Current Opportunities at DAI Kenya – Development Alternatives, Inc.

Agricultural Jobs, Social Sciences Jobs, Jobs in Kenya,

Food and Agriculture Technical Advisor

•  The Food and Agriculture Technical Advisor will provide technical inputs to support the management of multiple grants and subcontracts with food security and resilience goals across the continent. The overall objective of the food and agriculture work under ATI is to increase the ability of the private sector to boost trade and investment in key value chains while building capacity and resilience among people and mitigating global macroeconomic shocks. This position requires an expert with deep understanding of global food and market systems and the ability to track critical data sources related to food and nutrition security in Africa.
• This role will work collaboratively and in conjunction with the food security and resilience team, as well as regional activity managers, technical advisors, and the broader ATI team to coordinate and deliver all ATI food and agriculture activities. Responsibilities include providing technical and management support to program activities, working with the technical and operational teams to identify and mobilize resources in support of implementation, and supporting USAID clients. The Food and Agriculture Technical Advisor will also help generate scopes of work, support the design and monitoring of activities with private sector partners. In addition, s/he will provide surge procurement and operational support to existing ATI staff, as needed, and play a role in developing knowledge products that support learning capture across the program.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee and track agriculture, food and resilience activity implementation and progress by partners, consultants, and subcontractors, to ensure our work adheres to the approved work plan and deliverable schedule and troubleshoot deviations.
• Monitor food and agriculture issues in targeted regions to follow and advise on food security and resilience trends.
• Provide relationship management support for client and implementing partners, which may include serving as a representative for ATI in meetings with officials from USAID, other US Government agencies and partners, governments, corporations, capital partners, and other key stakeholders across Africa.
• Participate in strategic and technical meetings in collaboration with USAID and other stakeholders as part of ATI’s co-creation process and to inform and develop relevant aspects of ATI’s foundational technical activities as they relate to food security and resilience.
• Ensure private sector partners understand USAID’s expectations for activity implementation.
• Support activity managers and colleagues on all matters related to activities, including but not limited to contractual, operational, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, reporting, and communications.
• Collaborate with staff and partners to design effective trade and investment activities that will strengthen food systems, which may include working directly with partners from activity design to tracking progress to communicating results.
• Contribute to the quarterly reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation (MEL) reporting, and other communication request to ensure that the ATI team proactively updates USAID.
• Ensure assigned activities are managed in accordance with USAID regulations and DAI procurement policies; and Continent-wide travel to provide partner support (25%) as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree in a relevant subject area preferred.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in private sector engagement, agricultural development, food security, or resilience programming and processes, preferably through USAID-funded development programs in Africa. Regional experience a plus.
• At least 10 years of demonstrated experience supporting, leading, designing, and/or supporting food and nutrition security programs that have contributed to significant results reducing food insecurity. Preferred experience working directly for a Feed the Future project.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience working with U.S. Government agencies, government donors, African government institutions, or other international and regional economic bodies in Africa.
• Experience and knowledge of food and market system issues in Africa, and how they link to U.S. Government priorities, with the ability to identify trends and strategically adapt activities to improve impact.
• Demonstrated ability to work across multiple geographies and a range of private sector and public sector partners.
• An articulate individual who possesses excellent interpersonal skills and who can relate to people at all levels of an organization.
• Strong analytical, communication, and writing skills, including experience with project required reporting.
• Proven project management skills and strong experience with client management
• Ability to identify time-sensitive demands and inquiries and respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints.
• An energetic, forward-thinking, and creative individual with high ethical standards and appropriate professional image.
• An extremely well-organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus.
• Ability to work in a fast-moving, fluid team setting with multiple stakeholders.
• Fluency in spoken and written English required, French language skills a plus.

Closing date

27 May 2024

Environmental and Social Risk Management Specialist (Bilingual – French & English)

• Environmental and Social Risk Management Specialist will support the implementation of USAID-ATI Environment and Social Risk Management Framework. USAID policy requires implementing organizations to ensure their program activities do not have a negative environmental or social impact. This is done primarily through detailed analyses of program activities to identify potential impacts, and the development and implementation of mitigation and monitoring measures to minimize and monitor these risks.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Research and collect information required for the preparation and assist in drafting a project-level environmental monitoring and mitigation reports (ERRS) and environmental review checklists (ERCs) outlining activity specific compliance requirements.
• Ensure that all program activities, including grants and subcontracts, consider potential environmental and social impact, incorporate required environmental and social mitigation measures, and address any environmental concerns during project implementation.
• Support the environmental and social risk review, assessment, monitoring and reporting requirements for all ATI activities, including continuous maintenance/revision of the Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP); ATI’s Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF); and customized environmental and social compliance trackers, tools and templates.
• Support and provide training to build the capacity of project partners to identify potential environmental and social impacts and comply and monitor implementation of mitigation measures.
• Monitor and report the performance of environmental management strategies and plans through regular visits to project activities.
• Ensure timely completion of environmental/social deliverables and periodic reporting; maintain compliance documentation records for technical audits.
• Prepare quarterly program reports and include updates to the annual implementation plan on the status of the project’s environmental management systems.
• Support and oversee the work done by consultants over a broad spectrum of assignments for program environmental compliance.
• Any other tasks assigned that are relevant to the environmental compliance function within the USAID-ATI Activity.

REPORTING

The Environmental and Social Risk Management Specialist will report to the Environment and Social Risk Manager.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Environmental Management or a closely related field and 9+ years of relevant work experience, preferably within USG programs.
• Experience in preparing or supporting development of Environmental Assessments or Environmental Impact Assessments and experience in monitoring environmental or social risk compliance in multiple sectors such as agribusiness and food security, manufacturing, healthcare, construction, extractives, conservation and ecotourism amongst others is highly preferred.
• Well-developed analytical writing skills, communications, and interpersonal skills including excellent English writing, speaking and reading skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a fast-moving, fluid team setting with multiple stakeholders.
• An extremely well organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, excellent judgment, sound problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel for work across activity countries in West Africa since this position will require significant travelling that may include remote locations.
• Bilingual English and working knowledge of French.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager (LTTA)

• The MEL Manager is responsible for managing ATI’s MEL systems, and the Buy-in MEL function, developing MEL plans, and conducting data analysis for the respective ATI and buy-in needs. They will directly support and manage the ATI database ensuring that ATI data and information needs are consistently provided and organized. They are responsible for the overall availability and consistent performance and optimizations of the database solutions. The MEL Manager will work with stakeholders to identify and implement the policies, tools, and processes for data management across ATI and shall take a lead in facilitating learning across the board. The MEL manager shall work closely with the MEL Director to design systems, track results, and provide strategic leadership to the ATI learning agenda. He/She is responsible for all activities related to the development and implementation of the ATI MEL and knowledge management strategy and systems, including operationalizing the Performance Management Plan and MEL system. The MEL Manager supervises the MEL Specialists, MEL Associates and Database Associates.

Overall Responsibilities

Support the MEL Director in setting the direction of the ATI MEL function and lead its management, enabling the program to develop the robust intelligence and analysis needed to develop, adapt, and improve its program strategy on an ongoing basis. To achieve this the MEL manager will be responsible specifically for the following:

• Provides MEL expertise on the design, review, and implementation of the project, as well as the modification of MEL information management systems in particular the MEL Database and DIS platforms.
• Ensuring that data on the ATI database as well as other platforms such as Salesforce and DIS is captured well and properly reported.
• Managing the overall security of the ATI MEL data and ensuring that all data is kept in data with data protection standards.
• With the support of the database associate develop guidelines for database and systems use, including training staff on any new upgrades.
• Provide day-to-day remote assistance and support to activity teams and project staff.
• Manages the data quality and assurance standards.
• Is responsible for ongoing support to the USAID reporting platforms such as Salesforce and DIS and shall ensure that all reports and data needs are provided as per Mission requirements and Performance monitoring plans.
• Leads ATI MEL data analysis including providing support to ATI Dashboards, and USAID reporting requirements, and effectively supports the Communications team with data analytics for reporting to different USAID requirements.
• Provide leadership to ATI Data Quality Assurance Processes. This includes setting up DQA assessments and ensuring all data in ATI MEL systems meets the USAID Data Quality Assurance standards.
• Liaise and coordinates with various buy-in mission to tailor strategic MEL support to meet individual mission buy-in objectives.
• Manages the indicator performance reporting and target setting for the USAID Missions’ quarterly and annual reporting and baselines for reporting progress and maintains reporting procedures and guidelines in compliance with USAID guidelines.
• Lead in the development of specialized monitoring and evaluation tools and data collection protocols to ensure accurate collection and verification.
• Lead the learning function and work closely with the MEL director to effectively implement the ATI learning agenda. The MEL manager tracks the ATI progress and evaluates its impact in an integrated manner allowing for ongoing learning and program adjustments.
• Coordinates, oversees and participates in project evaluation activities to assess the outcomes and impacts of the ATI activities.
• Provides training and mentoring to staff on MEL, including teams across the continent as well as in the US.
• Working closely with the ATI MEL Director, Coordinate annual performance reviews at Buy-in, Regional as well and Africa-wide levels.
• Support Buy-in MEL implementation including providing Prosper Africa Direct MEL support.
• Maintains an extensive and detailed technical body of knowledge of the latest MEL techniques, applications, and methodologies for use by staff and partners.
• Tracks performance progress and captures results, with a strong emphasis on bringing both quantitative and qualitative research methods to bear upon cross-cutting development objectives.
• Conduct regular and ad-hoc data analysis and work closely with the Communications team to develop reports (monthly, quarterly, annual) to demonstrate progress and facilitate continuous learning and project management.

Reporting

The MEL Manager will report to the MEL Director or designee.

• The MEL Manager works independently to perform the duties and responsibilities of MEL-related work and is assigned to other program-related duties as needed upon the direction of the Director. The MEL Manager is expected to perform autonomously to execute the MEL responsibilities as outlined in this SOW. The MEL Manager is expected to develop his/her work schedule, and procedures for accomplishing tasks and independently resolve problems that may arise during the accomplishment of these objectives in compliance with the ATI and DAI’s procedures and regulations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field is required.
• At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible work experience, developing, implementing, and managing M&E and knowledge management of development projects.
• Professional work experience on M&E systems for trade and investment, agricultural development, market systems approach, or other similar development areas is strongly preferred.
• Experience in supervising is required.
• Demonstrated ability to implement, operationalize, and manage information collection and analysis systems.
• Demonstrated experience leading and building the capacity of teams of MEL associates, and officers, including remote, field-based staff, to meet program needs and deliverables.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong background and training in field research methodologies, including some knowledge of statistical analysis programs.
• A master’s degree in evaluation, social sciences, or other relevant fields is preferred.

Skills

• Excellent technical skills in quantitative and qualitative monitoring and results measurement (MRM) methods.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex and conflicting information, generate ideas, and establish means of effectively testing them.
• Strong strategic thinking skills and good judgment – the ability to reflect on the variety of likely impacts or outcomes from an activity and to determine pragmatic approaches to getting results.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and the ability to communicate complex issues with clarity and structure, and to deliver documents to the highest level of professionalism.
• Ability to think strategically and critically, and to bring imagination to solving problems with substantial complexity and ambiguity.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence: a genuine team player with strong listening, negotiating, and persuasive skills.
• Ability to identify the key internal and external customers of the services provided by the MEL function, understand their requirements, and deliver services that they value within appropriate timescales.
• The ability to gain the trust and confidence of external and internal stakeholders at all levels.
• Genuine interest in business fundamentals and commercial analysis.
• Results-focused, consistent, and accurate with a strong commitment to data integrity.
• Able to plan and deliver work according to timescales and required milestones.
• Able to engage and work with a range of expert consultants and senior and middle management staff.
• Able to work with people of different professional, national, and cultural backgrounds.
• Able to work independently, analyze and solve problems, and prioritize issues.

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