Information Technology (IT) Specialist – PCO Dodoma

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania (GoT) have partnered to enhance the livelihoods of rural communities through the Smart Smallholder Dairy Transformation Project (C-SDTP). This initiative focuses on smallholder dairy producers with the goal of transforming the dairy value chain to improve incomes, increase food safety, and mitigate the dairy sector’s environmental impact. The development objective is to enhance income and resilience for smallholder dairy producers while increasing their participation in the dairy value chain.

The project targets 140,000 households, representing 700,000 people, with 40% of direct beneficiaries being women and 30% youth. It will be implemented in the following geographical areas:

• Mbeya (Rungwe DC, Mbeya DC, Busokelo DC)
• Iringa (Mufindi DC, Kilolo DC, Iringa DC)
• Njombe (Njombe DC, Njombe TC, Wanging’ombe DC)
• Tanga (Lushoto DC, Muheza DC, Mkinga DC)
• Morogoro (Mvomero DC, Morogoro DC, Kilosa DC)
• Arusha (Meru DC, Arusha DC)
• Kilimanjaro (Siha DC, Moshi DC)
• Pwani/Coast (Rufiji DC, Mkuranga DC)
• Zanzibar-Unguja (West A, West B, Central, North A, North B, South)
• Pemba (North, South)

The C-SDTP is managed under the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (MLF), in alignment with the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Vice President’s Office (VPO), President’s Office-Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) for mainland Tanzania, and the First Vice President’s Office in Zanzibar, along with representatives from the private sector and farmers’ organizations.

The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries invites applications for the following positions, supported by IFAD’s financial contribution:

Information Technology (IT) Specialist – PCO Dodoma

The IT Specialist will lead the project’s digital transformation agenda, ensuring secure, interoperable, user-centered systems for farmers, producer organizations, service providers, and public institutions. The specialist will report to the Project Coordinator, work under technical matrix supervision from the MLF ICT Unit, and be hired through competitive recruitment from seconded government staff and/or external candidates.

Main Responsibilities

• Conduct needs assessment for the upgrade and deployment of MCC/MCP MIS (farmer registry, volumes/quality, payments, basic connectivity solutions with MNOs/ISPs); monitor uptime and providers/vendors as needed.
• Identify a vendor to support the upgrades and deployment of MCC/MCP MIS.
• Establish data pipelines for analytics and reporting to PCO.
• Support preparation of experience-based administrative documents for transmission to relevant ministry departments and extension services.
• Foster broad knowledge sharing within the project component, private sector/business partners, and the Steering Committee.
• Support review of additional technical documents, including technical bids and proposals.
• Implement data protection measures (access controls, backups, encryption where appropriate).
• Ensure compliance with IFAD/GoT policies on safeguarding/PSEA, data privacy, and records management.
• Produce technical documentation for all digital systems supported under C-SDTP.
• Provide technical inputs to procurement (specifications, evaluation criteria) and manage vendor deliverables.
• Produce full technical documentation for all project digital systems; maintain version control.
• Perform any other ICT-related duties assigned by the supervisor to ensure delivery of project results.

Academic Qualifications, Experience, Skills, and Attitudes

Educational Background: University degree in Systems/ICT/Information Systems or related field, with 8+ years of directly relevant experience. A Master’s degree is an added advantage.

Experience:

• Advanced level competencies in ICT systems supporting rural development.
• Experience working with private sector mobile network operators.
• Working experience with IFAD-funded projects is an advantage.
• Proven track record in systems rollout, user training, and vendor/SLA management.
• Demonstrable experience in systems integration (APIs), data governance, and writing technical documentation and SOPs.

Skills and Attitudes:

• Fluent in Swahili and English.
• Proficiency with collaboration and documentation tools (MS 365/Office, OneDrive, basic CMS, Adobe Suite).
• Proficiency in data visualization.
• Strong critical thinking and excellent problem-solving skills.
• Integrity, inclusiveness, accountability, communication, teamwork, client/citizen focus, professionalism, and commitment to continuous learning.

Duration

The contract duration is one (1) year, renewable based on satisfactory performance.

Application Details

Deadline: October 22, 2025

Submission Requirements: Qualified candidates should submit their application, including a letter of interest, complete Curriculum Vitae, and copies of Certified Academic Qualifications.

Submission Address: Permanent Secretary Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries P.O. Box 2870 Dodoma Email: barua@mlf.go.tz