Agriculture Specialist - Azraq

Job Description

Action Against Hungeris an international non-governmental organization working in more than 40 countries in the fields of nutrition, food security and livelihoods, water sanitation and hygiene, and care practices. ACF is looking for its program in Jordan forAgricultural Specialist.Work place:Azraq Sub-district in Zarqa GovernoratePosition Overview:Action Against Hunger (AAH) is a leading humanitarian agency working to combat hunger, malnutrition and its determinants in over 45 countries worldwide. 10 years into the Syrian crisis, Jordan remains host to 1.36 million Syrian refugees (83% of whom live among host communities), in addition to over 90,000 refugees largely from Iraq, Yemen, Somalia and Sudan. COVID-19 both highlighted and exacerbated the ongoing difficulties this population faces in meeting their needs, and their limited capacity to avoid negative coping mechanisms. As it is, 86% of Syrian refugees outside of camps live below the poverty line, with women and youth particularly marginalized.Working in Jordan since 2013, AAH has focused its response on WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), FSL (Food Security and Livelihoods), and MHPSS (Mental Health and Psycho-social Support) programming for refugees and vulnerable Jordanians, both in camps and host communities. AAHs 2020-25 country strategy aims to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable people to socio-economic and environmental challenges in Jordan with an emphasis on rural and peri-urban women and youth.As of 2022, AAH has offices in both Amman and Irbid, with satellite offices in Mafraq, Zarqa, Madaba and Jerash. With 4 international staff, and over 60 national staff, AAH operates with an annual budget of over 4.5 million EUR funded by UNICEF, AFD, BPRM, BHA, GIZ and other private donors.He/she overall responsibility will be to support the field teams to ensure the quality and relevance of AAH intervention in the projects concerned and is reporting directly to the Project Manager, and will provide technical support to the team members of the following project: ?Improving the Resilience of Syrian Refugees and Vulnerable Jordanians through Integrated Solid Waste Management Practices in Zarqa Governorate (GIZ funded, from 12/2020 to 01/2023- funding for 2022 TBC)?, focusing more specifically on capacity strengthening and support for the municipality on the implementation of a sustainable compost unit. Ad-hoc support may be given to other agricultural-related components of other projects implemented by AAH in Jordan.The position is based in Azraq with periodic travel to AAH?s field offices and project sites, as needed. He/She will work closely with programs and support staff on the projects he/she will support. He/she also liaises closely with AAH?s global technical advisors.Responsibilities:1) Develops the understanding of the agricultural context, leads evaluations and contributes to the projects reorientationLeads and coordinates data collection and assessments, related to his/her field of expertise in the concerned projects; he/she will be liaising between HQ AAHs technical advisors, FSL HoD, Meal HoD, partners, logistics, HR, and project focal points (project manager) to ensure appropriate and relevant data is made available to support the programming of activities and the smooth implementation of the projects-Collects data, analyses data and based on findings makes appropriate recommendations and project orientations. More specifically, this includes working with the project team to:

• Locate and quantify the available supply for green waste (farms and alternatives sources) in the project catchment area, and to provide detailed information on the season for the green waste supply for the different crops. This includes preparing questionnaires, collecting information, analyzing and reporting, in one consolidated report.
• Locate and quantify the available manure supply (ranches) in the project catchment area; this includes preparing questionnaires, collecting information, analyzing and reporting, in one consolidated report.
• Identify the contractors collecting cardboard from Azraq town, as well as other potential source of cardboard as input for the compost unit. This includes preparing questionnaires, collecting information, analyzing and reporting, in one consolidated report.
• Identify alternative sources of input for the compost unit based on the local context, which may be more cost effective and make use of local waste generated, whilst still maintaining the quality of the compost produced
• Work with the technical service provider identified under mission 2 to identify market segments and marketing strategies to sell the compost produced through this project

-Participates in Food Security and Livelihoods department meetings to collect, gather and share relevant information for his project ; participates actively in the development of a food security strategy ; contribute towards drawing up proposals ;act as a link with the food security actors and keep them informed of the outcome of the analyses2) Implements the project?s agricultural activities Leads the implementation of the agricultural activities of the concerned projects, ensuring the deliverables meet AAH internal quality standards, and comply with the project?s expected timeline and the donors? requirements. This will be done in close collaboration with the project team, and an external technical service provider.-Working with the project team, he/she will plan and implement the project?s agricultural activities according to the project?s expected development ; he/she will ensure follow-up of the activities? progress and write suitable reports; he/she will coordinate activities with local partners and stakeholders in the field. This includes more specifically to :

• Oversee the composting process at the compost unit, including ensuring the technical quality of the composting process as well as compost produced
• Actively engage with identified input providers to ensure sufficient and sustainable flow of inputs for the compost unit, both during the project period and after handover
• Actively engage with identified potential market traders to ensure sufficient and sustainable sale of compost (both packaged and bulk sale) both during the project period and after handover
• Identify a Technical Service Provider to support the project and the hand over strategy to the municipality; this includes leading the tendering process (preparing the terms of reference, the evaluation grid, the agreement, etc. following AAH?s procedures)
• Support the contractualization of agreements between identified farms and alternative green waste producers/ranches/contractors collecting cardboards and the municipality for the provision of green waste/manure/cardboard/ any other inputs to the compost unit
• Support the project/ municipality in creating official agreements with the rangers (MoENV) to direct all the rejected or confiscated trucks transporting fruits and vegetables to the compost unit instead of the dumpsite.
• Support the municipality to identify the most appropriate modality to manage the compost unit, identify and implement the necessary next steps in order to ensure effective management of this unit, including working with the private sector (building on the findings from the existing Investment Plan and Marketing Strategy) ; this will be documented in a Hand Over Plan to the municipality (in liaison with the Municipality if Azraq and the MoLA).

-He/she will identify the Project Manager of any problems or constraints ; he/she will propose adjustments, solutions and improvements concerning the project?s activities progress.3) Promotes and develops the technical expertise of the project teams and beneficiariesWorking with the project team, he/she will evaluate and promote the technical quality of the project?s agricultural interventions ; more specifically, he/she will -Ensure the available green waste, manure, cardboard or any other inputs identified are within quality standards to produce compost with acceptable quality standards, and have enough supply to sustain the operation in the compost unit.-Proactively propose existing or new technical approaches and intervention methodologies to the project team-Lead training modules as needed; this includes but is not limited to developing training tools and methodologies, based on existing materials when available, on composting to the respective staff (project staff, municipality staff, other); other topics (including agro-ecological practices or agri-business development) may be developed as well, upon identified needs.-Provide training to the identified staff within the project (including CfW Workers) and the municipality on all aspects of the compost unit, such as the composting process, management of staff, management of the timing and frequency of securing inputs, identifying and reaching markets for sale of the produced compost, etc.-Capitalize on the best practices developed on the project and make them available to the mission and HQ technical teams4) Ensure adherence to Action against Hunger gender requirements-Commit and comply with the organization gender, age and diversity principles & policies (working with people, communication)- Lead on the promotion of gender, age and diversity principles through daily activities and or through the management of their teams and through the planning and implementation of operations and strategies (Managing performance & development)

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