National Project Officer at AVSI Foundation

Sangiza iyi nkuru

AVSI Foundation is an international not-for-profit, non-governmental organization (NGO) founded in Italy in 1972.

AVSI Rwanda: AVSI-Rwanda is registered at Directorate General of Immigration & Emigration under Reg. N° 57/DGI&E/15.

AVSI has field offices in 5 districts in the Southern (Kamonyi, Nyanza and Ruhango), Eastern (Gatsibo) and Northern (Gicumbi) provinces of the country; where it has developed an OVC extensive program; and intervene in others districts according specific projects.

Website:
http://www.avsi.org
Terms of Reference

Project Title: Promotion of productive use of electricity by local businesses/entrepreneurs

Organization: FOUNDATION AVSI Rwanda

Project Officer

AVSI wishes to recruit 1 Project Assistant:

Location: AVSI Rwanda Head Quarter Kigali with extensive field travel and interaction with various people living in rural areas

Expected Start Date: As soon as possible

Duration: one-year renewable based on performance

Background

AVSI, created in 1972, is a non-profit organization, which carries out development cooperation and humanitarian aid projects throughout the world. AVSI started intervening in Rwanda in 1994 after the genocide with emergency operations. In 25 years, AVSI Rwanda transitioned to long-term development interventions that contribute to the socio-economic transformation of the country.

In this context, AVSI is implementing the Village Grid Productive Uses of Energy (PUE) project, which is funded by GIZ/EnDev, with the primary objective to support villages that have been electrified by mini-grids in the development of productive uses of energy. This project is complementary to GIZ/EnDev’s Village Grid Results-Based-Financing (RBF) project, which provides financing for off-grid mini-grid developers. The proposed intervention will aim at increasing demand at mini-grid sites through the promotion of productive use of electricity by local businesses/entrepreneurs through a number of interventions.

To achieve this, we are recruiting a competent National Project Officer to be part of the implementation of this project.

Summary of Key Functions:
The Project Officer will be part of the Program Team (PT), under the overall supervision of the Project Manager. The main role of the Project Officer is to provide technical expertise to all activities relating to the implementation of the project, main trainings to entrepreneurs, field market assessment and feasible business opportunities. The selected officer will demonstrate a commitment to AVSI’s mission, vision, and values; ensure the provision of the highest quality and standards of services to clients’ beneficiaries.

Purpose:
The purpose of this position is to promote productive use of electricity in newly electrified villages by supporting rural entrepreneurs to improve their business or initiate new businesses, providing new services and products to the community that will increase both energy consumption while promoting the rural economic development of the village.

Responsibility
Identify existing businesses and potential opportunities in selected villages:
Conduct surveys, gather information/data on existing local business opportunities, assess local value chains and opportunities for new businesses, identify challenges and relevant stakeholders.
Work closely with the mini-grid developers to align businesses with the capacity of the plant.
Develop business training materials, methodology, and strategies for potential entrepreneurs
Identify, train, coach and support local businesses/entrepreneurs in the development of their productive use opportunity through:
Awareness-raising on options for using electricity beyond basic needs such as light, phone charging and TV/radio, and the economic and social benefit of productive uses, such as welding, milling and other income-generating activities.
Training workshops and consultations to help and encourage new and existing businesses/entrepreneurs to identify, start or expand or diversify existing businesses (e.g.: providing services such as pumping, processing/refrigeration of locally grown agricultural crops, milling, small scale wood or metal workshops).
Technical Assistance: Provide technical training workshops and coaching to help entrepreneurs make informed decisions on selection and purchase of equipment, operation of the new equipment and machineries and basic maintenance. The project officers will also be informed and provide information on warranties, maintenance servicing, and provision of spare parts, safety precautions and energy-efficient use.
Support entrepreneurs to access market activities: Connecting entrepreneurs across the value chain, helping them to access new raw materials, or facilitate linkage with dealers operating at national level, organize study visits to market places or national trade fairs, etc.
Promote the development and delivery of access to finance opportunities: Support entrepreneurs to access finance to invest in the electrical equipment and machineries required for productive uses i.e. identify financing options and work in close collaboration with the financing institution (i.e. bank, MFI, other). For those entrepreneurs that will access loans, the project officer will also support monitoring the loan repayment.
Support the implementation of a matching grant Scheme.
Monitoring, evaluation and reporting on key indicators:
Monitoring and evaluating the key project objectives, activities and results
Collection of data on a regular basis
Feed into the reporting and M&E system of the project including lessons learnt from the implementation
Contribute to the preparation of regular progress reports and reviews
Skills required:
Master’s degree in economics, management, commerce, entrepreneurship or related business studies from a recognized institution or Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of four years’ experience in the relevant field.
Experience in community-based approaches in project implementation
Strong organizational skills and able to coordinate and manage a diverse array of activities and stakeholders
Excellent communication skills. Fluency in Kinyarwanda and English (both oral and written). French will be an added advantage
Strong negotiation and mediation skills and ability to work independently
Report writing and computer skills in word processing and spreadsheets
Experience in conducting surveys, managing data and statistics is desirable
Experience in working in rural economic development or business development is desirable
Commercial and technical knowledge of productive use supply chains (in agriculture and/or non-agriculture sectors) is desirable
Willingness to travel and work in rural areas for most of the times
How to apply
Interested candidates should submit their application all in 1 document (motivation letter, updated CV with details of 3 professional references, copies of academic qualifications and certificates of the last employer) through the “Apply for this Job” until 14th February 2020. The email attachment should be a PDF file and remember to mention the job title in the subject.