VSF - Belgium is a
recognized developmental International NGO founded in 1995 working with
disadvantaged communities to increase their standards of living, improve food
security and livelihood sustainability through improved animal health and
animal production.
Position Title: Community Development Officer (CDO)
Duty Station: Turkana, Lodwar
Duration: 1 year, renewable
Role
The CDO will provide
technical support, direct supervision and facilitate implementation of the VSF
Belgium development and emergency projects in Turkana; including development
and operationalization of community disaster risk reduction (CDRR) plans,
ensuring development of alternative livelihoods for target vulnerable “pastoral
drop outs” — poultry and bee keeping, capacity development for community based
self help groups — Pastoral field schools (PFS), Village Community Banking
(VECOBA), Land Use Planning (LUP), and Technical support to both local and
consortium partners in management of Turkana projects.
The holder of this
position will be required to travel extensively to project sites located in
Turkana South, East, Central and Loima districts of Turkana County; and parts
of Samburu County.
Responsibilities:
Projects Initiation,
Implementations, monitoring and reporting
- Carry out participatory needs
assessments, identify appropriate livelihood interventions/community
projects to improve livelihoods for the local community and reduce poverty
in the target areas
- Propose objectives, elaborate work
plans, facilitate implementation and formulate monitoring plans for the
VSF Belgium Turkana projects in consultation with the projects manager and
field teams.
- Conduct a comprehensive baseline
survey in order to map out key challenges of livestock production / access
to natural resources and livelihood gaps in target districts of Turkana,
to guide operationalization of CDRR plans and enhance livelihoods of
existing community groups to strengthen community resilience.
- Implement relevant Group Savings
and Loaning — VICOBA, PFS activities in local communities with emphasis on
promoting group development through support, coaching, mentoring, regular
feedback and identification of investment needs and opportunities.
- Facilitate the development of
community dialogue meetings to identify livestock grazing and water
resources, migration routes and access to water to establish sustainable
community based natural resources management system (CBNRM).
- To provide training and technical
advice to target project beneficiaries and other project partners
following needs assessment/ expression of need.
- Investigate the sustainability
ofthe community Disaster Risk Reduction projects; livelihood alternatives
and community self help group initiatives — Village community banking,
Pastoral Field Schools, in strengthening community resilience.
- Liaise with other players in the
County with similar interventions to ensure synergy and collaboration.
- Support the Kenya team in
development of project concepts and proposals using result based
management (RBM) approach with reference to specific donor regulations.
- Advise the Programme manager on
the status of the projects through anthology of comprehensive mission
specific/ monitoring and monthly reports.
- Capitalize knowledge and share it
within VSF-B
Staff management and
development
- Support the project manager to
provide technical direction, leadership and training to VSF B, local
partner staffs and other project partners in the implementation of
community disaster risk reduction plans, strengthening of
entrepreneurships for beneficiary groups — PFS, VICOBA, poultry and honey
producer groups; to enhance community livelihood security; and resilience
to shocks.
Representation of VSF-B
in the target counties:
- Support the project manger to
develop relationships, and Insure a smooth collaboration with stakeholders
- with Local authorities, Communities and, both existing and potential
partners;
- Represent VSF B within the
District Steering Group (DSG) meetings, and Technical Support Unit (TSU)
at local and national levels if required as directed by the Project
Manager.
Financial Management
- Ensure adequate use of funds
allocated for project activities and all field missions as per VSF Belgium
and specific donor policies.
Communication and
Information
- Inform and collaborate with the
Projects Manager on a continuous basis;
- Inform and collaborate with the
local and project partners.
- Promotion of team spirit at all
levels.
Networks to maintain and
functional relationships
- VSF-B Country director.
- VSF-B Projects Managers — field
offices — Lodwar, Garissa + Samburu
- Technical and support staff of VSF
B, local partners and other project partners.
- Government departments (County
,district, local)
- INGOS, Local Authorities and
development agencies in Turkana and Samburu operating in similar thematic
sectors
Essential or Minimum
Requirements
Education
- University degree in either Rural
development, Natural resources management / Range management, Development
studies, or related fields from a recognized university
Knowledge and experience
- Water resources development in the
rangelands of Kenya; Pasture management and conflict mitigation/ peace
building in the pastoralists systems; Land use planning among pastoral
communities for at least 2 years
- Working Knowledge on participatory
methodologies of empowerment of communities in natural resources
utilization
- Community based approaches in
development - Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR), Asset
Based Community Development (ABCD), Pastoral field Schools (PFS), Village
Community Banking (VICOBA)
- Be fully conversant with the land
laws, land use and ASAL policy in Kenya.
Skills
- Ability to articulate Livelihood
options and diversification for rangeland environments
- Computer literacy with very good
MS Word and Power point
- Strong interpersonal and
communication skills
- Good writing and reporting skills
- Ability to work under pressure in
remote areas with pastoral communities
- Ability to deal with conflict and
crises and mobilize communities for appropriate response
- Fluency in written and spoken
English and the local language
- Excellent planning and
organizational skills
- Proven ability to work with a
range of local stakeholders including civil authorities, local Government
and project partners
Attitudes
- Team player
- Attentive to detail
- Flexible
- Identify him/herself with the
mission, vision and values of VSF-B
- Display of intercultural
sensitivity
- Respect in dealing with others
- Affinity for NGO work in general
- Willingness to travel (frequent
visits to the field - Turkana and Samburu)
Please send your
application (reference “Community Development Officer”), CV and 3 references
(one must be your current employer), by e-mail to recruitment@vsfb.or.ke on or
before 11th April 2013
This vacancy is open to
male and female candidates.
Only short listed
candidates will be contacted.
For more information: www.vsf-belgium.org
