Livelihoods Officer-Agricultur

The disaster that struck Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 2014 affected a quarter of the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina and approximately one million people, which is approximately 27% of the country’s population.  Over 50% of local governments in the country were in some form affected by the event, with substantial damages recorded to the housing stock, infrastructure, vital service providers, and the country’s productive assets (Reference:http://europa.ba/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/delegacijaEU_2014090308560389eng.pdf. The effect of the disaster on the most vulnerable merely exacerbated pre-existing problems and disproportionately impacted their lives. Nowhere was this exhibited more than in the case of returnees and those internally displaced.
In the aftermath of the disaster, the international community reacted swiftly, providing emergency and humanitarian assistance, as well as convening a donor conference in July 2014, pledging substantial funds for the rebuilding of the country. The first comprehensive recovery effort to hit the ground was the Flood Recovery Programme financed by the European Union (EU FRP), rolled out in August 2014 and spearheaded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, along with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Despite the intervention’s impressive outreach, with more than 610,000 people assisted, there remains a significant number of the most vulnerable yet to recover; UNDP estimates place that number at around 20,000 households that require further assistance in the form of durable housing solutions or livelihood support. With national and international recovery efforts winding down, the remaining caseload is largely left to its own limited capacities to self-recover.
Against this background, and acting on behalf of the European Union, as the principle donor, UNDP will be implementing a targeted recovery intervention across Bosnia and Herzegovina aimed at reaching out to the most vulnerable households within the most heavily affected communities. By the end of the Project, the following results are expected to be achieved:
 

• Socially and economically vulnerable households, rendered homeless by the 2014 disaster, provided with new homes. 
• Socially and economically vulnerable households, residing in disaster-affected substandard housing, benefit from restored and improved homes (The standards are based on the relevant guidelines proscribed by the Sectoral Working Group of the State Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees).
   
• Livelihoods needs identified, enabling tailoring of income generation support for housing assistance beneficiaries.
   
• Vulnerable households benefit from a steady and sustainable income stream. 
   

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Livelihoods Officer - Agriculture will be responsible for overall coordination of livelihoods activities in agriculture subcomponent, direct management of support to agricultural beneficiaries, regular communication and administration, and monitoring and quality assurance of the activities in close coordination with relevant team members.
 

Coordinate implementation of the agricultural subcomponent of the Project:

• Participation in the planned Livelihoods Needs Assessment activities undertaken by the Project, with special focus on tailoring agricultural support packages for selected beneficiaries;
• Formulation and management of agricultural activities within the livelihoods subcomponent through the preparation of annual and monthly workplans that will establish priorities, timelines, targets and standards for monitoring results;
• Coordination of all activities in the field related to all stages of the harvest, including the quality assurance period;
• Coordination of support with relevant authorities and private sector actors through participatory planning and implementation mechanisms;
• Review of support to agriculture subcomponent implementation progress in consultation with beneficiaries, partners and donors;
• Coordination of the team engaged in delivering agriculatural support, individual consultants, and contracted companies;
• Ensuring that agricultural support is implemented in a coherent and integrated manner, and in line with relevant UN and/or UNDP procedures, as well as PRINCE II;
• Planning and managing financial and other resources available for agricultural support;
• Ensuring full accountability, transparency and the principle of competition in the allocation of resources, procurement of services, works and goods and selection of recipients;
• Support in organization of external evaluation of the project.

Technical support to the Project Manager in formulation and implementation of support measures in the field of agriculture:

• Providing technical advice to the Project Manager on most suitable and  effective concepts and/or implementation methods to reflect strategic and long-term impact of agricultural support in selected localities;
• Developing and implementing agricultural assistance activities that are in line with the project strategy for using agriculture to strengthen social cohesion;
• Providing technical inputs and feedback to concepts and proposals;
• Coordinating and providing technical inputs and feedback to procurement process;
• Designing and supervising trainings for selected agricultural beneficiaries;
• Monitoring progress in terms of timeliness, relevance and efficiency;
• Ensuring efficiency in the provision of support to local stakeholders in agricultural support;
• Constantly analyzing the agricultural environment in selected localities and identifying opportunities and proposing actions to make the best use of these opportunities;
• Maintaining regular interaction with relevant stakeholders with the objective of collecting information on ongoing and planned activities.

Direct management of support to beneficiaries and supervision of activities:

• Based on the Livelihoods Needs Assessment, directly manage and supervise selection of agricultural beneficiaries, engaging local authorities in the process, informing potential and selected recipients on the selection results and the overall agricultural  support per type of assistance;
• Monitoring in kind contributions from the agricultural beneficiaries;
• Supervising distribution of agricultural assets to beneficiaries (farming equipment, seedlings and other productive assets to  beneficiaries);
• Coordinating creation of value chains for the agricultural products as a result of provided assistance;
• Maintaining cooperation with the private sector and synergies with agricultural activities implemented by UNDP and other projects;

Monitoring and quality assurance of activities:

• Monitoring implementation of the project’s activities and sub-activities, ensuring the attainment of the results identified in the project document;
• Assuring quality of relevant project/project components’ financial, procurement and administrative processes in order to make sure that they are conducted in line with prevailing UNDP rules and regulations as well as in line with the project timelines;
• Providing regular reports on project progress, including project indicators, risks and issues;
• Coordinating post-implementation quality assurance and monitoring for households supported through the agricultural  subcomponent.

Support to the Project Manager in effective mainstreaming of gender equality:

• Supporting the Project Manager to ensure gender mainstreaming throughout the agriculture component activities, work plans, budgets, reports, research, analyses and, where specifically relevant, to analyse it in detail;
• Ensuring gender equality is mainstreamed throughout agricultural component team, consultants and contracted companies.

Impact of Results

Key results have an impact on the overall performance of the Flood recovery-housing interventions in Republika Srpska (RS) Project and success in the implementation of its activities by creating and sustaining jobs, raising incomes and reducing economic exclusion.

Functional Competencies

Results-Based Programme Development and Management / Level 1.1: Contributing to results through provision of information:

• Provides information and documentation on specific stages of projects/programme implementation;
• Provides background information to identify opportunities for project development and helps drafting proposals
• Ability to support the strategic planning, results;-based management and reporting;
• Ability to set clear and realistic objectives for work plans and projects. Monitors performance against objectives.

Building Strategic Partnerships / Level 1.1: Maintaining information and databases:

• Analyzes general information and selects materials in support of partnership building initiatives.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches / Level 1.1: Implementing processes and uses products:

• Documents and tracks innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches;
• Responds positively to new approaches.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing / Level 1.1: Basic research and analysis:

• Researches best practices and poses new, more effective ways of doing things.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise / Level 1.1: Fundamental knowledge of processes, methods and procedures:

• Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position;
• Experience with the implementation and coordination of economic and private sector development activities that have made a positive impact on inclusive economic development, preferably in the Recovery field office area of responsibility;
• Sound knowledge of the socio-economic development situation in the Recovery field office area of responsibility;
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.

Client Orientation

Level 1.1:  Maintains effective client relationships:

• Reports to internal and external clients in a timely and appropriate fashion;
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines;
• Responds to client needs promptly.

Core competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity; 
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively
• Ability to convey complex concepts; and recommendations, both orally and in writing, in a clear and persuasive style tailored to match different audiences;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others;
• Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each employee;
• Informed and transparent decision making;
• Demonstrates professional competence and is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results.

Education: 

• Advanced university degree in agriculture or related field;
• University degree with additional two years of  relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of advanced university degree.

Experience: 

• 3 years of relevant experience (5 years with BA);
• Experience in similar projects involving the provision of technical assistance to farmers and local development partners;
• Excellent and proven experience in dealing with farmers, local authorities and other relevant socio-economic actors;
• Significant experience with the implementation and coordination of livelihoods development projects contributing to inclusive economic development;
• Significant experience with the implementation and coordination of small scale agricultural development projects. Knowledge of relevant laws and procedures in the segment of agribusiness;
• High level of maturity and excellent inter-personal skills required;
• Previous experience with an international public and/or private sector organization, as well as experience with complex UN and/or UNDP recovery programmes will be considered an asset.

Language and Other Requirements: 

• Proficiency in English and languages of people in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Excellent computer skills (MS Office applications) and ability to use information technologies as a tool and resource.

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

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