ABOUT US
We are an international development organisation putting ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world.
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems. Challenges made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. We work with communities to develop ingenious, lasting and locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste management, climate resilience and clean energy. And we share what works with others, so answers that start small can grow big.
We’re a global change-making group. The group consists of a UK registered charity with community projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, an independent development publishing company and a technical consulting service. We combine these specialisms to multiply our impact and help shape a world that works better for everyone.
OUR AIMS
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems, made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. Our aims are to:
• Make agriculture work better for smallholder farmers, many of them women, so they can adapt to climate change and achieve a good standard of living.
• Help more people harness the transformational effects of clean affordable energy and reduce avoidable deaths caused by smoke from indoor stoves and fires.
• Make cities in poorer countries cleaner, healthier places to live and work.
• Build disaster resilience into the lives of people threatened by hazards – reducing the risk of hazards and minimizing their impact on lives and livelihoods.
PRACTICAL ACTION IN KENYA
In Kenya, Practical Action has a long history of addressing systemic barriers that prevent people from accessing energy that transforms their lives, helping communities and government make cities healthier and safer, making agriculture and markets work better for small holder farmers and supporting communities and government to become more resilient.
We use a mix of programming with communities and consultancy services with shapers of policy and practice to achieve our aims.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The objective of the project is to create a commercially viable circular economy model for household organic waste, that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves household waste services, and transforms the lives of informal waste workers.
Household organic waste makes up over 60% of municipal waste but is currently un-valued, uncollected, and a source of pollution. The project will create an urban waste collection system in Kakamega, Kenya, to feed 4,000 tonnes pa of household organic waste into Regen Organic’s (part of Sanergy Inc.) new waste processing plant. This will be converted into organic fertiliser and animal feed, providing regenerative inputs for local farmers who in turn supply food to the urban area, creating a circular economy. The innovation is in incentivising household separation of waste and creating privately run aggregation centres that can profitably integrate waste into Regen Organic’s supply chain, whilst creating decent jobs.
The objective of the project is to create a commercially viable circular economy model for household organic waste, that reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves household waste services, and transforms the lives of informal waste workers.
Practical Action is looking for a Project Officer – Enterprise Development who will work in collaboration with the project team and implementing partners in achieving the project goal and objectives. They will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation and management of the enterprise development activities under the DGBP project.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
Planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of the project field activities:
• Coordinate enterprise development activities including the promotion of local waste and sanitation businesses and innovations.
• Ensure that households have access to quality waste and sanitation management services from the service providers working with the project.
• Work closely with the project commercial partner to ensure that small-holder farmers in the project geography have access to high-quality organic fertilizers.
• In collaboration with the project partners, establish waste aggregation centers for household organic waste supply.
• Utilize the organizational Market Systems Development approach to address the associated systemic problems within the waste and sanitation space.
• Contribute to the program team’s work on the timely and effective management and implementation of the project’s enterprise development activities.
• Contribute to the development of high-quality progress reports, updates and communication products for internal and external consumption.
• Implement behavior change communications activities to ensure that community members are aware of the benefits of proper waste management.
• Work with private sector and local government to introduce and find strategies to increase compliance with standards including on occupational health and safety.
• Support in organizing and facilitating field visits for key stakeholders to share experiences and good practices.
• Strengthen the capacity of waste collectors and aggregators on technical and business skills & health and safety.
Coordination and communication
• Coordinate with County governments and partners’ teams to deliver agreed knowledge outputs for project learning and sharing.
• Organize meetings, workshops, and other information dissemination events with different stakeholders as appropriate.
• Coordinate and collaborate with other relevant actors for mutual sharing and learning as agreed.
• Support the project partners to design and implement marketing and promotional materials of waste and sanitation services and conduct market assessments to determine the potential demand for services.
Managing Relationships
• Develop and strengthen waste and sanitation management networks and lead in convening strategic project-specific meetings as needed.
• Maintain relationships with County and National level stakeholders ensuring that transparency at all levels is maintained and project information is communicated to relevant stakeholders in a timely manner.
Supervisory role
• Supervise and manage Waste Aggregation Centres and project partners to achieve their maximum productivity to ensure the project -outcomes are met.
PERSON PROFILE
To be successful in the role, the ideal candidate should meet the following requirements:
Experience & Knowledge
• Bachelor’s degree in business related studies, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Economics, or a relevant subject.
• Master’s degree preferred. Enterprise Development background is added value.
• Five years of work experience in private sector engagement and market development.
• Experience of working in Circular Economy and setting up businesses is preferred.
• Experience in capacity building, financial inclusion and behavior change communications (BCC) is preferred.
• Willingness and enthusiasm to work in challenging and difficult situations, and with vulnerable communities living in remote areas of the country.
• Good communication skills with fluency in English and Kiswahili.
• Good report writing and analysis skills.
• Demonstrated skills in prioritizing tasks and meeting deadlines.
• Ability to conduct knowledge transfer, effective communication, and people management abilities.
• Possess coping skills and the ability to function under pressure.
• Facilitate community programs to raise awareness of Solid Waste Management best practices.
• Assist to plan and lead training sessions for communities.
• Program management skills with supporting skills in finance management, contract management, communication, negotiation, and representation.
• Leadership skills and an ability to make decisions and participate in setting strategic direction.
Essential
• Excellent report writing, analytical, networking, presentation, and communication skills.
• High levels of demonstrated skills in prioritizing tasks and meeting deadlines.
• Demonstrate good work experience with local and national governments, INGO and local NGO partners and the Private Sector.
• Experience in developing micro enterprises
A detailed job description can be accessed here- https://practicalaction.org/careers/vacancies/project-officer-enterprise-development-2/
How to apply
If you are ready for an exciting challenge with an organisation whose mission and values are particularly relevant in these rapidly changing times, please forward your application, curriculum vitae and cover letter to: Practical Action, Kenya Office by email: [email protected] no later than 21st June, 2024 indicating ‘Practical Action: Job Title in the subject line of the email. Your cover letter should outline why you feel this is the position for you and you are the right candidate. Please include the names of 3 referees in your CV.
Additional Information
Practical Action is an equal opportunities employer, and we encourage applications from under-represented groups. We stay committed to cultivating an inclusive and diverse working environment and believe that people from different backgrounds or cultures give us different perspectives, and the more perspectives we have, the more successful we will be. By building a culture where everyone feels heard, respected and valued we give everyone working with us the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Practical Action is committed to safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.