THE ORGANIZATION

Yamba Malawi transforms children’s lives by empowering communities to break the cycle of poverty. We acknowledge that strained resources, poor safety nets, and limited caregiver capacity lead to poor childhood development outcomes, particularly during children’s first five years, and have lifelong effects. Limited financial literacy and insufficient access to formal financial services hinder community and caregivers efforts to invest in their children’s futures. And lack of economic opportunity creates a cycle of extreme poverty that increases childhood vulnerability and has lifelong effects on children’s growth, development, and happiness.

Yamba Malawi’s signature Childhoods and Livelihoods program uses a holistic 3-pronged approach to addressing these complex and interrelated set of challenges: 1. improving nurturing care and support for children through the strengthening of community safety nets and services, and increasing caregiver knowledge and skills in best practices for childhood wellbeing and early childhood development (ECD), 2. increasing access to financial knowledge and services, including training, savings and credit, and budgeting to improve the use of income on children’s existing and future need, and 3. improving economic resilience through diverse income generating activities that provide increased income to meet children’s basic needs.

Working at the household and community level, the Program includes a planned, time-bound sequence of activities that pairs the transfer of business assets with training, savings promotion, short-term income stabilization, and critical ECD and childhood wellbeing coaching that enables caregivers to plan beyond immediate needs and build foundations to improve their children’s futures.

The organization is seeking experienced professionals to contribute their high level of expertise to the organization and the program through the following positions:

POSITION : Project Officers (3)

SUPERVISION RECEIVED : Project Manager

SUPERVISION EXERCISED : Mentors

LOCATION : Chikwawa, Nsanje, Phalombe

THE POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Project Officer will be responsible for project implementation at district level, managing and supervising for all aspects of the Tikwere Ultra poor Poverty Graduation Program whose overall objective is to improve socioeconomic status of targeted households.

The role will strengthen and develop effective relationships with key government and other stakeholders aligned with the project at district and field level. This position will be responsible to lead and provide support to the project mentors to ensure effective implementation of program activities and that the technical integrity of the program is maintained.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Planning and Implementation

• Ensure successful implementation of Tikwere Ultra Poor Poverty Graduation Program activities at district and field level according to Yamba Malawi Logical Framework, Theory of Change and Action Plan etc. Facilitate capacity-building activities i.e. training with mentors, staff, community structures and other relevant groups in accordance with the schedule for program activities
• Coordinate with Mentors and other stakeholders for timely submission of reports.
• Provide ongoing supervision and regular appraisal of mentors according to Yama Malawi’s Performance Development and Review System.
• Support Mentors to conduct community outreach and engagement, reaching target groups and identifying appropriate livelihood activities and ensure implementation according to the program design.
• Coordinate and plan for district and community entry meetings for the Tikwere Ultra Poor Poverty graduation program.
• Represent the project during DEC meetings and other district and community stakeholder meetings.
• In collaboration with the Project Manager and community members, identify program participants.
• Facilitate the introduction of new business ideas and practices by stakeholders and providing technical support to value chain players including regulators.
• Supervise Mentors and CBOs to ensure they are performing planned tasks and activities; achieving agreed-upon targets and ensure high-quality delivery of results.
• Engage with the different focal persons at district level to supervise project activities within the district including participating in district planning meetings and ensure the project is visible to the aligned District priorities.
• Coordinate closely with the relevant ministries i.e. Agriculture, Health, Finance, Gender and Social Welfare at district and community levels ensure there is alignment with government interventions in the area and adherence to policy directives.
• Develop work plan in liaison with the program team and ensure its effective implementation.
• Consolidate district reports for all project activities and submit to immediate supervisor in a timely manner.
• Ensure that all project interventions are carried out with active and meaningful participation of the program participants, community structures, and other key stakeholders, taking account gender and social inclusion issues.
• Work closely with mentors, partners, and Yamba Malawi’s Finance Staff to ensure project expenses are allocated correctly against approved budgets lines, including explanation of significant variances.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
• Support the regular technical and methodological monitoring and evaluation according to Yamba Malawi M&E Plan.
• Prepare regular reports on all activities following specified formats and agreed schedules ensuring data quality and adherence to agreed M&E protocols.
• Facilitate the culture of learning among mentors, communities, and other key stakeholders, and prepare case studies, and share the key learnings/lessons at appropriate meetings and

In collaboration with M&E Officer and other technical leads, support assessments and monitoring actions using both paper-based and digitalized data collection devices and provides recommendations for the adaptation of project strategy based on the prevailing findings and needs.

Manage the efficiency and effectiveness of all Program activities to ensure maximum impact and sustainability.

Conduct monitoring visits to program impact areas to assess progress of activities against targets and to provide supportive supervision and mentorship to Mentors and provide guidance in areas where improvements are needed.

Conduct project status review meetings with mentors and program participants.

OTHER COMPETENCIES/ATTRIBUTES

• Demonstrates well-developed interpersonal skills, excellent communication skills. both verbal and written, as well as negotiation skills
• Must adhere to set Child Protection Policy and Guidelines
• Ensure gender and social inclusion perspective in the scope of work.
• Be a team player.
• Knowledge in Social cash transfer programming and Poverty Graduation Models
• Practical experience and or ability to work effectively with relevant governmental ministries, partners, community leaders, and other non-governmental stakeholders preferred.

QUALIFICATIONS

A Degree in Agriculture, Community Development and social work or any related field

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Please send your cover letter and Curriculum Vitae to [email protected] no later than Friday, February 3rd, 2023 Specify in the email subject line the position being applied for.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.