Food Security and Livelihoods Head of Department

Job Description

Action Contre La Faim
Created in 1979, Action contre la Faim is a non-governmental organization that fights against hunger. Its charter of humanitarian principles - independence, neutrality, non-discrimination, free and direct access to victims, professionalism, and transparency - has been part of its identity for more than 40 years. Its mission is to save lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection and treatment of under-nutrition, particularly during and after emergency situations linked to conflicts or natural disasters. Action contre la Faim focuses its actions on 5 main areas of expertise: Nutrition and Health – Mental Health and Care Practices, Gender and Protection - Food Security and Livelihoods – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene – Advocacy. In 2018, Action contre la Faim provided aid to 21 million people in more than 50 countries worldwide. www.actioncontrelafaim.org

Country: Zimbabwe
ACF has been working in Zimbabwe since 2002 and over the years, has been a key humanitarian actor in the country. Since 2015, ACF has adopted an intervention strategy focused on localization and capacity development through partnerships, in particular with three national organizations, NAZ (Nutrition Action Zimbabwe), Musasa, and AA (Africa AHEAD). ACF has increased the size of its mission in the course of last year to adequately respond to the rising humanitarian needs.

Action Against Hunger is looking to recruit for the position of:
Food Security and Livelihoods Head of Department

Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities:
As FSL HoD, your main responsibilities will be to:

Mission 1: Contribute to defining the country strategy as well as the strategy and positioning of the FSL technical department
 the understanding by the field teams of the humanitarian situation regarding FSL and of the context of intervention, and its continuous, systematic and thorough monitoring
 the analysis of the FSL humanitarian situation
 the dissemination of information gathered and analyzed both internally and externally, including headquarters
 the production and the quality of the mission sectoral strategy document in line with ACF international and national frameworks
 his/her contribution to the mission strategy and the ACFIN sectoral strategy
 taking account of Forecast Based Action in FSL strategy and projects, including participation in drafting the plan to prepare for and respond to emergencies
 integrating the FSL sector with the other technical sectors (FSL, MHCP, NUT)
 monitoring the implementation of the FSL mission strategy, its revision and its cost effectiveness
 contributing to the technical and operational advocacy strategies of the mission, the region and headquarters (in line with the advocacy objectives defined in the ACF reference documentation)
 identifying the subjects for sectoral advocacy specific to the mission, in collaboration with the Deputy Country Director

Mission 2: Coordinate the identification of needs and the formulation of project proposals
 Coordinating the identification of FSL humanitarian needs
 Formulating, financing and implementing the feasibility study of FSL projects (public health, technical, socio-economic, cultural and environmental aspects)
 Involving the logistic and Finance departments in the definition/validation of FSL projects
 Contributing to the search for funding bodies for his/her sector and ensuring that there is an exchange of technical information with the funding bodies identified
 Participating in visits by funding agencies whenever requested by the Deputy Country Director or the Country Director
 Producing the FSL sections of project proposals in accordance with the formats and deadlines of funding bodies

Mission 3: Oversee the implementation of programs/projects and ensure that reports are submitted

 Validation of the key stages and the methodologies of the projects being undertaken (timetable, CAP survey (baseline/final) systematics, technical studies, call for tender, specifications, community approach, external evaluations...)
 Providing technical support to the local partners, whilst alerting or sharing information with the Deputy Country Director
 Ensuring that systems of monitoring and evaluation are in place and that their results are integrated to guarantee the improvement of the projects
 Timely validation of the FSL parts of internal reports and reports to funding agencies, as well as amendments to projects, with contributions by the teams

Mission 4: Guarantee the quality and cost-effectiveness of projects
 The technical conformity of programs with international rules, orientations and technical standards, and the ACF framework documents and technical works
 Boosting the overall standard of implementation of projects in order to maximize their impact (cf CAD criteria of OECD)
 Ensuring, by use of ACF specific monitoring (project quality, field visits, external audit…), that norms (SPHERE and OMS), and national and international standards of technical quality are respected
 Issuing and following up technical recommendations
 Alerting the Deputy Country Director and the Technical Advisor at Headquarters to all major difficulties encountered in applying necessary recommendations and/or adaptations
 Alerting the Deputy Country Director and asking that precautionary measures be taken in the case of major risks to public health
 Promotion of external and internal evaluations of projects, in line with ACF evaluation policy
 Promotion of transparency and ethical standards in the projects by highlighting complaints/grievance procedures, particularly in respect of the beneficiary population
 Promotion of safety measures for both staff and the wider population in the implementation of FSL projects (work sites), in collaboration with the PM and the Logistics Department

Mission 5: Ensure the active participation of ACF in national sectoral coordination and technical forums and develop sectoral partnerships

 Representing ACF in sectoral coordination at national and sub-national levels (sectoral and/or cluster) and with the technical authorities
 Interaction with regional sectoral coordination
 The ACF contribution to the various action plans in the FSL sector (Consolidated Appeal Process, Flash Appeal, Inter-Agency Contingency Plan, HFA, national sectoral strategy etc)
 Technical communications concerning the FSL projects in liaison with the Deputy Country Director/Country Director)
 Promotion of sectoral partnerships (civil society, NGOs, authorities, private sector.. .) and the enhancement of their capacities

Mission 6: Promote capitalization, technical development and research within the FSL Department

 Capitalization within the FSL sector at the level of the mission, consolidation and transmission to headquarters (technical developments, pilot projects, innovative or little documented approaches, operational approaches which may serve as a reference for the ACF network, successes and failures, contextual analyses etc)
 Sharing experience with actors in the FSL sector at country and regional levels
 Maintaining continuity in respect of the FSL expertise and the history of the mission
 Applying new approaches proposed by Headquarters or at mission level
 Reporting to Headquarters on technical development and research requirements and on the implementation of projects (notably in response to calls for internal ACF research projects)
 Setting up research projects
 Exploring the modalities of scientific and technical partnerships (laboratories, universities, private sector)
 Developing technical skills in line with the evolution of the sector

Qualifications and Experience

 Master Degree in relevant field: Agronomy, Rural development. BSC Degree with relevant years of experience will do
 At least 5-10 years of experience in the same field.
 Humanitarian values

Other competencies required
 Previous knowledge in the humanitarian and resilience building field
 Knowledge in Agriculture, Food Security Nutrition, Biodiversity, Climate and Food Security and Livelihoods issues and etc.
 Good Project and team management skills
 Excellent computer skills
 Pro-activity and conceptual skills
 Previous working experience in NGO highly appreciated

How to Apply

1. Interested and qualified applicants can forward cover letters with up-to-date detailed CVs showing three referees and clearly indicate the post applied for in the email subject to recruitment@zw-actionagainsthunger.org not later than 27 December 2024
2. Fill in an application form using a link that you will receive as soon as we receive your application. The link will be send to your application email within 24 hours after submission of your application

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