Irrigated Horticulture Support Services Activity

(Horticulture, Training, Gender, and Social Development (HTGSD) Consultant)

The Market Driven Irrigation Horticulture (MDIH) Project, part of the MCC Lesotho II Compact, aims to increase rural incomes through commercial irrigated horticulture, including for women, youth, and the rural poor, and establish a sustainable and inclusive model of irrigation, water resource, and land management. It will invest in climate-smart irrigation infrastructure and attract commercial (anchor) farmers to collaborate with local smallholder farmers top produce high-value crops and build strong value chains. The MDIH Project will also support government reforms and capacity improvements to sustain inclusive and sustainable growth of the horticulture sector.   

The MDIH Project is composed of several activities, including providing Irrigated Horticulture Support Services. Landell Mills, in partnership with Niras, is contracted to manage the sub-activity relating to Horticulture, Training, Gender, and Social Development (HTGSD). The project will target farmers in four irrigation schemes in Lesotho, with the objective of the HTGSD Consultant to support smallholder farmers to transition from dryland mainly subsistence agriculture to sustainable irrigated commercial horticulture. The Project will also support the private upstream and downstream services supporting farmers in these schemes, as well as the government support framework (enabling environment).   

The position 

The Project Manager will report to and work in close cooperation with the HQ Project Manager (based in the UK) and senior backstopping team members, based at Landell Mills’ office in Trowbridge, UK. 

The position is based in Maseru, Lesotho, and will involve travel to other project locations in the country. It may also involve visits to the Landell Mills office in the UK for training, planning, reporting and coordination purposes.  

Duties and responsibilities  

The HTGSD Project Manager will manage the day-to-day operations of the service contract. The tasks and responsibilities will include:  

Work with the local sub-contractor, to ensure that the project admin and logistics are set-up and managed efficiently. This will include ensuring there are well-maintained and equipped project offices, vehicles…etc. 

• Ensure the day-to-day support to the technical assistance team, including review of technical documents, liaising with project partners and stakeholders, support to organisation of meetings and project activities, etc. 
• Prepare and issue project management templates and provide training to the team on their use.  
• Manage the recruitment and contracting process for non-key experts together with partner backstopping managers, including sourcing, negotiating, contracting and mobilising teams. 
• Mobilise and make all travel arrangements for key and non-key experts, working with the administrator in the UK office.  
• Provide mobilised consultants with day-to-day support on contractual and managerial issues as required.   
• Maintain an online portal for documents…etc. 
• Act as the day-to-day administrative focal point for the Contracting Authority (MCA-Lesotho II), including on finance and tax queries. 
• Work with UK finance manager and local finance manager to ensure taxes are complied with, and reimbursed by the state as per the project contract agreement. 
• Assist the Team Leader in the preparation of the inception and progress reports, and the Key Experts Team as required.   
• Support the organisation of consortium management meetings.  
• Support the Project Director in monitoring and updating the project budget. 

In doing the above, you will be expected to contribute positively to the implementation of the service contract of the HTGSD. You will also be expected to contribute to internal knowledge sharing and communication.

You will liaise extensively with the expert team, the HQ Project Manager, however you will ultimately report to the Senior Project Manager and Project Director.