Job Title: ERD Officer – Kulea Watoto (Fresher US NGO Jobs)
Organisation: International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
Reports to: Kulea Watoto Project Manager – ERD
About US:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in over 40 countries and 25 U.S. cities, we improve outcomes in the areas of health, safety, economic wellbeing, education, and power.
About Grant:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has received a $10 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to implement a three-year project titled ‘Kulea Watoto’ – meaning ‘nurturing children.’ Kulea Watoto is an initiative aimed at improving early childhood development and transforming livelihoods of refugees and host communities in Uganda by providing nurturing care and early childhood learning opportunities, and to build their own skills to generate income for their families. The project will use a unique two-generation approach to reach out to young children under five years of age and their caregivers in Yumbe, Kyegegwa and Kampala districts, implemented in partnership with four local partners – the AfriChild Centre, Madrasa Early Childhood Program, Kabarole Research and Resource Centre and Literacy and Adult Basic Education (LABE). To achieve this, the project will offer learning sessions for parents and caregivers on responsive caregiving and provision of early learning opportunities, improved links to children’s services in local communities, livelihoods training, and start-up funding for promising business ideas, and more.
Job Summary: The position will report to the Kulea Watoto Project Manager – ERD with strong links to the Kulea Watoto project team and partners. This role will focus on ensuring technical soundness and coherence with the ERD Strategy, donor regulations and government priorities. S/he will be responsible for the day-to-day running of livelihood related activities including but not limited to trainings, job placement and apprenticeship of the clients as well as liaising with the private sector.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Technical implementation of project activities
- Steer the process of identification, registration, and selection of project target clients according to defined selection criteria.
- Lead the development of training materials in SPM IGA (Selection, Planning, and Management of Income Generating Activities e.g., mushroom production, urban vegetable growing, briquette making, poultry production, garbage management, food processing and packaging, etc), financial literacy, Urban Savings and Investment, Value Addition and Food Processing.
- Lead the training of target clients in the Selection, Planning & Management of Income Generating Activities (SPM IGA).
- Lead the training of target clients in Financial Literacy, Savings, and Investment in urban context
- Lead the formation of urban savings groups and support their engagement in urban savings opportunities (through Urban Savings and Loans Associations – USLA).
- Lead the process of developing relationships and signing of Memorandums of Understandings (MoUs) with key market stakeholders to support input and output market access and sales.
- Support the distribution of business grants (including client bank account opening, sensitization of clients on the cash transfer process and procedures, the development/evaluation of business plans, receipt, and investment of funds).
- Support target clients in value addition and food processing in group settings
- Link strong urban savings and investment groups/individuals to identified financial service providers with potential to advance group/individual business ideas
Link strong businesses to output markets
- Document results and provide feedback to stakeholders to guide decision- making
- Participate in sensitising key stakeholders, community leaders, communities and participating households on the program objectives, timelines, entitlements and on general program activities
Coordination, representation, and partner/stakeholder relationships
- Ensure close collaboration with the field-based team members (Re:BUiLD project staff, Madrasa project staff) and consistency in protocols, information and reporting systems in line with ECD and livelihoods integration.
- Lead coordination efforts at each project location/division level by ensuring weekly coordination meetings between Kulea Watoto ERD assistants and Madrasa field project staff and Re:BUiLD project teams.
- Work with partner staff and collaborate with them in client identification and selection, and delivery of project activities including integration of ECD and livelihoods, refining of technical approaches and alignment to ensure achievement of desired outcomes.
- Make referrals to the appropriate actors where necessary.
- Maintain respectful and constructive relations with partner organisations, local authorities, and humanitarian actors
- Attend division coordination meetings by KCCA when required and sector working group meetings by OPM, and UNHCR and providing detailed reports as required.
Monitoring, reporting and communication responsibilities
- Monitoring business performance/progress and documenting best practices, lessons learned and success stories in line with the agreed templates and formats.
- Prepare weekly and monthly program reports, and compile lessons learnt to inform continuous project implementation.
- Collect relevant data during project implementation and provide regular reports.
- Keenly monitor client payment processes at participating Money Transfer Agents’ locations,
- Participate in the collection of data, during assessments and post-distribution surveys as and when required including design of required tools by providing technical input.
- Participate in the verification exercise, research or MEAL whenever needed.
Other duties
- Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable implementation of the IRC programs,
- Raise Purchase requests as and when required,
- Participate in regular team meetings and supervision sessions
- Ensure that all materials are ready for info sessions before the activity
- Work constructively within the team and take the initiative on new tasks
- promptly report concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for the ERD program
- Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to perform in their positions successfully.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The applicant must hold a Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship, Business, Economics, Agribusiness, or related field.
- Post graduate Diploma in Project planning and Management is desirable.
- Works well in urban contexts and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
- Demonstrable ability to engage and build excellent working relationships with local partner organizations, create synergies while implementing the project is vital.
- Fluency in English Language both written and spoken is required.
- Ability to speak the local language (Luganda & Kiswahili) is desired; Knowledge of other local languages (Arabic, etc.) is an added advantage.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested applicants should apply online at the link below.
Deadline: 15th January 2023