Pathway Officers

The Sustaining Gains & Continuing Services for Smallholder Farmers (SGCF) Project is designed as a 12-month consolidation initiative that brings together selected results, relationships and delivery structures established under CG and BRIGHT into one focused project implemented by GOAL Uganda in partnership with Agriterra. The project will ensure continuity of support to smallholder farmers, FOs, cooperatives and other local actors across the 14 districts of Elgon, Rwenzori and Kigezi, while working closely with district local governments, private sector partners, financial service providers and implementing partners up to August 2027. The project will build on good practices, networks, community and household / farmer-led planning processes developed by CG and BRIGHT. The SGCF Project will focus on preserving gains already made, sustaining critical services, consolidating relationships with farmers and institutions, and generating practical learning for the next EKN programme design. 

The Pathway Officer will provide field-level coordination and implementation support for the SGCF Project within an assigned cluster. The role will support delivery across the three project pathways: PIP, Vision and Action Plans; Land Use, Farming Systems and Local Government Engagement; and Markets, Access to Finance and Farmer Organisations Strengthening. The Pathway Officer will work closely with GOAL technical staff, Agriterra staff, implementing partners, PIP communities, Learning Groups, FOs, VSLAs, SACCOs, cooperatives, private sector actors and district local governments to ensure timely implementation, follow-up, monitoring and consolidation of project gains from Common Ground and BRIGHT

• Support field-level planning, coordination and implementation of SGCF activities within the assigned cluster, ensuring alignment with the approved workplan, targets and consolidation purpose.
• Work with implementing partners to mobilise communities for PIP/CAP reviews, PIP harvesting workshops, seasonal reviews, technical trainings, Learning Group sessions, restoration activities and market/finance linkage activities.
• Support follow-up of household PIPs, Community Visions and CAP priorities, ensuring that community priorities are documented, tracked and linked to relevant technical, market, finance or Farmer Organisation support.
• Coordinate with district and lower local government structures to support implementation, technical backstopping, joint monitoring, reflection meetings and follow-up of community priorities.
• Support Learning Groups, restoration site groups, farmer groups, VSLAs, Entrepreneurial Groups, and market-oriented groups (MoGs) to participate in relevant project activities and access available services.
• Work with Agriterra and the Private Sector Engagement, Markets & Access to Finance Coordinator to support field-level follow-up of aggregation, input/output market linkages, finance linkages, private sector relationships and FO strengthening activities to that they benefit smallholder farmer groups.
• Provide day-to-day support and supervision to implementing partners, including review of activity plans, field reports, attendance records, output documentation and follow-up actions.
• Support the MEAL team to collect, verify and submit accurate field data, including participant records, activity reports, monitoring findings, feedback, lessons learnt and evidence of target achievement.
• Promote safeguarding, gender equality, social inclusion and accountability in all field activities, ensuring that women, youth, persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups participate safely and meaningfully.
• Identify implementation bottlenecks, emerging risks, community concerns and coordination issues, and escalate them to the relevant Coordinator, Specialist or Team Lead for timely action.
• Document field-level lessons, good practices and challenges from implementation and contribute to monthly, quarterly and donor reporting.
• Perform any other reasonable duties assigned by the line manager that are consistent with the purpose and scope of the role.

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Rural Development, Community Development, Development Studies, Agricultural Extension, or a related field.
• At least 2-3 years of relevant experience in rural development, agricultural livelihoods, community mobilisation, farmer group support, market systems, financial inclusion or local government engagement
• Experience working with smallholder farmers, community structures, FOs, cooperatives, VSLAs, SACCOs, Entrepreneurial Groups or market-oriented farmer groups.
• Good understanding of participatory community planning approaches, including PIP, Community Action Plans or similar farmer-led planning processes.
• Practical knowledge of sustainable land use, farming systems, farmer organisation support, market linkages or access to finance in rural contexts.
• Experience coordinating with implementing partners, district local governments, private sector actors and community-based structures.
• Strong facilitation, mobilisation, coaching, communication and relationship management skills.
• Good documentation and reporting skills, including ability to prepare activity reports, field updates and basic monitoring records.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate safeguarding, gender equality, social inclusion and accountability into community-level activities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and basic digital data collection tools.
• High level of integrity, professionalism and respect for community members, partners and colleagues.
• Knowledge of relevant local languages in the assigned project region is an added advantage.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to rural and highland communities.
• Valid motorcycle riding permit and riding experience is desirable.

At GOAL we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please just contact our Recruitment Team at recruitment@ug.goal.ie

GOAL is an equal opportunities employer and has values and behaviours framework which defines our code of conduct. Any candidate offered a job with GOAL will be expected to adhere to the following key areas of accountability.

• →Comply with GOAL’s policies and procedures with respect to safeguarding, Code of Conduct, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality, do no harm principles and unacceptable behaviour protocols.
• →Report any concerns about the welfare of a child or vulnerable adult or any wrongdoings within our programming area.
• →Report any concerns about inappropriate behaviour of a GOAL staff or partner.

Children and vulnerable adults a must be safeguarded to the maximum extent from deliberate or inadvertent actions and failings that place them at risk of abuse, sexual exploitation, injury, and any other harm. One of the ways that GOAL shows this on-going commitment to safeguarding is to include rigorous background and reference checks in the selection process for all candidates.

Established in 1977, GOAL is an international humanitarian agency and works with the most vulnerable communities to help them respond to and overcome humanitarian crises, and to assist those facing poverty and exclusion achieve greater resilience and well-being. GOAL envisions a world beyond humanitarian crises where poverty no longer exists, where vulnerable communities exposed to shocks and stresses are resilient, where barriers to well-being are removed and where everyone has equal rights and opportunities. 

First operational in Uganda in 1979, the current GOAL Uganda country programme focuses on Health, (including WASH, Health Accountability and Nutrition); and a market-based systems approach to improving agricultural livelihoods and WASH. GOAL Uganda mainstreams gender, child protection, social behavior changes and resilience strategies across all programming. GOAL uses a mixture of direct implementation and partnerships with national and international civil society organizations, local government, the private sector and communities to give effect to our mission.