MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD SECURITY & NUTRITION
CIRCULAR NO. 4 OF 2024.
Applications are invited from suitably qualified local candidates for the following positions that are tenable in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition:
MINISTRY : AGRICULTURE, FOOD SECURITY & NUTRITION
DEPARTMENT : FIELD SERVICES
TITLE : DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL OFFICER
GRADE: I
RESPONSIBLE TO : DIRECTOR FIELD SERVICES
LOCATION : BUTHA BUTHE
JOB SUMMARY:
UNDER THE GENERAL SUPERVISION OF THE DIRECTOR OF FIELD SERVICES THE INCUMBENT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FORMULATION AND REVIEW OF THE DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL POLICY, DEVELOPMENT AND FACILITATION OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL POLICY, PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS, MANAGEMENT OF THE DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL BUDGET, EFFECTIVE CONTROL AND UTILIZATION OF THE DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES, COORDINATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES, STAFF RECRUITMENT DEVELOPMENT.
MAIN DUTIES:
1. FORMULATION AND REVIEW OF DEPARTMENTAL POLICY
2. DEVELOPMENT AND REVIEW OF THE DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL STRATEGIC PLAN
- Designs and develops strategic guidelines to provide a framework for the implementation of the district programmes and activities.
- Designs and develops guidelines for common interpretation of the district fundamental intentions (mission, vision, goals and objectives) to facilitate their easy and common understanding to district staff and stakeholders.
- Facilitates the conduction on a periodic basis, of strategic audit on the district strategic intentions and operational instruments in order to determine the effectiveness, efficiency and relevance to the changing environmental conditions.
- Liaises with all the district strategic major stakeholders to develop and put in place the improved, relevant, dynamic and realigned strategic intentions and structural set up, in order to ensure the effectiveness, efficiency and adherence to the district principles, values and strategic agenda.
3. MANAGEMENT OF THE DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL BUDGET
- Develops and issues budgeting guidelines and ceiling to the heads of section annually in order to guide and facilitate the preparation of the district budget.
- Checks and approves the prepared budget to ensure that it is within the set framework of guidelines.
- Negotiates and justifies the district budget annually at the budgetary discussions in order to secure all the necessary funds to finance the district activities.
- Controls and authorizes the district expenditure to ensure that the district funds are used accordingly, reasonably and accountably.
- Liaises with the Director of Field Services to acquire necessary funds for departmental programmes, which have not and could not be budgeted for under the recurrent budget.
- Authorizes the revision of the departmental budget whenever the need arises to facilitate the implementation of the critical programmes and activities within the district.
- Liaises with the Department of Finance and Administration under the Ministry of Agriculture to facilitate an annual audit on the annual utilization of public funds by the district.
4. EFFECTIVE CONTROL AND UTILIZATION OF DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES
- Designs and develops guidelines in line with the relevant public service rules and regulations for effective and efficient use of district resources in order to ensure their rational and optimal use.
- Authorizes the utilization of the district resources on a weekly basis to prevent their misuse by the departmental staff.
- Monitors on a monthly basis, the use of the district resources, the adherence to the utilization guidelines and the performance of the developed guidelines in order to make necessary revisions timely and accordingly.
- Liaises weekly with the sectional heads to review the allocation of resources to facilitate their distribution to provide for the new projects that were not anticipated.
5. COORDINATION OF DISTRICT AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES
- Consolidates the district annual plan and reports from the sectional heads so as to rationalize resource allocation.
- Holds regular meetings with stakeholders to ensure common interpretation, understanding and synchronic implementation of programmes and effective service delivery.
- Liaises with District Agricultural Officers and Heads of Department within the ministry to ensure mutual support between the implementation of their departmental policies and those of his or her district.
6. STAFF RECRUITMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND DISCIPLINE
- Liaises with the district Human Resource office to ensure that vacant positions within the district are timely and accordingly filled in.
- Recommends appointments, separations and transfers of the district staff to the management of the ministry in order to facilitate execution of and the effective utilization of district programmes and staff respectively.
- Facilitates the drawing of the district staff training and development plan to ensure that it is in line with the ministerial training and development policy.
- Checks and authorizes the implementation of the district staff training and development plan so as to facilitate the training and development of staff.
- Intervenes in and resolves complex conflicts between and amongst the district staff to ensure harmonious and productive working relations.
- Reprimands and recommends disciplinary proceedings against the district staff so as to maintain the highest possible level of discipline within the district.
7. SUPERVISION AND TRAINING OF STAFF
- Holds regular meetings with the sectional heads under his or her supervision to facilitate planning and reporting of the district’s activities.
- Convenes quarterly meetings with the individual supervisees to review progress and accordingly approve the required and necessary revisions, in their operational work plans so as to provide the required resources for their achievement.
- Conducts the annual performance appraisal on the individual supervisees to assess their performance so as to provide the necessary support.
- Identifies the training needs of the individual supervisees and establishes the strategies to guide on their training and development, so as to promote their capacity, competence, efficiency and effectiveness.
- Monitors and evaluates the post training and development performance of the supervisees in order to establish the extent and impact of the undertaken training and development programs, and determine the necessary action to maintain good skills and upgrade as necessary.
- Master’s Degree in Agriculture
Or
- Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture
-Three years (3) work experience for Master’s Degree holders.
-Five (5) years of work experience for Bachelor’s Degree holders in managerial positions.
Other necessary knowledge and skills- Computer literacy
- Good managerial and leadership skills
- Good interpersonal and communication skills
- Good conflict management skills
- Negotiation skills
- Persuasive skills
- Knowledge of Public Service rules and regulations
- Counselling
How to apply:
Applications on relevant forms, (obtainable from the Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security), GP 104 for serving officers and GP 103 for job seekers duly accompanied by certified copies of educational certificates, transcripts, National Identity Document, and up-to-date performance appraisal forms for serving officers.
All applications must be hand delivered or addressed to:
The Director Human Resources
Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition
P.O. Box 24
Maseru – 100
Not later than the 13th November, 2024
