Employee – Livelihoods and Enterprise Development Advisor

WeForest

WeForest is a fast-growing international non-profit association headquartered in Belgium and with current projects in Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Tanzania, Malawi, Senegal and Zambia. The mission of the organisation is to advance innovative, scalable and lasting solutions to restore forest and landscapes for climate, people and planet. We promote scientific evidence for the ways in which forests contribute to climate change mitigation, beyond their impacts as stocks of carbon, by increasing water availability, enhancing local biodiversity conservation and rural livelihood and resilience.

WeForest Zambia programme

WeForest has been working in Zambia since 2011 on various topics including agroforestry, farm forestry and community forest management. WeForest Zambia Ltd was established in 2019 with six projects running at the moment: two in the Copperbelt and four in Muchinga province.

Support to forest and farm-based livelihoods to reverse forest degradation is a core part of WeForest Zambia’s programme. Since 2015, WeForest Zambia has worked with more than 1000 farmers in Copperbelt province to set up efficient forest honey production systems on farm forests and inside Katanino Forest Reserve – amongst other achievements. WeForest Zambia is currently preparing to scale up its’ operations in Muchinga province to support a range of local organisations to become viable and financially independent forest enterprises through beekeeping and other forest or farm-based value chains.

WeForest Zambia is looking for a Livelihoods and Enterprise Development Specialist to lead on the organisation’s strategic priority to implement business-driven solutions to reverse forest degradation while generating funding for sustainable forest management. The position holder will identify forest-based and farm-based value chains, leverage business opportunities and investment, and develop and monitor business plans across the following projects:

●        The Copperbelt project, which started in 2016, aims to reduce deforestation amongst small-holder farm land in Luanshya, Mpongwe and Ndola districts by introducing the concept of Farm Forestry. As we work through farmers’s associations, approximately 3,500 ha is conserved with over 1,000 farmers.

●        The Katanino project, which started in 2019, aims to increase forest cover inside the 4,500ha Katanino Forest Reserve and Miombo woodlots in a 5km buffer zone around the Reserve by working with small-scale farmers. We work through the Joint Forest Management Committee.

• The Chintumukulu project, which started in 2020, aims to establish and functionalize a community conservancy of 10,500 ha and support sustainable income sources to run the conservancy in the long-term. A partnership has been set up with the community-run Mpumba Natural Resource Society.
• The Mafinga project, which started in 2021, aims to establish and functionalize a community forest area of 1,500 ha and empower communities through more sustainable farming methods to reduce pressure on the remaining forest. This project is in direct partnership with WECSZ.
• In the Mukungule project, which started in 2022, WeForest Zambia plays an expert role in beekeeping and an implementer role in community forestry in Mukungule and Mpumba chiefdoms. It is a USAID funded 5-year project managed by Frankfurt Zoological Society
• The Mpumba community forest areas (CFAs) project is starting in Q3 2022.

Role

The Livelihoods and enterprise development advisor will be responsible for identifying viable economic opportunities among forest and farm-based value chains that will reduce and reverse forest degradation. S/he will strengthen enterprises, micro-entrepreneurs, cooperatives and associations within the selected value chains and will facilitate business partnerships to take the selected value chains to scale. In close collaboration with programme teams, s/he will conduct market systems diagnosis, identify constraints, design and facilitate enterprise start-up and growth using the Market Systems Development (MSD) approach or similar (Making Markets Work for the Poor, Market Analysis and Development…).

Responsibilities

In close collaboration with project teams and local stakeholders, the Livelihoods and enterprise development advisor will:

Livelihoods and Enterprise development:

• Develop business models that benefit forest-dependent organisations and individuals through recognised methodologies, tools and best practices (sector selection, market systems diagnosis, cost-benefit analysis, business planning, results chains…).
• Coordinate or undertake economic analysis and value chain studies for livelihood components within new and existing projects.
• Lead on the development and evaluation of realistic cost-benefit analysis and business plans developed by partner organisations and individuals, in collaboration with programme teams and experts.
• Contribute to the establishment of functional market structures for all projects (Collection Centres, Processing Units, Bulking Centres) as appropriate to the commodities the projects promote.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL), documentation and reporting:

• Support the operationalisation and tracking of business and marketing plans for all project-supported organisations (VRMCs, producer groups, Community Forest Management Groups, cooperatives, farmers’ associations..) through joint planning and monitoring.
• Contribute to internal project reports through regular tracking reports on the growth, management and overall development of enterprises and entrepreneurs supported by projects.

Entrepreneurship  training, coaching and mentoring:

• Facilitate and develop a process for engaging with partner organisations and individuals to allow them to transition into strong enterprises and entrepreneurs
• In collaboration with experts, develop or adapt training packages including modules on business planning, business skills, strategic planning and entrepreneurship for use in projects.
• Lead on the provision of entrepreneurship coaching and mentoring services, in collaboration with experts and programme teams.

External engagement:

• Develop and regularly update a database of partners, collaborators and networks to be employed in the capacity building of partner organisations and farmers including government, business organisations, research institutions, experts and trainers.
• On a needs basis, represent the organisation at relevant events.
• Identify and synthetise relevant information at national and landscape level which may positively or negatively impact the enterprises and value chains supported in our projects (eg policies, economic conditions, market opportunities…).

Candidate profile

Experience

• Minimum 7 years of experience in enterprise development with forest/farm value chains
• Experience in business development, entrepreneurship, access to finance and marketing using recognised, structured approaches
• Experience in capacity building and enterprise development services including training, mentoring and coaching
• Experience in facilitating partnerships and leveraging investments
• Experience in engaging women and youth in enterprise development is desirable
• Experience in beekeeping is desirable

Academic qualifications and trainings

• Masters’ degree or equivalent experience in Business Administration, Economics, Marketing, Entrepreneurship or related fields.
• Training by a recognised institution in Market Systems Development (MSD), Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P), Market Analysis and Development (MA&D) or similar approaches

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Strong analytical and operational knowledge of enterprise development, and understanding of the range of support needed for enterprise development, from start-up to expansion
• Knowledge of business policies and procedures including business support services such as business development, financing, sales and marketing
• Understanding of the linkages between forest and landscape restoration and conservation, and forest-based enterprises
• Strong networking, partnership and interpersonal skills and ability to manage a diverse team of technical and management experts
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences, and to inspire and motivate
• Ability to be proactive, to work independently and as part of a team with colleagues and partners
• IT proficiency in MS Office or similar

Terms & Conditions

Position: Full-time employee, 5 or 6 days per week.

Base: Ndola, Zambia (WeForest Zambia Ltd head office)

Start date: As soon as possible, preferably by 16/01/2023

Package: Competitive package for a small organisation, level 4b salary package