EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER (EDC)

EDC is one of the world’s leading nonprofit research and development firms.  Established in 1958, EDC designs, delivers and evaluates innovative programs to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges in education, health, and economic opportunity.  Our services include research, training, educational materials, and strategy, with activities ranging from seed projects to large-scale national and international initiatives. 

EDC is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Project Description

The USAID South Sudan Youth Empowerment Activity supports South Sudanese youth and communities to develop, promote and strengthen the skills and assets of youth, and to create an enabling environment for the youth to be productive and positively contribute to their communities. The purpose of this activity is to support and empower at-risk out-of-school youth ages 15-29 gain the necessary skills they need to lead productive lives, gain employment, and positively contribute to their communities with following intended results:

• Improved youth access to functional literacy, numeracy, soft and life skills
• Increase youth entrepreneurial, employment, and vocational opportunities.
• Increase behavior changes among youth to make positive adolescent reproductive health choices.
• Improve social cohesion among youth and their communities.

USAID/South Sudan also envisions that YEA will adapt and/or pilot a Youth Corps Service model as a modality to creatively achieve the activity's stated goal and integrated objectives. Unemployed South Sudanese youth who are graduates from high school and universities, and non-graduates of exceptional demonstrated ability, will be mobilized, trained, coached, and mentored to become.

Youth Corps Service members. They will deliver specific YEA-prescribed activities to

disadvantaged targeted youth beneficiaries and their communities. The activity will help leverage youth for the youth’s benefit, build a sense of belonging and solidarity, and help to promote peace.

The Activity is implemented through a consortium led by EDC and comprised of at least 7 national and international NGOs. It supports service delivery via over 100 community-based organizations and entities.

The Livelihoods Officer is the technical staff for USAID Youth Empowerment Activity-(YEA) at the state/county levels. The position will support the training and coaching of the community-based agriculture extension agents on various livelihoods production and selected value chains and other identified income generating activities for the youths. The position will contribute to developing Youth Empowerment Activity–(YEA) training on entrepreneurship and market preparation within agriculture value chain and other Livelihoods. The position holder will support in identifying gaps in agriculture, livelihoods, and entrepreneurship value chain as potential niches for the youths to establish income generating activities by providing specialized products and services by equipping them with the necessary skills through trainings.

This position requires experience, knowledge and very good understanding of youth livelihoods, youth entrepreneurship training and post training support, mentorship, and coaching. It will support linking youths’ entrepreneurship with labor market systems and value chain, small medium business, rural urban supply chain, employment and business start-up regulation, access to finance and institutions in their application to specific situation.

The livelihood officer administratively reports to state zone supervisor and technically to the livelihood coordinator.

The Livelihood Officer will work closely with Anchored organization at respective state/county level to implement the results area two objectives.

1. Mobilize and train youth that are participants of Pathway one and two under objective one.

1. On Agro-pastoral practices (improved crops and vegetable production, animal and poultry production, fisheries, beekeeping and gum Arabic collection and marketing)
2. Train youth on resilience approaches/climate smart agriculture
3. Train youths on employability through vocational skills enhancement and support Vocational Skills Training -VST graduates.

1. Using recommendations from labor market assessment report, the livelihood officer improves youth in-come generation opportunities through provision of start-up grants, start-up kits, Agro-pastoral resources to start business. (This could be individual or groups)
2. Support improvement of existing youths’ livelihoods or new youth’s livelihood entrepreneurship small businesses. Be responsible for building strong links between youth, YLSOs, the youth corps and livelihood support including strengthening relationship and work-based learning opportunities between youth participating in learning and skill training that results in improved Agro pastoral practices, smart climate agriculture.

To achieve the objective of the position the Livelihood officer will perform the following tasks and undertake the following responsibilities.

General programming and program operations

1. Lead youths’ engagement through youths’ mobilization, identification, and youths’ selection processes
2. Participate in the design and implementation of agriculture and livelihood related survey and assessments in the USAID Youth Empowerment Activity- (YEA) project areas.
3. Contribute to program design, planning, and implementation through working with both administrative and technical supervisor.
4. Develop and deliver youth livelihoods training to agriculture extension workers at the state.
5. Lead the state partners in facilitating the implementation of start-up grants and start-up kits in the USAID Youth Empowerment Activity- (YEA) operational areas.
6. Work closely with YSLOs trainers and youth corps leaders because this activity builds on the work ready now and be your own boss training provided to youth. It takes place in classrooms and supports youth to implement learning in their communities.
7. Work closely with USAID projects, Partners, and Anchored Organizations.
8. Provide guidance and direction on post-training activities on the youth empowerment activity sites by providing inputs and technical knowledge to YSLOs as well as youth corps leaders especially in relation to strengthening access and opportunities for youth to participate in the local market, value chain and livelihood activities.
9. Responsible for implementation of specific youth related livelihood and business plans and activities at community sites
10. Work closely with agriculture extension agents and youth and Youth Empowerment Activity –(YEA) communication department to document success stories and best practices.
11. Responsible for the implementation of youth saving groups, vegetable producer groups, staple crops producer groups, fishery -based producer groups, beekeeping producer groups, poultry producer groups, fishery producer groups and gum Arabia collection groups and any other income generating activities that will be identified by the youth in the USAID Youth Empowerment Activity –(YEA) operational areas.
12. Liaise with MEL to conduct post distribution monitoring to ensure that youth entitlements have been adequately accounted for and reconciled the documentation with those issued by finance and services providers.
13. Oversee input warehousing through coordinating with logistics in the state, at distribution points ensuring that all commodities, inputs/goods arriving at any given time are properly accounted for with systems in place.
14. Responsible for facilitation of business plans training to the youth and support youth in developing feasible and profitable business plans.
15. Works with USAID partners to facilitate logistics of start-up livelihood inputs and ensure accountability of these start-up livelihood inputs.
16. Contribute to regular reporting on achievements and challenges related to the USAID Youth Empowerment Activity –(YEA).
17. Participate in facilitating and coordinating Youth Empowerment Activity –(YEA) activities within the team and Anchored organization departments to maximize YEA resources at the state.
18. Submit high quality and analytical USAID Youth Empowerment Activity –(YEA) weekly, monthly, and quarterly progress reports against the work plan to technical supervisor with derivation from the work plans.
19. Performs any other duties as deemed necessary by his/her supervisor.

Capacity Building

Responsible for the capacity building for agriculture field extension workers, YLSOs and youth groups and cooperatives.

Coordination  

• With support from the livelihood sector effectively coordinate with USAID Youth Empowerment Activity –(YEA) consortium partners during program implementation period.
• Ensure that livelihood activities implementation is properly coordinated with other results areas in the state.
• Ensure Anchored organization and other USAID partners are properly coordinated at the state.
• Promote and always ensure a pragmatic and efficient dialogue as well as networking with local institutions, private sectors, national and international NGOs, and local authorities.
• Liaise with relevant technical line ministries/departments during Youth Empowerment Activity –(YEA) implementation I.e., ministry of Agriculture and livestock and fishery, cooperatives, and rural development.

MEL

• Work closely with the monitoring team on monitoring and evaluation tools for livelihood activities in coordination with MEL TEAM and line manager.
• Facilitate qualitative and quantitative monitoring of Youth Empowerment Activity –(YEA) through team meetings, post -assistance visits regular reporting and other monitoring tools.
• Identify success stories for official documentation and communication purposes.
• Document lessons learnt and innovations for scaling up to improve programing and further intervention.

Representation

• If requested by zone supervisor, the livelihood officer represents EDC in livelihood working groups or inter agency meetings at the state.
• Represent and where necessary advocate on behalf of EDC with local authorities and line ministries/departments at state.

Duty Station:

The Livelihood Officer’s will be based in the EDC office in Jonglei State -South Sudan 

Duty Station:

The Livelihood Officer’s will be based in the EDC office in Central Equatoria, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile, and Western Bahr el Ghazal.

Qualification:

The Livelihood Officer’s shall have at a minimum of the following qualifications:

Education:

Bachelor's degree in Agricultural science, Agribusiness, Cooperative, Entrepreneurship Development, Rural development with specialized training in Food Security and Livelihoods related fields.

Experience and technical competencies:

• At least 5 years’ experience in implementing Livelihoods and Food Security related interventions.
• Experience in youth related economic empowerment in similar activities will be an added benefit.
• Experience in agriculture, agropastoral farmer field school approach is a key.
• Experience in agriculture and livelihoods intervention using the value chains and value links approaches. 
• Experience is working with multidisciplinary teams and effective coordination capacity with internal and external teams.

Essential skills

• Very good analytical skills and communication skills
• Training and facilitation skills with very good understanding of adult learning approaches and principles
• Planning and report writing skills.
• Very good computer skills (excel, word, PowerPoint, outlook, Teams, zoom etc.)
• Excellent people/social skills at all levels with good cultural sensitivity and able to work in multicultural environments.
• Motorbike riding skills with valid riding/driving license will be added advantage

Application Instructions:

Job closing date: October 24, 2023

To apply, Applicants are encouraged to visit the Careers Page at: https://go.edc.org/SouthSudanJobs listing “Job Title- Livelihood Officer-Akobo-Jonglei State USAID Youth Empowerment Activity -South Sudan” in the Subject Line

Only if technical difficulties occur, applicants may send their resumes to: [email protected] listing “Job Title- Livelihood Officer, Akobo-Jonglei State- USAID Youth Empowerment Activity -South Sudan” in the Subject Line.  

Applications will be progressively reviewed as they are received.

Due to the volume of applications submitted, only finalists will be notified.  No phone calls, please.

EDC is committed to enhancing the diversity of its workforce and ensuring an equitable and highly inclusive work environment. EDC is a smoke-free workplace, and offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and excellent benefits. Women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.