Programme Assistant: Zimbabwe Land and Agrarian Network (ZiLAN) Position Announcement

Deadline: 20 July 2021

Contract Duration: 6 Months

About ZiLAN

The Zimbabwe Land and Agrarian Network (ZiLAN) brings together non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on land and agrarian issues. The network was established and registered as a trust in 2012 although members have had informal ties since 2006. Membership of the network comprises organisations involved in research and policy analysis, NGOs working with farmers, farmer representative organisations, women in agriculture interest groups, land reform and agriculture activists. ZiLAN strengthens the capacities of its members and small holder farmers so they can amplify their voices on land and agrarian issues in Zimbabwe. The members of the Network are driven by a shared concern about equity, and social justice in access to land, its utilization and the sharing of benefits arising from productive activities. The network is of value for a variety of reasons which include: the utilitarian (access to information, services, skills, critical mass for advocacy), ideological (solidarity with smallholder farmers and farmworkers, unified voice for civil society organisations) and pragmatic (visibility of issues; sharing experiences; common lobby platform; among others). In addition to its external focus, a large percentage of the network’s activity is devoted to learning about each other’s skills, sharing knowledge, coaching each other and developing innovation in products and strategies.

Position summary

Under the overall authority of the ZiLAN Steering Committee and supervision of the Sam Moyo African Institute for Agrarian Studies (SMAIAS), and reporting to the Coordinator, the Programme Assistant will be expected to provide technical support to the implementation of network programmes.

Job description

The Programme Assistant’s responsibilities will include but not limited to the following: Implementation of a Land Rights campaign working with the Coordinator; Provide administrative support throughout the planning and implementation of programs; Participate in project implementation by preparing work plans and reports in close coordination with the Coordinator; Supporting activities which include research, training and policy dialogues; Assist in developing grant applications and programme reports; Periodically share relevant information with the ZiLAN constituency while also getting updates from the ZiLAN membership; Monitoring and Evaluation; Provide feedback on programmes to the Programme Manager; Perform other specific operational tasks for programme/ project implementation as requested.

Qualifications

Possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences; A Masters degree will be an added advantage; Have at least two years working experience with civil society in the land and agrarian sector in Zimbabwe; be experienced in fundraising; interpreting program policies and procedures; resource management and preparation of donor reports; excellent written and oral communication skills; experience with social media use, demonstrate a high level of maturity and able to work independently with minimum supervision.