Project Coordinator – Forest Future Partnerships

(Natural Regeneration and Rural Livelihoods Project)

At Rusco Holdings we pride ourselves on recognising opportunities that have the potential to substantially impact Zambia’s socio-economic development. At our core we are passionate about safeguarding the natural environment for the next generation and are committed to supporting enterprises that help communities find sustainable solutions to some of Zambia’s biggest issues. As an internationally accredited carbon offset cookstove manufacturer, working in some of the most impoverished rural communities, we are pro-actively addressing climate change, deforestation, and public health issues. We operate several other community initiatives with activities that complement sustainable land use, alternative income generation and social upliftment.

Our latest project Forest Futures Partnership (FFP) is a collaboration with C-Quest Capital (CQC) to promote the natural regeneration of Zambia’s forests and secure climate resilience for the next generation.

• Forest applies not just to the trees but to all the environmental and community dependencies associated with agro-forestry and sustainable land management
• Futures refers to that of the trees/natural environment, and the people whose livelihoods depend on it (and their childrens).
• Partnership validates the Rusco mission, connecting 3 points: investment (CQC), market (Rusco) and community/project recipients (Mukuni Chiefdom)

The ‘Project Coordinator’ will perform duties related to the implementation of the FFP two-year pilot program – overseeing the assisted natural regeneration (ANR), as well as the agricultural and natural resource management planned interventions. Services will be conducted under the direct supervision of the Project Manager.

The Project Coordinator will have extensive experience working in a similar role in rural community environments. They will have excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, along with a deep understanding of the cultural context and complexities involved with implementing such initiatives, while maintaining a high degree of accuracy and control.

The work is within communities around Livingstone and Kazungula Districts, with travel to field locations within Southern Province and outside of these areas expected. The Employee could be required to travel anywhere in Zambia from time to time.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Sensitize communities/farmers/TAs on all planned activities/programs.
• Identify villages/clubs and individual households for participation in different activities, form committees, and help guide the development of village-based action plans.
• Provide formal and informal training to extension staff and farmers in natural regeneration methods, nursery management, seed collection/handling, sustainable agroforestry, conservation agriculture, soil conservation, irrigation and other related practices/technologies, including data collection procedures for monitoring and evaluation.  Training will include hands-on work, classroom courses with field exercises and cross farm visits, involving the development and use of extension posters, leaflets, booklets, manuals, slides, videos, and other relevant audio-visual aids.
• Supervise a team of Field Extension Coordinators and Community Extension Workers (work under Field Coordinators)
• Supervise the establishment and management of relevant on-farm demonstrations and research trials
• Coordinate seed collection/multiplication and proper storage.Maintain an inventory of all nursery/irrigation inputs in stock for each site in the pilot.
• Assist in conducting propagation experiments and germination tests of seed.
• Deliver field supplies, seed, and other inputs to sites as required.
• Participate in meetings, cross-farm visits and open field days with extension staff and village committees at sites to explain / discuss the pilot initiatives, and to promote and assess these activities with staff and farmers.
• Provide technical support to other NGO/Govt extension staff and farmers on establishing and managing practices, with a focus on communal based systems.
• Collect and organize M&E data related to training, nursery operations and management, field results, problems, benefits, recommendations, and targets for input into quarterly and other reports.
• Perform any other tasks requested by the FFP Management Unit.