Program Manager I - Agriculture

Position Title: PM I/ Agriculture Program Manager

Dept/Location: CARO/Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Band: D

FLSA: Exempt

Reports to: Head of Programming

Background:

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the overseas relief and development arm of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It was founded in 1943 and works in over 100 countries globally. Since 1961 CRS has been supporting more than 30 local partners in the DRC in the implementation of emergency response and development programs in the sectors of health, education, livelihoods, HIV and peace building. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the most populous, vast and resource rich countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Decades of mismanagement, neglected infrastructure, corruption and conflict involving seven national armies over the course of 15 years have left the Congo with an 80% poverty rate, and an annual per capita income of just over $120, inadequate social and health services, and weak governmental institutions. The DRC ranked in the bottom ten countries in the world on a range of basic social and quality of life indicators.

Land degradation and poor farming techniques have hampered crop production across the country. Over the past 15 years, food insecurity has increased significantly in the DRC. Between 1991 and 2002, the number of undernourished people tripled, from 12 to 36 million, approximately 72% of the population; during this period, daily per capita caloric intake declined from 2170 to 1610 kilocalories. In addition, the lack of infrastructures such as roads, the lack of organized farmers and producers groups and the lack of post harvesting or processing units in country have not contributed to provide good income from the sale of agricultural production.

CRS/DRC is seeking applications for Program Manager (PM) in Agriculture to provide technical and program management support to an ongoing project in Maniema Province focused on No Till Agriculture. The No Till project focuses on the introduction of the no till farming methodology and incorporates other activities including agro enterprise, SILC (saving and internal lending communities) and building strong linkages with key stakeholders for learning and capacity building.

Primary Function:

Working with the No Till PM based in Kindu and local partners, the Agricultural PM will provide technical and program management oversight for all No Till Program activities.

Specific Responsibilities:

Program Quality and Management

1. Oversee and ensure the successful implementation of the No Till Agriculture (NTA) Project in Maniema.

2. Lead ongoing planning and implementation of project activities and set high quality performance targets ensuring adherence to technical standards, best practices and donor guidelines.

3. Using existing M&E tools developed with the CRS SMILER methodology; ensure close tracking of progress on project implementation.

4. Continuously support the professional development of his/her team by providing clear orientation, feedback and learning opportunities.

5. Provide appropriate technical support especially in the areas of No Till Agriculture and Agro Enterprise.

6. Identify technical assistant needs for CRS and partners and take the lead in developing SOWs and follow up with potential TA from the Region, All Africa Agriculture Team and external as appropriate.

7. Support efforts for the appropriate integration of ICT into new or ongoing programs.

8. Maintain up to date documentation related to project approval, monitoring and implementation.

9. Promote strong linkages and exchange with other CRS DRC livelihoods and agriculture programming.

Partners Accompaniment and Capacity Building

1. Ensure the engagement of partners during all aspects of program implementation.

2. Identify and ensure quality response to any capacity building needs of the partner organization.

3. Promote regular on the job coaching and mentoring for program staff.

4. As appropriate, organize and facilitate training in NTA and AE for other CRS and partners staff.

Reporting, Sharing and Learning

1. Take the lead on the preparation of donor project narrative reports, quarterly performance indicator tracking tables, baseline and final evaluation reports, as well as other reports needed/required by the local government, donors, the region or headquarters.

2. Ensure strong focus on learning including the implementation of quality case studies in coordination with student at Kindu University.

3. Identify opportunities for linkages for sharing experiences, learning and promoting the outcomes of the NTA project.

4. Provide regular updates to government and non-government coordination bodies as requested. Provide input to CRS’ annual reporting to the Ministry of Plan.

5. Prepare short success stories and briefs on innovation/best practices.

6. Promote the use of existing CRS tools produced by the All Africa Ag Team.

7. Support the regular mapping of NTA program activities in the DRC – as well as regular updating as needed.

8. Ensure the appropriate use of the CRS Sharepoint for the posting of key events and sharing of tools and reports.

Budgeting, Financial Planning and Reporting

1. Support the Kindu based Program Managers in ensuring the proper financial management systems are in place and followed in coordination with the Country Program finance team.

2. Ensure grant management compliance with donors regulations with support from the Country Program Compliance team.

3. Facilitate strong coordination with management quality staff for purchasing and inventory control as per CRS/donor requirements.

4. Support the Kindu based Program Manager and the review and analysis of budget comparison reports and take necessary steps to ensure proper management and utilization of budgets.

Coordination and Communication

1. Ensure systems are in place for the proper documentation of meetings and timely circulation of resulting information/outcomes.

2. Help with the coordination of visits of CRS, donor and partner staff as needed.

3. Work closely with relevant support teams to ensure systems are in place that will enable timely receipt and distribution of all project materials and supplies.

4. Maintain strong communication with other PQ colleagues and Regional staff and the All Africa Ag Team.

5. Represent CRS is Food Security coordination forums.

Supervisory Responsibilities: The Program Manager will supervise the No Till PM based in Kindu, Maniema Province.

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Country Representative, Head of Programming, Management Quality Team, Central Africa Regional Office (CARO) RTA for Agriculture, All Africa Agriculture Team.

External: Caritas Kindu, Kindu University, Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of the DRC at the national and provincial and local levels; Congolese and international NGOs; regional and international agricultural research agencies; civil authorities; donors; and UN agencies.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

Program Manager Competencies

These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each program manager to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

• Sets clear goals and manages toward them
• Collaborates effectively with staff and stakeholders
• Manages financial resources with integrity
• Applies program quality standards to project design and organizational learning

Technical Qualifications:

1. Technical capacity in agriculture including no till agriculture and agro enterprise.
2. Agro-enterprise experience to address constraints along the entire value chain from seed to consumer.
3. Openness to work in a participatory manner with Congolese Provincial Government, local partners and private companies.
4. Proven ability to represent CRS/DRC agricultural interest at donor and technical meetings.
5. Experience in carrying out operations research focused on agriculture.
6. Experience in program design and monitoring and evaluation.

Qualifications:

1. Masters degree in Agriculture or related field.
2. Demonstrated knowledge and experience in no till agriculture and agro-enterprise.
3. At least 3 years experience in the implementation of development projects.
4. Grant management experience.
5. Demonstrated skills in training or facilitation
6. Demonstrated skills in basic financial management.
7. Ability to work closely with Government structures and local NGOs
8. Demonstrated ability to work independently and in partnership with various actors
9. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
10. Ability to write proposals.
11. Proven ability to be an effective supervisor of staff of varying levels of responsibility.
12. Demonstrated ability to provide leadership in strategic planning initiatives.
13. Proficiency in Microsoft Windows and Office programs and the Internet
14. Familiarity with the DRC an advantage
15. Willingness to travel frequently (50% of time) and work in challenging environment
16. Professional proficiency in French.

EOE/M/F/D/V

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