Somalia: Team Leader - Agriculture and Irrigation

Jan 25, 2020 | European Committee for Agricultural Training
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CEFA - European Committee for Training and Agriculture (Comitato Europeo per la Formazione e l’Agricoltura) is an Italian NGO that has worked in Somalia since 1993 transiting through, Humanitarian response interventions, livelihood support, Food Security, Infrastructure Development, Agriculture and Rural Development, during the last 30 years. In Somalia, CEFA has mainly worked in Puntland and in Middle & Lower Shabelle.

Title of the position: Team Leader - Agriculture and Irrigation

Duration of the contract: 9 months (renewable)

Expected starting date: 1st April 2020

Place of deployment: 60% Bosaso, 40% Garowe with frequent field trips

Name of the Project: Food Security and Sustainability in Fragile Situations – FSSFS

Brief about the project:

This project will contribute towards sustainably improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods and to build resilience among vulnerable households and their communities in Puntland. This goal will be achieved by increasing targeted households’ incomes through improved agricultural production and livestock productivity.

The project is divided into three main components:

  1. Water component, which foresees the construction and the rehabilitation of water infrastructures and the adoption of climate-smart technologies;
  2. Agriculture and livestock component, which foresees the improvement of the date palms value chain and the increase of range and small ruminant productivity;
  3. Knowledge management component, which foresees pilot studies, researches and technical pieces of training.

Objectives and general characteristics of the position:

(S)he is responsible for the implementation of all the agricultural activities under the *“Food Security and Sustainability in Fragile Situations (FSSFS) in Puntland”* project. The Agricultural Team Leader is responsible for the technical supervision of the agricultural and irrigation activities, with particular focus on the date palms production integrated with vegetables, fruits, windbreak trees, and fodder production. CEFA’s approach to promoting sustainable agricultural production, marketing crops and input supply chain incorporates promotion of GAPs, training activities, technical assistance, inputs, and equipment supply systems, strengthening links between producers and traders (marketing systems), value chain approach to enhance profitability and promotion of public-private partnerships for synergy in promoting economic activities.

Responsibilities and duties:

  • Support the Area Manager, the Field Coordinator, and the Dates Palm Specialist in planning and scheduling all the agricultural activities;
  • Support planning and scheduling of training delivery;
  • Support preparation and update of training and learning materials;
  • Facilitate and supervise training delivery on Good Agronomic Practices, sustainable irrigation techniques, irrigation management, and marketing strategies, ensuring technical quality to the training sessions;
  • Establishment and management of CEFA demo plots and Farmer Field Schools;
  • Support design and implementation of sustainable irrigation systems for a palm grove and for horticulture;
  • Support development of a manual on pollination technique of dates palm and on the multiplication of date palms trees;
  • Identify in collaboration with CEFA agricultural expert the crops to be intercropped with dates palm (horticulture, fodder, windbreak trees, etc.);
  • Develop, facilitate, and supervise the training delivery on the cultivation of the selected horticulture and fodder;
  • Coordinate the purchase and distribution of agricultural inputs and the supply of technical equipment;
  • Continuous follow-up with Field officers and project beneficiaries on agricultural activities;
  • Conduct field visits to monitor the project beneficiaries and the implementation of the activities;
  • Support data collection in the field to inform the project performance indicators
  • Contribute to the development of implementing strategies to improve the post-harvest processing of the dates;
  • Develop synergies with private actors, traders, sellers to improve links with the project beneficiaries, private sector inputs supply chain, processing and marketing of dates palm;
  • Provide continuous coordination with CEFA Area Manager, Team Leader and for updates on the implementation of the dates palm activities;
  • Any other activities that might be required.

Required experience:

  • Degree in Agriculture or related fields;
  • Past working experience (at least 5 years) in agricultural programs in humanitarian/development sector;
  • Previous experience working in Bari and Nugaal regions in Puntland State of Somalia;
  • Knowledge of English and Somali;
  • Knowledge of Microsoft Office. 

Desired skills and experiences:

  • Master’s degree in a relevant field;
  • Knowledge of Italian is an asset;
  • Previous experience in working with CEFA is an asset.
  • Previous experience in the date palm value chain is an asset