Sustainability Consultant (specialist/intern) Job Vacancy at International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Job Title: Sustainability Consultant (specialist/intern)

Company: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Established in 1951, IOM is the principal intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. We are growing rapidly and currently count 127 member states. A further 18 states hold observer status, as do numerous international and non-governmental organizations.

Closing date: 21 Feb 2011

Location: Uganda

Location information: Abim – Karamoja or Gulu – Acholi
Background Information: Karamoja sub-region

During 2010 IOM’s “Karamoja Food Security and Community Stabilization Programme” was instrumental in a transition in Karamoja away from food aid-dependency to sustainable food security. During the past twelve months IOM has been active in 500-plus villages (viz. nearly 40% of the entire Karamoja sub-region), in addition to have been pivotal in reducing food aid in Karamoja by over 50%.

In 2011, IOM will be working closely with local governments and the United Nations World Food Programme (“WFP”) implementing part of the Second Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (“NUSAF2 Programme”). IOM will endeavour to incorporate NUSAF2 activities around the touchstone objectives of food security and community stabilization. The NUSAF2 Programme will be government-led and IOM believes its work across three districts and 400 villages is explicit recognition of the progress achieved by WFP and IOM in 2010. IOM is encouraged by the fact that motivation levels amongst communities, local civil society partners, and local/national government counterparts have consistently trended upwards throughout 2010. IOM needs to work hard to ensure that this trend continues. The possibility now exists for the 500-plus communities that IOM works in for people to farm their way out of dependency on outside aid and the inter-tribal conflict over resources and wealth, both dynamics of which have reached viral proportions across Karamoja during the past 40 years. Commencing January 2011 and ongoing until December 2011, IOM in partnership with WFP, designated civil society organizations, and local government interlocutors in the districts of Abim, Amudat, and Nakapiripirit will focus on community facilitation, responding to environmental degradation, exploring energy-saving practices, improving water usage and conservation, and causing participating communities to become more self-reliant and self-sufficient.

IOM strongly believes that its partnership with WFP is in the vital interest of the transition that is already underway in Karamoja. In fact, we believe that our work and the areas we are working in are rapidly reaching critical mass for the following reasons:

1. Over 160 community projects are completed across over 500 villages in the districts of Abim, Amudat, and Nakapiripirit;
2. Communities are ALREADY growing their own surplus crops, selling locally and over the border in Kenya. In this sense, we have proven that our polyculture-oriented methods are profitable by providing food for families and surplus food for local trade;
3. IOM has espoused and ACHIEVED project diversification including animal management, irrigation, water storage, and community/market gardens;
4. We have conducted extensive public awareness of this transition through outdoor cinema events (to wit, IOM organised and held 102 outdoor cinema screenings across communities in all five districts of Karamoja. These cinema screenings brought together over 234,000 people of which nearly 65% were adults over the age of 18. Furthermore, as part of this process, some 231 formal governmental officials and 160 informal community leaders were consulted in the development and dissemination of these films. IOM now has over six hours of content showing that progress in Karamoja is not only possible, but that it is already happening.)
5. We have considerable private sector investment interest (domestic and foreign companies) in a joint venture in 2011.

IOM has also developed several short films on Karamoja, as follows:

1. Sustainable agriculture and self reliance tool kit (two-volume DVD set) in Luo, Ngakarimojong, and English;
2. Six short five-minute films on progress in Karamoja; and
3. Video montage highlighting local community members’ and local governmental officials’ perspectives on change, challenges, and a vision of a self sufficient, self reliant Karamoja.

As with all films on the Karamoja sub-region, our intention is to produce a believable depiction of Karimojong and Labwor peoples, essentially to ‘demystify and disarm’ the notion that the sub-region is primitive and backward. IOM has achieved this by capturing unique stories that dramatically show the self-sufficiency, diversity, and humanity of the peoples in this beautiful part of Uganda. All staff and/or consultants based in the Karamoja sub-region should be familiar with the content of these films.

In 2011 IOM believes that climate change and adaptation stands to be a new area for programme development; projects focused on adjustment in natural or human systems (i.e. a damaged and depleted ecosystem in Karamoja) are a way forward that should be properly explored and contextualized. The basic idea is that vulnerable communities in Karamoja need help to cope with the inevitable impact of climate change.

Background Information: Acholi sub-region

In 2009-2010, through it’s Community-Based Reintegration Programme in Northern Uganda, IOM and the United Nations Development Programme provided assistance to 481 vulnerable youth of which 111 or 23% were women. Yet, female-headed, IDP, returnee, and ex-combatants households in the Acholi sub-region face specific hardships in relation to their social and economic (re)integration. Thirty percent (30%) of households in the Acholi sub-region are estimated to be female-headed. Furthermore, female ex-combatants in particular (e.g. gun-carrying combatants, cooks, logisticians, spies, abductees, sex partners, porters, etc.) and female-headed IDP and returnee households have experienced extraordinary levels of trauma. When one considers that 85% households in the Acholi sub-region rely on agriculture as the primary means of livelihood, the potential for marginalization of women’s livelihoods and means of subsistence is manifest.

IOM was recently informed of funding made available through the Peacebuilding Fund as part of a joint submission amongst participating UN agencies. Mindful of the limited resources available for socio-economic reintegration assistance in the Acholi sub-region, IOM decided to focus on female-headed, IDP, returnee, and ex-combatants households. Unless this sub-set of the population are assisted, there is a very real risk that these families continue to fall into patterns of behaviour and practices that lead to social disintegration that threatens the nascent stability in Northern Uganda. The core element of IOM’s approach to socio-economic reintegration assistance has been to work with existing structures (e.g. businesses, communities, civil society groups, and local government agencies) to provide skills and jobs to vulnerable female-headed households youth who may otherwise backslide into various forms of vulnerability (viz. prostitution, petty crime, self-harm, substance abuse). These vulnerable female-headed households – or “clients” as IOM likes to call them – are referred to jobs and/or organized into self supporting beneficiary groups through local civil society partners; these self-help groups are led by the women themselves and represent the starting point for the reduction of tensions in parishes with high densities of ex-combatants, former abductees, displaced families and other vulnerable persons. Not only does an existing business or self-help group offer a job, but the workplace or self help group structure and underlying principles of decent work encourages and reinforces behaviours such as working together and helping oneself by helping others.

IOM is also a participating agency within the UN Joint Programme on Population (JPP), which is led by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Under Outcome 3 of the JPP, IOM has a sub-component that is very likely to be funded for 2011-2012 implementation. Outcome 3 of JPP aims to enable youth and vulnerable groups to develop competitive skills and access opportunities in order to actively participate in the economy. IOM’s sub-component focuses specifically on supporting vulnerable women from Northern Uganda (Gulu, Pader, Agago, Abim, Nakapiripirit, Amudat) to access labour market/ employment opportunities. The types of activities include, socio-economic opportunity mapping and labour market assessment, establishing passive referral (viz. self-referral) system within existing youth friendly sites to connect vulnerable women with labour market opportunities in Northern Uganda, and job referral, small business and/or self-help group start-up assistance. There are clear linkages between IOM’s existing socio-economic reintegration assistance for female-headed households that should be explored.

Sustainability in terms of livelihood and/or viable job opportunities – whether as part of a socio-economic reintegration programme or simply helping women become more productive - is the nexus of economic self-sufficiency. This inherently necessitates enabling women and girls to access primary and secondary income sources in a way that is socially acceptable within communities. The predominant focus of IOM’s approach will be sustainable agriculture, broad-based community engagement, and empowering women to take a leading role in the design, implementation, and improvement of their economic activities.

In some parts of Northern Uganda, most especially the Acholi sub-region, supporting vulnerable women to access labour market/employment opportunities is synonymous with both social and economic reintegration. Significant numbers of the population have only recently returned home after spending years in IDP camps. Accordingly, economic assistance to women and girls is ALL about how they participate within post-conflict society; crucially, social reintegration refers to how communities and civil society engage women and girls affected by conflict and equitably respond to their needs, demands for access, and attempts at constructive participation in socio-cultural and political pursuits. The marginalization of women’s rights, especially amongst the key sub-groups already mentioned, in relation to land and thereby a means to prosper stands in the way of their full participation in the nascent processes of reintegration and recovery in the North. The point here is that the social and economic dimensions of economic support for women and girls in post-conflict settings should be mutually reinforcing; it is only by working with women and girls in both spaces that sustainable outcomes can be achieved.

This position is not a single position, and may in fact be several positions including but not limited to international consultants or locally hired consultants. As mentioned above, there are three separate projects all requiring similar modular training in sustainable agriculture. It is quite possible that specialist trainers are selected for some components, whereas some candidates selected may be offered an internship.

Reporting & Deliverables

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Coordinator and/or his/her designate (viz. KFSCS Field Coordinator), and the overall guidance of the Chief of Mission, the successful candidate will be responsible for designing, coordinating, and implementing training and self-reliance strategies in support of the Karamoja Food Security and Community Stabilization and Community-Based Reintegration Programmes. In particular s/he will:

1. Within one (1) week of assignment, the incumbent will jointly develop a one –month schedule of activities to be approved by his/her supervisor;

2. Complete discrete assignments in relation to the Community-Based Reintegration Programme including but not limited to the following:
(a) Develop modular training curricula based on a sustainable agriculture training menu provided by IOM in order to start training implementation within one (1) week of assignment;
(b) Develop training aids and information tools ranging from posters, short manuals, and brochures incl. easy-to-understand layout and content-development in close coordination with the Peace-building Public Information Specialist; and
(c) Direct provision of sustainable agriculture training modules (i.e. including theory and demonstration) for IOM-designated groups of 20-30 women in remote field locations within the Acholi sub-region.

3. Complete discrete assignments in relation to the Karamoja Food Security and Community Stabilization Programme including but not limited to the following:
(a) Develop modular training curricula based on a sustainable agriculture training menu provided by IOM in order to start training implementation within one (1) week of assignment;
(b) Develop training aids and information tools ranging from posters, short manuals, and brochures incl. easy-to-understand layout and content-development in close coordination with the Peace-building Public Information Specialist; and
(c) Direct provision of sustainable agriculture training modules (i.e. including theory and demonstration) for IOM-designated groups of 20-30 men and women in remote field locations within the Karamoja sub-region.

4. Provision of training in active conflict settings or non-permissive security environments, which may include uncomfortable accommodation and unsavoury food options and wearing of body armour.

5. Manualising and updating the Community Stabilization and Sustainability Manual to reflect best practices and living examples within the Karamoja and the Acholi sub-regions.

6. Provide on-site advice and consultation to designated communities and sub-project sites appropriately adapted to IOM’s proven polyculture-oriented sustainable agriculture model (which may involve overnight stays in remote locations, often with uncomfortable accommodation and unsavoury food options and wearing of body armour).

7. Direct oversight of the establishment of discrete demonstration projects including but not limited to seedling nurseries and demonstration plot(s) that are used as an ‘active training syllabus’.

8. Ensure that training curricula always observes the financial and programmatic constraints manifest in project documents and donor priorities.

9. Perform such other duties and responsibilities as instructed.

Desired Skills & Competencies

- Holds degree, preferably in applied sciences (eg. agricultural science, rural development, etc) and/or relevant (and considerable) field experience with sustainable agriculture in semi-arid areas. “Relevant field experience” refers to practical experience in sustainable agriculture; earth works engineering, watershed management; soil restoration/conservation/managemment; freshwater aqua-culture; community development; nurseries and seed saving.
- Credentialed in Agriculture/Horticulture/Permaculture and/or relevant experience (unless the candidate is an intern).
- Willingness to directly conduct sustainable agriculture training in small modules (i.e. including theory and demonstration) for groups of 20-30 men and women in remote field locations within the Karamoja and/or sub-region(s).
- Willingness to work in active conflict settings or non-permissive security environments, which may include uncomfortable accommodation and food options, wearing body armour, and/or exposure to communal violence;
- Demonstrable background in International aid and development (unless the candidate is an intern).
- Experience with food security and community stabilization programming in Africa.
- Extensive experience with community-based organizations essential and a determination to work effectively with local civil society organizations despite the challenges of low capacity or variable performance.
- Must have strong interpersonal skills, be a team player, self driven, and ready to work under very tight deadlines and inspire others to do the same.
- Ability to work effectively and harmoniously with colleagues from varied cultures and professional backgrounds and in stressful conditions.
- Professional-level familiarity with MSWord/MS Excel/MS Powerpoint applications.

Language Requirements
Fluency in written and spoken English. Fluency in Luo, Kiswahili, and/or Ngakarimojong an advantage.

Consultancy Fees
Consultancy rate to be negotiated with short-listed candidates. In the event that the candidate(s) is an intern, then different allowances and fee arrangements would apply.

Method of Hire
Direct hire (local or overseas). This position is open until 21 February 2011, however candidate selection and hiring will start beforehand if suitable candidate(s) are found.
How to apply
Clearly state the position title in the subject heading send to icrsuganda@iom.int


Closing date: 21 Feb 2011