Government of Belize

Government of Belize

Resilient Rural Belize

Consultancy for Climate Officer

The Government of Belize (GOB), through a proposed financing arrangement with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF),is set to embark on a six-year Programme, Resilient Rural Belize (RRB), which aims to minimize the impacts of climatic and economic events on smallholder farmers while supporting sustainable market access for their produce. The programme will help farmers employ climate resilient agricultural practices and technologies; integrate profitable smallholder participation into the development of select vegetable, fruit, and honey value chains; and support smallholder production capacity through investments in public and private climate resilient infrastructure and in the strengthening of smallholder farmer Producers Organizations and relevant GOB Departments.

The Programme will be managed by a Programme Management Unit (PMU), which is being hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture while the Ministry of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commercewill serve as the Lead Programme Agency. The Programme has two main components: 1) Climate Resilient Value Chains Development – to introduce/strengthen smallholder participation in select value chains through the promotion of climate resilient production methods, product diversification, and related innovations; and 2) Climate Resilient Rural Infrastructure and Assets Development – to support climate resilient productivity and improved market access through rehabilitation and provision of new road, drainage, and irrigation infrastructure in priority areas.

TERMS OF Reference

The Climate Officer will be a member of the PMU and will be responsible for the successful implementation of a climate smart agriculture program empowering smallholder farmers to meet the needs of formal markets and become competitive actors in the national food system. He/she will supervise and receive support from six (6) Climate Extension Agents specialized in climate smart agricultural practices who will be contracted to provide advice and assistance to producers in the field. The Climate Extension Agents will work closely together with extension agents from the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) in order to strengthen their capacities and create synergies with other activities being carried out by the MOA.

The Climate Officer will lead the implementation of the programme´s strategy for farmer-level support that assists farmers produce climate adapted, higher quality, more nutritious crops, including strengthening the design, planning and implementation of programmes in resilience building, productive safety-nets, disaster-risk reduction and preparedness from production to post-harvest.

Specific responsibilities of theClimateOfficer will include:

•Conducting desk reviews, including the programme description, programme documents and programme result data, such as reports, M&E data, case studies, success stories, and other relevant materials generated by the programme;

•Designing a draft work plan for review by the programme manager;

•Conducting fieldwork according to the work plan;

•Analysing and documenting key findings in clear, concise and usable case studies. In collaboration with Climate Extension Agents, develop at least 2 case studies that focus on the Climate interventions. Each of these case studies should answer the following questions: (i) What is working well in current programming? Evidence? (ii) What is not working well in current programming? Evidence? (iii) How are the programme's interventions addressing the climate-induced stresses and shocks in Belize?

•Preparing a draft report for programme management feedback;

•Preparing a final report and PowerPoint presentation summarizing findings, making presentations to programme management, the donor and partners;

•Engaging actors' interests and promoting their active involvement, ensuring adequate capacity at different levels to perform the actions and changes needed, and political will to support the implementation of climate-smart actions;

•In collaboration with the Agricultural and Marketing Officer, the ROD Officer, and the Climate Extension Agents, identifying formal and informal farmers groups, individual farmers and women interested in accessing markets, improving backyard gardens, producing more sustainably and adapting their agricultural practices to climate change; and identifying their training and capacity building needs;

•In collaboration with the Climate Extension Agents, developing a self-vulnerability assessment for each targeted community; and supervising the execution of the self-vulnerability assessments;

•Coordinating and supervising the development of an individual production and climate resilience programme for each farmer organization that will be carried-out by the Climate Extension Agents;

•In coordination with the M&E Officer, designing the methodology for measuring and following up progress of the producers organizations, women's backyard gardens and individual farmers – increased production, crop quality and added value; reduced post-harvest losses; diversified production; increased farmers climate resilient knowledge; increased access to markets; improved/increased women's backyards; increased food security; communities awareness on their natural resources; communities awareness of climate change threats, vulnerability and response capacity; MoA extension agents knowledge on all of the above mentioned subjects.

•In coordination with University of Belize Central Farm (UBCF), developing training courses, and manuals on climate resilient practices, disaster risk-reduction and preparedness, post-harvest solutions and transformation, and storage solutions. Courses will be directed to farmers, MOA staff and extension agents;

•In collaboration with UBCF, identifying potential farms to carry out farmer-to-farmer trainings and exchanges; and coordinating the field visits.

•Revising producers' organizations proposals for the Matching Grant Fund, and supervising the implementation of proposals, if approved;

•Developing longer-term resilience programmes, developed in partnership and aligned to national and local priorities;

•To the extent possible, working to catalyse changes needed in the institutional set up of public extension away from a system of separate extension services for agriculture, forestry, and environment, to a unified system or better alignment between sectoral extension services with a greater focus on natural resources management (NRM).

•Identifying vulnerable communities and households, and implementing actions to build their resilience to shocks and ensuring long-term food security;

•Ensuring good relationships, communication and coordination between Climate and MoA extension agents;

•Informing the Ministry of Agriculture and the Climate Change office on important issues and the programme´s status on a regular basis;

•Participating in the selection of the Climate Extension Agents;

•Carry out any other activities that are assigned by the Programme Manager.

The ClimateOfficerwill possess a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, a post-graduate degree in Environmental Management/Conservation and have at least five years of proven experience in:

•Working with farmers in sustainable agricultural production;

•Community and rural development.

Other Desirable Skills and Personal Qualities include:

•A solid understanding of rural development; knowledge and experience with agroforestry, and agroecology is an asset;

•Excellent command of the English language, spoken and written. Spanish language proficiency would be an asset;

•Leadership skills and good communication skills;

•Solid managerial capabilities for managing human and financial resources, and fostering teamwork (including mediation and conflict resolution);

•Ability to negotiate and foster partnerships with stakeholders and other institutions;

•Good analytical and data analysis skills;

•Good report writing and computer skills (experience in data processing);

•Willingness to work outside of formal working hours;

•Willingness to promote the programme, undertake regular field visits and interact with different stakeholders, especially primary stakeholders;

•Highly computer literate;

•Very good integrity and high ethical standards;

•Being a self-starter and self-motivated with minimal supervision required;

•Successful work experience in similar projects would be considered an asset.

The Climate Officer will report directly to the Programme Manager, and will be supported by the PMU Administrative Staff. The duty station for the position will be at the PMU Office in Belmopan.

The Government of Belize, invites all interested and qualified candidates to submit applications for the above-mentioned consultancy via electronic mail or direct mail to the address below no later thanMay 25, 2018 at 4:00PM (GMT -06:00). Applications should include a Letter of Application, Detailed Curriculum Vitae, and a minimum of two (2) references.

Ministry of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce

RE: Consultancy – Climate Officer

Attn: Ms. Shenelle Lewis

Administrative Officer

Sir Edney Cain Building

Ground Floor, Right Wing

City of Belmopan

Belize

Tel: (501) 822-2526/7