Program Assistant - Taita Taveta, Kenya (Coast Region) at Mercy Corps

The Position Summary

The Program Assistant will be involved in the implementation of the project at the County level, provide the linkage between Energy 4 Impact Mercy Corps, the local stakeholders and ICS producers, Distributors, Installers, and fabricators, monitor progress of the project activities and produce field implementation reports. She/He will co-ordinate with other project implementing agencies to ensure synergies with each partner activities to achieve the project objective.

Essential Position Responsibilities

• Assess market information gaps among ICS producers, ICS retailers and distributors, and key stakeholders in the target county.
• Establish coordination with other project implementing partners such as GIZ.
• Identify, engage and recruit project beneficiaries in the target county.
• Identify and engage relevant stakeholders, seek buy in for the project and enhance close collaboration for project success.
• Support project coordinator in conduction county level project launch meetings and induction trainings.
• Support signing of partnership agreement letters between E4I/MCK and ICS producers, ICS Installers, Fabricators and distributors.
• Conduct technology, business, gender and financial needs assessment of the selected ICS enterprises.
• Develop action plans for technology, business, gender and financial linkages support to the selected ICS enterprises.
• Ensure entrepreneurs receive adequate and effective technical support for the growth and development of their ICS enterprises.
• Support M&E in collection of relevant data for monitoring and evaluating project performance.
• Conduct market development activities for the ICS enterprises selected through creation of business linkages, commercial relationships, and development of business networks.
• Support awareness raising and behavior change communication activities in the target county. Identify and engage awareness raising networks such as CBO, youth and women groups, local institutions etc.
• Support gender mainstreaming initiatives among the selected ICS enterprises.
• Identify financial institutions in the target counties for potential financial linkages.
• Conduct meetings with the financial institutions to introduce the project and the financing needs of entrepreneurs.
• Support entrepreneurs to access capital for their ICS businesses.
• Facilitate the financing institutions to conduct loan management training to entrepreneurs in groups or individuals.
• Provide liaison between E4I and County Government, communities, and other local stakeholders.
• Participate in project review and planning meetings.
• Compile and submit project implementation workplans and reports.

Accountability

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

Academic and Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in either Renewable Energy, Community Development, Environmental Science, Business, Economics, Finance, Project management OR;
• A Diploma in a relevant field with over Six (6) years project implementation experience.

Relevant working experience

• At least 3 years’ experience implementing donor funded projects.
• Experience working with Micro, Medium and Small Entrepreneurs, businesses and/or energy SMEs and/or an understanding of community business models is highly advantageous.
• Promotion of uptake of renewable energy and ICS for productive uses and activities.
• Experience in community-based approaches for mobilization.
• Experience in conducting surveys, managing data and statistics is desirable.
• Experience in working in the coastal region of Kenya is highly desirable.

 Success Factors

A successful Program Assistant will possess the following attributes:

• Excellent communication skills in Swahili and English.
• Strong negotiation and mediation skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Excellent sales management skills.
• Excellent report writing skills and computer skills in word processing and spreadsheets.
• Ability to travel and work in rural areas for most of the times.