Irrigated Horticulture Support Services Activity Manager – 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 II, 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 (HSS), strengthening of the business environment and Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture (MDIH), 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’s 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.
Integrated Horticulture Support Services provides support to scheme landholders, who may also be smallholder farmers; commercial investors; and other actors in the horticulture value chain to promote inclusive, profitable and sustainable commercial agriculture. Key to this activity is an approach that facilitates the consolidation of land to establish a viable model of irrigated commercial agriculture and scheme management and promotes commercial relationships between passive landholders and smallholder farmers with anchor farmers to ensure profitability and sustainability. A robust training and capacity building program will build the capacity of smallholder farmers to apply best practices in horticultural production and business management. Some of these aspects include but are not limited to Social and Behavior Change (SBC), scheme governance aspects, etc. Women and youth are a target group for this activity, to promote their participation in scheme management and access to benefits from horticultural production.
Position Objective
The Irrigated Horticulture Support Services (IHSS) Activity Manager will have principal responsibility for providing technical support and strategic guidance to staff and partners designing and implementing support services for components of the MDIH Project. The IHSS Activity Manager will be responsible for providing strategic oversight and coordination for the successful implementation of the MDIH Project. They will also be responsible for managing contracts to supply these services in concert with the MCA staff, e.g. the Procurement Director, MDIH Project Director, Environmental and Social Protection Director, Gender and Social Inclusion Director- and pertinent government agencies responsible for implementation, and other partners to address implementation challenges and opportunities; and coordinating with external stakeholders. The IHSS Activity Manager will report to the Director of the Market Driven Irrigated Horticulture Project.
Key Responsibilities
- The Activity Manager’s primary responsibility is to ensure the effective completion of the Land Rights Formalization, Scheme Management, and Capacity Building, and Financial Assistance Program sub-activities, all of which will be carried out by contracted entities.
- Engage MCA-Lesotho staff, MCC staff, key government counterparts, and consultants to effectively integrate 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, timelines, and monitoring mechanisms.
- Identify risks and issues related to establishing schemes and develop mitigation plans in concert with other technical leads.
- Facilitate adequate integration of principles and sound strategies on cross-cutting issues such as gender and social inclusion, environmental, climate change, and social behavior change in all areas of support.
- Participate in, lead, and/or present, when requested, at stakeholder meetings, consultation workshops, public outreach events, and training engagements on irrigated horticulture.
- As the organizational structure dictates, serve as contract manager effectively and efficiently tracking work plans, deliverables, expiration of the contract, financials, identifying and 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.
- Collaborate with MCA-Lesotho Directors in the management of contracts/projects for the design and implementation of shared projects.
- Work with Government, MCC, and project private stakeholders to complete required reporting and resolve problems and challenges that arise with the implementation of the project.
- Ability to drive and 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.
- Provide strategic guidance and oversight to contracted entities working on securing documented land rights within planned scheme perimeters, including regular communication with local councils and communities and monitoring the progress of land lease and allocation activities.
- Monitor the establishment of irrigated scheme perimeters and ensure that all necessary infrastructure and support systems are put in place for effective and sustainable operation, including but not limited to water management structures, distribution systems, and training facilities for scheme beneficiaries.
Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, agribusiness, project management, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in managing agricultural development projects, preferably with a focus on irrigated horticulture.
- Experience working on irrigation and agricultural investment projects is considered an advantage.
- Demonstrated experience in project or contract management.
- Proven experience in stakeholder engagement, collaboration with government entities, and implementation of capacity-building programs.
Skills and Competencies
- Strong understanding of gender and social equity considerations in agriculture.
- Knowledge of Lesotho’s agricultural and land tenure context is an advantage.
- Proficiency in English (writing and speaking) is required. Proficiency in Sesotho (writing and speaking) is preferred.
- Must be able to effectively use Google and MS Office applications and learn any specific applications related to work.
How to apply
Complete applications must be submitted online, on or before Friday March 29th, 2024.
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);
- A completed online application form (can be accessed from https://lesotho-jobs.tenderwell.app – CV Template MCA Lesotho II)
Only applications that are submitted on or before the deadline will be considered.
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Submit your application online via: https://lesotho-jobs.tenderwell.app – Hard copy applications will not be considered.