Purpose: The Technical Officer-Agriculture Extension is responsible for the field-level planning, implementation, and monitoring of climate-smart agriculture and livelihood diversification activities under Output 2.2 of the HOPE Project in Tala, Satkhira. Working directly with farmer households, Farmers Field Schools (FFS), Local Service Providers (LSP), and government line departments, the post-holder ensures that agricultural extension, input support, and market-linkage activities are delivered on time, on budget, and to a technical standard consistent with World Concern Bangladesh's program quality standards, and that they contribute measurably to the project's income-diversification and household-income goals.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (General overview and may not include all details of responsibilities)
A. Farmers Field School (FFS) establishment and management
- Support to identify the feasible saline-tolerant crop variety for that particular geological setup along with appropriate climate-smart technologies for extension.
- Facilitate the formation and registration of Farmers Field Schools (FFS) in target villages.
- Support the regular functioning of FFS sessions, including scheduling, attendance tracking, and session facilitation.
- Develop or adapt IEC (Information, Education, Communication) materials for FFS members on climate-smart agricultural practices.
B. Technical training and demonstration
- Plan and conduct training for lead farmers on climate-smart agricultural technologies and practices.
- Establish, maintain, and monitor demonstration plots, and use them as practical training sites for farmers.
- Orient targeted farmers on the use of agricultural advisory mobile applications and digital extension tools.
C. Input support and livelihood diversification
- Coordinate the distribution of agricultural input support to identified farmer households, ensuring transparent targeting and record-keeping.
- Support households to establish homestead nutrition gardening during both the Robi and Kharif seasons.
- Organize livestock vaccination camps in coordination with the Department of Livestock Services and local service providers.
D. Market linkage and stakeholder coordination
- Organize workshops connecting farmers with market actors to strengthen value-chain linkages.
- Organize and maintain regular coordination meetings with Local Service Providers (LSPs) and other relevant government/private actors (e.g., Department of Agricultural Extension, Department of Livestock Services).
E. Establish homestead nutrition Gardening:
- Support to the targeted household for establishing homestead nutrition gardening in the existing limited space.
- Ensure necessary support to create access to fresh organic vegetables round the year.
- Ensure regular follow up and monitoring and provide necessary technical advice for time-being manuring and applying Integrated Paste Management (IPM) methods.
G. Monitoring, reporting, and compliance
- Maintain accurate activity records (attendance sheets, distribution lists, monitoring reports) to support Output 2.2 indicators and the project's MEAL system.
- Submit timely activity, financial, and progress reports to the Project Manager, and provide data inputs to the MEAL Officer as required.
- Ensure all activities are implemented in compliance with World Concern Bangladesh's programme quality, safeguarding, and code-of-conduct standards.
- Perform other duties reasonably assigned by the Project Manager in support of project objectives.
- Documenting the program sequentially through developing promotional materials
