Economic Recovery and Development Officer (Maternity Cover) at International Rescue Committee (IRC) , Kampala, Uganda

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has received a $10 million grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to implement a three-year project titled ‘Kulea Watoto’ – meaning ‘nurturing children.’ Kulea Watoto is an initiative aimed at improving early childhood development and transforming livelihoods of refugees and host communities in Uganda by providing nurturing care and early childhood learning opportunities, and to build their own skills to generate income for their families. The project will use a unique two-generation approach to reach out to young children under five years of age and their caregivers in Yumbe, Kyegegwa and Kampala districts, implemented in partnership with four local partners – the AfriChild Centre, Madrasa Early Childhood Program, Kabarole Research and Resource Centre and Literacy and Adult Basic Education (LABE). To achieve this, the project will offer learning sessions for parents and caregivers on responsive caregiving and provision of early learning opportunities, improved links to children’s services in local communities, livelihoods training, and start-up funding for promising business ideas, and more.

Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) is a core organizational priority at the IRC with links to Health, Education, Child Protection, and Nutrition. Through Kulea Watoto program, IRC and her partners seek to meaningfully build the livelihoods skills of target clients in the urban context that will strengthen their ability to improve Early Childhood Development outcomes at household level, especially for children under the age of five.

To support these efforts, IRC under its Kulea Watoto project is looking for an Officer, Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) to accomplish a series of livelihoods activities to strengthen target clients’ capacity to engage in meaningful income Generating Activities. The desired candidate will have strong experience in technical implementation of livelihoods projects in the urban context (Kampala), working closely with urban refugees and authorities and understands well the importance of early childhood development and responsive caregiving.

The position will report to the Kulea Watoto Project Manager – ERD with strong links to the Kulea Watoto project team and partners. This role will focus on ensuring technical soundness and coherence with the ERD Strategy, donor regulations and government priorities. S/he will be responsible for the day-to-day running of livelihood related activities including but not limited to trainings, job placement and apprenticeship of the clients as well as liaising with the private sector.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical implementation of project activities:

• Lead the process of identification, registration, and selection of project target clients according to defined selection criteria.
• Lead the development of training materials in SPM IGA (Selection, Planning, and Management of Income Generating Activities e.g., mushroom production, urban vegetable growing, briquette making, poultry production, garbage management, food processing and packaging, etc), financial literacy, Urban Savings and Investment, Value Addition and Food Processing.
• Lead the training of target clients in the Selection, Planning & Management of Income Generating Activities (SPM IGA).
• Lead the training of target clients in Financial Literacy, Savings, and Investment in urban context
• Lead the formation of urban savings groups and support their engagement in urban savings opportunities (through Urban Savings and Loans Associations – USLA).
• Lead the process of developing relationships and signing of Memorandums of Understandings (MoUs) with key market stakeholders to support input and output market access and sales.
• Support the distribution of business grants (including client bank account opening, sensitization of clients on the cash transfer process and procedures, the development/evaluation of business plans, receipt, and investment of funds).
• Support target clients in value addition and food processing in group settings
• Link strong urban savings and investment groups/individuals to identified financial service providers with potential to advance group/individual business ideas
• Link strong businesses to output markets
• Document results and provide feedback to stakeholders to guide decision- making
• Participate in sensitising key stakeholders, community leaders, communities and participating households on the program objectives, timelines, entitlements and on general program activities

Coordination, representation, and partner/stakeholder relationships:

• Ensure close collaboration with the field-based team members (Re:BUiLD project staff, Madrasa project staff) and consistency in protocols, information and reporting systems in line with ECD and livelihoods integration.
• Lead coordination efforts at each project location/division level by ensuring weekly coordination meetings between Kulea Watoto ERD assistants and Madrasa field project staff and Re:BUiLD project teams.
• Work with partner staff and collaborate with them in client identification and selection, and delivery of project activities including integration of ECD and livelihoods, refining of technical approaches and alignment to ensure achievement of desired outcomes.
• Make referrals to the appropriate actors where necessary.
• Maintain respectful and constructive relations with partner organisations, local authorities, and humanitarian actors
• Attend division coordination meetings by KCCA when required and sector working group meetings by OPM, and UNHCR and providing detailed reports as required.

Monitoring, reporting and communication responsibilities

• Monitoring business performance/progress and documenting best practices, lessons learned and success stories in line with the agreed templates and formats.
• Prepare weekly and monthly program reports, and compile lessons learnt to inform continuous project implementation.
• Collect relevant data during project implementation and provide regular reports.
• Monitor client payment processes at participating Money Transfer Agents’ locations,
• Participate in the collection of data, during assessments and post-distribution surveys as and when required including design of required tools by providing technical input.
• Participate in the verification exercise, research or MEAL whenever needed.

Other duties

• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable implementation of the IRC programs,
• Raise Purchase requests as and when required,
• Participate in regular team meetings and supervision sessions
• Ensure that all materials are ready for info sessions before the activity
• Work constructively within the team and take the initiative on new tasks
• promptly report concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaise with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for the ERD program
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promote a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to perform in their positions successfully.

Minimum Qualifications:

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship, Business, Economics, Agribusiness, or related field.

• Post graduate Diploma in Project planning and Management is desirable

Personal qualities:

• Works well in urban contexts and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
• Demonstratable ability to engage and build excellent working relationships with local partner organizations, create synergies while implementing the project is vital.

Language Skills:

•  Fluency in English Language both written and spoken is required
•  Ability to speak the local language (Luganda & Kiswahili) is desired; Knowledge of other local languages (Arabic, etc.) is an added advantage.

Gender Equality & Equal Opportunity

We are committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer generous benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances. We welcome and strongly encourage qualified female professionals to apply.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we value diversity in our organization. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request reasonable accommodation.

Professional Standards

IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.