MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, ANIMAL INDUSTRY AND FISHERIES
NATIONAL OIL PALM PROJECT (NOPP)
1. PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Government of Uganda (GoU) has received a loan from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) towards financing a ten-year National Oil Palm Project (NOPP). The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) as the Lead Project Agency, in partnership with other agencies, private sector and farmer Organisations.
1.1 Project Objectives and Outcomes of National Oil Palm Project (NOPP).
The overall goal of the NOPP is inclusive rural transformation through oil palm investment. The development objective is to sustainably increase rural incomes through opportunities generated by the establishment of an efficient oil palm industry that complies with modern environmental and social standards. This will be realized through three outcomes: 1) sustainable supply chains for oil palm growers established; 2) household livelihoods diversified and resilience increased; and 3) an enabling environment created for sustainable scaling-up of oil palm investment. The Project has three components;
1.2 Project Components
The project has three components:
• Component 1. Scaling-up smallholder oil palm development.
• NOPP will establish sustainable commercial partnerships between smallholder oil palm growers and private processors. In total, it will involve 11,000 growers with a total of 19,700 ha under oil palm in four new hubs where the crop will be planted for the first time, and in Kalangala where production is already established.
• Component 2. Livelihoods diversification and resilience.
• NOPP will support the creation of alternative economic opportunities and the mitigation of social risks in the larger communities.
• Component 3. Oil Palm Sector Development Framework.
• The Project will work to establish the enabling conditions for the sustainable scaling-up and long-term development of oil palm through policy and institutional support for national oil palm sector development; and Strengthening of national capacity for oil palm research.
1.3 Oil palm Hubs:
NOPP will support the development of five oil palm hubs namely Kalangala; Buvuma; Mayuge (Mayuge, Bugiri and Namayingo); Greater Masaka (Kyotera, Kalungu and Masaka); and Greater Mukono (Mukono and Buikwe).
For Hub establishment, NOPP will establish a hub coordination unit responsible for farmer mobilization and recruitment to grow oil palm and provide technical advice for oil palm production. The Hub team will support the establishment of oil palm plantations by smallholder farmers; and facilitate establishment/strengthening of farmer organization (s) while working hand-in-hand with the NOPP Project Management Unit (PMU) and Nucleus Estate technical team to carry out the day-to-day activities of the Hub during the first five years of operations and will directly report to the NOPP PMU.
Once sufficient numbers of farmers have joined the scheme, production initiated and grass root oil palm farmer institutions are established, the responsibility of farmer mobilization, recruitment and oil palm plantation management will be shifted to the Farmer Organisations. Borrowing from the experience of oil palm development in Kalangala, farmer institutions in the hub will be organized into primary and secondary groups at three levels: Units and Blocks at Village and Parish levels; and linked to the district apex body. Hub Office Establishment will be phased, starting with Buvuma Hub where preparations for initiation of development activities are in advanced stages.
1.4 Establishment of Buvuma Hub Office
The Work Station will be Buvuma District on Buvuma Island
The hub team will be comprised of the following staff who will be based in Buvuma district. These will include:
• Hub Manager
• Hub Accountant
• Credit Officer • Hub Community Development and Liaison Officer
• Logistics and Inventory Officer
• Field Surveyor
• Agriculture Extension Officers (4- one per sub-county where NOPP activities are planned to take place)
• Hub Monitoring and Evaluation Assistant
• Hub Engineering Assistant
• Office Administrator
• Office Attendant
General Qualifications for the NOPP Buvuma Hub Office Staff
The Buvuma Hub Office will have the general responsibility for management of Buvuma Project activities, working closely with the NOPP PMU, Buvuma District Local Government and Management of Oil Palm Buvuma Limited (OPBL). The team will ensure that the project is implemented according to the Loan Agreement and within the Government regulations. The Hub team will be responsible for planning, executing and reporting on the project implementation progress in Buvuma Hub. They will mobilize smallholder farmers to participate in oil palm production.
They will provide technical support to the farmers in oil palm production and support access to production inputs by farmers. The team will keep accurate information and data on each of the farmers as required, including general farmer information, acreage, input amounts and value, to mention some.
The candidates for the positions should meet the following general qualifications:
• Be a Ugandan citizen with a National Identification card
• Have general knowledge of project and business management with emphasis on work planning, budgeting and reporting;
• Be computer literate and well versed in the use of word, excel and internet;
• Be self-motivated and have the ability to take initiative and work with minimal supervision to meet deadlines;
• Be fluent in English – written and oral and demonstrate excellent report writing skills;
• Possess advanced advocacy, communication and negotiation skills and ability to work as a team member;
• Be conversant with rural development strategies and gender equity;
• Have a working knowledge of GOU policies, operations and reforms;
Details of Job Positions, roles and responsibilities/Terms of Reference and Person Specifications/ Qualifications.
CREDIT OFFICER
Reports to: Operations Manager
Job purpose: The overall responsibility of the Credit Officer will be to ensure that the financing for oil palm development activities are carried out in accordance with the laid down guidelines in the implementation plan and according to Hub smallholder oil Palm growing scheme. .

Key Responsibilities:
• Establish and manage smallholder oil palm farmers’ Credit Scheme
• Identify farmers’ financial needs and provide Reponses as appropriate
• Ensure proper filing and financial record keeping of farmers’ data at all times.
• Timely posting and reconciliation of farmer’s financial data from time to time.
• Supervise and monitor performance of farmer’s credit related activities in oil palm cultivation.
• Sensitize farmers on savings and credit activities and formation Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), together with the Hub Community Development and Liaison Officer.
• Support the Farmer Loan Application, Disbursements and Recovery Process.
• Ensure the recovery of the loans disbursed to farmers
• Sensitize farmers on credit access, management and utilization
• Identify farmers that will require financing from banks and recommend for bank financing
• Monitor and report on the performance of Commercial loans extended to oil palm farmers by selected Financial Institutions.
• Conduct financial literacy trainings among Oil Palm Growers and Non-oil palm growers aimed at improving the savings and credit culture among project beneficiaries.
• Participate in preparation of work plans, budgets and reports as required by the PMU.
• Ensuring timely and accurate reporting of credit progress.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the hub Accountant from time to time.

Academic Qualifications
• The following specific qualifications are required:
• Bachelor’s (Hon) Degree in, Statistics, Economics, Economics and Statistics, Business Computing, Agribusiness Management, Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Micro finance, or related field from a recognized Institution.
• Computer literate in at least MS Office Word, Excel, and Access.
Competencies
• A team player with high levels of integrity
• Ability to work under minimum supervision
• Fluency in English and in local languages spoken with in project area
• Willing and able to ride a motor cycle
Work Experience
• Five (5) years’ experience working with organisations involved in Agriculture Financing and Rural Development
At least 3 years’ experience with Credit/ Rural financial services, working a financial institution in credit management.