Activity Manager Land Reforms – Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Lesotho II
About MCA
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a U.S. government corporation focused on assisting countries dedicated to good governance, economic freedom, and investing in people. In May 2022, MCC signed a five-year agreement (“compact”) with the government of Lesotho (GoL) aimed at poverty reduction through inclusive and sustainable economic growth in the country.
The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA- Lesotho), is an entity established by the Government to act as the accountable entity to implement the Compact, with the authority to bind the Government with regard to all Program activities.
Lesotho Compact
The Lesotho Health and Horticulture Compact aims to benefit 2.5 million people by growing, strengthening, and organizing the private sector in Lesotho and improving the government’s coordination to deliver critical services necessary to support private sector development.
It will achieve this goal through investments in Health System Strengthening, strengthening of the business environment and Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture, providing sustainable income for smallholders and increasing climate resilience by replacing rain-fed subsistence farming with irrigated commercial horticulture in select locations.
The GoL is committed to passing several key reforms that will help make this compact successful, including reforms that address gender equality, working conditions and worker safety, as well as land and water rights. All of the compact’s projects focus on overcoming barriers to the economic inclusion of women, youth, and the rural poor.
MARKET-DRIVEN IRRIGATED HORTICULTURE (MDIH) PROJECT
The MDIH Project objective is to increase rural incomes related to commercial agriculture, including for women, youth, and the rural poor, and establish a sustainable and inclusive model of irrigation, water resource, and land management. The project provides extensive technical assistance and investments in institutional reforms and capacity building of both the GOL and beneficiaries of the project’s investment in irrigation infrastructure to develop a successful and sustainable horticulture industry. The budget for this project is $118 million.
Objective of this position
The Land Reforms Activity Manager will have principal responsibility for providing technical support and strategic guidance to staff and partners designing and implementing land reform components throughout the MDIH Project. The Land Reforms Activity Manager will be responsible for management of all land work, including managing land-related contracts; assuring the technical quality of design and implementation, working with other MCA-Lesotho II staff, pertinent government agencies responsible for implementation, and other partners to address implementation challenges and opportunities; and coordinating with external stakeholders. The Land Reforms Activity Manager will report to the Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture (MDIH) Director.
Primary responsibilities
- As the organizational structure dictates, serve as contract manager effectively and efficiently tracking workplans, deliverables, expiration of contract, financials, monitoring the extensive integration of gender across activities, identifying working effectively to resolve risks or issues, responding to contract questions, providing technical feedback where relevant, facilitating coordination with other contractors or MCA staff, and providing reports to senior management as required.
- Support Project Team and Contract Management Specialist to develop and implement contract management strategies, policies, and procedures to facilitate smooth contract administration.
- Engage MCA-Lesotho II staff, MCC staff, key government counterparts, and consultants to effectively integrate MDIH land activities with other sector and cross cutting activities. This includes consideration of project planning, development, and implementation, including in terms of reference, work plans, designs, contract management, budgets, and timelines and monitoring mechanisms.
- Work with key government counterparts and consultants to promote adoption of and implement land related reforms as part of the MDIH activities.
- Liaise and coordinate with Lesotho Government Officials to ensure that all counterparts and stakeholders are aware of project activities, involved in decision making and project implementation, where appropriate, and receive necessary training and capacity building as required to ensure sustainability of the project.
- Participate in advisory boards and committees related to the MDIH project and Land sector generally, as may be required, to guide the land activities and facilitate their sustainability.
- Collaborate with MCA-Lesotho II directors in the management of contracts/projects for the design and implementation of shared projects.
- Propose revisions to project design as needed to address implementation challenges. Oversee and monitor the implementation of revised activities to ensure that identified challenges are being addressed such that Project objectives can be achieved.
- Prepare budget requests and reports related to all land related MDIH activities as required to receive disbursements of MCC funding for project implementation.
- Work with Government, MCC and project private stakeholders to complete required reporting and resolve problems and challenges that arise with implementation of the project.
- Travel to project sites for supervision visits as required to implement the project.
- In coordination with the sector Directors and Deputy CEO, develop and manage partnerships with aligned actors as relevant to advance the compact objectives.
Required Competencies
- Minimum 5 years’ experience working in Land projects, preferably with activities related to land titling, registration, legal and policy reform, and capacity building of land administration institutions.
- Demonstrated understanding of the relevance of gender in land projects, and experience working on at least two land reform projects in which promotion of women’s land rights was an objective.
- Experience working on irrigation and agricultural investment projects is considered an advantage.
- Tertiary degree in land surveying, law, or other field related to land titling and reform.
- Experience working with donor projects in developing countries.
- Minimum five (5) years of broad program management experience encompassing cross program oversight and development and management of significant resources, including:
- Experience managing multi-disciplinary technical teams.
- Stakeholder engagement experience.
- A minimum of 5 years of successful technical contract or grant management experience, as evidenced by at least two examples of how the candidate managed a contract or grant to successfully produce deliverables or outcomes within a specified period of time and budget.
- Strong project and contract management skills.
- Proficiency in English (writing and speaking) is required. Proficiency in Sesotho (writing and speaking) is preferred.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Must be able to effectively use Google and MS Office applications and learn any specific applications related to work.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted on-line, on or before the application deadline 29 September 2023.
Applications should be accompanied by the following documents:
- Curriculum vitae containing detailed work experience;
- Cover letter confirming interest and availability;
- Soft copies of higher education and professional certificates (if available);
Only applications that come in before or on the application deadline will be considered.
- We thank all applicants. However, note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Submit your application online via: https://lesotho-jobs.tenderwell.app