Job title: Project Assistant – Abatement of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Project
Company: Self Help Africa
Location: Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria
Contract type: Fixed-Term Contract, full time (local recruitment)
Period: 1 year (renewable)
Reports to: Programme Manager
About Self Help Africa
Self Help Africa (SHA) is an international development organisation headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and dedicated to the vision of ‘Sustainable livelihoods and healthy lives for all in a changing climate’. Founded in 1969 and working across 17 countries, 15 of these countries are in sub-Saharan Africa while subsidiary organisations, ‘Self Help Brazil’ and ‘Self Help Bangladesh’, have been created for our programmes in the two countries where we are working outside of Africa. SHA has been implementing in Nigeria for 25 years (as United Purpose and Concern Universal).
In early 2023, we launched a new five-year organisation strategy, which defines shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based and enterprise-focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and incomes, while sustaining natural resources.
Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries: Partner Africa – which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, TruTrade – an innovative trading platform in East Africa, and CUMO – Malawi’s largest micro-finance provider.
Our three core values are:
▪ Impact: We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change.
▪ Innovation: We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever-changing world.
▪ Community: We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships.
To achieve our organisational mission, we work across numerous sectors, such as Agriculture, Climate & Environment, Energy, Enterprise, Nutrition, and Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH).
Programme description
The Abatement of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) in the Nigerian Agricultural Sector by Reducing Open Field burning Project in Benue State has been designed by Self Help Africa (SHA) to respond to the call for proposals by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) in support of the Government of Nigeria to deliver sustainable behaviour change and reduce open field burning in 100 communities.
The project will provide for strategic stakeholders engagement, and capacity building of government agricultural extension officers and farmers using best practice approaches to reduce and provide alternatives to open field burning while promoting Climate Smart Agriculture. The objectives of the project include:
• Objective 1: Local government extension officers improve their capacity on no burn alternatives and Climate Smart Agriculture practices.
• Objective 2: Farmers uptake farming practices that lead to reduced open burning.
Job purpose
SHA is looking for a dynamic, high performing individual to fill the role of a Project Assistant for the Abatement of Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (SLCPs) in the Nigerian Agricultural Sector by Reducing Open Field Burning (No Burn Alternatives) Project in Benue State in Nigeria.
The Project Assistant will be responsible for supporting the implementation of project activities, stakeholder engagement, team management, monitoring and evaluation, budget tracking and management, and communication with stakeholders at the LGA level.
Now at project exit phase, the position requires experience with communication and media within agricultural networks and familiarity of the context in which the project is being implemented, experience in community development, Climate Change, and capacity for critical thinking and adaptation based on learnings and findings during the implementation period.
The Project Assistant will report to the Programme Manager and is expected to coordinate closely with other teams.
Key Responsibilities
Project Support
• Provide tailor made support to Extension Officers with a focus on capacity building/ coaching in areas such as no burn alternatives and Climate Smart Agriculture among Agriculture
• Prepare and implement activity plans at the LGA level keeping coherent link with the approved PAIP and budget.
• Support to develop participatory assessment tools to inform implementation and training strategies.
• Support Project team in the review of workplans regularly and update in accordance with learnings, stakeholder input and consultation with project team
• Ensure that at the LGA level there is budgetary compliance with grant agreement and both SHA and CCAC financial and procurement policies.
• Support to ensure high level of accountability to participants, stakeholders and donor ensuring effective feedback mechanism, regular communication, timely production and submission of plans, reports and assessment.
Stakeholder Collaboration
• Identify partner institutions and consultants to offer Climate Smart Agriculture and no burn alternatives trainings and additional Agricultural extension services
• Collaborate with government agencies and others to create linkages between farmers and the Extension Officers.
Effective Implementation and Project Quality
• Support Capacity development implementation etc, and work closely with the Programme Manager on the overall project strategy.
• Support monitoring and evaluation Support to ensure capacity development quality assurance and oversight, which includes regular field visits in Benue State.
• Develop monthly, quarterly and annual progress reports and report to Programme Manager according to set format on the progress of work plan objectives and activities
• Document case studies/lessons learnt/change stories from beneficiaries as evidence to measure project impact.
Transparency, Compliance and safeguarding
• Employ the highest standards of openness, transparency and accountability to ensure good financial management in line with SHA’s zero-tolerance approach to fraud, bribery and corruption.
• Demonstrate commitment to safeguarding, protection, gender mainstreaming and inclusion of vulnerable population including people with disabilities.
• Provide support to establish feedback, complaints and response mechanism across communities of implementation to ensure programmatic and operational decisions are informed by local perspectives and priorities, and contribute to the protection of program participants at the LGA level.
Key relationships
Internal: Global teams, country Programme, MEAL, Operations, Finance & Compliance and Security teams.
External: Stakeholders including government, Agriculture Research institutions, private sector.
Knowledge, Experience and Other Requirements
Education and other qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Extension or any related field.
• Demonstrable experience working with farmer groups, agricultural networks and community development interventions.
• Skills on ICT operation, and proficient in using MS Office.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Effective communication, problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Respect to cultural diversity and gender sensitivity.
• Ability to work under pressure.
Experience
• At least 2-3 years’ working experience with INGO/NGO/networks in the same sector or equivalent position.
• Experience in development of high standard SBCC and IEC material, training module, and promotional materials.
• Experience in the field of Agriculture, community mobilisation and engagement, and stakeholder’s management.
• Experience in community development especially empowerment and leadership development of community groups.
• Experience in working with culturally diverse teams.
Skills:
• Excellent leadership and coordination skills (and ability to coordinate several tasks at once and managing priorities)
• Effective communication, problem solving and decision-making skills and diplomacy in communication
• Respect for cultural diversity and gender sensitivity
• Team leadership and mentoring
• Monitoring, evaluation and learning
• Communication, networking, facilitation and mobilisation.
• Organisational development
• Reporting and documentation
Language Requirements:
Written and oral proficiency in English and relevant local language (Tiv, pidgin English) is required.
Application Procedure:
Fill and send the attached Self Help Africa application form and also send your cover letter and CV in a single document (of not more than 6 pages) to the link provided on the website.
Email title must be same as the position you are applying for and the location of the position.
Job description is available for download here.
In the cover letter, please ensure to explain the following:
- Why you are applying for the position
- How do your skills and experiences meet the job’s specification
- When will you be able to take up the position if successful.
The deadline for this application is 6th January, 2025. You are advised to apply early, as applications will be treated on rolling basis. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
All candidates offered a job with Self Help Africa will be expected to sign our Safeguarding Policies and Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. Specific roles may require Police/DBS/ [relevant police authority] vetting.
Self Help Africa strives to be an equal opportunity employer.
