Job: Program Officer – Sustainable Agriculture Productivity Improvement Project

VAGA SERVISU

Atu garante implementasaun projetu Sustainable Agriculture Improvement Project (SAPIP) GAFSP GRANT No. TFOA 2869, Ministério da Agricultura e Pescas liuhosi Programa SAPIP buka Timor oan ba pozisaun Official Projetu (Project Officer) nain lima (5) atu servisu iha Unidade Jestaun Projetu iha Municipiu lima (5) hanesan : Ainaro, Bobonaro, Liquisa, Ermera ho Lautem hodi fo asistensia iha area projeto.

Ba diskrisaun servisu bele asesu husi Website MAP : www.maf.gov.tl, ETAN, Jornal STL nomos iha kuadru avisu MAP nian ou bele foti direitamente iha Unidade Jestaun Projetu SAPIP nian.

Ba maluk Timor oan nebe interesadu ba iha pozisaun ne’e bele submete aplikasaun no Curiculum Vitae (CV) mai iha Unidade Jestaun Projetu SAPIP nian iha edifisiu MAP-Comoro ka envia liuhosi email : [email protected]
Ministréio da Agricultura e Pescas enkoraja feto maluk sira ne’ebe iha kapasidade no esperiensia atu konkore ba pozisaun ida ne’e no loron ikus submete aplikasaun mak: loron 05 fulan Juliu 2017, oras: 16.30 lokraik, aplikante nebe submete dokumentus liu oras ne’ebe termina ona, ami sei la simu.

Obrigado wa’in
Project Management Unit SAPIP

TOR Program Officer

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
(SAPIP)

Terms of Reference (TOR) For Program Officer

1. Background

The Sustainable Agriculture Productivity Improvement Project (SAPIP) is designed with an objective to increase the productivity and marketed production of smallholder agriculture in selected geographical locations in Timor-Leste. The Project will directly assist at least 16,500 households reaching approximately 100,000 direct beneficiaries. The Project will also indirectly benefit a larger number of households, by supporting watershed and community-level agricultural development planning that will benefit all households in a watershed (not only those receiving training or small-scale investments). Spillover effects are expected as the adoption of new agricultural practices and technologies by the direct beneficiaries begins to show results. Furthermore, by strengthening MAF’s planning, programming, monitoring and evaluation functions, the Project may act as a catalyst for a more effective and responsive agriculture sector for the whole of Timor-Leste.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) intends to establish a unit for managing the SAPIP project. The Project Management Unit (PMU) will be tasked with ensuring an effectiveness of SAPIP implementation both at the National and Municipality level, and will be headed by a Project Manager. Project Implementation Units (PIUs) will be created by MAF under the PMU with tasks to manage and coordinate the implementation of SAPIP project in four selected Municipalities: Lautem (Raumoco-watershed), Liquica (Loes-watershed), Ainaro (Belulik-watershed) and Oecusse (Tono-watershed).

Since the SAPIP project will be implementing various project components, MAF requires a Program Officer to assist the Project Manager, PMU and relevant directorates in handling all programs according to set objectives and goals. The Program officer will be expected also support the Project Manager to assist MAF to ensure that MAF exercises effective management over GAFSP Grant funds from inception to conclusion.

SAPIP is financed by a US$ 21 million grant from the multi-donor Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP). The Supervising Entity for this project is the World Bank.

TOR Program Officer Page 2 2. Project description

The Project components will focus on watershed and agriculture development planning, support for smallholder farmers for improved productivity, reduced post-harvest losses and increased marketing of goods, and institutional strengthening of MAF after a recent reorganization and in anticipation of the planned decentralization of Government services.

Component 1: Integrated watershed agriculture development planning

The objective of this component is to improve agriculture development planning within targeted watersheds. Watershed Management Councils will be formed, and Watershed Agriculture Development Plans (WADPs) will be prepared to guide planning at the watershed level. Detailed Sustainable Community Agriculture Development Plans (SCADPs) will guide investments at the community level.

Component 2: Smallholder organization, advisory support and training

Component 2 will facilitate the formation of farmer groups where needed, building on cohesion developed during the SCADP preparation process, and strengthen existing groups formed for other purposes by NGOs and other relevant programs. These farmer groups will be supported by complementary investments in sustainable and nutrition sensitive agricultural production and environmental protection (see Component 3) to implement SCADPs.

Component 3: Sustainable watershed management and support to farmer groups

The objective of this component is to support the implementation of SCADPs through the provision of targeted on-farm investments. These investments will include equipment and technologies promoting reduction of post-harvest losses, increasing value addition, addressing soil erosion and promoting climate resilience. Eligible investments will be defined in the Project Implementation Manual.

Component 4: Strengthening MAF’s Services, Planning, Programming, Coordination and Monitoring and Evaluation Functions

This component will support MAF to strengthen institutional capacity following recent organizational changes. The support will focus on: (i) improved corporate services (including extension); (ii) planning; (iii) more efficient budget programming to increase sectoral investment returns and achieve corporate objectives; (iv) better coordination with development partner activities, and improved alignment of these activities with MAF’s annual action plan; and (v) improved monitoring, evaluation and reporting. Component 4 will include support for the Timor- Leste Agriculture Advisory Council (TLAAC) and the Timor-Leste Agriculture Research and Development Institute (TLARDI), which are included in National Strategic Development Plan.

Component 5: Project management and monitoring.

The Government is in the process of creating an umbrella unit within MAF to manage and coordinate the implementation of all development partner-financed projects and programs in the agricultural sector. The Secretary General will be tasked for coordinating the said umbrella unit which will be named Development Partners Management Unit (DPSMU). Whereas for managing every project, MAF will establish a project management unit which will be coordinated by a Project Manager. In the case of SAPIP,  TOR Program Officer Page 3 given the size and geographic scope, the project will be coordinated and managed by a separate PMU, but will also report to the DPSMU.

The SAPIP PMU will include seconded staff from all relevant directorates such as National Directorate for Policy and Planning; Research, Statistic, Geographical and Information System; National Directorate for Forestry and Watershed Management; National Directorate for Livestock; National Directorate for Agriculture and Horticulture and others.

MAF will assign a number of its staff for the SAPIP project and these MAF staff will be supported by a team of technical specialists with skills in: (i) project planning, coordination and management; (ii) institutional reform and capacity building; and (iii) monitoring and evaluation, and impact assessment. The SAPIP PMU will include one Project Manager; one Program Officer; one Policy Planning and M&E Officer; one Finance/Accounts Officer, one Procurement Officer, one Administrative Officer and one Admin Assistant. A facilitation team will be recruited as an NGO/Consulting Service will assist the PMU in the training and outreach to farmer groups.

The SAPIP PMU will be responsible for: (i) annual planning and budgeting in compliance with Government requirements; (ii) coordination across Components and other projects/programs to drive complementarity; (iii) support for field-level technical and natural resource planning staff; (iv) support for a governance framework to manage the disbursement of grants to farmer groups; (v) communications, and knowledge management and dissemination; (vi) maintenance of a mapping and planning database in ALGIS to record WADPs and SCADPs; (vii) a special focus on gender and vulnerable group inclusiveness in Project-supported activities; and (viii) monitoring of and reporting on the SAPIP results framework. The project will develop and apply accountability mechanisms through citizen engagement, monitoring and grievance redress throughout the implementation of the project.

Component 6: Contingency for Disaster Risk Response

Carrying out a program of activities designed to provide rapid response to disaster, emergency or catastrophic events, as needed. This component will be used in the event that an emergency response is required.

3.Task and responsibilities

The Program Officer is responsible for supporting the SAPIP Project Manager in ensuring that MAF exercises effective management over GAFSP Grant funds in order to meet the SAPIP objectives. General tasks and responsibilities will include assisting the Project Manager with:

* The day-to-day implementation of SAPIP;

* Providing the World Bank with regular update son project implementation, in line with the requirements of the Project Implementation Manual, and particularly in advance of Implementation Support Missions by the World Bank team;

* Coordinating with the watershed planning coordinators to ensure compliance with the SAPIP Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) in line with World Bank safeguards policies;

TOR Program Officer Page 3 given the size and geographic scope, the project will be coordinated and managed by a separate PMU, but will also report to the DPSMU.

The SAPIP PMU will include seconded staff from all relevant directorates such as National Directorate for Policy and Planning; Research, Statistic, Geographical and Information System; National Directorate for Forestry and Watershed Management; National Directorate for Livestock; National Directorate for Agriculture and Horticulture and others.

MAF will assign a number of its staff for the SAPIP project and these MAF staff will be supported by a team of technical specialists with skills in: (i) project planning, coordination and management; (ii) institutional reform and capacity building; and (iii) monitoring and evaluation, and impact assessment. The SAPIP PMU will include one Project Manager; one Program Officer; one Policy Planning and M&E Officer; one Finance/Accounts Officer, one Procurement Officer, one Administrative Officer and one Admin Assistant. A facilitation team will be recruited as an NGO/Consulting Service will assist the PMU in the training and outreach to farmer groups.

The SAPIP PMU will be responsible for: (i) annual planning and budgeting in compliance with Government requirements; (ii) coordination across Components and other projects/programs to drive complementarity; (iii) support for field-level technical and natural resource planning staff; (iv) support for a governance framework to manage the disbursement of grants to farmer groups; (v) communications, and knowledge management and dissemination; (vi) maintenance of a mapping and planning database in ALGIS to record WADPs and SCADPs; (vii) a special focus on gender and vulnerable group inclusiveness in Project-supported activities; and (viii) monitoring of and reporting on the SAPIP results framework. The project will develop and apply accountability mechanisms through citizen engagement, monitoring and grievance redress throughout the implementation of the project.

Component 6: Contingency for Disaster Risk Response

Carrying out a program of activities designed to provide rapid response to disaster, emergency or catastrophic events, as needed. This component will be used in the event that an emergency response is required.

3.Task and responsibilities

The Program Officer is responsible for supporting the SAPIP Project Manager in ensuring that MAF exercises effective management over GAFSP Grant funds in order to meet the SAPIP objectives. General tasks and responsibilities will include assisting the Project Manager with:

* The day-to-day implementation of SAPIP;

* Providing the World Bank with regular update son project implementation, in line with the requirements of the Project Implementation Manual, and particularly in advance of Implementation Support Missions by the World Bank team;

* Coordinating with the watershed planning coordinators to ensure compliance with the SAPIP Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) in line with World Bank safeguards policies;

4. Language

* The working language of the assignment will be English. The Program Officer will assist the PMU to prepare project related documents related to her/his task and responsibilities in English. A good level of Tetum is also required.

5. Expertise and Experience Required

The Program Officer will be expected to have the following qualifications and experience:

* Master Degree in Agriculture and/or areas related to Agriculture, or Bachelor Degree in Agricultural/Forestry Related Field with substantial senior-level experience with project management;

* At least five years of experience with project management in developing countries, preferably in a rural development or agricultural context  previous experience with donor-financed projects will be highly desirable;

* Managerial skills, particularly in project management; working with teams of professionals; and liaising with government and non-government organizations – this requires good facilitation and communication skills

* Good understanding of Timor-Leste government policies and procedures or flexibility and preparedness to understand the local situation, and a demonstrated ability to establish strong working relationships with national counterparts.

* Good computer literacy including with Microsoft Word, Excel and Power point

* Good writing skills and the ability to prepare clear, concise reports

* Fluency in English is mandatory, a good level of Tetum is preferred

6. Location and duration

The Program Officer will be based in Dili, Timor-Leste and is expected to travel regularly to project sites. This position is full-time and is expected to commence in about March2017. The assignment will be for three years depending upon performance evaluation, the first of which will be conducted after six months, and thereafter on an annual basis. The position may be renewed after the first three-year contract subject to satisfactory performance. The project closes in August 2022.

7. Reporting and outputs

The Program Officer will report directly to the SAPIP Project Manager and will agree on an individual work plan at the commencement of the assignment. He or she will support the Project Manager in ensuring the timely submission of project reports and documentation as outlined in the Project Implementation Manual, including with respect to monitoring and evaluation, fiduciary matters, annual work plans and budgets, etc. An important part of this role will be assisting the Project Manager in tracking the implementation of the Annual Work Plan and Budget, and therefore the Program Officer will also support the preparation of the six-monthly reports to be submitted to the SAPIP Project Steering Committee. (***)