Livestock Officer-Amudat and Kaabong

Program / Department Summary

The $41 million USAID Food for Peace Activity (Apolou) and the $5 million USAID Resilience Challenge Fund (RCF) Activity support agriculturalists, agro-pastoralists, and pastoralist households living across the districts of Amudat, Kotido, Kaabong, Karenga, and Moroto in Karamoja.

Apolou is implemented by a consortium of actors led by Mercy Corps, including Save the Children, Whave Solutions, four local partners (KAPDA, NARWOA and Riam Riam), TUNADO, FIDA Uganda, Strong Minds and Tufts University’s Feinstein International Centre (FIC). Apolou’s goal is to “improve the overall food and nutrition security of vulnerable households in Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto and Amudat districts within the Karamoja region,” and has major 4 objectives as follows:

1. Inclusive and effective governance contributes to food and nutrition security
2. Adolescent girls, Pregnant and Lactating Women, and Children under 5 are nutritionally secure
3. Reduced incidences of WASH related diseases
4. Improved livelihoods and income support household food security

The RCF program works in the districts of Kaabong and Amudat, with the goal to “Improve the veterinary governance and increase public and private investment in disease prevention, surveillance, control and response systems to strengthen productive assets for improved resilience in Karamoja.” RCF has the following objectives:

1. Increased domestic resource allocation into animal health services in Karamoja
2. Central and local government develop animal health services capacity-strengthening plan for the Karamoja region
3. Disease control plan for economically prioritized diseases (PPR and FMD) developed and implemented
4. Private sector animal health development strategy developed and rolled out

General Position Summary

The Livestock officer will be at the forefront of implementation the Animal Health for Resilience Activity within the broader Apolou Activity. And work in close collaboration with the Apolou Activity livestock team and the broader Apolou teams, government stakeholders especially the district veterinary offices and Ministry of Agriculture Animal industry and fisheries, USAID and other implementing partners in Karamoja. The position will have the responsibility to Improve veterinary governance and increased public and private investment in disease prevention, surveillance, control and response systems to strengthen productive assets for improved resilience in Karamoja.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• In partnership with the Government of Uganda at national and district levels, the position will participate the design and implementation of a 1-2 cost-effective livestock disease surveillance, monitoring and response systems.
• Livestock officer will participate in the development and operationalization of active and passive livestock disease surveillance, Livestock Early Warning System LEWs and response mechanisms in Kaabong and Amudat districts
• Participate in desk review and interview experts in public animal health systems to capture lessons learned and recommendations. With this information and in close consultation with district officials, Propose and co create different models such as an event- and indicator- based surveillance, and community-based surveillance systems in Kaabong and Amudat
• Pilot disease surveillance/response systems including overseeing the completion of a cost-benefit analysis of different models.
• Officer will work in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF)- DVOs at the district level to prepare and endorse an animal health services capacity-strengthening plan for the Karamoja region.
• Coordinate with other program Livestock, Livelihoods and Apolou teams to support activity integration and information sharing within Apolou and other similar programs.
• Work directly with government and CBO organizations that conduct animal health and disease outbreak response in Karamoja.
• Organize, participate and support in meetings and workshops to support strengthening of veterinary epidemiology capacities

 Team Management

• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Liaise with other team members to ensure consortium is integrated in approach, on-scope, on-time and on-budget.

 Finance & Compliance Management

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to Livestock Activities
• Develop team budgets, ensure adherence to MC Uganda Field Finance Manual and Field Procurement Manual for all livestock activities

Influence & Representation

• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with key private sector gatekeepers
• Represent Mercy Corps’ approach at key government, coordination and advocacy platforms.

 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.

Accountability to Participants 

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our participants 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.
• Sensitise communities on Apolou's CARM system and encourage them to share feedback through the promoted channels

Other:

• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission
• Other duties as assigned

Accountability

Reports Directly to: Animal Health Manager

Works Directly with: Livestock and Livelihoods teams, other Sector Teams Save the Children and Whave teams within the Apolou Consortium

Knowledge and Experience

• Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with 2-3 years’ direct experience partnering with governments on animal health and disease surveillance systems, experience working with public health programs is an added advantage.
• Willingness to work in the field with agro-vet shops, Community animal health workers, kraal leaders and communities;
• Possess the ability to interact effectively with a wide range of partners; private sector, government and civil society
• Basic understanding of and experience of working with Resilience concepts
• Excellent analytical skills and experience working on livestock research
• Skills in team work, holding community consultations and organizational development;
• Excellent reporting, communication and representation skills
• Skills in networking, team-working, and community consultations
• Good spoken and written English. Fluency in Ngakarimojong and Pokot is an advantage

Success Factors

The success of the Livestock Officer will be based on the ability to work to Improve veterinary governance and increased public and private investment in disease prevention, surveillance, control and response systems to strengthen productive assets for improved resilience in Karamoja, the second will be the degree to which the person promotes and captures learning with her/his team, institutionalizing activity reviews, identifying and evaluating preconceptions and promoting a culture of inquisition. The third success factor will be the degree to which that person drives results, making critical decisions and producing scheduled outputs at deadline and to the expected quality.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The positions are based in Kaabong and Amudat and require travel to other locations in Karamoja The region is secure with access to most basic amenities.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours. 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 locations.

Closes; 15th Sept 2021