Fairtrade Africa Project Officer- Lake Victoria Gold Project Jobs in Uganda

Fairtrade Africa Project Officer- Lake Victoria Gold Project Jobs in Uganda

Closing date: 22 Apr 2019

About Fairtrade Africa:

Fairtrade Africa (FTA) is the umbrella network organisation representing Fairtrade certified producers and workers in Africa. It has four (4) regional networks – Eastern & Central Africa; Southern Africa; Western Africa; and the Middle East and North Africa.

Established in 2005, FTA aims to effectively represent producers and workers within the International Fairtrade system and provide services to them that contribute to the improvement of their livelihoods. The FTA Board directs policy and strategic development of the organisation.

Background:

To effectively tackle child labor in ASM communities, a partnership was created between NGOs that are experts in addressing child labor and responsible mining (Fairtrade, Hivos/Stop Child Labour (SCL), UNICEF and Solidaridad) and two sustainable frontrunners in the electronics industry - Fairphone and Royal Philips.

The parties agreed to join forces and implement a two years program, known as the Anti Child Labour (ACL) programme, with the aim of tackling child labor in Uganda by working closely with mining communities and connecting more responsible gold to the electronics industry supply chains, starting by the ones of Philips and Fairphone.

The reasoning underlying the goals of the consortium is that if ASM communities are more aware of the negative impact of child labor and support children receiving good quality education, and if ASM miners can generate sustainable income with safe and efficient mining practices, and if supply chain actors provide market access for responsibly mined ASM gold in their supply chain, then child labor in ASM communities in Busia, Uganda, will be reduced.

During the collaboration, activities of the parties will aim to:

Prevent and reduce all forms of child labor through the implementation of Child Labour Free Zones, involving all stakeholders within the area, including teachers, parents, children, unions, community groups, local authorities and employers

Increase economic prosperity in designated mining areas through access to improved mining equipment and capacity-building trainings

Provide long-term, sustainable access to international markets by piloting a scalable export model, linking the verified small-scale mined gold to off takers connected to the electronics industry

Monitor, evaluate and share results to expand impact and provide opportunities to replicate best practices across other supply chains and industries

By taking a multi-pronged approach which encourages behavioural change, the collaboration aims to contribute to the vision of economically prosperous and child-free mining communities within the next 5 years.

In working towards these result areas, the Anti child labour programme project will also build on Fairtrade’s extensive experience of working with small-scale mine sites in East Africa.

It will leverage tools and approaches developed within Fairtrade’s Lake Victoria Gold Programme which is reaching ASMOs in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

In particular, it will adopt the IMPACT Investment Facility criteria for small-scale mine sites to access low-interest finance for enhancing their mine operations.

Purpose of the Project Officer

The Project Officer will be the Local Liaison for the implementation of the ACL Project and support local monitoring activities within the overall Lake Victoria Gold Programme (herein referred to as ‘The Projects’). This will entail mainly:

Coordinating and supporting the implementation of the Projects’ activities in close cooperation with all local implementing partners in Uganda.

Continuously monitor progress and collection of data from ASM sites in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Key Responsibilities:

Overall programme coordination for the ACL Project in Uganda based on a joint country programme and workplan.

The co-development, constant review and support of the local implementation strategy with the Project Managers of the ACL Project and the Lake Victoria Gold Programme.

Monitoring the implementation of the projects plans and activities at field level with diverse stakeholders, both local and international.

Data collection at respective ASM sites and regular update and reporting against the Projects ESG Monitoring Framework.

Supporting the in-country programme team to deliver optimal results and flagging areas where more action is needed.

(Co)-organisation of in-country workshops, planning and review meetings with implementing partners and assisting in the reporting.

Facilitate shared learning and joint initiatives in regards to programme implementation in country.

Establish and maintain stakeholder relations, including relations with the government departments in all tiers (local and administrative) as well as key CSO’s and development agencies / networks to enhance stakeholder engagement in the project.

Project representative at local level and liaison for the Gold category in Uganda.

Conduct regular monitoring of Improvements and collection of data from beneficiaries, partners and other stakeholders in the Projects.

Support annual planning of the ACL Project and the Lake Victoria Gold Programme lead by respective Project Managers in collaboration with project partners and relevant stakeholders.

Travel in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and occasionally internationally will be required.

Experience/ Skills and Competence:

Experience

Graduate level degree with at least 3 years relevant work experience (required).

Demonstrable experience in coordinating projects, supporting work plan development and implementation (required).

Demonstrable experience working with consortia of project partners and proven record in effective multi-stakeholder engagement in projects (required).

Demonstrable experience in designing project monitoring frameworks, facilitating reviews and in collection of data (required).

Experience in social development, formalisation of community groups/ rural enterprise development (required).

Experience with Artisanal and Small-scale Miners or in Child Protection programmes (desired).

Skills

Excellent written and spoken English and working knowledge of Swahili.

A proven track record in Project Management (planning, monitoring & report writing, etc.)

Strong administrative and planning skills.

Community engagement, alliance building, negotiation and mobilisation skills

Microsoft Office computer skills.

Other Requirements

Proactive and can-do attitude.

Result oriented, and able to use their initiative to reach objectives set.

Able to handle varied, demanding and complex tasks.

Ability to work independently.

Willing and capable of travel across East Africa.

How to Apply:
For more information and Application procedure visit,

Fairtrade Africa Project Officer- Lake Victoria Gold Project Jobs in Uganda