The Monitoring, Evaluation and Technical Support Services (METSS) is a USAID/Ghana program administered through a Participating Agency Service Agreement (PASA) with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Under this PASA, USDA has, turn, engaged the Kansas State University and the University of Cape Coast to provide technical and management support for monitoring and reporting on the performance of the EG section's functions. The program also provides technical services relating to program design and evaluation as well as analyses to support informed policy and regulatory reforms for increased agricultural growth and food security in Ghana. Thus, these two Universities will work with the USDA to contribute to the achievement of the Strategic Objective of the Economic Growth Office of the USAID/Ghana Mission.

Description Of Job

The University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Partnership with the United States Department of Agricultural (USDA) will hire the Technical Specialist for a) Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E); and b) Geographic Information System (GIS), on behalf of the Program Office currently located in East Cantonment, Accra. Program implementation began in late 2010 and may continue through September, 2013, depending on funding from the U.S. Government.

The duration of the employment agreement with the University of Cape Coast will be determined by the availability of funds for the METSS Program.

The purpose of hiring for this position is to contribute technical assistance for the establishment and maintenance of a Geographic Information System (GIS) as part of the Information and Knowledge Management (IKM) Component of METSS program activities. In this regard, the GIS Specialist will work with the IKM specialist and to a lesser extent, with the technical specialist for Monitoring and Results Reporting (MRR).

Duties & Responsibilities for the GIS Specialist:

The successful applicant will develop and implement a geographic information sharing strategy which includes stakeholders, participants and partners. The incumbent will thus, develop and implement a strategic and tactical framework for leveraging information to support the development of a plan for maintaining and distributing technical information. Specific duties and responsibilities include but not limited to the following:

. Provide mentoring assistance to the MRR and IKM technical Specialist to enable them to acquire basic skills for managing METSS geographic information system

. Assist the MRR technical specialist and implementing Partners (IPs) obtaining indicator data to determine whether their data, when aggregate, can be linked within the appropriate databases for spatial mapping purposes

. Provide technical support for the development of a GIS Database to enhance the capacity of MOFA's Statistics, Research and Information Directorate (SRID) to collect, analyze and disseminate vital information for promoting agriculture and food security in Ghana

. Hold consultations with relevant stakeholders in the agricultural sector to determine the need for and potential uses of GIS-based agricultural information in Ghana

. Review current capacity and activities for the collection, analysis and dissemination of GIS-based agricultural information to aid agricultural policy formulation, program development and investment decision making

. Conceptualize and design a GIS-based agricultural market information system to be accessible to all stakeholders

. Determine how Google Maps spatial information may be overlaid on existing spatially referenced data (point data in particular) to be acquired through the FtF Initiate program's implementing partners. For example, how would one overlay geo-referenced point data on the location of all Northern Region local seed or herbicide input vendors on a Google map, or the location of all rural Health Service Rally Posts where children under 5 are regularly monitored, etc

. Once key FtF indicators have been identified for future spatial mapping, identify the necessary steps that must be taken for the USAID/Ghana implementing partners to be sure that their data, when aggregated, can be linked within the appropriate databases for spatial mapping purposes using the software systems available within Ghana

. Determine how Google Maps spatial information can be used to map the location of USG funded agriculture and other activities in Ghana. This will provide a very useful tool to USAID and the US Embassy Ghana for the purpose of planning site visits for USG officials

Qualification Required & Experience

The following qualifications and experiences are required of the successful applicant:

. Minimum of Bachelor's degree in GIS and/or Geography, Or a B.S. degree in Information Knowledge Management, etc. with evidence of 3 years daily experience using GIS in those fields; MA and higher degrees preferred unless candidates has at least 5 years of daily experience with using GIS;

. Field experience in the management of interpersonal development programs, agricultural interventions, and working with host governmental agencies is desirable

. Knowledge and experience with ERSI GIS software packages, Google Maps and web-based GIS applications is essential; knowledge of GIS coding and programing languages for use in web-based applications preferred;

. Experience with database creation and maintenance
. Previous experience with USAID and/or USDA grants, especially programmatic reporting requirements, is preferred
. Capable of performing regular travel to the field
. Ability to perform responsibilities with minimal supervision
. Documented writing ability
. Fluency in spoken and written English; and
. Ability to speak more than two Ghanaian languages is an advantage

How To Apply For The Job:

Interested applicants must submit Curriculum Vitae, Salary History, three references and a cover letter which addresses the requirement of the position of interest, to the following e-mail address:-

jobs@metssghana.org

Insert the position of interest in the subject line of the e-mail.

Closing Date: 30th June, 2012