Cluster Manager

TERMS OF REFERENCE (TOR)

POSITION TITLE: Cluster Manager (Level- P5)

OPENINGS: 3

LOCATION: Dang, Kapilvastu, Dhangadi (One position in each Cluster Office)

REPORTS TO: Senior Regional Manager

PROJECT SUMMARY:

The USAID/Nepal funded KISAN project is improving food security in twenty Hill and Terai districts in the Western, Mid-Western and Far-Western regions of the country. The project is in its third of five years. The goal of the project is to sustainably reduce poverty and hunger in Nepal by achieving inclusive growth in the agriculture sector, increasing income of farm families, and improving the participation of the private sector in promoting agriculture growth. Many farmers in Nepal, particularly smallholder farmers in rural areas, lack access to quality inputs, technologies, information, and markets. KISAN is interested in improving the efficiency of key supply and value chains, and expanding their reach to rural farmers, to help increase smallholder farmers’ productivity and income. To ensure sustainability, the KISAN project is working with the private sector to take on the role of engaging famers in commercial or semi-commercial agriculture

POSITION SUMMARY & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Cluster Manager will manage a cluster and will oversee project activities in 4-6 districts. The Cluster Manger will work closely with the Grants Team, Capacity Building & Training Manager, Input Supply Manager and other outcome managers/commodity specialists to achieve all results under Outcome 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Outcome 1: Farmers receive improved and increased agricultural inputs. Outcome 2: Improved capacity of agriculture extension workers, service providers, and farmers. Outcome 3: Improved and sustainable agriculture production and post-harvest technologies and practices adopted at the farm level. 4: Improved market efficiency. Outcome 5: Increased capacity of GON and Nepali organizations for agriculture-related technology identification and dissemination. Additionally, he/she will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Cluster office, ensuring that results are achieved on time and on budget across all KISAN Outputs.

• Achieve performance results of increasing adoption of improved and sustainable agriculture production and post-harvest technologies and practices; 
• Contribute to designing the project programs and plans in close collaboration with the district coordinators and agriculture program officers, outcome managers, commodity specialist. 
• Provide critical technical inputs in the achievement of the project goal and outcomes. 
• Ensure the achievement of project production and income (gross margin) targets, with active participation of district coordinators and agriculture program officers and region based experts, through appropriate technological interventions in project’s mandated crops/ commodities/ interventions together with promoting the scientific local innovations and farming systems.
• Assist in establishing and strengthening coordination and linkage with relevant local government, non-government and private agencies and other stakeholders at each level of program implementation in association with the project teams placed in the clusters and districts.
• Enable effective implementation of the project programs with needed guidance, decisions and authorization,
• Support input management for the clusters as per the approved programs, 
• Provide necessary logistic and other supports to the central and regional team during specific studies, field monitoring and training,
• Monitor district programs and attend coordination meetings for facilitation, 
• Carry out staff appraisals of district staff, and is responsible to promote staff motivation and disciplines
• Act as the resource person in the related training under the program.
• Guide District Coordinators in the preparation of monthly, quarterly and other special reports as requested by the Senior Regional Manager, Agriculture Director and COP with critical appraisal of the issues, implementation status, work plan and the way forward based on learning, related to areas of expertise.
• Coordinate with the M&E Coordinator for all field surveys, including focus groups, as required;
• Oversee the proper collection, processing and documentation of data needed for monitoring and evaluation, including ensuring that all data required to be entered into Wikisan is entered promptly at the cluster and in the districts he/she is supervising;
• As directed by the Agriculture Director or Senior Regional Manager, assist the Business Opportunities team in technical monitoring of grant activities implemented by private sector partners;
• Undertake other related tasks assigned by the Senior Regional Manager.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQURIEMENTS:

Education: Preferably a Maser degree in Agriculture or B.S.C in Agriculture with extensive work experience in agriculture related projects.

Experience: The ideal candidate will have the following experience:

• At least 5 years of experience agriculture project management
• Experience implementing and adapting sustainable agriculture approaches under donorfunded projects, USAID strongly preferred
• Experience with knowledge of markets (increasing access, linkages, dynamics)
• Experience monitoring activities and progress against project targets;
• Knowledge of smallholder agriculture in the West, Mid-West, and Far-West of Nepal required;
• Experience managing office and large number of field staff required;
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written with fluency in both English and Nepali required. 

How to Apply

Interested candidates can post their CV to Jobs.KISAN@winrock.org within 8th September, 2015. Mails received after the stipulated date will not be entertained.