Background of the job position

Gender and Microfinance Specialist – Kigoma Region.

The Belgian Development Agency, Enabel, mobilizes its resources and its expertise to eliminate poverty in the world. ENABEL contributes to the efforts of the international community and works towards a society that provides present and future generations with enough resources to build a sustainable and fair world. Enabel employs worldwide 800 employees in 19 countries.

In Kigoma Region, Enabel implements 3 bilateral projects focusing on water, natural resources and agriculture. These projects are executed in collaboration with the Kigoma Regional Secretariat and the responsible ministries. The agricultural project SAKIRP focuses on the development of cassava and bean value chains across all the 6 rural districts of Kigoma region. The project’s value chain development approach seeks to build sustainable market-based relationships between private sector actors. Public sector capacity development to provide effective chain support services is an important area of focus for the project strategy.

SAKIRP’s main objective is to increase and diversify smallholder farmer incomes in Kigoma region, especially for women, through pro-poor value chain development. This specific objective will be achieved through the following mutually reinforcing results:

1. Value chains management and coordination mechanisms are installed and steer cassava and beans value chain development.
2. Sound financial mechanisms are developed, and financial organizations are strengthened to support value chains development.
3. Public and private chain supporters provide functional services to value chains actors.
4. Stronger position of smallholders in the value chain through improved productivity, economic integration and empowerment.
5. Improved market access and sustainable trade.

This position will be primarily responsible for the delivery of result number two whilst providing cross-cutting support on gender mainstreaming and women economic empowerment.

The SAKIRP technical team consists of 6 district focal point staff and 5 technical advisors. To date, the project is working with 600 smallholder producer groups with a total membership of nearly 15.000 farmers. There are about 50 groups that benefited from a revolving fund for agro inputs and aggregation. The SAKIRP project works together with local government extension department to support production and collaborates with private sector actors integrate farmers in markets for both products and services.

Key responsibilities

1. Provide technical guidance on gender mainstreaming in project strategy-setting, activity implementation, and reporting

• Propose and oversee the implementation of specific actions to strengthen women’s economic decision-making and control over value chain development outcomes
• Continuously evaluate and identify opportunities for strengthening gender equity in the implementation of project activities
• Review technical terms of reference for any outsourced technical assistance to ensure that gender considerations are adequately integrated
• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships focusing on gender
• Manage gender-related interventions of the project to ensure effective delivery of activities and tangible outputs at production and household level. Assist the M&E technical advisor in identifying relevant indicators, in collecting these indicators and in analysing them. Reports quarterly on gender issues
• Identify best practices of gender equality and economic strengthening and contribute to the capitalisation of experiences.

2. Value chain financing and revolving loan management

• Provides technical advice on the promotion of gender-inclusive value chain financing practices and initiatives
• Support the development of appropriate loan products by the financial institutions that correspond to needs of farmers and agribusiness enterprises.
• Lead, manage, mentor and develop the capacity of farmer groups to strengthen their financial management capacity
• Maintain detailed records on the performance of revolving in-kind credit transactions operated through farmer producer groups
• Lead and coordinate loan repayment to ensure the preservation of funds invested on a revolving credit basis
• Identify capacity development needs of groups involved in savings and lending and recommend actions to improve their performance
• Provide training to producer groups on good governance and credit management
• Liaise with institutions and projects involved in providing financial services to farmers in order to share lessons and better coordinate efforts

3. Capacity development of private and public sector services

• Train project and local government extension staff on inclusive gender practices
• Regularly identify capacity gaps related to gender mainstreaming and recommend appropriate remedial actions
• Coordinate the capacity development of partner staff and service providers on microfinance practices

4. Monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting

• Facilitate knowledge generation, management and sharing on gender-inclusive practices in value chain development
• Contribute to the preparation of quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports to ensure that results of gender-related activities are fully captured
• In liaison with the M&E Technician, keep track of the project’s progress on gender-related indicators and recommend corrective action as required
• Take a lead role in identifying and developing capitalisation themes related to gender and inclusive value chain financing

5. General

• As a member of the SAKIRP technical team, participate in the regular technical meetings and quarterly review and planning meetings.
• Provide technical backstopping to other clusters on request.
• Make annual budgets and plans for activities related to women economic empowerment and value chain financing

Candidate profile

• Tanzanian national – male/female
• Academic qualifications: A graduate of a degree in development studies, agricultural economics, gender studies, business administration, finance, sociology or related field.
• At least one year of project work experience focusing on economic empowerment and financial inclusion of smallholder farmers in Tanzania or any other East African country.
• Familiarity with the principles of market dynamics, value chain development through private sector partnerships and economic feasibility.
• Professional experience in working with smallholder farmers, cooperatives, processors and/or women groups.
• Practical experience in gender mainstreaming within economic development projects targeting women engaged in smallholder farming.
• Hands-on experience with the coaching of VICOBAS, financial literacy training and loan administration.

Technical expertise:

• Ability to integrate gender equity and women empowerment issues in value chain programming
• Strong understanding of value chain financing and community-based savings and credit activities (VICOBA, SACCOs)
• Familiarity with procedures governing the operation of VICOBA, SACCOS and AMCOS organisations
• Good understanding of producer group dynamics, local market dynamics, agricultural processing/ marketing and public – private partnerships.

Desired Competencies:

• Good oral and written communication skills in Kiswahili and English.
• Good analytical and reporting skills.
• Computer literate.
• A self-starter with hands-on approach to work and proactive attitude, innovative and able to work with a minimum of supervision

Employment conditions

• Duty station: Kasulu with regular travel to other districts where SAKIRP is active.
• Enabel contract: 1 year – extendable for one (1) year
• Competitive salary package.

Application

Only candidates that correspond to above profile are requested to send the following documents by email (max 3 MB):

• Application letter & CV
• Copies of academic & professional qualifications.
• Phone number & e-mail.
• Addresses 3 referees or last employers

Submit your applications to: recruitment.tza@enabel.be Deadline: 31 October 2019. 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Note that successful candidates with fake transcripts will be disqualified.