Ethiopia: National Technical Manager - Ethiopia

USAID’s Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is a leading global provider of objective, evidence-based food security information and analysis to inform decisions on humanitarian response and other assistance programs. Created in 1985 in response to famines in East and West Africa, the project currently covers some 36 countries in Africa, Central Asia, Central America, and Haiti. The FEWS NET implementing team includes NASA, NOAA, USGS, USDA, Kimetrica and Chemonics International, which manages the Washington-based technical office and more than 20 field offices.

Based on in-depth understanding of local livelihoods, FEWS NET analysts monitor information and data on factors that affect food security, such as weather conditions and climate, crops, pasture, markets and trade and nutrition. FEWS NET produces regular food security outlook reports and updates, emergency alerts, market and price updates, global weather hazards, as well as specialized research products on food security drivers and cross-cutting issues such as climate change and resilience. All reports are available at www.fews.net and are distributed globally to governments, relief agencies, and other organizations engaged in humanitarian response and development programs.

The ongoing $200 million, five-year phase (2012-2016) of FEWS NET relies on close collaboration with international, regional, and national partners on food security analysis and reinforcement of food security networks. Major activities include: joint monitoring and assessments, data exchanges, collaborative analysis and report writing, and training. FEWS NET supports local and regional food security networks to contribute to achieving the global objective of food security for all.

Position Description

FEWS NET maintains offices in a number of countries in Africa, Central America, Central Asia, and Haiti. The National Technical Manager (NTM) serves as the technical and administrative head of each country office. Where appropriate, the NTM will also support remote-monitoring in selected countries. The NTM is responsible for activities in four areas:

• Efficient, focused food security monitoring, early warning analysis, and response planning


• Effective communication of this analysis to partners and decision-makers though high quality reports and briefings


• Network development through capacity strengthening, network management, and institution building


• Project administration and management

The NTM will provide quality control for the deliverables of the project and will ensure that activities and products are delivered in a timely manner.

Activities

The main activities of the NTM include, but are not limited to:

• 
  

  Maintaining and updating a knowledge base composed of, at a minimum, livelihood zone profiles, commodity trade flow maps, sub-national seasonal monitoring calendars, commodity price database, nutrition database, and other technical databases covering rainfall, agricultural production, population, historical assistance flows, etc.;

  
  


• 
  

  Developing and updating seasonal monitoring plans;

  
  


• 
  

  Providing high quality and effective early warning of threats to food security and supporting efforts to mitigate food insecurity and prevent food crises through the effective communication of actionable food security analysis;

  
  


• 
  

  Conducting strategic planning and executing technical activities including early warning, livelihoods and vulnerability assessments, monitoring tools and methods development, capacity development, markets and trade analysis, response planning, and developing/strengthening networks;

  
  


• 
  

  Implementing a country network development plan within the context of the project’s network development strategy;

  
  


• 
  

  Collaborating with national, regional, and international partners in food security monitoring and analysis through the implementation of the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) protocols;

  
  


• 
  

  Developing and maintaining strong collaborative relations, both formal and informal, with USAID mission/representatives, U.S. Embassy technical contacts, U.N. agency representatives, government ministries, and key international NGOs to facilitate technical exchanges, promote consensus-building, and resolve any potential conflicts;

  
  


• 
  

  Working with USAID mission to support broad food security efforts including Feed the Future programs;

  
  


• 
  

  Playing a leading role in collecting, archiving, analyzing and sharing food security data and information;

  
  


• 
  

  Organizing the documentation and files of the project and updating all essential data used in early warning and food security monitoring and assessment;

  
  


• 
  

  Conducting regular field assessments of food security conditions, both independently and with partners, especially members of the network;

  
  


• 
  

  Developing capacity and consensus with network partners on technical issues and activities to facilitate joint, coordinated actions to mitigate food insecurity;

  
  


• 
  

  Fulfilling monthly reporting requirements including writing food security outlooks and updates and providing regular briefings to the US Government and other partners;

  
  


• 
  

  Contributing to other FEWS NET information products required locally and by the Washington-based technical team;

  
  


• 
  

  Ensuring current and accurate information on the country page of the FEWS NET website;

  
  


• 
  

  Reinforcing network capacity and management at the national and sub-national levels through training and skills transfers, for effective early warning in the country;

  
  


• 
  

  Contributing to FEWS NET methods development and testing;

  
  


• 
  

  Supervising technical and administrative staff in the country office; and

  
  


• 
  

  Working with the Washington-based project management unit (PMU) and COP in the administrative and financial management of the office.

  
  


• 
  

  Other related tasks that may be assigned from time to time.

  
  

  The NTM will work in collaboration and coordination with a home-office based food security specialist from the decision-support group, who is assigned to cover the country. The NTM also works under the technical direction of a Regional Technical Manager and is responsible technically to the RTM. Administratively the NTM is supervised by the Chief-of-Party (COP) or his designate. S/He will collaborate with a team of regional technical experts and technical advisors based in the home-office. The NTM will be required to travel extensively within his/her country of posting, and some international travel in sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and the United States may be required.

  
  

  Minimum Qualifications

  
  


• 
  

  An advanced university degree in a discipline relevant to the work of FEWS NET, such as agricultural economics, agronomy, nutrition, climatology, anthropology or social geography. A bachelor’s degree may be accepted for candidates with more than 10 years of relevant experience.

  
  


• 
  

  At least five years of relevant experience in early warning/food security information systems, food security analysis, and other related fields.

  
  


• 
  

  Excellent spoken and written communication skills in English. French capacity preferred.

  
  


• 
  

  Excellent computer skills. GIS applications and mapping skills an advantage.

  
  

Selection Criteria

Candidates will be evaluated against the following core competencies and technical skills.

Core Competencies

• 
  

  Relevancy of education to the work of FEWS NET

  
  


• 
  

  English language ability (spoken and written)

  
  


• 
  

  Local language skills

  
  


• 
  

  Presentation skills

  
  


• 
  

  Computer skills

  
  


• 
  

  Evidence of working with and coordinating partners, networking and collaboration

  
  


• 
  

  Management/Representational experience

  
  

Technical Skills (depth of understanding and experience on the following topics)

• 
  

  Food security

  
  


• 
  

  Livelihoods and Household Economy Approach (HEA)

  
  


• 
  

  Markets and trade

  
  


• 
  

  Agro-climatology (agro-meteorology, remote sensing, GIS, etc.)

  
  


• 
  

  Nutrition

  
  


• 
  

  Agricultural sciences (crops, livestock, pasture, etc.)

  
  


• 
  

  Field assessments (quantitative and/or qualitative)

  
  


• 
  

  Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)

  
  


• 
  

  Analytical and reporting skills