Livestock Officer-Kaabong

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps implements high quality- analytical work in tough environments. We’ve been operating in Uganda since 2006 and currently manage a range of programs in Acholi, West Nile and Karamoja sub-regions with funding from a host of donors. In October 2017, Mercy Corps was awarded a 5 year USAID/ Food for Peace- funded program working in 4 districts in Karamoja, the Apolou Activity. The Activity has four purposes with cross cutting themes of gender and youth and resilience:

1. Inclusive and effective governance contributes to food and nutrition security
2. Improved health and nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women, children under five, and adolescent girls
3. Improved WASH conditions
4. Adolescent girls, adolescent boys, women and men access diverse and secure livelihoods through improved capacities and strengthened market systems

Apolou is implemented by a consortium of actors led by Mercy Corps, including Save the Children, Whave Solutions, 3 local partners (KAPDA, NARWOA and Riam Riam) and Tufts University’s Feinstein International Centre (FIC).

General Position Summary

The Mercy Corps Livestock Officer will work to improve the economic future and quality of life of program beneficiaries. The Officer will implement and support facilitation projects that support the growth of livestock value chains in Karamoja in collaboration with the Livestock Manager for the North, Senior Veterinarian for the South and with direction from the Livestock Advisor. These activities will work almost exclusively through private sector actors, seeking to crowd in provision rather than displace or replicate private actors with donor-funded services. Facilitation projects will include, but are not limited to, commercializing livestock value chains and live animal trading in an equitable manner, increasing profitability and provision of community animal health services, increasing fodder production, strengthening livestock output markets and creation of an enabling environment in Karamoja for pro-poor, nutrition sensitive livestock growth.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

• Develop the strategy for and subsequently implement innovative actions for livestock market systems development, both in building the capacity of local livestock actors, crowding in additional actors, and ensuring an enabling environment for pro-livestock growth in Karamoja
• Actively advance Mercy Corp’s connections to livestock actors at local, regional and national level, seeking avenues for partnership, collaboration and coordination of activities.
• Work with the MSD Manager to develop livestock related research and monitoring of livestock market systems analyses, business cases and intervention plans in the selected sectors to improve impact.

Program Implementation

• Work in consultation with the Mercy Corps livestock health, Production and Marketing teams, national drug companies, district veterinary officers and other key partners in planning and implementation of veterinary service extension activities of Apalou program according to the approved work plans and budgets;

• Work with livestock producers have improved knowledge and skills and adopt practices that are nutrition sensitive and support resilience,
• Work with farmers to commercializing livestock value chains and live animal trading and profitable provision of community animal health services and increasing fodder production,
• Work with Livestock output markets to facilitate strengthening and expansion
• Work with youth to improve on and off farm livelihood opportunities in the livestock sector
• Work with the DVOs office to facilitate creation of an enabling environment in Karamoja for livestock is to support target markets and improved nutrition and security.

• Work closely with agro-vet shops and livestock traders to identify capacity gaps of CAHWs and farmers’ challenges and provide technical support, design tools and activities for improvement and follow up the implementation;
• Work in liaison with the district veterinary officers and agro-vet shops, the LTO will design and implement a supervisory plan for CAHWs to ensure quality service delivery to farmers;
• Build and maintain close coordination and co-operation with district veterinary department, ministry of agriculture, research institutions, sector working groups and development agencies to ensure synergy and improved coordination among programs/interventions;
• Work closely with NDA to oversee the work to control the illegal sale of animal drugs in the markets;
• Work with DVOs to plan and support disease surveillance activities and vaccination campaigns – including poultry and Newcastle disease, foot and mouth disease etc;
• Offer technical support to national drug companies, agro-vet shops and CAHWs to promote herd health program at kraal and household levels.

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 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.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Livestock Team Lead

Works Directly With: Livelihoods Teams, Other Sector teams, Save the Children and Whave teams.

Knowledge and Experience

• The ideal candidate should preferably hold a degree in animal related science (Veterinary medicine, Animal Production, Animal husbandry and Management) or its equivalent from a recognized University
• At least three years of relevant experience with proven technical experience in the field;
• 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;
• 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 is an advantage.

Success Factors

The success of the Livestock Officer will be based on the ability to push forward market-driven approaches at all stages of programming will be one of the position’s three success factors. 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 position is based in Kaabong 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: 12th July 2021