Agriculture and Livelihoods Technical Expert

Scaling Up Nutrition Technical Assistance Activity (SUN TA)

DAI works at the cutting edge of international development, combining technical excellence, professional project management, and exceptional customer service to solve our clients’ most complex problems. Since 1970, DAI has worked in 150 developing and transition countries, providing comprehensive development solutions in areas including crisis mitigation and stability operations, democratic governance and public sector management, agriculture and agribusiness, health and nutrition, water sanitation and hygiene, private sector development and financial services, economics and trade, HIV/AIDS, avian influenza control, water and natural resources management, and energy and climate change. Clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and host-country governments.

Project Background:

The Scaling Up Nutrition Program is a cross-ministry and multi-donor program to reduce stunting in Zambia through implementation of the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) 1,000 Most Critical Days Program.  SUN TA provides support and direct technical assistance to sub-national local government departments in target districts to plan, implement, coordinate, and monitor integrated nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific activities to reduce the rate of stunting among Zambian children under two and improve the nutritional status of pregnant and lactating mothers. USAID has identified two main objectives that address stunting, including (1) Adequate Quantity and Quality of Dietary Intake among Target Groups; and (2) Adequate Health Conditions for Biological Utilization of Nutrients. SUN TA interventions increase access and availability of safe, diverse, nutritious food; adoption of better child feeding and household hygiene practices; and access to improved health, water and sanitation services. The project prioritizes sustainability by improving intra-household joint decision making and building the capacity of local government and their stakeholders to ensure coordination, accountability, and learning, following the Scaling Up Nutrition model.

Objective:

The Agriculture and Livelihoods Expert will be responsible for the overall strategy development and implementation of nutrition-sensitive agriculture and livelihood activities to reduce stunting and will provide technical support to achieve the expected results. S/he will provide cross-cutting, strategic, and program implementation direction and management to promote demand for key SUN interventions at community and household level, while supporting sub-national government counterparts in meeting generated demand. The Expert will work closely with the Nutrition and Health Expert and WASH Expert to ensure a targeted comprehensive integrated approach to meet the program objectives of reducing stunting. The Expert is also expected to work closely with the monitoring and evaluation team to ensure progress is being achieved towards program targets. S/he will establish and maintain close and effective liaison with relevant ministry and government officials, partners, and country stakeholders to facilitate flow of information concerning research, policies, and programs and to stay abreast of current trends.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership, oversight, and capacity development for nutrition-focused agricultural production and livelihoods components of the project, ensuring linkages with other project components.
• Foster effective design and targeting of interventions to appropriate households in the SUN TA intervention pyramid
• Guide effective activity implementation and achievement of nutrition-sensitive agricultural production and market systems objectives aligning approaches to target vulnerable households to reduce stunting.
• Coordinate and oversee the quality of all livelihoods and nutrition-focused agriculture technical activities, providing direction, feedback, and support to ensure target achievement and positive impact on beneficiaries.
• Incorporate good agricultural practices and climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices into SUN TA’s agriculture and livelihoods strategy.
• Provide TA to national and provincial (20% focus) and district and ward-level counterparts (80% focus) to support work plan implementation on smallholder livelihoods, including nutritious food production, storage, processing, marketing, and transport.
• Ensure program adherence to internationally accepted technical norms and standards of practice.
• Facilitate continuous quality assessment and improvement and ensure that program best practices are documented and disseminated throughout the program cycle.
• Lead and supervise subject matter experts in a decentralized organizational structure to achieve performance targets and designated program results
• Provide input into and ensure that all donor reporting requirements on nutrition sensitive livelihood and agriculture activities and their program impact are met
• Ensure high quality program delivery and the cost-effective use of USAID and DAI resources
• In partnership with other key staff, establish and maintain positive relationships with project co-implementers, including government ministries and departments, particularly the district representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Ministry of Community and Social Services and, where appropriate, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, NGOs working in the area, and other key stakeholders.
• Identify and implement positive mutually beneficial, non-exploitive private sector partnerships that further SUN TA’s objectives.
• Support the design and implementation of the monitoring framework and plan as it relates to agricultural/and livelihoods components of the project
• In collaboration with the technical and MEL teams, participate in analyzing and disseminating evidence to promote policy reforms and program implementation revision that leads to improved nutrition outcomes at all levels.
• Build the capacity of District Technical Officers, Agriculture and Livelihoods.
• Provide regular written/oral program progress updates, as requested.
• Other position-relevant tasks as may be assigned by the Chief of Party for successful achievement of SUN TA objectives.

Reporting and Supervision: The Agriculture and Livelihoods Technical Expert directly reports to the COP in activity implementation and management. This position is key personnel.

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in agriculture, agriculture economics or related discipline.
• 7 years of progressive experience with increased responsibility focused on nutrition-sensitive, small-scale agriculture development and livelihood activities at the household and community levels. Preferred experience with gender sensitive experiences.
• Previous supervisory experience leading and supervising a team of subject experts under a decentralized structure required Demonstrated ability to plan, design, and organize effective programming for nutrition-sensitive agriculture and livelihoods
• Knowledge and understanding of resiliency-building approaches targeting food insecure and nutritionally-at risk households.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret scientific studies, operations research and cost-benefit analysis and apply lessons to reach objectives – this will include using relevant data for advocacy on integration of high-impact practices at all levels of implementation.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to adapt communication styles to a range of audiences, including professional and community stakeholders.