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of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas.
Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations.
Job Title: Information Officer –
Turkana County
Ref. 2015/27
Department: Programming
Job Location: Turkana County
Band / Grade: Grade 5
Reports to: Snr. Officer - County Program Lead – Turkana County
Background: Catholic Relief Services Kenya is seeking an
Information Officer for a multi-donor funded 5-year WASH & Livestock
program in Kenya.
In day to day operation the
Information Officer will take the specific responsibility of coordinating all
Information/ICT related activities.
Reporting to the county program lead,
S/he will work closely as a member of the County Coordinating Unit based in
Turkana and with other technical leads/officers in the program.
The Information Officer will be
located in Turkana County. It is a full time position. The position is
contingent upon successful signing of an agreement with donor.
The Kenya Resilient Arid Lands
Partnership for Integrated Development (KENYA RAPID) is a Public Private
Partnership (PPP) program, in which multiple partners cooperate.
It aims to support sustainable and
resilient livelihoods in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL’s), by
improving water availability and water service delivery to people and
livestock, and improve rangelands.
KENYA RAPID mobilizes financial and
technical resources from development partners, national government, county
government and the private sector.
Over the next five years (2015-2020)
the KENYA RAPID program focuses on five Kenyan counties with high poverty
rates, chronic food and water insecurity and low access to basic services:
Marsabit, Garissa, Isiolo, Wajir, and Turkana.
The Kenya RAPID program will
facilitate a process that supports the growth and capacity strengthening of
public, civil society, community and private sector institutions to increase
access to water for people and livestock and rebuild a healthy rangeland
management ecosystem.
The program is designed to create a
successful intervention model that, with local adaptation, can be replicated by
other counties and thus substantially contribute to the Government of Kenya’s
goal of universal coverage of WASH services in Kenya by 2030.
There are three strategic objectives:
- A responsive and accountable governance
framework is in place and operational at county government level that
ensures sustainable provision of water and pasture;
- Replicable and scalable business models for
sustainable WASH and livestock service delivery are developed and
operationalized; and
- Communities have increased access to
sustainable WASH services and improved rangeland management
Reliable and regular information on
key metrics is required to deliver and sustain services over time.
However, reliable data on issues such
as water point functionality status, revenue generation, asset condition, life
cycle costs, and tariff structures for people vs. livestock and commercial vs.
domestic uses, simply do not exist on any level in any of the five counties
where the program will operate.
KENYA RAPID will focus on supporting established county government agencies/authorities to access data, information, and communication and technology tools for improved investment, efficiency, and managerial decision-making in the WASH and livestock sectors.
One of the program results will be
the development and roll out of a Water Management as a Service Platform
(WaMasP).
IBM Research Africa and SweetSense
Inc. (www.sweetsensors.com) will play a crucial role to develop this,
supporting a systematic approach towards collecting and managing information,
managing communication flows and supporting informed decision making processes
in order to enable full adoption of (new) solutions.
Existing data available in Kenya such
as water point mapping studies and migration routes will be combined with new
data generated and integrated in the WaMasP.
The WaMasP system will be owned and
managed by the county government; however, the vision is that key data
contained within it will be available in the public domain.
The Information Officer is expected
to support and facilitate the development of the WaMasP and ensure uptake among
end users.
Job Summary: On
a day to day operational level, the KENYA RAPID program will be coordinated by
a County Coordination Unit (CCU), led by a County Program Lead and located
within the Turkana County Government administrative offices.
The Information Officer will be part
of this CCU and S/he will work closely with the developers of the WaMasP and
with county employees assigned to work with the CCU from relevant ministries
(e.g. water, agriculture, livestock, health, planning) to implement the
approved work plan for the county.
Specific Responsibilities
Responsibility 1: Project implementation and reporting including
monitoring, evaluation and learning.
- Support IBM Research, Sweetsense and other
development partners in the development of the Water Management as a
Service Platform (WaMasP);
- Support in the development of ICT tools to
improve access to Integrated Water Resource Management information for CCU
and county extension staff;
- Lead the roll out process of the WaMasP and
other ICT tools;
- Provide hand on technical assistance to the
CCU and County extension staff on use of the WaMasP and other ICT tools;
- Train trainers on use of ICT tools and
(mobile) data collection;
- Diagnosing hardware and software problems;
- Liaise with the CCU and development partners
to troubleshoot, provide technical support and give feedback on any
weaknesses and issues with the WaMasP and other ICT tools;
- Install/configure new computers/android phones
with WaMasP and other ICT applications;
- Repair/upgrade PC hardware, software and
android phones;
- Ensure tracking and documentation of project
progress, beneficiaries and report back to MWA;
- Collaborate with selected Counties to identify
their project needs and feedback into management decisions;
- Collaborate with selected Counties in
mentoring assessing the performance of the extension staff;
- Work with the CCU and ICT development partners
to develop a framework to monitor and evaluate the progress and impact of
the WaMasP and other ICT tools;
- Ensure the identification, documentation,
sharing and adoption of best practices and lessons learned;
- Facilitate dissemination and learning
platforms to discuss findings from surveys, evaluations and special
studies and to generate and document lessons;
- Identify and escalate situations that require
urgent attention;
- Stay current with system information, changes
and updates;
- Participate in the preparation of periodic
reports for submission to the donor.
Responsibility 2: Networking, representation and collaboration
- Strengthen capacity of ICT department at
county level;
- Advance the use of WaMasP and other ICT tools
within KENYA RAPID;
- Organize meetings/workshops with the
respective Counties for critical thinking and learning to guide decision
making and action;
Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS
Staff)
- Serves with Integrity
- Models Stewardship
- Cultivates Constructive Relationships
- Promotes Learning
Supervisory Responsibilities: None
Key Working Relationships:
Internal:
- County Program Lead - Turkana County, Project
Manager/County program lead Isiolo, Food Security, Nutrition and
Livelihoods officer – Turkana County, CRS Program Quality and Support
Department (PQSD).
External:
- The Turkana County Government’s ministries of
water, irrigation, health, finance and planning, information and
communication;
- Program consultants;
- IBM Research Africa, SweetSense Inc., County
Program Steering Committee, Millennium Water Alliance Program Coordinating
Unit and the program technical leads.
Competencies Relevant for the
Specific Position:
- Knowledge of backup and disaster recovery
solutions;
- Overall knowledge of software and hardware
firewalls;
- Basic network troubleshooting skills;
- Demonstrated ability to transfer knowledge to
diverse audiences through training, mentoring and other formal and
non-formal methods;
- Familiarity with adult learning
principles/techniques;
- Excellent interpersonal, organizational and
written/verbal communication skills;
- Ability to work effectively under pressure and
to organize and prioritize competing activities;
- Strong leadership skills and ability to work
effectively in a team-oriented environment;
- Good communication skills using speech and
writing;
- Experience with working with county
governments, civil society, donors and local communities;
- Strong conceptual and analytical skills
- Demonstrate high levels of initiative
- Flexibility in tasks undertaken
- Extensive knowledge of participatory
approaches
- Understanding of development/relief issues
- Experience in ASAL counties, proven
sensitivity to the setting and its challenges
Required Qualifications and
Experience:
- Bachelor degree in a field related to ICT and
project management, a master’s degree will be an added advantage;
- IT Certification, Microsoft Certified
Solutions Associate or equivalent;
- At least 5 years work experience in
progressive responsibility in relief and development programs, including
some significant time in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL);
Required Foreign Language: None.
Required Travel (where and expected
%): 30% field travel and 70% office in Turkana.
Work Environment: Turkana County.
Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of
the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
Job Title: Project Officer - Food Security, Nutrition and Livelihoods – Isiolo County
Ref. 2015/25
Department: Programming
Job Location: Isiolo
County
Band / Grade: Grade 5
Reports to (Job title): Project Manager – K-RAPID WASH Program/ County
Program Lead -Isiolo
Background: Catholic Relief Services seek a Project Officer -
Food Security, Nutrition and Livelihoods Officer (PO - FSNL) for a multi-donor
funded 5-year WASH & Livestock program in Kenya.
In day to day activities the FNL
Officer will take the specific responsibility of coordinating all food
security, nutrition and livelihoods related activities.
Reporting to the County Program
Lead/Manager, S/he will work closely together with the Millennium Water
Alliance FSNL Specialist based in Nairobi and with other technical
leads/officers in the program. The FSNL Officer will be located in
Isiolo.
This is a full time position. The
position is contingent upon successful signing of an agreement with donor.
The Kenya Resilient Arid Lands
Partnership for Integrated Development (KENYA RAPID) is a Public Private
Partnership (PPP) program, in which multiple partners cooperate.
It aims to support sustainable and
resilient livelihoods in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL’s), by
improving water availability and water service delivery to people and
livestock, and improve rangelands. KENYA RAPID mobilizes financial and
technical resources from development partners, national government, county
government and the private sector.
Over the next five years (2015-2020)
the KENYA RAPID program focuses on five Kenyan counties with high poverty
rates, chronic food and water insecurity and low access to basic services:
Marsabit, Garissa, Isiolo, Wajir, and Turkana.
The Kenya RAPID program will
facilitate a process that supports the growth and capacity strengthening of
public, civil society, community and private sector institutions to increase
access to water for people and livestock and rebuild a healthy rangeland
management ecosystem.
The program is designed to create a
successful intervention model that, with local adaptation, can be replicated by
other counties and thus substantially contribute to the Government of Kenya’s
goal of universal coverage of WASH services in Kenya by 2030.
There are three strategic objectives:
- A responsive and accountable governance
framework is in place and operational at county government level that
ensures sustainable provision of water and pasture;
- Replicable and scalable business models for
sustainable WASH and livestock service delivery are developed and
operationalized; and
- Communities have increased access to
sustainable WASH services and improved rangeland management
Job Summary: On
a day to day operational level, the KENYA RAPID program will be coordinated by
a County Coordination Unit (CCU), led by a County program lead manager and
located within the Isiolo County administrative offices.
The FSNL Officer will be part of this
CCU team and will report to County program lead and work closely with the FSNL
Specialist based in Nairobi and with county employees assigned to work with the
CCU team from relevant ministries (e.g., water, agriculture, livestock, health,
planning) to implement the approved work plan for the county.
Specific Responsibilities
Responsibility 1: Project implementation and reporting including
monitoring, evaluation and learning.
- Lead the development and implementation of an
innovative Food Security, Nutrition and Livelihoods programme, through
community based systems, addressing the needs of the most vulnerable
members of society;
- Lead in development of a contextual analysis
of economic policy, food security, nutrition and livelihoods issues
affecting the county and particularly the target groups;
- Facilitate the county in development of a
detailed food security, nutrition and livelihoods strategy that aligns
with the county integrated development plans
- Formulate food security and livelihoods
related guidelines, regulations and plans for KENYA RAPID operations at
the county level and ensure the program operates efficiently and effectively;
- Participate in the development and
implementation of operational work plans in accordance with the budget,
results framework, and administrative guidelines approved by the Program
Steering Committee (PSC);
- Participate in budget processes and periodic
budget reviews for Food security, Nutrition and Livelihoods related
activities;
- Stay abreast of new developments in Food
security, Nutrition and Livelihoods and participate actively in related
technical working groups and forums;
- Provide technical assistance in the areas of
agricultural/livestock productivity, seed systems, agricultural/livestock
value chains, land and water management and trade/marketing of
agricultural/livestock products;
- Implement decisions made by the Program
Steering Committee (PSC) and the County Program Steering Committee (CPSC);
- Select intervention sites, expansion areas and
(new) program partners based on set criteria by the county and after
consultation with all stakeholders;
- Support the CCU team in compiling reports
every six months to be provided to the CPSC that summarizes program
achievements, key challenges, lessons learned to date and detailing budget
expenditures and investment plans from all stakeholders.
- Develop a MEL plan for the FSNL activities in
the program in close consultation with the information/data management
officer;
- Monitor progress of FSNL activity
implementation, identifying issues (technical and coordination) and
formulate solutions to address the identified issues.
Responsibility 2: Networking, representation and collaboration
- Strengthen program linkages and foster good
working relations with civil society organizations, government
representatives, private sector and community based organizations;
- Facilitate training needs identification and
capacity building for the county staff and other public and private
partners;
- Support the information/data management
officer to develop annual learning agenda, data analysis from the field
and producing customized reports for various applications/interventions;
- Coordinate the adoption of new products and/or
approaches in Food Security, Nutrition and Livelihoods development and
marketing;
- Technical support to the CCU in launching
tenders and calls for proposal; contract service providers and
implementing entities;
- Monitor compliance of FSNL contract service
providers, consultants and implementing entities contracted by the CCU;
Supervisory Responsibilities: None
Key Working Relationships:
- Internal:
- Project Manager/County program lead Isiolo,
information officer – Isiolo County, CRS Program Quality and Support
Department (PQSD).
External:
- The Isiolo County Government’s ministries of
Water, irrigation, health, finance and planning, agriculture and livestock.
- Program consultants
- County Program Steering Committee, Millennium
Water Alliance Program Coordinating Unit and the program technical leads.
Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS
Staff)
- Serves with Integrity
- Models Stewardship
- Cultivates Constructive Relationships
- Promotes Learning
Competencies Relevant for the
Specific Position:
- A broad grasp of socio - economic policy
issues with respect to food security, nutrition and livelihood development
in both in rural and urban settings
- Technical knowledge in Food security,
Nutrition, Livestock and other Livelihoods, Social Protection, Gender
issues and Environment
- Experience with working with county
governments, civil society, donors and local communities;
- Diplomacy, tact and negotiating skills;
- Training/coaching skills
- Strong conceptual and analytical skills
- The ability to work independently, think
innovatively and strategically and work effectively within a team
- Fluency in written and spoken English
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Detailed understanding and experience of
gender and diversity issues and commitment to addressing inequalities in
all the key areas of responsibility
- Demonstrate high levels of initiative
- Flexibility in tasks undertaken
- Ability to work under pressure and deadlines
- Extensive knowledge of participatory
approaches
- Understanding of development/relief issues
- Commitment to humanitarian principles and
action
- Needs good strategic thinking and vision
- Strong financial/budget management skills
required
Required Qualifications and
Experience:
- Bachelor degree in Agriculture/ livestock or
related development field, a master’s degree will be an added advantage
- At least 5 years work experience in Food
security, Nutrition and/or Livelihoods programming
Required Foreign Language: None.
Required Travel (where and expected
%): 30% field travel and 70% office in Isiolo.
Work Environment: Isiolo
County.
Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of
the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.
Written applications indicating the reference number of position applied for and CV including day-time contact phone numbers, as well as names and contact information of three references should reach the below-mentioned by Close of Business Friday September 4, 2015;
Human Resources Manager
Catholic Relief Services – Kenya Program
E-mail: hr@ke.earo.crs.org
Please indicate the Reference Number (Ref: 2015/25) on the ‘email subject.
Only Shortlisted candidates will be
contacted.
Note: Catholic Relief Services (CRS) does not charge any fees from applicants for any recruitment.
Further, CRS has not retained any
agent in connection with this recruitment.