Progressio has made a significant contribution to international development and human rights for more than seventy years. We support people powered development by placing development workers to share skills overseas, and through our policy, advocacy and campaigning. We work with people of all faiths and none.

Agro-ecology and Extension Services Adviser

Environment Africa Malawi

Based in Salima, Malawi (with occasional travel to Zimbabwe)

One-year placement (with the possibility of an extension)

Please note that for this placement we are only able to consider applicants who are fluent in Englishand Chichewa.

The Development Worker (DW), working as anAgro-ecology and Extension Services Adviser, will provide Environment Africa (EA) Malawiwith technical assistance to build the knowledge and capacities of staff to develop and improve production systems among small-scale communal farmers. The principal focus will involve introducing cost effective and environmentally sustainable farming methods amongst farmers in order for them to achieve food security by adopting innovative and sustainable approaches to agriculture production and management of natural resources for alternative forms of livelihoods. The DW will work in collaboration with twoother DWsbased in Zimbabwe who are also attached to the project.
S/he will support the introduction of agro-ecological production units inTraditional Authority Msosa, in the Salima District. In particular, the DW will improve the technical skills and knowledge of EA Malawi in agro-ecology and buildexpertise on conservation agriculture technologies, including the establishment of farmer field schools,agricultural production, diversification, value chain addition, marketing and business development, community mobilisation, community savings schemes,development of field training materials, and monitoring and evaluation of agro-ecological-based initiatives.

ABOUT PROGRESSIO AND OUR APPROACH

Progressio is a UK-based charity working internationally to enable poor and marginalised people in developing countries to challenge and change the situations that keep them poor. We currently work on people’s rights, development and environment in 11 countries and have a long history of working in fragile, post-conflict and authoritarian states. We work with people of all faiths and none.

Progressio works in long-term partnerships with local pro-poor organisations and community groups in the global South. We provide practical support through around 70 development workers (DWs), mostly from the global South, who share skills, know-how and training. We also send committed young adults from the UK to engage in community development work for 10 weeks – as part of the International Citizen Service (ICS) consortium. DWs and ICS volunteers help thousands of people in some of the world’s poorest communities to make lasting improvements to their lives.

Because poverty is about unequal power relations and human rights, we work with poor and marginalised people to empower them to change the structures that keep them in poverty. We help strengthen their call for change locally as well as in the UK and Europe. With our supporters, we stand alongside poor communities in demanding that decision-makers give priority to those with least power and least wealth.

Inspired by our Catholic roots, and working across all faiths, we believe that experiencing ‘life in all its fullness’ includes freedom and control over one’s life and future. It means challenging inequalities and power imbalances. We see every person as sacred, having inherent dignity, so we stand in solidarity with poor people to assert their rights. We call this people powered development.

BACKGROUND TO ENVIRONMENT AFRICA

Environment Africa (EA)[1] works with all sectors of society throughout Zimbabwe, and more recently in Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia, to protect and manage natural resources and to promote sustainable development. EA is proud to foster partnerships that collaboratively develop and implement African solutions to African challenges. EA facilitates community action by raising awareness, motivating and empowering people to protect and restore their environment and improve their livelihoods. Established as a Private Voluntary Organisation in 1990, the organisation is owned by its members.

EA has been working with poor rural and urban communities in ensuring food security and improved livelihoods since 1990. A part of EA’s strategy has been to increase horticultural products and other non-timber forestry products, including honey. Over the years, EA has seen an increase in the amount of horticultural produce and other non-timber forestry products. In some cases, the increase has resulted in surpluses, which the farmers would like to market in order to generate incomes for other household needs.

- Overall goal of Environment Africa

Mobilising action for the environment by means of strategic alliances at local, national, regional and international levels.

- Environment Africa - Programmes

  • Livelihoods Improvement

The Livelihoods Improvement Programme (LIP) focuses its efforts around poverty reduction, as environmental degradation is both the cause and result of poverty. To achieve the ultimate aim of the LIP, EA has a multidimensional approach to poverty reduction strategies that have an environment focus and address issues of food security, sanitation and nutrition.

  • Policy on Environmental Education For Schools (POEMS)

POEMSis a project that involves schools developing school-based environmental policies and management plans. Policy and management plans are developed by major stakeholders in the school (educators, learners and parents) in a participatory manner. A policy is normally a product of a policy development process that involves an audit, by the stakeholders, of existing activities and the setting, evaluation and reviewing of environmental education goals and management plans. The development of an environmental policy contributes to an enriching, healthy and more sustainable school environment.

  • Youth empowerment

EA recognises the importance of involving youth in development initiatives as they are future custodians of the planet. EA has been engaging youth in environmental conservation campaigns, participation in youth global environment forums and income generating projects. Youth have also been involved in social responsibility youth camps.

  • Environmental rights: lobbying and advocacy

Activities most central to EA's work are lobbying and advocacy, approached through words and actions (directly and indirectly), vocally and discreetly, publicly and privately. A variety of locations are targeted, including government offices, company boardrooms, villages, international conferences, the media and at street level.This type of approach is often an entry point for lobbying and advocacy activities as well as conflict resolution. EA has to respond quickly and investigate environmental problems received from the public.

  • Environment and conservation

The environment in Malawiis under serious threat, due to the overexploitation of natural resources, poor agricultural production and the continued deterioration of the economy. Resources are tapped unsustainably and industrial by-products and other materials are simply dumped without being recycled. EA recognises that people are part of the environment and need to use its resources, while conserving enough so that their children can benefit. Thus EA takes a social community approach, working with guardians of the environment for the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources, and restoration of the degraded environments.

  • Social responsibility

The programme works with urban councils, and other urban stakeholder groups, to develop public-private partnerships for environmental planning and management. Work with urban stakeholders (industry, government and consumers) aims to develop better communication and networking amongst thesestakeholders on urbanenvironmental issues, for better environmental management within industries. Local companies are targeted, and the programme monitors the local industry situation and needs with respect to environmental management. It advocates for the environment amongst decision-makers in industry, recognises good environmental performers, improves the training and advisory capacities of 'skills-multipliers', raises awareness in knowledge gaps by providing information and by acting as a ‘clearing house’ that puts companies in contact with reliable advisers, trainers and sources of information.

BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT

The Progressio DW will be attached to a project called Conserving Our Land, Producing our Food, which will be implemented with funding from the Big Lottery Fund (BLF). The project will be implemented in Malawi and Zimbabwe and will concentrate on sustainable use of natural resources. The project will reduce poverty and food insecurity by strengthening the livelihoods of 41,000 disadvantaged people in Malawi and Zimbabwe:

  • In Malawi, the project will target 11,000 people in 46 villages of the Msosa Traditional Authority, in the Salima district (Central Malawi).
  • InZimbabwe, the project will target 30,000 people in three wards of each of the three districts – Zvimba, Guruve and Nyanga (in the North and North-east of Zimbabwe). 4,000 community members will form community action groups to tackle unsustainable use of natural resources.

In Malawi, over 50 per cent of the population live below the poverty line and are vulnerable to food insecurity. The increasing frequencies of natural disasters, like droughts, contribute to household food insecurity in thetwo target countries. In Malawi and Zimbabwe, the effects of natural disasters have been exacerbated by; poor agricultural and food policies, the economic meltdown that the countries have experienced in the past decade, and the HIV and AIDS pandemic and its and its associated relationship with or impact on poverty/food security.

Progressio and EA have both been working in the region for a number of years and have extensive experience of improving the lives of the poor and marginalised through more equitable and sustainable use of natural resources. Progressio and EA identified the target districts by using secondary documentation, including Malawi’s Growth and Development Strategy, Malawi’s National Adaptation Programme of Action, Salima Socio-economic Profile (SEP), Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZimVac) Rural Food Security Assessment 2010, and Zimbabwe Ministry of Agriculture-FAO(Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) reports.

In early 2011, after identifying target districts for the project, Progressio and EA Malawi and Zimbabwe carried out participatory community assessments in the target districts to identify the specific needs for this project, and to guide the development and design of the project aims and activities. Interactions with small-scale farmers and local authorities in the country point to frequent droughts, agricultural inputs (seeds and fertilisers) and markets challenges, de-forestation, poor soils and poor small-scale agriculture support policies, including a lack of public investment in irrigation, as among the causes of household food insecurity. These causes of food insecurity are corroborated by the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) Report, which identified limited employment opportunities, poor rainfall and shortage of water for domestic and agriculture use, limited cash liquidity, high costs of inputs and agricultural produce and limited access to lucrative markets, as among community challenges.

THE PLACEMENT

The Progressio DW will work as anAgro-ecology and Extension Services Adviserproviding EA Malawi with technical assistance to build the knowledge and capacities of staff to develop, improve and increase programme activities.The principal focus is working with local communities in introducing cost effective and environmentally sustainable agricultural production systems.

The DW will support the development of skills within EA personnel on agro-ecology and improved extension services. S/he will also be responsible for monitoring the transfer of these skills to local communities. Working in collaboration with two other Progressio DWs based in Zimbabwealso attached to the project,s/he will also contribute towards ensuring the quality of produce to enhance marketability.The DW will also assist inresearching issues pertaining to food security in the face of the changing environment, including the adaptive capacity of farmers to climate change.

- Overall aim as a Progressio DW

The project is envisaged as contributing to the specific theme, sub-theme and indicator(s) outlined below that form part of Progressio’s overall monitoring and evaluation (M&E) logical framework, RICA (Regular Impact and Capacity Assessment):

Theme 2: Ensuring a Sustainable Environment:

Overall Goal:Poor and marginalised people will have improved quality of life through more equitable and sustainable management of natural resources, especially in the light of climate change and resource scarcity

Objective 2.1: Sustainable farming:

Promotion of agro-ecology and sustainable, equitable farming approaches and access to market in order to increase quality of life for poor and marginalised people

- Specific responsibilities

The Agro-ecology and Extension Services Adviserwill:

  • Build the knowledge and capacity of the staff of EAMalawi?,includingBranch Managers, Field Officers and students on attachment, in designing and introducing ago-ecological production units at the community level. This includes helping to improve the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of such interventions in a participatory manner to ensure effective and sustainable adoption by communal farmers.
  • Oversee the setting up of farmer field schools for the purposes of introducing agro-ecological production methods.
  • Assist in the identification of appropriate crops and forestry products that can be produced by communal farmers under this programme in line with local conditions and market potential.
  • Lead in the processes of developing training manuals to facilitate the training of farmers in cost effective and environmentally sustainable agricultural methods.
  • Assist in the development of materials that can be used to enhance extension services by relevant government departments by mainstreaming agro-ecology concepts.
  • Assist in the mobilisation of further funding for the project, especially with a view to developing water facilities in the participating communities to enhance production.
  • Introduce appropriate technology in enhancing access to productive water for participating communities.

- By the end of the placement, the DW will have:

  1. Assisted in training at least 11,000 people in Traditional Authority Msosa, in the Salima District,in cost effective and environmentally sustainable farming methods.
  1. Assisted in training government agricultural extension workers in enhanced agro-ecology within the context of the participating communities’ environment.
  1. Developed appropriate manuals for agro-ecological training for farmers – for use by EA staff in the future.
  1. Assisted EA Malawi in having created awareness of, and conducted training among communities on, expected standards of production and the Village Savings and Loans concept.
  1. Recorded and demonstrated increased production in selected crops among the participating communities as a result of improved methods and environmentally sustainable methods of production.
  1. Assisted EA Malawi in developing anagro-ecological extension programme that is sustainable and that can easily be replicated in other districts through community exchanges.
  1. Writtenat least four articles or research papers for publication around issues pertaining to agro-ecology and extension services for dissemination at the country and regional level.

-Counterpart and management

While the Progressio DW will work with all staff as a member of a team in building capacity in the area of cost effective and environmentally sustainable agricultural production, the DW’s direct counterparts will be the Field Officers in the selected project areas.The DW will be accountable to the EAMalawi Country Director based in Lilongwe.

The DW will also be expected to produce regular reportsand reports directly to theProgressioMalawi Country Representative, with whom overall responsibility for the DW lies.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

This section outlines the skills and requirements we seek for this placement, please read it carefully and ensure your application addresses each of these requirements (giving clear examples).

Specification

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Essential

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Desirable

Education / 1.Master’s degree in Agriculture, or a related qualification / 20.A higher degree in agriculture with a strong emphasis onextension services, plus an emphasis on appropriate technology for small-scale farmers
Experience / 2.At least five years’ experience in development programmes related to small-scale agricultural production, preferably in developing countries
3.Experience in designing and delivering extension services to resource poor farmers
4.Experience in designing and introducing appropriate technology in agriculture and at the community level
5.Experience in introducing agro-ecological production systems at the community level among resource poor farmers
6.Extensive experience in carrying out rapid research with farmers for beneficiary driven advocacy
7.Experience of working on advocacy on agricultural issues / 21.Previous experience of working in the region and in the implementation of Village Savings and Loans Projects
22.Experience in fundraising for local NGOs
Skills and knowledge / 8.A sound understanding and interpretation of agro-ecology as a concept and how it applies in the local context
9.A sound understanding of how extension systems are designed, their constraints and enablers
10.Outstanding training skills, especially among small-scale farmers and extension staff
11.Cutting edge knowledge of organic products and production systems
12.Goodreport writing skills
13.Good interpersonal skills, with a willingness and ability to work as part of a team and to share skills in a collaborative and participatory manner
14.Fluency in English and Chichewa (written and spoken)
15.An ability to communicate with a diverse range of people
16.Ability to plan and implement own work with limited support

Other

/ 17.A readiness to work with people with widely differing belief systems and personal circumstances
18.Willingness to undertake road travel in and betweenMalawi and Zimbabwe
19.Demonstrable commitment towards the aims and objectives of Environment Africa and Progressio / 23.Valid Driving licence

LOCATION

The DW will be based in the Salima District where the project will be implemented. The placement will also involve travelling to Lilongwe (and possibly to Zimbabwe when necessary).

Salima district is located in the Central Region of Malawi, 103 kilometers south of Lilongwe.It has a total land area of 2,196 square kilometres(2.3 per cent of Malawi’s land space). It shares boundaries with Nkhotakota to the north, Dowa and Ntchisi to the north-west, Lilongwe to the west, Dedza and Mangochi to the south, and Lake Malawi to the east. The district has a population of about 309,300, based on 2.5 per cent annual growth projections from the 1998 Population and Housing Census.