Program Description:

TechnoServe has been implementing HortiMAP to support market actors to work towards creating a vibrant, sustainable Ugandan horticulture sector since 2020 with financing from the EKN. The project was restricted to 23 districts in the Central, Eastern and South-western region excluding the North which has equally great Horticultural potential. Over 80% of the HortiMAP financing was strategically redirected to support more of productive activities leaving a gap on the market systems development end of the Value Chain.

TechnoServe will implement the NU-Hortimap funded by aBi Investments Ltd to scale the successes gained under Hortimap in Northern Uganda. This program over the 18 Months, will support market actors to work towards creating a vibrant, sustainable Ugandan horticulture sector.

The program combines catalytic funding through a Market Development Facility and Technical Assistance fund to leverage private sector and local resources and expertise to strengthen SMEs and local supply chains, while delivering world-class entrepreneurship training to farmers and retailers to realize their potential. These interventions are expected to: a) Train & support 7000 farmers on entrepreneurship, regenerative good agricultural practices (GAP), post-harvest handling (PHH) & reduced loss, financing & use of technologies, nutrition

b) Provide tailored business advisory support and catalytic finance to producer organizations (POs) and farmer-facing micro, small c) Provide technical assistance to 2 public sector actors to disseminate information on market standards, inspect horticulture farms, and develop a domestic digital traceability system and d) Support 4 market-facing MSMEs with tailored business development advisory, investor readiness support, and access to catalytic finance.

Position Description:

This position is part of the Horticultural Value Chain Development Team which ensures delivery of high quality, customized trainings to MDF clients, specifically farmers, producer organizations, retailers and vendors.

The Associate Agronomy Advisor will work closely with Business Counselors, Input suppliers, District Local Government departments, local stakeholders, and partners, as well as respective country management. S/he will be responsible for delivering customized training to Producer Organization (POs), Entrepreneurial Farmers (EF) and selected SMEs, and monitoring trainings delivered by Partners by use of monitoring guide.

Title: Associate Agronomy Advisor

Program: NU-HortiMAP

Reports to: Senior Business Advisor

Location: Northern Uganda

Grade: 5

Key Roles And Responsibilities

• Continuous mapping, selection, profiling and recruitment of Producer Organizations and Entrepreneurial Farmers and identification of local retailers and vendors of FFV in their regions
• Use TechnoServe’s tested assessment tools to benchmark producer organizations capacity and help identify areas for improvement.
• Use the result of the bench mark to tailor support to individual Producer Organizations/EFs based on identified gaps
• Link producer organizations to business development service providers to build capacity in core areas such governance, member services, and inclusive leadership of women and youth.
• Deliver TechnoServe’s bespoke technical trainings in areas of Agronomy, Post-harvest handling, soil fertility and management, Integrated pest and disease management trainings to Entrepreneurial Farmers and Producer Organizations.
• Deliver TechnoServe’s bespoke Entrepreneurship training especially Modules on Farming as Business (FaaB) and personal Effectiveness to PO, farmers and Entrepreneurial Framers
• Incorporate Gender and youth aspects in delivery of the trainings and pick out key Gender modules to deliver for example -Gender/together we can fly – targeting spouse/house approach
• Support Partners in delivering Trainings in Good Agricultural Practice, Post-Harvest Handling, Climate Smart Agriculture, Organic Agriculture and Integrated Pest and Disease Management to Producer Organizations and Entrepreneurial farmers
• Facilitate linkages among the core value chain actors, from input supply through production to Market vendors
• Promote and scale up identified and proven technologies among the value chain actors in areas of increasing productivity, reducing Post-harvest losses, lowering cost of production and minimizing chemical use.
• Ensure the delivery of technical training packages is of high quality, is appropriate to the local context, and is effectively reaching participants;
• Collect baseline figures and measure impact in order to monitor progress (M&E)
• Planning of activities to ensure that the objectives of the program are met within the set times and resources and that impact is maximized
• Periodic reporting of the situation on the ground to provide both data and anecdotal evidence of impact
• Oversee quality of training delivered by Partners and provide backstopping through coaching
• Working together with Business Counselors, identify Business Development Service providers such as Micro-Finance Institutions and link them with the market actors – Entrepreneurial farmers, Producer Organization, Vendors and micro-retailers
• Represent Technoserve in the districts of operation and Collaborate with district production departments to execute the roles agreed on the MoU.in consultation with Technoserve’s Country Management
• Building strong partnerships and professional working relations with key stakeholders in the districts of operation, such as District Local government, lower local government, other projects in the area, etc.

Required Skills And Experience

• A Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science with bias to crop production or Minimum of 2 years’ field experience with extension service, Farmer Institutional development, youth development or entrepreneurship in Uganda
• Knowledge of the horticulture in specific and agriculture sector in Northern Uganda.
• Strong private sector experience, facilitation skills and Participatory Approach in Extension
• Knowledge of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), Gender and Youth Engagement in agriculture
• Relevant skills of Monitoring and Evaluation tools and practices, such use of digital platform for data capturing and reporting
• Good computer skills (Excel and MS word)
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
• Proficiency in the local language(s) or one of the local languages spoken.
• Ability to ride Motorcycle with valid a riding permit, or willingness to learn and acquire permit in one-month’s period

Success Factors:

Competency is a combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) directly related to successful performance on the job.

Core Competencies include:

• Integrity and honesty: Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information appropriately and helpfully; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent themselves for personal gain.
• Team Work/ Relationships: Works cooperatively and flexibly with other team members with a complete understanding of the role to be played as a team member and leader to achieve a common goal. Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
• Learning attitude: Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
• Diversity/Inclusiveness: Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports diversity efforts. Interacts inclusively with people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.
• Communication: Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively; shares information, ideas, and arguments; adjusts terminology, language, and communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate understanding; acts in a way that facilitates an open exchange of ideas and information; use appropriate non-verbal communication.
• Decision making/Problem Solving: Can analyze situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical, and acceptable solution. Can make effective decisions daily, take ownership of decisions, and demonstrate sound judgment in escalating issues where necessary.
• Results-Oriented/High-Quality Deliverables: Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles to goal achievement. Accomplishes tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks.
• Planning & Time Management: Establishes a course of action for self and others to accomplish a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes, and controls activities; identifies, integrates, and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and time) to accomplish goals. Prioritizes work according to the program or department’s goals, not just own job responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
• Business Acumen: The ability to use information, ask the right questions, and make decisions that impact the overall business performance.

Job Specific/Technical Competencies include:

• Donor/Partnership Management: Identifying opportunities and taking action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, or organizations to help achieve business goals.
• Analysis, Research, Report Writing: Experience in business planning and analysis, modeling for feasibility and execution. Able to analyze and express oneself clearly in business writing.
• Innovative Mindset: Curious inquiries, asks questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learns from mistakes, sees change as an opportunity.

Career Pathways:

The positions that may be a next career opportunity for employees in this job title include Agronomy Advisor.