The International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) is an independent non-profit organization that combines innovative research, market systems development, and strategic partnerships to spread sustainable agricultural solutions for improved soil health, food security, and livelihoods around the world.
"Building Resilience and Inclusive Growth of Highland farming systems for rural Transformation"(BRIGHT) will target over 100,000 Ugandan highland households in Kigezi, Mt Elgon, and Rwenzori regions, building project interventions from the ground up that are based on the aspirations and needs of targeted farming households and communities. BRIGHT seeks to build the resilience capacity of farm households and the farming systems to recover from external shocks in an ever-changing context through absorption, adaptation, and transformation and, in so doing, increase incomes and food and nutritional security of all farmers, from subsistence-oriented farm households to more market-oriented ones.
The proposed project aims to achieve the following main impacts:
- Increased resilience, nutritional outcomes, and income for smallholder farm households; and
- Increased eco-efficient farming, making sustainable use of and protecting natural resources
IFDC is seeking to recruit a Farmer Household and Farming Systems Field Officer for this project to be based at the Mbale(1) field office.
Position Summary
The Farmer Household and Farming Systems Field Officer will be responsible for rolling out the inclusive decision-making and farm visioning and planning components of the project. He/she will train lead farmers and local implementing partners in the farm visioning and planning process including the Gender Action Learning System (GALS) approach, family tree, and trainings on community mobilization, conflict resolution, and collective action. He/she will also be responsible for guiding households in the development of integrated farm plans that have a farming system focus in conjunction with other technical officers.
- Participate in the design of a training manual for inclusive household visioning and planning approach
- Conduct training of trainers for implementing partners, and lead farmers on the household visioning and planning approach
- Conduct the effective roll-out of household visioning and planning exercise ensuring that principles of participation, gender inclusion and adaptation are followed and approaches such as Gender Action Learning System (GALS) approach and family tree used
- Conduct roll out of training on community mobilization, conflict resolution, and collective action
- Support households on the development of integrated farm business plans with a farming system focus
- Ensure that farm business plans are inclusive, have key objectives, outputs, and steps to be taken and are cognizant of crop and income diversification
- Work with Sustainable Land Management and crop production team to ensure integration of the farming systems approach with these other training components
Supervision and team collaboration
The Farmer Household and Farming Systems Field Officer is supervised by and will report to the Farmer Household and Farming Systems Lead. She/ he will work in close collaboration with project colleagues, other IFDC staff, and colleagues from other consortium members.
- Ability to work independently under pressure and meet strict deadlines.
- Act in accordance with and defend the best interests of IFDC
- Ability to work independently, under pressure to meet tight deadlines with quality output.
- Strong network in local and national communications and ability to find cost-effective means of promoting the achievements of the project
- Strong sense of integrity and personal commitment to the achievement of goals.
- Consistently maintains focus and perseveres in the face of obstacles, inspiring others to do the same.
- Strong interpersonal and team working skills with the ability to maintain effective work relationships
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to express ideas clearly, logically, and effectively
- Anticipates key issues in work and identify creative and practical solutions.
- Great organizational skills and attention to detail in the operationalization of administrative and finance tasks.
- Honors all commitments made to colleagues and partners.
- Have the ability to work in a multicultural environment, be open-minded and seek to understand
