SPIR II Microfinance and IGA Officer

Job Description:

JOB PURPOSE

SPIR II Microfinance and IGA Officer shall provide technical support to the program operational woredas in the areas of Village Economic and Social Associations (VESA), financial inclusion, development of pro-poor financial products, Islamic financing, microfinance, financial services for farmers, resilience, food security and income and net asset building activities of the project. To improve the enabling environment, the position holder will network, share and coordinate with all stakeholders of PSNP 5 program in West Haraghe Zone including MFIs, cooperative banks, commercial banks, RuSACCOs (Rural Savings and Credit Cooperatives) and other government units. S/he will ensure that the SPIR II-RFSA micro-finance and IGA related interventions are performed as per the approved Detail Implementation Plan (DIP).

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Execution of Programs (30%)

• Leads the implementation of approaches, systems and products/services as advised by the SPIR II consortium Financial Inclusion Specialist to ensure the access of financial services to PSNP 5 program participants and other rural households in target Woredas
• Develops capacity of SPIR II staff including Community Facilitators (CFs), Lead Community Facilitators (LCFs) on supporting increasing and sustainable linkages between program participants (VESA groups and PMG) and local financial institutions (MFIs, RuSACCOs, and banks).
• Promotes the development of pro-poor financial products offered by financial institutions
• Makes micro-assessments to identify key private sector opportunities and partners to promote viable IGA interventions that perfectly suits and fits with the local markets and livelihoods

Technical Support and Capacity Building (25%)

• Ensures VESA manual discussions implementation at each VESA group and compile required related data
• Trains VESA members and other program targets on village savings, IGA, literacy and financial management
• Works with health and nutrition officers and CFs to galvanize women and men to engage in nutrition-enhancing IGAs
• Engages in and provide assistance for trainings, evaluations, and other capacity-building initiatives
• Provides technical support to the CFs and client communities in business development

Data Management and Reporting(25%)

• Defines and executes VESA monitoring systems, MIS SAVIX, and monthly reports, and strengthens them across operation Woreda
• Develops best practices and share across all concerned bodies.
• Develops, document project impacts and share best experiences, practices and lessons of financial linkages and IGAs related accomplishments
• Develops data collection and monitoring tools, conduct routine data collection and analysis for reporting, compile monthly and quarterly reports

Coordinating and networking(20%)

• Works closely with MFIs to create better functioning and sustainable institutional linkages between VESA and PMGs, MFIs, RuSACCOs, and banks
• Works with MFI partners to systematize information flows and share reporting and portfolio effectiveness as it relates to SPIR-support PSNP clients
• Makes sure the participation of stakeholders, business actors and IGA promoting partners including government sectors and MFIs working in the area
• Works with integration with Purpose II and other Purposes of SPIR II project.

Required Professional Experience

• 5 years related work experience for BA and 3 years related work experience for MA/MSc in supporting designing and implementation of Agriculture or value chain development projects
• Experience in private and NGO sector

Required Education, training, license, registration, and certification

• B.A. or M.A. Degree in relevant fields: Finance, Business, International Development, Economics/Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, Cooperative Development, or other relevant fields

Preferred Knowledge and Qualifications

• Experience should include that on needs assessments, baseline surveys, field program design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation.

• Experience in loan product design, designing interventions with MFIs, capacity building, extension service, and innovation in financial inclusion for the poor

• Effective in written and verbal communication in Afan Oromo and Amharic
• Effective in written and verbal communication in English
• Experience using Savix MIS and VSLA / VESA methodology
• Strong network among the organizations relevant for microfinance and financial inclusion.