Safeguarding Officer, Rwanda at Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA): (Deadline 12 October 2023)

Job Reference: SGO/RW/09/2023

About AGRA 

AGRA and its Work

AGRA is an African-led institution that actively supports the drive towards inclusive agricultural transformation and sustainable food systems. We do this by empowering the continent’s 33 million smallholder farming households to transform their agriculture from a struggle to survive to profitable businesses. The continent’s farmers regularly face challenges, and we aspire to provide uniquely African solutions that respond to their agricultural and environmental challenges, leading to increased harvests for reduced hunger and more income.

Working in alignment with the development priorities of our focus countries, we enable farmers to access improved and high-yielding seeds, gain knowledge on sustainable farming, and linkages to profitable markets.

In our work, we aspire to build the alliances, partnerships, and networks required to drive an inclusive agricultural transformation. We work with our partners to create an equitable youth-friendly environment that harnesses the youth dividend on the continent to drive growth and facilitate open employment opportunities for young women and men. We achieve our key objectives through a focus on the following four areas of intervention:

1. Policy and state capability – We support governments in creating an enabling environment for private sector involvement in agricultural transformation.
2. Seed systems – We trigger higher productivity by increasing the availability and access to improved seeds by farmers allowing them to increase their harvests for food security and better incomes.
3. Sustainable farming – We support farmers in building resilient farming systems for sustained high yields through interventions such as mechanization and irrigation.
4. Inclusive markets and trade – We work to increase the linkages between farmers, and other market actors for a positive, sustained cycle of commercialization and reinvestment.

AGRA’s 2030 Strategy

The continent has, in recent years, taken steps towards inclusive agricultural transformation resulting in notable improvements in food security, with clear progress across all AGRA’s focus countries. However, with over 20% of Africans still suffering from hunger, we need to accelerate our progress and mitigate against the growing external pressures of conflict and climate on our food systems.

AGRA 2022-2030 Strategic Framework (SF2030) demonstrates our long-term vision for how we intend to contribute to, and align with, global and continental priorities, applying a food systems lens towards the goals of zero hunger, improved nutrition, an end to poverty, and climate adaptation. We have split our Strategic Framework 2030 into two 5-year strategies so that we have a clear mid-way point to evaluate progress and re-route our strategic focus if necessary. Our 2023-2027 Strategic Plan sets out to catalyze the growth of sustainable food systems across Africa by influencing and leveraging partners to build a robust enabling environment where the private sector thrives, and smallholders are empowered to produce sufficient, healthy food.

AGRA’s Vision

To contribute to a food system-inspired inclusive agricultural transformation across Africa, to reduce hunger, improve nutrition, and adapt to climate.

AGRA’s Mission

To catalyze the growth of sustainable food systems across Africa by influencing and leveraging partners to build a robust enabling environment where private sector thrives, and smallholder farmers are empowered to produce sufficient, healthy food.

AGRA’s Strategy

• Empowering and building the resilience of small holder farmers
• Supporting the development of inclusive markets and finance to strengthen agricultural systems.
• Strengthening state capability to sustain agricultural transformation.

Implementing Our New Strategy Through People

AGRA is at the threshold of a new chapter where we begin implementing our new strategy of catalyzing inclusive, resilient and sustainable agricultural transformation. At AGRA we believe Agriculture is the single greatest opportunity to deliver inclusive economic growth, jobs, and health to the African continent.

People are the heart of our organisation and remain the true drivers of our delivery and our impact.

We are excited about a new fit-for-purpose organizational structure that is largely driven by an ambition to enhance collaboration across teams and drive sustainable growth. We have therefore purposed more focus on delivery of country programs within the new strategy giving even greater attention to optimizing existing talent in addition to upscaling technical and operational resources.

We work with incredible people and partners who have roots in farming communities across the continent combined with an inclusive and diverse workforce from over 24 nationalities. Our values of (I-RISE; Integrity, Respect, Innovation, Stewardship and Equity) espouse our commitment to a call to action to go beyond ourselves as we arise and transform Africa’s Agriculture.

We are looking for people who are passionate about Africa, curious and collaborative to join our innovative, growing, and multidisciplinary team. Together, we can grow Africa’s food systems improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Want to join us?

The Opportunity

Safeguarding Officer, Rwanda Job Reference: SGO/RW/09/2023

Role Purpose

The Safeguarding Officer will oversee the implementation of AGRAs gender and safeguards policy, strategy and program to protect those we work with from harassment, sexual exploitation and all forms of abuse – to contribute and strengthen the safeguarding culture, and to promote within the teams a better understanding and adherence to AGRA’s values, particularly through the support and coordination of country teams and grantees.

Role Summary

The Safeguarding Officer will help deliver AGRAs gender and safeguarding policy, and support in the day-to-day integration of the gender and safeguards policy, principles and priorities into field activities, coordinates and manages relationships with a range of stakeholders in the field, supports field data collection and analysis and provide for mechanisms for reporting on breach of safeguards. S/he will build the capacity of country teams, partners, and grantees by integrating gender and safeguard measures at the country levels and working with AGRA teams, consultants, and external partners to help them understand gender and safeguard issues and response measures for AGRA investments.

Key Measures of Performance

• Effective implementation of the safeguarding policy and initiatives, including its business case for sustainability, quality, impact and reach.
• Initiatives integrated in programs at the national level.
• Be a focal point for the teams at Country level and advisory support to other related work.
• Set up a surveillance system, including reporting mechanism for safeguard breaches.
• Provide insights and support to resource mobilization activities in this area.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Purpose – Analyze

• Lead the analysis to identify context specific risks and vulnerabilities for youth and women and identify potential areas/concerns for gender and safeguarding plan.
• Develop AGRA’s gender and safeguarding framework in close consultation with the legal unit, develop necessary tools for aligning safeguarding framework with AGRAs programmatic work.
• Leads the development of implementation plan based on findings from the various analyses (gender analysis, youth aspiration analysis, ecosystem mapping and value chain analysis) at country level.
• Identify and develop practical response system towards gender-based violence, harassment, abuse, allegations of harm, exploitation, or misconduct within the agricultural sector and promoting a safe and inclusive working environment for youth and women in AGRA country.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive framework that effectively integrates social safeguard protocols into AGRA Rwanda’s agricultural development initiatives. Ensure that these protocols are seamlessly aligned with the organization’s overall objectives.

Engagement – Collaborate

• Ensure that AGRA’s interventions are responsive to the circumstances, needs, aspirations, and priorities of youth and women, and guarantee equal employment opportunities to prevent women and vulnerable groups from being adversely affected by our work.
• Support the application of the Gender and safeguards’ requirements in new grants to local partners and proposals to donors.
• In collaboration with the gender and inclusiveness team, develop training modules and awareness raising materials specific to the region on gender and safeguards principles, including case studies and good practices from the region.
• Organize and implement continuous training programs to AGRA staff, relevant partners, community members and other stakeholders on the application of, and compliance with the Gender and Safeguarding requirements by delivering online webinars and/or in-country training sessions and ensuring these are embedded in or linked with other relevant AGRA programmatic trainings.
• Enforce and oversee health and safety protocols throughout every facet of agricultural projects. Ensure strict adherence to rigorous safety standards, effectively reducing potential risks for workers and stakeholders, whether within private sector operations or workplace engagement.
• Strategic Safeguard Integration: Develop and implement a comprehensive framework that effectively integrates social safeguard protocols into AGRA Rwanda’s agricultural development initiatives. Ensure that these protocols are seamlessly aligned with the organization’s overall objectives.

Delivery – Adapt the Project Cycle

• Provide reports on gender sensitive and safeguards indicators and share results, and lessons learned during AGRA Program implementation of Gender and safeguarding, to improve the performance of AGRA and maintaining safeguard standards.
• Develop relationships with and promote the active participation of gender and women-focused NGOs, CSOs, government entities working on gender equality and youth to learn and share lessons and magnify impact.
• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of gender and safeguarding tools and best practices related to youth and women employment in agriculture and making recommendations for improvement.
• Ensure strict adherence to established labor standards, ensuring that ethical work practices are upheld across all projects. Guarantee that labor rights are protected and maintained in line with Rwanda’s labor regulations.
• Take a proactive role in preventing child labor within AGRA Rwanda’s agricultural initiatives. With assistance from the respective institutions and departments enforce strategies that keep child labor at bay, aligning with national and international standards.
• Enforce and oversee health and safety protocols throughout every facet of agricultural projects. Ensure strict adherence to rigorous safety standards, effectively reducing potential risks for workers and stakeholders, whether within private sector operations or workplace engagement

Model the IRISE Values & Be a Culture Carrier

• Integrity: Uphold moral convictions and always doing the right thing.
• Respect: Value differences and embrace diversity and inclusion.
• Innovation: Strive for excellence and embracing continuous improvement, bold creativity, and change.
• Stewardship: Be responsible for actions undertaken and resources entrusted.
• Equity: Be governed by fairness in all undertakings.

Requirements

Academic and Professional Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in gender studies, social science, international development, humanitarian or related discipline.
• Strong knowledge of the existing gender and youth safeguards policies/framework at country and continental level, particularly relating to agriculture and agrifood sector.
• Possesses a good understanding of stakeholders, women and youth organization, collectives, networks and associations at country and continental level which best represent the voices and interests of youth and women employment in agriculture sectors.
• Fluency in English required; ability to communicate in French will be an advantage.

Required Skills/Abilities

• Excellent track record in leading the design of gender and safeguarding evidence-based analyses and action plan and tools development in the field of agribusiness, youth and women employment, entrepreneurship and community development.
• Strong analytical skills and demonstrate ability in stakeholder engagement, and effectively partnership building with government, private sector, peer organizations and local communities.
• Excellent facilitation and capacity building skills.
• Proven skills in team player, ability to work well in an interdisciplinary, multicultural, diverse, and dynamic team environment.
• Ability to work well with multiple donors in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions in a country.
• Strong planning, organization and time management skills and ability to manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to deliver high quality products under pressure.
• Good command of English with excellent writing and analytical skills, a working knowledge of French will be an advantage.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work and meet deadlines within a fast-paced environment with multiple competing demands.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, and ability to work effectively in a team and independently.

Relevant Experience

• At least 8 years of working experience in the fields of gender and youth safeguarding practices, preferably with focus on youth and women employment and entrepreneurship in agriculture sector.
• Good knowledge of international and national laws and policies related to safeguarding of women, youth and other vulnerable groups, and strong working experience with governments, international development agencies, local organizations, and authorities in integration of gender and safeguards dimension into agricultural project/program at all levels.
• Solid commitment to promoting gender equality, safeguarding of children and youth and in the agricultural sector, and to upholding ethical and professional standards in the workplace.

Key Competencies

• Achieving Results Effectively: Anticipates constraints, identifies solutions and takes responsibility for addressing critical situations; Sets self and others stretching goals, over and above those required to meet organizational standards and targets; Takes the necessary actions to meet these goals; identifies and applies measures to track and quantify achievement; Aligns projects with organization’s mission and objectives and demonstrates a good understanding of the impact of team’s and own work on external and internal counterparts.
• Managing and sharing knowledge:  Disseminates and shares knowledge openly and actively contributes to knowledge/network communities for topics relevant to area of expertise; Builds networks for the effective communication and exchange of knowledge and ideas and puts others into contact with various sources of knowledge; Contributes to an environment that is conducive to innovation and learning.
• Accountability:  Maintains ethical behavior, admits mistakes and exhibits responsible behavior in the meeting of performance expectations; Actively seeks out solutions to achieve results; Holds self-accountable for achieving results as an individual as well as team members; Identifies and assists in addressing areas of weakness that may impact the department’s performance.
• Diversity and inclusion: takes a conscious effort to learn about different styles of conflict resolution; is proactive in managing conflict over differences when it arises rather than avoiding it;    listens actively for the frames of reference and does not prejudge;  seeks to understand and adapt to different styles when working with those who are different; treats others as they wish to be treated; shows readiness to change the way he/she does things to meet the needs of those from diverse backgrounds.
• Adaptability: Adapts personal approach to meet the needs of different or new situations; Seeks guidance in adapting behavior to the needs of a new or different situation.
• Stakeholder focus/partnerships:  Contacts stakeholders to follow up on services, solutions or products to ensure that their needs have been correctly and effectively met; Understands issues from the stakeholder’s perspective; Keeps stakeholders up-to-date with information and decisions that affect them; Monitors services provided to stakeholders and makes timely adjustments as required; Maintains ongoing communication with stakeholders; Regularly and systematically contacts stakeholders or prospective stakeholders to determine their needs; Uses understanding of stakeholder’s perspective to identify constraints and advocate on their behalf; Works with stakeholders to adapt services, products or solutions to meet their needs; Encourages co-workers and teams to achieve a high standard of service excellence; Anticipates areas where support or influence will be required and discusses situation/concerns with appropriate individuals; Proposes new, creative and sound alternatives to improve stakeholder service delivery; Engages effectively with all stakeholders.
• Teamwork: Establishes strong relationships with colleagues and partners; relates well to people at all levels; Is fully aware of the team purposes, respects and understands individual and collective responsibilities; Willingly puts in extra effort without being asked and adopts a ‘hands-on’ approach whenever necessary to achieve team objectives; Coordinates own work with that of the team to meet agreed priorities and deadlines.

Terms of Appointment

3 Years Fixed Term (Consideration for renewal will be made subject to AGRA’s needs, available funding and performance).

Location

Based in Kigali, Rwanda

How to Apply

If you believe you are the right candidate for this position, kindly submit your application with a detailed CV (including your e-mail address and telephone contacts to [email protected] noting to quote the job reference number in the subject of your email)

To be considered, applications must be received on or before Thursday 12th October 2023.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

AGRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer