Extension Worker

Job Summary:

Under the overall supervision of the Program Director and/ or Project Manager/Extension Coordinator and direct supervision of Provincial Extension Advisor and in close collaboration with the SNaPP2 Technical Team, the Extension Workers will be based in Herat ( Karukh and Zindajan Districts or as per top management decision). The Extension worker will work closely with farmer’s groups, enhance their capacity to identify extension and agriculture development issues, develop plans and retain sustainable income resources.

Skills Required:

Provinces to travel:

Skills Description:

·        Working knowledge of the sector and experience in agriculture

·        Good report and success stories writing skills.

·        Must be fluent in local languagesand good in English language

·        Ability of working in rural areas (District and Village).

·        Good written and oral communication skills, as well as strong interpersonal skills.

·        Must have basic computer knowledge ( office packages and internet)

Duties & Responsibilities:

The key focus of extension service under SNaPP2 will be development of community groups, Farmers Resource Centre (FRC), community-based facilitators, community planning and implementation of development actions based on demand driven and participatory methods in collaboration with the CDCs and other groups.

• Assist in development of farmer groups in coordination with the district extension managers and Community Development councils (CDCs) in order to work efficiently and effectively.
• Assist farmer groups to identify priority Extension and Agricultural development issues and formulate community-based action plans.
• Establish community based farmer facilitators (e.g. village-based animal health worker, farmer field school facilitator, home nutrition coach, etc.)
• Provide extension services for farmer along the value chain: input provision, land preparation, production, harvest and post-harvest, agro processing and commercialization of the agricultural products (crops, livestock and forest) through various methods of extension and communication.
• Establish and Support Farmer's Resource Centres (FRCs), farmer’s interest groups and producers' associations, and to facilitate private sector linkages.
• Establish and Support Field Farmers Schools (FFS) with close coordination of Extension workers.
• Help small-scale and marginalized farmers to form groups (e.g. self-help) and support to increase their income through diversification and intensification of their farming and introducing of alternative livelihood opportunities.
• Identify farmers’ needs, problems and feedback, and communicate it to provincial extension unit and local research institutions.
• Monitor, evaluate and report on extension and agriculture sector developments at the district and communities to provincial extension advisor/coordinator.
• Coordinate with research units and convince farmer on adoption of new technologies, motivate participatory on-farmers field trail researches, persuade farmers to visit from extension demos and research farms, and promote linkage to near research units for development of extension workers technical skills.
• Compile the community-based extension plans and develop overall district extension service plan / package in target districts.
• Coordinate to develop, manage and conduct the workshops and trainings and other agricultural extension education models.
• Any other tasks assigned by supervisor.

Job Location:

Qualifications:

Education:

·        Minimum Bachelor Degree in agriculture preferably Extension, Agronomy or Horticulture.

Experience:

·        At least three years of relevant work experience.

·        The candidate should be willing to – ultimately- enrol under the civil service an opportunity arises under the transition programme.

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