Land Specialist – 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.
Position Objective
The Land Specialist oversees the implementation of all land related activities in the irrigation scheme areas under the MDIH project. The Land Specialist is responsible for providing technical inputs to ensure the land activities are conducted in manner aligned with international best practice and completed in a timely manner such that Compact objectives are achieved.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee and monitor contractor performance on land-related activities in the irrigation schemes, identifying issues and proposing corrective actions where needed.
- Engage MCA-Lesotho II staff, MCC staff, key government counterparts, and consultants to effectively integrate MDIH land activities in the schemes 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.
- Liaise and coordinate with Lesotho’s central government and local 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 the sustainability of the project.
- Collaborate with MCA-Lesotho II directors in the management of contracts/projects for the design and implementation of MDIH project activities.
- 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 resolve problems and challenges that arise with the implementation of the project.
- Travel to project sites for supervision visits as required to implement the project.
Qualifications and Experience
- Tertiary degree in land surveying, law, or other fields related to land titling, land registration, and land reform.
- Minimum 5 years’ experience working in Land Reform projects, preferably with activities related to land distribution and realignment; survey, titling, and registration of irrigated land
- Experience supporting capacity-building activities in local land registration offices is an advantage.
- Experience working with donor funded projects in developing countries.
Skills and Competencies
- Knowledge of and exposure to gender issues in land registration and titling.
- Knowledge of and exposure to environmental and social protection issues (e.g., resettlement compensation and livelihoods restoration).
- English and Sesotho language skills.
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.