Head of Women Extension Unit

Job Categories: Agriculture

Minimum Education Level: Bachelor Degree

Vacancy No: 1111/MAIL/SNaPP2

Organization:SNaPP2/ (General Directorate of Extension)

Duty Station:Kabul

Duration:1 year (with possibility of extension)

No of Positions:1

Sex: Female only

Nationality:Afghan

Salary:Based on Qualification and Experiences

Announcement Date: 13-April-2016

Closing Date: 28-April-2016

Job Type: Full Time

Experience: 5 Years

Background:

Support to National Priority Program2 (SNaPP2) is a development project of MAIL funded IFAD with the goal to improve food security and economic status of poor rural households in three provinces; Balkh, Herat and Nangarhar. The project will reach at least 57,000 households consisting of 427,500 people in these provinces.

The project has two specific objectives: (i) institutional development and capacity building of community organizations, public extension services and relevant private sector entities in the provinces; and (ii) sustained increased incomes of small farmers and herders fostered by improvements in productivity and output, infrastructure and market linkages. These objectives will be addressed through supporting institutions and services, fostering increased productivity and production, and where feasible, upgrading profitable agriculture/livestock value chains.

General Directorate of extension is the main stakeholders of the program and will lead the implementation of tow sub components 1. Extension services and 2.Small-holder Institutional development and Capacity Building. G.D of extension will establish program management unit under overall supervision of G.D general director who will be responsible for the implementation of the relate activities in three provinces.

Extension sub components will strengthen the extension directorate by: (i) establishing a women’s extension department in Kabul and a cadre of 12 female extension workers specializing in agriculture and livestock, in line with the Taksheel, across the six pilot districts; (ii) strengthening the male extension worker cadre at district level in agriculture and livestock; (iii) targeting young graduates from local agricultural faculties to be recruited as extension assistants, under the Taksheel, funded by the project in years 1-3 and by MAIL thereafter; and, (iv) adapting the curriculum, in collaboration with relevant MAIL directorates, using updated techniques.

Small-holder Institutional development and Capacity Building will strengthen the female CDCs through an orientation and training program guaranteeing female CDCs’ direct control over financial resources, over some elements of project implementation and over female beneficiary selection.

Job Summary

Under the overall supervision of General Director of Extension the Head of Women Extension Services will establish Women in Agriculture (WIA) Extension Service. She will managekey agriculture extension functions as it relates to women’s role in agriculture and rural Afghanistan at the national level. In general, the incumbent will assist the General Director of Extension to ensure that MAIL extension agendas, budgets and policies are gender sensitive and address women’s issues in the rural areas of Afghanistan including: women’s ability to earn a livelihood from agricultural activities and address localized food security issues including improvements family nutrition. The incumbent will also establish a network for technical support of women extension workers as well as a robust M&E system to ensure that useful and technically accurate information is distributed to women throughout Afghanistan.

Roles and Responsibilities:

-Conduct regular monitoring visit to the field to ensure smooth implementation of the project and write mission based on the observation done form the field.

-Provide overall planning for the Women in Agriculture Extension Service including budget forecasting and determining technical support needs of extension workers, in line with SNaPP2 mission.

-Coordinate and collaborate project performance with all stakeholders

-Coordinate demand driven in-service training for women extension staff including management, administration and program/technical staff.

-Identify opportunities at the provincial or district level for extension service facilitation of public-private partnership or private sector investment which develop ancillary services and infrastructure focused on needs rural women for sustainable agricultural-development (e.g. markets, warehouses, cold storages, grain silos etc.)

-Ensure that extension services meet the needs of women farmers and their families.

-Develop and Maintain system of monitoring and evaluation for the WIA Extension Service including the establishment of a database of Agriculture Extension Services, and its stakeholders.

-Ensure that technological interventions are sustainable, promote good stewardship of Afghanistan’s natural resources, as well as the health of all Afghans.

-Support implementation of the SNaPP2 mandate and EGD policies and programs by provision of awareness and advice on socio-economic and technological interventions.

-In general manage the WIA Extension Service staff and insure that human resource, physical resource and technical resource issues are resolved in a timely manner

-Ensure timely preparation and submission of required technical, M&E, and other reports as outlined in the program

-Any other tasks as assigned by the Supervisor.

Qualifications:

  • Minimum bachelor (B.Sc.) Degree in agriculture preferably Extension, Agronomy or Horticulture Master preferred.
  • At least5 years of relevant work experience including:
  • Previous experience working in agriculture extension at the provincial or district level in Afghanistan.
  • Previous experience in working with rural women in Afghanistan
  • Previous experience in project management
  • Formal course work in project management is preferred
  • Must be fluent in Pashto, Dari and English

Skills

  • Excellent report and success stories writing skills.
  • Strong team orientation and staff development skills;
  • Performance management and improvement skills;
  • Good written and oral communication skills, as well as strong interpersonal skills.
  • Strong computer skills including Word, Excel, Access, Power Point,
  • Self directed with strong critical thinking and problems solving skills

Submission Guidelines:

The interested candidates should submit their resume alone with a covering letter as follow conditions:

  • Please send your CV along with a cover letter
  • Subject line must be: (Head of Women Extension Unit 1111/MAIL/SNaPP) otherwise your application will NOT be considered.
  • Candidate’s educational degree must be attested with Ministry of Higher Education - Afghanistan otherwise we will not accept the application in short listing process.
  • Please note that application received after the closing date will not be considered.
  • Only short listed candidates whose application responds to the above criteria will be contacted for interview.

By email or Hard to the following address:

SNaPP2/MAIL

Jamal Mena, Karti – Sakhi

Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock,

Support to National Priority Program 2

Email Address: