Program Officer

PROGRAM OFFICER: Asset Building and Community Development Program, Natural Assets, East Africa

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION:

The Program Officer will be responsible for implementing, monitoring, and coordinating grant making activities in the Expanding Community Rights and Voice over Natural Resources portfolio, which seeks to support the development of natural resource policies and programs that give poor communities more control over these resources and a stronger voice in decision making on questions facing land reform in East Africa. The work will focus on the most vulnerable groups, including ethnic minorities, women and youth whose access to natural resources is most threatened and will geographically focus and be informed by experiences at the community and national levels in three countries-Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Grant making in this portfolio will be largely organized to advance the goals of a Foundation line of work entitled: Expanding Community Rights over Natural Resources in Eastern Africa. The long term goal of this line of work is to assist poor rural communities in the region to secure rights and access to natural assets and to create conducive conditions under which their livelihoods can be enhanced through the utilization of these natural assets in order to reduce poverty and injustice in the region.

Under the supervision of the Representative in Kenya and the Director of the Natural Assets unit (based in Nicaragua), the Program Officer will develop grant making and other program activities to implement five strategies to achieve program goals: 1) research and development: supporting research and development efforts designed to generate policy research on key issues of land tenure security for the rural poor, vulnerable and marginalized groups--to inform policy interventions and provide recommendations for reform; 2) pilot experiments that: build the capacity of marginalized communities to understand their legal and constitutional rights to land and natural resources, claim those rights through social and legal action, and secure their right to own, use and control ancestral land, territories and natural resources; test and implement innovative aspects of the land policy to demonstrate benefits and provide concrete examples of the impacts of a revised policy, and; test and develop sustainable land use and management practice for reclaimed land and natural resources; 3) training: develop and implement training programs to improve the skills and knowledge of communities, professionals from support organizations, media professionals, policy-makers and other relevant groups on issues around land and natural resource rights; 4) institutional strengthening: strengthen the capacity and improve the skills and knowledge of local East African institutions, civil society and communities to conduct research and participate in policy formulation, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation of the land policy reform process; and 5) communication: engage with public interest media as an important platform for building new constituencies, framing strategic communication and shifting public discourse on the question of land and natural resource.

Specifically, the program officer will review the current status of the field, the recently developed program strategies related to Natural Assets, and the status of the grants in the Foundation's existing portfolio; formulate plans to implement grant making in the new program strategies; solicit, review, and respond to grant proposals; prepare recommendations for foundation funding; and work with other foundation staff to develop learning strategies related to natural resource policies and policy processes. The Program Officer will be expected to provide intellectual leadership in the field of pro-poor natural resource policies and to work closely with other Program Officers throughout the Foundation whose work relates to the central mission of the portfolio. The Program Officer also is expected to collaborate broadly with scholars and practitioners, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and other donors on issues of common program concern. The Program Officer will contribute both to the office's strategic direction for East Africa, and to the foundation's overall goals related to natural resources worldwide.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Significant professional experience (ideally over 10 years) working on gender issues, with a particular focus on women's land rights, gender and land tenure, and natural resource management in East Africa and/or other regions in the global south. Demonstrated experience conducting action research on land rights of marginalized groups, including women and ethnic minorities, and linking research with advocacy and policy. Direct experience building the capacity of vulnerable groups to understand their legal and constitutional rights to land and natural resources and to claim those rights. A broad understanding of human rights, specifically women's human rights issues as well as field experience and expertise in East Africa and/or other regions in the global south. Demonstrated capacity to analyze, research, conceptualize, design and lead innovative program strategies. Advanced oral and written communication skills. Graduate degree in social sciences: sociology, anthropology, gender studies, agricultural economics, human geography or other relevant discipline is required. Grant-making experience is an advantage. A strong desire to achieve impact; a proven track record of achieving change; strong communications capabilities, including a clear ability to convene, build strong partnerships with NGOs, CBOs and other funding agencies, and drive a group to action; and the proven capacity to work in teams.

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Salary is based on experience and on the Foundation's commitment to internal equity. A generous benefits package is provided.

Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at The Ford Foundation, where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.