Self Help Africa Recruiting Now

Through the project “Empowering Women Cashew Farmers”, the African Cashew Alliance (ACA) and Self Help Africa (SHA) intend to partner in Ghana to train cashew farmers with a strategic focus on empowering women and men within the cashew nut value chain and improving household economic resilience. Opportunities for women to benefit economically from the cashew nut value chain are likely to come from the employment opportunities afforded by utilizing the by-products of cashew nut production. In addition women can benefit from beekeeping and inter-cropping of higher value culturally appropriate women’s cash crops (soya, sesame, cow pea) within cashew orchards.

Job Description

Job Title: Field Officer

Job Summary

The Field Officer will be responsible for the development and implementation of the agricultural value chain of Cashew in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Northern Region. This shall include programme planning and implementation, preparation of annual work plans, monitoring, evaluation and reporting, networking and linking with cashew farmers associations.

Accountability and Responsibilities

• Ensure the implementation of project activities in the targeted district according to results based project management
• Project planning including annual and quarterly work plans and implementation strategies
• Timely delivery of work according to expected project results
• Facilitating linkages between commodity (Cashewnuts) buying agents and farmers.
• Ensure the integration of cross cutting themes (gender equality, environmental sustainability and local governance) into project programming and implementation
• Provide technical back stopping support to cashew farmers and buying agencies
• Ensure the effective utilization of project resources

Coordination with stakeholders

• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with cashew purchasing agencies and networks in the cashew sector, key stakeholders, and relevant Partners
• Ensure delivery of project activities through coordination with relevant stakeholders

Capacity building

• Provision of capacity development assistance, training, technical assistance, coaching and mentoring to cashew farmers and producer organizations to ensure project delivery
• Conduct Participatory Development Assessments and develop appropriate capacity development plans to support project implementation
• Work with Cashew Farmers Associations and buying agents to design effective implementation strategies and partnership building.

Collaboration, learning and adaptation

• Participate in Monitoring and Evaluation of projects including missions and other stakeholders
• Provide timely high quality reports
• Identify strengths and weaknesses of the cashew value chain in the respective district
• Collaborate effectively with Cashew Farmer Associations within the district
• Ensure the aggregation of good quality cashew nuts
• Document good practices in project activities and results attained and lessons learnt
• Engage in regular communication (written and oral) with senior programme staff based in Tamale and Ouagadougou, to update and share progress and discuss issues of prime importance.

Required Skills or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Natural Resources, Development studies, Social studies or its equivalent.
• Knowledge of the terrain of cashew production communities and cooperative societies in Ghana especially in Northern Regions
• Ability to speak the local dialects of the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district.
• Readiness to work with Cashew farmers and live in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district.
• At least three (3) years of practical field experience in development and agriculture value chains
• Be willing and able to ride a motor bike within the terrain of the targeted districts
• Be conversant with basic computer software; Microsoft Word and Excel

Desired

• Experience in agricultural value chains, strategic planning and working with smallholder farmers
• Experience with cashew production

How to Apply

The application should include the following documents:

A CV of three (3) pages maximum showing your experiences and including at least three (03) references with contact details (telephone and email)
A cover letter of one (1) page maximum
A copy of your National Identity Card (Passport, Drivers’ license, National Insurance, Voters)
A copy of your relevant educational documents

Interested candidates should send their application (clearly indicating the position in the subject line) by email to: [email protected] and copy [email protected].

The deadline is October 25, 2016 at 12:00 pm midday.

Self Help Africa is an equal opportunities employer and would specifically encourage female candidates to apply.