Programme Associate & NF Facilitator – Gujarat

About the National Coalition for Natural Farming
NF Coalition was officially founded in July 2020 to offer a holistic agroecological approach to farming. Several prominent organisations and experienced individuals in the development sector from across the country came together to form the Coalition.

The urgent need for such a shift from the Green Revolution to Natural Farming is essential in the post- Covid era, when immunity, local food self-sufficiency, food sovereignty, climate change, water stress and related risks need to be simultaneously and immediately addressed. It is imperative that there is a convergence of investment and integration of all sectors of the society to bring about this paradigmatic shift in India’s agriculture–one that is good for human health and for the health of the planet. The Coalition consolidates already existing work on the ground and sets out to design, plan and conduct pilots on the ground in various agro-climatic zones – for innovating and widening practice of Natural Farming and generating evidence and mass awareness for its suitability for scaling.

As a team, we are passionate and dedicated to the job. We effectively manage our own responsibilities but are simultaneously mindful of other needs in the organisation and capable of going beyond our designated roles to lead a helping hand to others, if needed.

1. Program Associate
Support the delivery of the overall programme, engaging particularly with work at the regional level including fundraising.

Key Responsibilities

• Organise programmes and activities in accordance with the objectives and goals of the project at the regional level.
• Develop a detailed operating plan for the programme.
• Support the team and local partners with strategic direction, resources and regional level activities.
• Engage with stakeholders, including media, research and education institutions, to get the programme message across and develop joint initiatives.
• Produce accurate and timely reporting of programme status and future plans.
• Develop a deep understanding of farming practices and related challenges for the selected agro-climatic zones and document the same.
• Help create a package of practices for the various crop, livestock, poultry, fishery systems for each of the agro-climatic zones.
• Develop, organise and deliver training and capacity building programmes for different stakeholders.
• Document farmers’ practices at different locations with the help of partners.

Qualifications

Deep passion for Natural Farming, Sustainable Agriculture, Agro-ecology and nurturing ecosystems. A minimum of 2 – 5 years of experience including a demonstrable track record of leadership and project management. Excellent verbal and written communication skills in the English language. Working knowledge of at least two other Indian languages. Relevant academic qualifications will be useful.

2. NF Facilitator – Gujarat
Host Organization : To be explored
Location: Probably Ahmedabad/Gandhinagar with travel to partner locations.

Key Responsibilities

The candidate is required to coordinate the state coalition’s activities in Gujarat and grow the membership in the coalition. S/he is required to:

• Facilitate the field implementation of Natural Farming.
• Guide, support and mentor the field teams of Coalition members
• Coordinate with the NF leads of all CSO members
• Design and implement capacity building initiatives for the state coalition members
• Documentation of the state coalition’s experiences
• Manage data and reports
• Coordinate with other expert persons and agencies
• Improve the visibility of the host and partner organisations initiatives.

Qualifications

The incumbent should have implementation experience in Natural Farming. S/he should have at least 3 years’ experience in natural/organic agriculture. S/he should be good in communication and networking skills. Knowledge of Gujarati (speak), Hindi (speak-read-write), English (Read-write) and good knowledge of computer (word, excel, PPT) is a must.

The Application Process
The application process comprises the following steps:

Screening call
Skills test/Assignment
Team interview
Advisors interview

Remuneration
Salaries will be based on the role and commensurate with qualification, skills and experience as per the sector norms.

Base Location

Successful candidates are expected to relocate to Hyderabad (except State Coordinators who will be based out of their assigned State) after travel restrictions due to Covid-19 are lifted, and it is safe to move. Field visits, as and when needed, are part of the job.