ROLE PURPOSE:
Save the Children is an international independent non-governmental, non- profit, organisation founded in 1919. We work in over 120 countries worldwide. We are the world’s leading independent organisation for Children. Our vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation. Our mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.
Save the Children has worked in Afghanistan since 1976. Our way of working close to people and on their own terms has enabled us to deliver lasting change to tens of thousands of children in the country. The UN Convention of the Rights of the Child is the basis of our work.
We are helping children get a better education, we make it possible for more boys and girls to attend school, we help children protect themselves and influence their own conditions. We work with families, communities and health workers in homes, clinics and hospitals to promote basic health in order to save lives of children and mothers.
The Livelihood Officer with support from Livelihood Project Coordinator will implement the livelihood activities planned under Save the Children’s DRA Innovation Project. The post holder along with livelihood assistants and or (community mobilizers) will closely work with project beneficiaries to provide beneficiaries with capacity building and livelihood assistance. He/She will be responsible for conducting comprehensive assessments, market studies, and supporting the development and implementation of FSL interventions in targeted communities. The role will focus on improving market linkages, fostering job creation, and enhancing the livelihoods of the target households and communities through both vertical and horizontal integration of FSL. The role will also support climate smart agriculture practices, value chain development, and strengthening market linkages for livelihood sustainability.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY :
The main areas of accountability and responsibility of this post is to implement the livelihood component of Save the Children’s DRA Innovation Project in designated province (Kunar). Details are below.
- Support capacity building of FSL assistants, community mobilizers and livelihood beneficiaries to enhance technical knowledge and implementation quality.
- Take part in community-based mobilization and sensitization meetings and introcude the livelihood component of the project to target communities.
- Support in development of project monitoring tools and livelihood related training materials.
- In support from other project staff, finalize the project locations and project beneficiaries targeting strategy and criteria.
- Ensure community based targeting follows SCI and donor guidelines, with clear inclusion criteria prioritizing women, person with disabilities and other vulnerable households.
- Ensured integration of accountability mechanisms, including feedback and complaint response systems, at the community level.
- Conducted awareness sessions and community meetings to promote project objectives and ensure community participation.
- Monitored field-level activities and provided regular feedback to the project team.
- Collected, documented, and reported community concerns, challenges, and feedback.
- Led the implementation of Livelihood and Cash for Work (CfW) projects across targeted sites.
- Supervised CfW activities such as rehabilitation of community assets (irrigation canals construction, canal cleaning, canal lining,water reservoir, left irrigation, group solar bore well, super passage/acueduct)
- Facilitated participatory, community-driven processes, including Community Action Planning (CAP), to prioritize, cost, and implement climate-adaptive infrastructure and community initiatives.
- Participated in coordination meetings with the government and partner organizations at the provincial level.
- Maintained strong communication between the community and the project team to ensure trust and accountability.
- Support implementation of agriculture interventions including distribution of quality seeds, tools, and training on climate‑smart agriculture techniques.Coordination with local authorities, community leaders, and stakeholders to ensure effecitive service delivery.
- Identifying, verifying, and registering beneficiaries in compliance with community based targeting, focusing on gender sensitivity and ensuring the most vulnerable are included.
- Organizing and overseeing daily work activities, ensuring attendance is taken, and monitoring the progress and quality of work.
- Coordinating with cash service providers for payments, ensuring timely distribution, and take active participation in conducting post-distribution monitoring (PDM).
- Maintaining accurate records, including pre- and post-work photography, beneficiary lists, and weekly/monthly project reports.
- Support the Project Coordinator in development of project procurement plan and project detailed implementation plan.
- Ensure transparent and accountable cash transfer mechanisms aligned with SCI and donor standards.Support Save the Children’s procurement team in procurement of required goods that will be distributed to selected beneficiaries.
- Support the labor market assessment that will take place in the implementation province.
- Conduct training needs assessment with beneficiaries and support in finalizing the training courses based on the result of needs assessment, and support implementation of training courses for livelihood beneficiaries.
Ensure timely collection of data for baseline, midterm, and endline assessments in coordination with MEAL team. Collaborate with Project Coordinator, officers,community mobilizers, and MEAL staff to design community mobilization strategy and project implementation plans - including all technical specifications.
- Support the development of Plans and market linkages for target communities, ensuring youth (women and men), children and vulnerable groups contribute fully to each plan.
- Identify potential market actors, input suppliers, and buyers to strengthen value‑chain linkages.
- Develop project weekly and monthly narrative reports and submit them to Livelihood Project Coordinator timely.
- Ensure all intervention documentation (attendance sheets, distribution lists, photos, assessments) is complete, accurate, and well‑organized for audit‑readiness.
- Assist joint monitoring visits with the government officials (Provincial/district relevant authorities) to the project sites.
- Establish positive working relationships with local communities, provincial/district government officials such as line departments, and NGOs representatives.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning
- Ensure that all projects are equipped with MEAL systems like quality benchmarks, billboards, posters to exhibit MEAL messages for activities
- Ensure action plans from quality monitoring and accountability systems are generated and implemented in timely manner collaboration with MEAL team
- Contribute to generation of lessons through finalizing issues for Operations Research and participating in lessons learnt workshops and provide report.
- Ensure that projects are reported against the M&E Plan
- BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
- Accountability:
- holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
- holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
- Ambition:
- sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
- widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
- future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
- Collaboration:
- builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
- values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
- approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
- Creativity:
- develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
- willing to take disciplined risks.
- Integrity:
- honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity
- QUALIFICATIONS
- University degree in Agriculture, or any other relevant technical credential
- EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
- Essential
- Strong expertise in livelihood programming for 5 years
- Experience implementing agriculture, livestock, or market‑based livelihood interventions in rural contexts.
- Maturity and confidence in dealing with the staff of government institutions, and communities.
- Excellent communication (both oral and written) in English and local languages, people skill for conflict resolution and negotiation;
- Computer proficiency, especially related to professional office software packages (Microsoft Office);
- Strong ability to work within team and consult with a wide range of staff colleagues.
- Flexibility and ability to manage work stress and to work under highly pressure. Able to spend 75% time in the field
- Fluency in local and Engllish languages and knowledge of cultural contexts is an advantage.
- Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Equal Opportunities
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.
