DRC: Food Security and Agriculture Advisor

Jun 15, 2020 | Mercy Corps
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Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of around 200 people working in North and South Kivu, with the overall country goal to support vulnerable communities through crises, while fostering programs that build resilience and promote long-term change. Mercy Corps’ national office is in Goma with sub-field offices in North Kivu and South Kivu. Mercy Corps’ key programming areas include a combination of longer-term development and immediate humanitarian response programs in order to:  1) Improve water service delivery and ensuring equitable access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services, in urban and rural areas; 2) Improve food security and nutrition; 3) Promote diversified livelihoods, economic recovery and development. Mercy Corps DRC’s humanitarian programs aim specifically to assist populations affected by the conflict and crisis in Eastern Congo. With funding from humanitarian donors including OFDA and UN-donors, the humanitarian portfolio continues to expand in order to provide multi-purpose cash assistance and emergency WASH to displaced and host populations. Mercy Corps plans to scale up and expand its humanitarian response to reach more beneficiaries with additional and varied assistance in a wider geographic area. All Mercy Corps interventions in DRC are implemented in a conflict and gender sensitive manner.

General Position Summary

The Food Security and Agriculture Advisor provides expert advice, guidance and support to the implementation of agricultural and food security activities in the Emergency department, especially on the FFP program. The FFP program is focused on delivering multi-round food assistance through vouchers or cash to conflict-affected communities in the East of DRC, as well as agricultural trainings to foster resilience in the target areas.

The Food Security Advisor will establish SOPs, support the training of some team members and ensure the standards of quality are met in activities, based on donor’s regulations and Mercy Corps’ standards of high-quality programming.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy and vision

  • Contribute to the development of the Emergency department’s agriculture and food security components
  • Provide inputs on proposals based on known country needs, constraints and contexts in food security and agriculture
  • Track key indicators in food security and agriculture in the East of DRC and consider relevance for advancing Mercy Corps’ programs and strategy

Program Management

  • Provide hands-on in-the-field implementation support for food security and agriculture activities
  • Advise country program teams in the design, development and implementation of related components
  • Ensure the program meets the donor requirement.
  • Ensure that beneficiaries are effectively targeted according to established vulnerability criteria.
  • Produce written reports on food security and agriculture activities, capturing the impacts of activities. 

Finance, Operation and Compliance Management

  • Collaborate with program, finance and administrative staff.
  • Monitor adherence to grant and sub grants agreements, Mercy Corps’ policies and procedures and relevant external rules and regulations, including those of the government of DRC.
  • Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any agriculture/food security officers.

Influence & Representation

  • Participate actively in coordination meetings with relevant clusters and working groups in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri.
  • Demonstrate flexibility, resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure.
  • Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.

Organizational Learning

  • As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
  • Provide in-country and remote training and support for Mercy Corps team members, partners, and others.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

  • MA/S in food security and agriculture related sectors.
  • 4 years of experience in food security and agriculture related business
  • 4 years of experience in international relief or development program. An experience in Emergency/Rapid Response is preferred.
  • Knowledge of permagarden techniques is an asset.
  • Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills.
  • Excellent oral and written English and French skills required.
  • Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
  • Previous experience in insecure environments.
  • Knowledge of Sphere standards and other training in humanitarian response preferred.

Success Factors

The successful Advisor will have strong consultative skills, and a high degree of comfort in discussing agricultural techniques and food security issues, often in complex scenarios. This person will develop trust easily with field teams, other Mercy Corps leadership and external partners. This person should be an excellent written and verbal communicator able to represent Mercy Corps at public events. This person should be extremely well organized and capable of tracking multiple competing priorities. The successful person will be skilled at reducing complexities to clear and understandable non-technical terms with a focus on practical next steps. The most successful Mercy Corps staff members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and changing environments.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This position is an unaccompanied position. Shared housing will be provided in Goma according to Mercy Corps DRC housing policy. Goma is a provincial capital of over 700,000 inhabitants. Travel may be required up to 60% of the time to program areas within North and South Kivu. Living in Goma is comfortable, although water and electricity can be unstable. Outside Goma, travel can be dangerous and unpredictable due to armed forces and rebel activity.

While security is quite stable in Goma, North and South Kivu continue to be an arena of violence and insecurity. Mercy Corps' sub-offices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other.  Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. Internet is available in all Mercy Corps offices. Travel to field sites will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are a number of health services available with evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision.  Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer regardless of background. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment.

Mercy Corps Diversity Statement

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. 

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.