Program / Department Summary 

With funding from USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), Mercy Corps’ Nawiri Program is leading a consortium of Kenyan and international partners on a Seven-year journey to sustainably reduce persistent acute malnutrition in Turkana and Samburu Counties of Kenya. Through a phased approach that emphasizes evidence gap analysis, as well as partnership, learning, and co-creation, the program takes a robust county-centered design with government leadership, active engagement from communities, the private sector, and civil society. Mercy Corps’ consortium brings together the global leadership, research capacity, technical expertise, and implementation experience necessary to partner with local institutions to test, adapt, and scale evidence-based solutions. Together we will sustainably reduce persistent acute malnutrition for vulnerable populations in Turkana and Samburu counties.

General Position Summary

The Alternative Livelihoods and Inclusive markets Officer will be a member of the USAID Nawiri Resilient Livelihoods Team and directly responsible for implementing nutrition-sensitive resilient livelihood interventions at sub-county (prioritized wards) level. These include on and off-farm livelihoods, market systems development along crop, livestock value chains, financial inclusion and vocational skills. They will work alongside other USAID Nawiri team members in layering interventions for collective impact at household and community level. The two positions will be based at the USAID Nawiri Turkana North and South sub-county (sub-office) offices supporting interventions within the sub-county and prioritized wards – that continuously experience high rates of acute malnutrition. They will work closely with relevant county officials, CSOs and private sector players involved in livelihoods and food security & nutrition within their areas of operation.

Livelihoods across Turkana are diverse and further diversifying as stability and investment spreads across Kenya’s northern arid lands. Although some communities and households are able to benefit from growth and change, others are struggling to find a place in the increasingly diversified economy. The Alternative Livelihoods and Inclusive markets Officer play a pivotal role in supporting community and household livelihood activities that support positive nutritional outcomes. Activities will likely include support to poverty graduation models aimed at supporting human capital development, conflict management and peaceful co-existence around natural resource management, and Ward development planning.

They will support the implementation of strategies in coordination with the Livelihoods Coordinator. The Alternative Livelihoods and Inclusive markets Officers will largely draw on technical support from Livelihoods coordinator and Livelihoods team of advisors in Nairobi to assist with moving the program forward and supporting partners with technical assistance. It will be critical to ensure that common strategies and approaches are applied that lead to sustainable nutritional outcomes. They will keep abreast of changing contexts in the County and advise on the integration of new ideas and approaches as appropriate.

Essential Job Responsibilities

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

• Facilitate community visioning process for resilient livelihoods using community participatory appraisal tools.
• Contribute to livelihoods team, work plans and guide successful implementation of program activities, ensuring teams and partners follow work plans so activities are in alignment and achieve desired impact.
• Provide technical guidance on all alternative livelihoods and markets system development interventions where required and ensure that interventions are responsive to stakeholders and consistent with Mercy Corps’ learning agenda and plan.
• Oversee the design and implementation of nutrition sensitive Ward Development Plans and alternative livelihoods and Markets based interventions.
• Facilitate business to business linkages for targeted crop/livestock and off farm livelihoods anchor groups for increased access to input and output markets.
• Facilitate Increased access for poor and ultra-poor HH to productivity enhancement inputs, skills for starting and growing alternative livelihoods.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation of project activities.
• Coordinate with the livelihoods assistant to develop activities work plans, directly implement and report for each activity undertaken.
• Mobilize communities and support livelihoods based SSBC and case management initiatives for transformed practices at household level
• Identify and build win-win partnerships with public and private sector actors to support the start-up and growth of on and off-farm livelihoods in Turkana County.
• Identify links for program participants to other traders, markets, financial institutions, public and private institutions.
• Collaborate with USAID Nawiri health and nutrition staff to integrate messaging into on and off-farm livelihood training curriculum/manuals.
• Ensure that interventions are evidence-based and adhere to adaptive management principles.
• Support research, assessments, evaluations and monitoring surveys in area of operation. This will entail development of Scopes of Work, development of survey tools, trainings and management of data collectors, report write and facilitating results discussion.
• Integrate community approaches, gender sensitivity and capacity building into all activities as appropriate including certifying all interventions to adhere to Mercy Corps’ Gender Policy, Do No Harm principles, and beneficiary accountability standards.
• Coordinate with procurement, logistics, security, administration and human resources teams to ensure operational systems support field activities.

COMMUNITY AND COUNTY ENGAGEMENT

• Mobilize sub-county and ward level alternative livelihoods forums with relevant stakeholders.
• Conduct community mobilization and sensitization meetings with ward and community-level leaders, government, NGO, private sector to enhance investments in alternative livelihoods.
• Participate in Ward Development Planning processes and ensure their participation and integration of plans into county priorities.
• Link livelihoods to Ward Planning Committees to relevant county government departments and other development partners.
• Initiate collaborative partnership with other development partners and identify potential opportunities for linkages.

INFLUENCE & REPRESENTATION

• Work with Livelihoods Coordinator to facilitate smooth coordination of activities with consortium partners, sub grantees, local government, private sector and other implementers, as well as with other Mercy Corps programs.
• Participate in planning meetings and workshops with government, NGO, private sector, and community partners to develop and deliver capacity building of participants.

SAFEGUARDING

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options

SECURITY

• Work closely with the country team’s security focal point to develop and maintain systems that promote the safety and security of all team members.
• Ensure that programs are designed and implemented with a clear analysis and understanding of security.

OTHER

• Conduct themselves both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned.

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 Participants

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.

Supervisory Responsibility: N/A

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Livelihoods Coordinator

Works Directly With: Water resources officer, Assistant livelihoods officers – livestock, alternative livelihoods officers, REAP for nutrition officers, Household economic Strengthening officers, and Sub-office M&E officers.

Knowledge and Experience 

• Degree in Community Development, Business management, Agriculture, Livestock, or related field or diploma with over 3 years’ hands on work experience.
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience working with NGOs/CBO’s in civic engagement, livelihoods and market system development.
• Demonstrated computer competency of Microsoft Excel and knowledge of at least one data management software including MS Access, SPSS, STATA.
• Commitment to working in the ASALs experience in Turkana a plus.
• Understanding of working with local partners and commitment to working in a consortium.
• Good problem solving, written and oral communication skills.
• Confident, sound training facilitation and representation/relationship management skills.
• Strong written and spoken English and Kiswahili
• Local (Turkana) language skills required.
• Ability to work without constant supervision and as part of a diverse team.
• Good knowledge of MS Office software such as Excel, Word, and Access.