Project Officer

World Vision is an international Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation working in almost 100 countries world-wide to create lasting change in the lives of children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice.

Key Responsibilities:
Project Planning and Implementation

Ensure that business processes, standards and guidelines related to THRIVE Project initiatives are effectively applied on a timely manner in project implementation including integration of cross cutting themes,
Participate in the preparation of overall and activity work plans and budgets (annual, quarterly, monthly & weekly) for the project specific activities,
Collaborate with relevant ministries and other relevant partners at the County and community levels to ensure integration and high-level implementation of the planned activities
Be able to systemically review DIP/budget and other key implementation tools as well as initiate innovative approaches that will open new opportunities for project success
Conduct continuous activity and budget analysis to ensure adherence to the approved work, budget and procurement plans.
Make technical input into the planning and design of project specific operational researches, including baseline and end line evaluation and other relevant project assessments
Ensure compliance with implementation thresh holds for budget and activities

Technical support

Take lead and provide technical support and timely implementation of the THRIVE Project activities
Collaborate with the local administration to conduct community mobilization and awareness sessions on project initiatives including community group savings
Work with the departments of social development and cooperative and local leaders to determine the groups to participate in the project
Ensure focused quality, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project’s interventions on livelihood development, economic empowerment & development, increased agricultural production and Climate-Resilient Local Value Chain Development activities.
Take lead in strengthening famer/producer groups on inclusive and resilient on-farm and off-farm local value chains with a key focus on Climate Smart Agriculture initiatives and Agro-forestry for value chain development
Facilitate gender sensitive value chain analysis and support selected value chain development
Support establishment/strengthening common interest groups, and coordinate economic empowerment activities within the groups.
Support creation/strengthening of Savings for Transformation groups (S4T) for enhanced financial inclusion
Collaborate with the county department of cooperative development to map out microfinance institutions (including FAST) and facilitate linkages with the saving groups
Partner with formal/informal service providers to build the groups’ capacity on Climate Smart Agriculture, Agro-forestry, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, business planning and group governance & leadership
Support viable and sustainable IGAs identified by men, women and the youth in the target area
Support entrepreneurs trained and mentored on financial literacy
Facilitate adoption of best practice/approaches/models in the course of the implementation of the project.
Identify other opportunities in an ongoing manner that will add value to the overarching goal of the project.
Facilitate community mindset processes (including Empowered Worldview) as a foundation to project sustainability
Ensure child safeguarding and integration of Child Sponsorship Management and in Economic Empowerment interventions where relevant.

Quality Assurance - M &E, Reporting and Documentation

Register, track and regularly update beneficiaries’ database
Ensure monthly S4T groups monitoring and progress update on the MIS platform and digitized on a World Vision approved digital APP
Development of Project Designs and Annual Operation Plans. (4D matrices, DIPs, Annual Budgets) and ensure budgetary utilization is within acceptable limits/range.
Contextualize and use reporting guidelines to track and develop quality, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual and end of projects reports, key lessons and success stories in accordance with the guidelines and standardized tools.
Develop monitoring plan with communities and partners agreeing on the required standards for monitoring, with support from the DMEAL specialist.
Conduct regular group monitoring, data collection and analysis in coordination with the relevant stakeholders
Facilitate regular review and peer to peer learning meetings with government, target communities and relevant stakeholders
Facilitate documentation of lessons and project impact to facilitate adoption in the course of the project implementation
Support project assessment and learning processes including baseline surveys, midterm reviews and end of project evaluation.
Supervise and monitor project interventions in strict adherence to WV Kenya, Kenya government regulations and other agreed standards.
Ensure project data is captured, validated and updated on horizon and or any other approved World Vison Kenya (WVK) DM&E system.
Ensure quality Monthly, Quarterly, Semi- Annual and Annual reports prepared and submitted on timely basis
Identify and document best practices and successes of approaches & models as a result of the project interventions

Capacity building

Mobilize and sensitize community for empowerment and sustainability
Build the capacity of Producer Groups identified under the Value Chain Analysis
Build capacity of community resource persons to spearhead implementation of the core models (EWV, S4T, BSL) activities
Ensure capacity building of women & youth groups on the core models, entrepreneurial skills, market and financial services access, production and business planning.
Work together with other stakeholders to ensure that key trainings meet the standard required to facilitate, provide knowledge and required skills set on economic empowerment initiatives and practices
Ensure relevant project community champions (S4T, EWV, LVCD Facilitators) are well trained in the respective capacity areas

Advocacy, Engagement, Partnership and Networking

Ensure representation of WV Kenya in key stakeholder forum/meetings at the County level.
Actively participate in County level technical working groups and relevant to policy forums.
Foster County government collaborative relationships for LVCD work leveraging
Ensure communities are mobilized and participate in the project interventions
Facilitate strategic partnership with Vision Fund Kenya (VFK) to ensure groups receive financial literacy training/embedded education training and business loans
Forge strategic collaborations with financial service providers including VFK (FAST loans), other MFIs, banks, government funds to ensure Savings groups members access financial services including business capital, insurance, asset financing and other selected products
Partner with formal financial service providers to facilitate financial literacy, business planning and group governance & leadership trainings for S4T groups
Together with partners, conduct regular reflection and learning sessions
Work with community groups to utilize advocacy approaches such as Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) to enable service users and local partners to engage directly with local government service providers to improve the quality of government services for children and to generate information and evidence for use in national level advocacy work.

Other duties

Perform any other duty as may be assigned by supervisor or designee from time to time.
Participate and contribute in committees and task forces which you may be appointed to
Participate and lead devotions as appropriate

KNOWLEDGE/QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE ROLE

Minimum of a Bachelor Degree in Agriculture/Agri-business/Agricultural Economics/Agricultural Education & Extension/Dryland farming Systems/Entrepreneurship/Business studies or Any other related discipline from a recognized university/institution.
Minimum two years of work experience in economic empowerment, Livelihood and economic development, entrepreneurship, value chain development and related sectors including gender mainstreaming in projects. Experience in implementing multi-sectoral projects will be an added advantage.
Experience in Project Management including program design, implementation, monitoring & evaluation and reporting
Knowledge of and experience working with the Government and community structures
Experience in implementation of integrated development programs with a focus on economic empowerment
Ability to conduct community economic empowerment needs assessment, program planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of economic empowerment and entrepreneurial interventions
Must have ability to develop good working relationships/partnership developed with all stakeholders (GoK, INGOs)
Excellent communication, Networking and advocacy skills