Field Surveyor at Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
- Company: Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries
- Location: Uganda
- State: UG
- Job type: Full-Time
- Job category: Administrative Jobs in Uganda
Job Description
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).
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.
FIELD SURVEYOR
Reports to: Hub Manager
Job purpose: The Field Surveyor will survey project land to be acquired and farmer plots to confirm the land availability for oil palm growing, undertake farm planning, manage the Hub smallholder data base and produce survey maps for utilization at the hub and NOPP PMU. .
Key Responsibilities
• Open boundaries for the farmers’ plots/Land
• Undertake Physical and farm planning together with the farmers, to ensure provision of land for oil palm, food and other farm related activities
• Ensure that all farmers’ pledged land is dully surveyed and plotted
• Develop strip maps and GIS data base for the farmers
• Map farm and community roads in liaison with the Project Engineer
• Undertake field data collection using Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
• e) Ensure that women and youth participate in the project activities in the hub by developing and applying suitable criteria.
• Assist Community leaders and farmers to identify suitable land and plan the schedules for the recommended services.
• Work with communities to form/strengthen farmer organisations to the level of registration and functioning as businesses.
• Lead capacity building activities of farmer organisations including good governance, savings and credit activities, and governance and farmer mobilization to be members of the farmer organisations
• Identify and liaise with NGOS under the hub to represent project affected people
• Implement the grievance mechanism system put in place at community level.
• Undertake household mentoring activities in the hub, with support from the NOPP PMU
• Mobilize farmers to participate in community environment management and protection activities
• Identify vulnerable households that may need special support and suggest interventions to support these households
• Working with the agricultural extension officers, map off marginal areas that are not suitable for oil palm production
• Manage the data base for the farmers in liaison with the Hub M&E assistant
• Participate in the mobilization and training of farmers to provide a smooth framework for registration.
• Ensure farmers have legal access/rights of use or ownership for the land pledged for project activities
• Generation of the Survey Reports and maps to guide smallholder farmer development
Perform any other duties assigned from time to time
Job Skills: Not Specified
Academic Qualifications
• Degree in Surveying, Surveying and Land Information Systems, Surveying and Geomatics, or related field from a recognised Institute
• Post graduate training in the above field is an added advantage
• Registration with surveyors’ registration board of Uganda is a must.
• Certification in Geographical Information Systems.
• Certificate in Management of Land acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation is an added advantage.
Work experience
• Five years (5) working experience in the related field
• Skills and experience in use of AutoCAD Land Development Software and ARCGIS software to do analysis and mapping.
• Conversant with use of most surveying equipment
• Knowledge in land use management and operating system.
• Interpretation of Land information system • Team player with high level of integrity and good interpersonal skills. • Willing and able to ride a motor cycle. Fluency in English and working knowledge of local languages spoken in the hub
Method of Application
Written Applications with copies of academic credentials, testimonials and detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) indicating contact details of three (03) referees should be addressed tothe Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, and hand delivered to the Ministry Registry located at Plot No.14 Lugard Road Entebbe P.O. Box 102 Entebbe.
Closing date for submission: Monday 12th October, 2020 at 4.00pm
Only Shortlisted Candidates will be contacted.