Job Description

A job description is a written statement that describes the employee’s role and responsibilities. The role and responsibilities
shall be executed within the NRC framework. The job description facilitates the recruitment process by stating the necessary
competencies. It is mandatory for all positions.

Position: Livelihoods and Food Security (LFS) Specialist

Reports to: Head of Programme
Supervision of:
Duty station: Bogotá (Colombia)
Grade: 9
Travel % 40 %
Project number:
Duration and type of contract: 12 months

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s core values: dedication,
innovation, inclusivity and accountability. These attitudes and believes shall guide our actions and
relationships.

1. Background
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people
forced to flee. From our Country Office in Bogota - Colombia we oversee a three-country operation in
Colombia, Ecuador and Panamá, one of our largest in the world, responding to the needs of persons
affected by the internal conflict in Colombia and the migration crisis across the sub-region. Today, NRC
is one of the leading humanitarian organizations in Colombia, with exceptional recognition with local
communities and Government entities, and is the agency of choice for some of the major institutional
donors.
Our strategy for 2025 focuses on delivering immediate lifesaving assistance; building resilience of at-
risk communities; and contributing to durable solutions for displaced populations. Every year we reach
almost half a million people in the sectors of Education; Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance
(ICLA); Livelihoods and Food Security (LFS), Protection from Violence (PfV), Shelter; and Water,
Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).

The LFS Specialist as part of a technical matrix structure has the overall technical responsibility of
the Livelihoods and Food Security (LFS) Core Competence (CC) in Colombia, Ecuador and
Panamá. This position has a threefold focus:

1. Livelihood Provisioning / Meet Basic Needs: provide first line response to ensure that
immediate survival food needs are met, and livelihoods assets restored.
2. Livelihoods Protection: avert erosion of productive assets and protect affected households
against further effects of risks and crisis by ensuring risks are identified and anticipatory
actions to protect livelihoods taken.
3. Livelihoods strengthening: Support affected households and communities promoting
recovery and resilience through the participation in livelihood opportunities that contribute
to their self-reliance and durable solutions.
Given the geographical coverage it is expected a time dedication of 60 % to Colombia, 30 % to Ecuador
and 10 % to Panamá
2. Role and responsibilities

The purpose of the LFS Specialist is technical development of the LFS CC, strategic direction and
quality assurance, the LFS strategy and quality control. The LFS Specialist is responsible for
mentoring, training and capacity building staff on LFS technical capacity.
The LFS Specialist is responsible for providing specialist advice and guidance to the LFS team, Head of
Programme and CC specialists at Operation level in ensuring that optimal LFS programme strategies,
systems, policy, tools and practices are in place.

The following is a brief description of the role.

Generic responsibilities (max 10):

These responsibilities shall be the same for all positions with the same title. The responsibilities shall
be short and essential. Details belong in the Work and Development plan.

1. Develop LFS strategy, technical guidance and Macro LFAs that are aligned with regional and
global strategies and priorities
2. Compliance with and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures
3. Contribute to fundraising, develop and review funding proposals, budgets and donor reports
4. Identify trends, technical standards and donor priorities
5. Follow up on compliance with contractual commitments within the CC, ensure high
technical quality and synergies in project implementation
6. Provide technical direction and project implementation support
7. Ensure that key learnings are extracted from CC implementation, and incorporate them in CC
and staff development processes
8. Provide systematic training and build capacity of technical staff, in approaches including
market-based and integrated programming
9. Represent NRC in relevant forums/clusters, including with national authorities and donors
10. Promote the rights of IDPs/returnees in line with the advocacy strategy

Specific responsibilities
These responsibilities shall be adapted to the particularities of the job location and context, phase of
operation, strategic focus and type of intervention. This section shall be revised whenever a new
employee is hired or the context changes significantly.
 Support the consideration and inclusion of crosscutting issues and thematic areas as
SIP, environment, cash-based interventions and market-based approaches within
(and across) NRC core competency responses, where appropriate.
 Collaborate in the fundraising/resource mobilization for the increase in the Core Competency
portfolio.
 Responsible for relevant technical and innovative development and the quality of response
design in the country programme.
 Contribution to strategic partnership development
 Responsible for ensuring that best practices within the core competency are identified,
documented and disseminated within the country operation.
 Responsible for Livelihoods and Food Security contextual analysis including protection
risks and needs, as input to Country Strategy .
 Responsible for facilitating livelihood vulnerability analysis across CCs informing joint
programme responses
 Provide technical and strategic direction to Area Managers and core competency staff
throughout the NRC’s operational locations in Colombia and Ecuador
  Work in partnership with M&E staff, to ensure the alignment of the programmatic areas in
the M&E and PCM (Project Cycle Management) systems in relation to own core
competency.
 Responsible for supporting and monitoring country programme compliance with the
Programme Policy and respective quality assurances in relation to the LFS core
competency.

Critical interfaces
By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units
or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:
• Programme development: Programme Development & Support section (HO Oslo), M&E staff
• Proposal development: Area Managers, Project Managers, Head of Support and Support
managers
• Quality control/ support: Area Managers, M&E staff
• Capacity development: Project staff, Area Managers, HR Manager
• Programme implementation: Programme staff, Area Managers and Support staff
• Strategy and integrated programming: Core Competency Specialists

Scale and scope of position

Staff: No direct supervision
Stakeholders: UN, INGOs and Local NGOS. Private Sector in agricultural, service and
industrial sectors Line Ministries, Relevant donors
Budgets: None
Information: Office 365, GORS, CORE, Agresso, Intranet
Legal or Donors
compliance:

2. Competencies
Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired
results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories:

1. Professional competencies
These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

Generic professional competencies:

• Minimum 4 years of experience within technical expertise area in a humanitarian/recovery
context
• Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• LFS Core Competency expertise
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
• Knowledge and skills in market analysis, cash-based interventions and market-based
programmes
• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
• Fluency in English and Spanish, both written and verbal
• Valid driver’s license

Context/ Specific skills, knowledge and experience:

 Experience in more than one field of the core competence
and technical knowledge in the following areas:
 o Household and livelihoods capacities and vulnerability analysis
o Food security assessments
o Emergency Food assistance
o Promotion of improved food production and processing
o Market based approach/programming and market assessments
o School feeding and gardening
o Assets creation
o Income generation & diversification
o Financial inclusion
o Business and value chain development
o Integrated risk reduction and anticipatory actions related to livelihoods (livelihoods
protection)
o Experience in the Private Sector. Social Impact, Corporate Social
Responsibility, green jobs is an asset
 Experience in drafting and encouraging implementation of policy/strategic guidance, and
developing practical tools and resources
 Experience in partnership development and localization
 Integrated programming mindset and experience
 Knowledge of Latin American Context is an asset
 Experience in capacities assessment and capacity building
 Experience and ability to work in a matrix structure.

2. Behavioural competencies (max 6)

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency
Framework states 12 behavioural competencies and the following are essential for this position:
• Handling insecure environments
• Strategic thinking
• Empowering and building trust
• Influencing
• Initiate action and change
• Analysing

3. Performance Management
The employee will be accountable for the responsibilities and the competencies, in accordance with
the NRC Performance Management Manual. The following documents will be used for performance
reviews:
• The Job Description
• The Work and Development Plan
• The Mid-term/End-of-trial Period Performance Review Template
• The End-term Performance Review Template
• The NRC Competency Framework