About

Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest, privately-held, non-denominational, and politically independent German non-governmental organizations in the area of development co-operation and emergency relief. Primarily in cooperation with local partner organizations, its task is to contribute to improved income and nutrition for the poorest rural populations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Welthungerhilfe has been implementing projects in Zimbabwe almost continuously since 1980. Currently, the organization together with its partners has projects in 5 Provinces. Sector focus is on Food and Nutrition security including WASH, and when necessary Emergency response.

Welthungerhilfe is implementing a 12-month project with an overall objective to strengthen the resilience of 3 000 most vulnerable households to climate and economic shocks and their impacts on food security and livelihoods: The proposed project implemented in Gweru will be an integral part of WHHs overall urban portfolio building on and deepening our existing work in urban areas, and our relationship with WFP. For over 20 years, WHH has been implementing resilience building and food security projects in rural and urban areas which include but not limited to: Midlands, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces: Gweru was selected as one of the domains where WHH is currently implementing a n urban resilience building project in addition to a cash transfer project which is suitable for demonstrating the humanitarian development nexus approach.

Position summary

Welthungerhilfe seeks to recruit a Resilience Field Officer who will be expected to employ an integrated approach that uses a combination of four risk management strategies; Risk Reduction - Reducing the impacts of weather and socio-economic related shocks and improved natural resource management through asset creation or improved agricultural and marketing practices; Risk transfer - Protecting vulnerable households from major covariate shocks through microinsurance; Prudent Risk taking - increasing investment, livelihoods diversification and microcredit; Risk reserves - Promoting savings as a buffer to short term needs and idiosyncratic shocks; The rationale behind this, is to build resilience through providing communities with different layers of risk management activities.

Job description

To lead on innovative programming focusing on evidence-based solutions that have lasting impact and resilience building as a priority which involves using a systems-based approach that builds on proven solutions, accesses new ideas and information, and integrates multiple sectors and partnerships to strengthen food security and livelihoods, economic development and climate change adaptation; Provide technical oversight and leadership on resilience as a guiding principle and approach to reach the program’s overall goal; Improve food security through increased food access and sustainable watershed management; Implementing the technical vision for resilience in the project; Working closely with key stakeholders to translate the project’s resilience logic into work plans to ensure quality implementation of key activities; Provides technical input for resilience integration across the implementation of the program’s three main pillars and cross-cutting themes; Supports the project start-up processes during the program Refinement Phase, including contributing to research, assessment, analysis and design activities; Support regular reflection to assess strengths and weaknesses of resilience application in programming and develop detailed reports to adapt project approaches to the local context; Work closely with the Meal Coordinator to develop and facilitate resilience-informed adaptive management processes at a district level; To reflect on resilience monitoring results, take stock of successes and failures, and make project adjustments as necessary; Identify opportunities for ensuring the program can demonstrate evidence and deliver compelling messages on what works best for resilience in the target domain; Support the development of high quality learning products, program briefs and thought pieces articulating and sharing evidence of success for building resilience; Package resilience content and information for key internal and external audiences; Facilitate capture and packaging of resilience stories.

Qualifications

Minimum 5 years demonstrated experience working on projects promoting livelihoods interventions through skills training, alternative / additional income generation,

micro-savings and micro-lending, and agricultural value-chain development; Demonstrated track record of achieving results in sustainably increasing economic growth and conserving biodiversity; Experience establishing and strengthening microfinance savings and lending, groups to empower women and youth to gain numeracy, financial and literacy skills, manage their own finances, and start and manage their own sustainable micro-enterprises; Experience designing and delivering training to develop agricultural value Chains; Experience linking relevant training to market actors and workforce development opportunities that promote sustainable livelihoods; Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM).