The USAID Uganda Feed the Future Water and Food Systems Activity (FTF WFSA) is a five year activity (2023-2028) that aims to inclusively and equitably improve food and water security in the Kyoga Basin in northeastern Uganda, specifically three watersheds – Lokok, Awoja, and Lokere, by empowering individuals and communities to mitigate and adapt to shocks and stressors in order to improve livelihoods, maintain nutrition and health wellbeing, address drivers of conflict, and reduce reliance on humanitarian assistance. This area is home to nomadic pastoralists whose livelihoods are at risk due to violent cattle raiding and the effects of climate change (drought and flooding). This part of Uganda also suffers from fragmented markets, chronic underinvestment in public services, and a lack of private sector investment. This Activity is aligned with the Water and Development II (WADI II) scope to access critical technical services in support of the U.S. Government’s Global Water Strategy, Global Food Security and Strategy Refresh, Agency Climate Strategy, and the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience; and is a cornerstone of the USAID Uganda (2022) Country Development Cooperation Strategy Development Objective (DO) 2, Resilient Growth Enhanced. The activity aims therefore aims to achieve results under the following development objectives:

1. Improve water supply and integrated water resource management.
2. Increase equitable access to sanitation and hygiene services for households and schools.
3. Improved agriculture-based livelihoods.
4. Increased consumption of nutritious foods among women and children.
5. Expanded access to financial resources for women, men, youth, indigenous people, and marginalized groups.
6. Improve local capacity to manage shocks and stressors.

FtF WFSA will enhance market systems, strengthen relevant institutions, expand access to climate-resilient services, and—in two of the most vulnerable of the 21 districts covered by the activity—employ “graduation” approaches to assist the ultra-poor. These initiatives will incorporate conflict sensitivity, local leadership, climate change adaptation, and approaches inclusive of women, youth, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and indigenous groups.

Role’s Purpose

The DCOP/Senior Technical Advisor is the main technical point of contact for the FtF WFSA project. The DCOP will be responsible for overall technical oversight of the activity, understanding the range of project’s technical activities and managing their technical quality. He/she will oversee the technical direction, implementation and integration of technical programming focused in WFSA result areas – climate resilience, water supply and integrated water resource management, disaster risk management, financial inclusion, nutrition and agriculture. S/he will oversee the day-to-day coordination of the technical teams activities and communication with USAID/Uganda and other Activity partners. In coordination with the COP, the DCOP/Senior Technical Advisor will draw upon regional and international experience to provide the technical advice and direction of program activities, integrate MEL program data and results into annual work planning and programming. S/He will supervise technical subcontractors on activity design, and quality of deliverables and reporting; exercise quality control of project design and contractual reports and deliverables; and contribute to strategic communications, knowledge management, and monitoring and evaluation. S/He will identify technical gaps in support, ensure coordination and collaboration across technical components, and oversee the implementation of field interventions. The DCOP/Strategic Technical Advisor will supervise technical component leads and the Senior Program Manager. S/He will report to the COP.

Tasks

In close coordination with the COP, Director of Operations and Finance, MEL Director, and Senior Program Manager, duties and responsibilities of the DCOP/Senior Technical Advisor will include, but not be limited to, the following:

Project Planning and Coordination:

• Provide technical leadership and facilitate the development of Annual Workplans, including assisting with organizing and implementing workshops, which will allow for broad involvement of project staff;
• Participate in regular meetings of the Sr. Management (i.e. MEL Director, Objective Leads and other senior staff) to review project progress, implementation issues and refine strategies, approaches and activities to respond to identified challenges and opportunities;
• Foster a flexible and collaborative environment for the project through monthly meetings, special workshops, internal technical exchanges, etc.) at the national, regional, and local level that promote exchange among technical, implementation, and administrative staff that allows for consistent, compliant, and integrated program design and development across all work areas and sectors;
• Collaborate closely with the Operations and Finance teams to ensure logistical and financial planning for technical activities is timely and complete; and the annual work plan is costed with regular joint reviews.
• Support the Sr. Management team in ensuring effective representation with GOU, non-governmental partners, private sector partners, donor agencies and other stakeholders, including through the coordination of high-level events involving USAID, GOU and/or other partners.
• Support collaborative communication channels with USAID, line ministries including Ministry of Water and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Education and Sports, Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, Ministry of Health, national and international stakeholders.
• Assist Technical Leads, Specialists, consultants, and advisors in coordinating with regional offices, ensuring that they have adequate communications and support for effective project implementation.
• Support the COP and MEL Director in coordination with the third-party contractor responsible for the impact evaluations of WFSA.

Technical Quality and Innovation

• Grounded in the four given approaches – market systems, graduation, climate smart services (including participatory design), and institutional strengthening – and drawing on the deep cross-cutting technical expertise within the WFSA team, stimulate creativity and innovative program design and execution by exposing staff and partners to international best practices and adapting these to the local context.
• Ensure coordination and collaboration between Technical Leads, Specialists, consultants, and subcontractors with regional teams, ensuring that workplan activities targeting up and downstream actors are aligned and contribute to project goals and indicators.
• Contribute to and supervise technical staff to draft and complete high quality and timely contractual reporting deliverables (such as weekly updates, quarterly reports, annual reports, success stories, and other technical communications and knowledge management content.)
• Support senior management in establishing joint planning sessions and workshops to enhance market systems facilitation, institutional strengthening, climate resilient services, and the graduation approach.
• Ensure integration of cross-cutting themes into technical and operational activities.
• Ensure project activities align with national GOU priorities and WFS contribution is well documented, and relevant lessons learned are applied and adapted in implementation using the CLA approach.
• Contribute to MEL activities such as data gathering, learning studies, pause and reflect sessions, listening sessions, and other methodologies for measuring success against project goals and indicators.
• In coordination with the grants team, identify and advise on technical priorities and guidelines to create a flexible, responsive, and robust GUC program.

Project Management and Administration

• Support development of Scopes of Works for LTTA, STTA, and field activities, including budgets where required.
• Evaluate project staff performance, provide mentorship and coaching when needed, and recommend personnel actions for long-term staff.
• Assist in the oversight of programs that support project compliance with USAID and GOU reporting requirements, ensuring accuracy, comprehensiveness, and timeliness of such reports.
• Assist relevant staff to ensure compliance with special requirements such as those set forth in the Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP), Act-PERSUAP, Grants and Procurement manuals, Ethics, and other DAI policies such as anti-discrimination, etc.
• Serve as Acting Chief of Party, when required.
• Any other duties as assigned by the COP or her/his designee.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in agriculture, natural resources management, environmental management, or related field.
• 12+ years of relevant professional experience, including a minimum of 5 years working on programs in relevant technical areas, such as food security, agricultural development, market systems, or climate resiliency.
• Experience with USAID or donor-funded agriculture or water-related programs in Eastern Africa region preferred.
• Demonstrated experience and skills providing high quality technical advice to complex integrated food and water systems in collaboration with line ministries and other public and private stakeholders. Technical areas of water management systems, climate adaptation and livelihoods preferred
• Demonstrated experience building partnerships with government at national, regional and local levels, private sector, academia and multi-sectoral local community organizations
• Experience leading and managing technical and administrative teams. Previous supervisory experience required.
• Experience in program monitoring and reporting in liaison with MEAL teams
• Demonstrated commitment and ability to design and implement locally-led, equitable solutions
• Demonstrated experience leading work planning and results-based budgeting processes.
• Advanced communication, professional English skills required and interpersonal and cross-cultural skills

Reporting

The DCOP/Strategic Technical Advisor will report to the Chief of Party.