods Advisor & Inclusive Markets Advisor

Works Directly With: Technical Advisors/Leads, Learning Coordinators, Gender Officer. M&E Coordinator, field level finance and operations teams,

Knowledge and Experience

• Degree in Community Development, Economic Development, Business, Agriculture, Livestock, Monitoring and Evaluation or related field or diploma with over 3 years’ hands on work experience;
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience working with NGOs/CBO’s in civic engagement, livelihoods and education;
• Should have knowledge of quantitative and qualitative data collection, reporting techniques. S/he should understand and be able to apply basic measures of central tendency and spread;
• Demonstrated computer competency of Microsoft Excel and knowledge of at least one data management software including MS Access, SPSS, STATA.
• Commitment to working in the ASALs – experience in Turkana a plus;
• Understanding of working with local partners and commitment to working in a consortium.
• Good problem solving, written and oral communication skills;
• Confident, sound training facilitation and representation/relationship management skills;
• Strong written and spoken English and Kiswahili
• Local (Turkana) language skills required
• Ability to work without constant supervision and as part of a diverse team;
• Good knowledge of MS Office software such as Excel, Word, and Access;

Success Factors

S/he will combine exceptional facilitation skills and capacity to manage relationships with different stakeholders at County, Sub-county and Ward levels. The position requires an ability to think creatively about improving livelihood opportunities that can sustainably reduce persistent malnutrition. The Livelihoods Officer will have the capacity to spark innovative and entrepreneurial approaches to programming and to inspire groups to collaborate closely to implement high-quality programs. S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Multi-tasking, prioritizing, problem solving and simultaneous attention to detail and strategic vision are essential. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.