Food Security and Livelihoods Advisor - Kenya Country Office

Team/Programme: Programme Development and Quality    

Location:  Nairobi with regular travel to the field
Grade:  TBC  (Competitive Package)    

Post Type: National
Child Safeguarding:
Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people

Role Purpose:

Under the general direction and guidance of the Director of Programme Development and Quality ensure all food security and livelihoods (FSL) programming is of excellent technical quality, attracts significant donor funding and contributes to Save the Children’s strategic objectives, national/global learning and advocacy. 

The FSL Advisor is expected to provide technical advice and support to project staff to ensure programming objectives are successfully achieved, with frequent visits to the field to support high quality programme implementation.  

He/she shall also develop the Kenya country office FSL strategy and monitor its effective roll-out.  

The FSL Advisor must be willing to embrace a child rights programming approach and represent Save the Children in national forums and working groups.  He/she will guide the development and effective implementation of a Hunger Signature Programme in Kenya.  

He/she will support the overall country strategic intent to focus on risk reduction, adaptation and resiliency in light of a changing context in East Africa.

Scope Of Role: 

Reports to: Director Programme Development and Quality

Dimensions: Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since 1984, providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners. 

Current programming focuses on food security and livelihoods, child rights governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH. 

Save the Children has an operational presence in Dadaab Refugee Camp, Eldoret, Habaswein, Mandera, Meru and Wajir. 

Currently, we have a staff complement of approximately 370 staff and expenditure of approximately US$30 million this year.

Staff directly reporting to this post: None

Key Areas Of Accountability:

Strategic Planning and Programme Development

• Be fully aware of and actively participate in the development and review of country strategy and thematic programme plans.  Specifically lead the development and implementation of the food security and livelihoods component of the Save the Children Kenya country strategy, ensuring collaboration with all other thematic sectors.  Clearly reflect gender issues in our FSL programming to ensure equity of services and gender awareness in our interventions.
• Build on technical knowledge, personal understanding of the food security, economic and livelihoods policies and services in Kenya, and current/previous programming, to develop proposals for new programming in FSL. Ensure all new programmes support the achievement of Save the Children strategic and thematic objectives and Government of Kenya policies and legal frameworks, including social protection roll-out and delivery. 
• Support the expansion of financial inclusion, especially for youth, by building on the YouthSave project, cash transfer experiences and HNSP.
• Consider sustainable strategies for income growth and asset accumulation, including market-based approaches, value chains and poverty graduation models.
• Analyse donor priorities and positions on issues related to food security and livelihoods; identifying institutional funding opportunities and developing and maintaining contacts with potential donors, partners and key technical agencies.  Ensure that new partnerships in this technical area reflect the programme quality we expect of ourselves, and build the capacity of partners to do effective FSL and social protection work.  Draw on assessment data from the field that reflects community priorities and government policies for new programming opportunities.
• Help to develop, evolve and ensure effective roll-out of the Save the Children UK supported Hunger Signature Programme to achieve national impact on hunger and nutritional outcomes.
• Ensure that programme strategy supports and demonstrates good practice in child participation and child safeguarding.
• Using a child rights programming lens, ensure that our FSL programming is built around the Theory of Change and aligns with Save Children’s Programme Quality Framework.

Advocacy and Policy Development

• Be fully aware of national policies, strategies and other initiatives and developments by the Government of Kenya and other stakeholders relating to food security and livelihoods, and support evidence-based roll-out of social protection systems.  Regularly assess and communicate the implications for Save the Children’s programme and priorities of any changes in the operating environment relevant to this theme in close collaboration with other relevant advisor(s).  Ensure alignment of strategy with relevant legal frameworks.
• Help to clearly articulate the food security, livelihoods and social protection advocacy messages for the Kenya country office.  Develop an advocacy plan (with timeline and key outcomes) and ensure implementation at national, county and community level.
• Develop policy briefs and position papers as and when required related to the food security and livelihoods programme.  This may require technical collaboration with advisors within the country office or within the SC Members.
• Represent and advocate for Save the Children with UN agencies, donors, Government of Kenya, NGOs and others at the highest levels in both verbal and written communications to ensure Save the Children is seen as the lead international agency in terms of innovation and quality of implementation in food security and livelihoods, especially in collaboration with partners.  Specifically ensure the following:

1. Participation in the regional/national Food Security and Nutrition Working Group, KFFSG and other national level forums (for example, HSNP coordination meetings, CaLP).
2. Ensure presence at relevant coordination meetings at national and regional levels, as well as other key donors and stakeholders.  Supply the PDQ team with relevant reports on disaster risk reduction, resilience, climatic forecasts and markets for planning.
3. Advise field teams to ensure adequate field visibility through attendance at technical meetings at county and ward level.
4. Ensure active dissemination of programme findings and lessons learned through the production of high technical quality lessons learned documents and their effective dissemination to key stakeholders.  This includes Household Economy Analysis, market data, EMMAs and Cost of Diet studies.

Programme Quality

• Monitor and provide timely, relevant, accurate input on overall technical aspects of Save the Children food security and livelihoods programme work in Kenya.  The position will be required to travel 30-40% of the time to Save the Children field locations.
• Liaise with the Programme Operations department to ensure all food security and livelihoods and other programme staff receive the necessary and appropriate technical support. In consultation with staff and project managers agree on the range of advice, support, training and/or other assistance required to facilitate high quality programming and ensure that this is delivered in a timely manner.  This will involve regular visits to Save the Children operational areas, including Northeastern Kenya and other sites where partners are operational.
• Assist in the development of tools for project staff and partners to improve the quality of FSL work.  Where necessary provide technical training for project staff and partners as required (assessment tools, programme quality tools, market surveys, HEA, etc.).
• Where external consultants (local or international) are required to technically support or monitor and evaluate projects, lead the recruitment and subsequent management of contracted consultants as per the recruitment guidelines.
• Review relevant monitoring reports to donors to ensure that technical debates are well articulated and reports are of acceptable quality before submission. Provide support where necessary to improve report writing skills.  
• Provide input on partner selection, and provide technical coaching of partners in food security and livelihoods, including sharing of relevant publications, tools and training opportunities.
• Analyse and provide feedback on programme implementation to ensure gender equity.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Ensure the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework and key indicators (with MEAL team) for food security and livelihoods that helps each project improve quality of reporting, clearly articulate progress and impact of projects, identify issues for advocacy and input for new programmes/projects in the future. 
• Participate in the design of baseline, mid-term and end of project evaluations for food security and livelihoods programmes, including working with MEAL Advisor on Terms of Reference and consultant selection.  Monitor the evaluation process and provide input and clarification as needed.  Review evaluation findings and ensure that lessons and recommendations are captured in the Lessons Learned database.
• Regularly review and monitor programmes for child safeguarding issues.  Take corrective action in modifying programme activities and/or report incidents.

Other

• Participate actively in PDQ programme meetings, planning and review activities, providing enhanced insight into food security and livelihoods programming.
• Actively participate in key relevant internal meetings such as Programme Review Meetings, Senior Management Team or Area-based meetings as required.  Participate in any Donor visit to project(s) within the country office portfolio, as required.  
• Ensure the recruitment and training of food security and livelihoods programme staff in technical areas of expertise as appropriate and ensure availability of appropriate professional development opportunities.

Skills And Behaviours (our Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

Qualifications And Experience

• A food security, livelihoods and/or private sector professional with a Masters Degree in agricultural economics, development economics, agriculture, food security, business or other relevant discipline or commensurate work experience in lieu of postgraduate qualification.
• Significant international experience, at least 5 years, in food security and livelihoods programming in developing countries with specific experience and/or advanced understanding of at least three of the following

1. social protection systems for vulnerable populations especially pastoral and agro-pastoral populations
2. experience of running and monitoring cash transfer programmes
3. designing and implementing market assessments and analysis of data collected
4. job creation and or small and medium enterprise development
5. financial service services for low-income populations (e.g. credit, savings or insurance products)
6. relevant training and expertise in using Save the Children UK Household Economy Analysis 

• Excellent understanding of the food security sector within the Kenyan context, particularly issues related to markets, value chains, social protection and small enterprise.
• Clear understanding of the intersection of food security and livelihoods with other thematic areas, including nutrition and health and HIV/AIDS in Kenya.
• Ability to develop market based programmes to promote a better nutritional status for children and livelihoods development in an integrated approach
• Proven representation and advocacy skills.
• Strong commitment to capacity building of national staff and partners with willingness to adopt participatory and consultative approaches.
• Experience writing donor funding proposals for large institutional grants in excess of US$1 million.
• Strong report writing skills and ability to compile narrative sections for proposals and donor reports.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and effectively at all levels, taking into account cultural and language difficulties.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets.
• Experience solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in.
• Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner.
• Ability and willingness to dramatically change work practices and hours, and work with incoming surge teams, in the event of emergencies.
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required.  Swahili preferred.
• Commitment to Save the Children values, including willingness to abide by and enforce the Child Safeguarding policy.

The application period is now open and will close at midday Wednesday 15th November 2012. 

To apply for an open position, please send a short cover letter and CV to Kenya.jobapplications@savethechildren.org  indicating the position applied for in the subject line.