The Canadian Co-operative Association (www.coopscanada.coop) is a national association for co-operatives in Canada, representing more than nine million co-operative and credit union members from over 2,000 organisations. CCA’s international development mission is to establish and grow co-operatives, credit unions and community based organizations to reduce poverty, build sustainable livelihoods and improve civil society in less developed countries. For over 50 years, CCA has been working with local partners organisations to strengthening credit unions and co-operatives in Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Job Title: MONITORING AND EVALUATION OFFICER
Reporting to: Ghana Country Manager
Located: Tamale with travel in communities of the Eastern Corridor

Fostering project and partnership
CCA is implementing a five-year project, FOSTERING-Food Security through co-operative in Northern Ghana, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and developed in partnership with SEND Ghana and the Ghana Co-operative Credit Union Association (CUA). The anticipated project will increase sustainable and gender equitable food security for over 42,000 men and women in eight districts in the Eastern Corridor of Northern Ghana.

The FOSTERING project takes account of the four pillars of food security (availability, access, utilisation, and stability). The project directly tackles four key areas of improving food security and sustainable economic growth for small-holder farmers; improving production; better marketing of products; expansion of household activities into off-season businesses; and access to finance.

Function and Key Results Expected
Summary of key functions:

•   Designing and implementing M&E tools and plans for the FOSTERING project
•   Reporting
•   Networking
•   Support to knowledge building and knowledge sharing

•   Develops a viable project M&E plan and tools, seek feedback, and make sure there is consensus on the plan and approaches
•   Implements the plan, including identification and utilisation of data sources
•   Shares information and trains partners in collecting and sharing necessary information on time for M&E
•   Carries out regular discussions with stakeholder organisations to seek feedback on project implementation
•   Conduct regular monitoring site visits per the approved M&E plan
•   Advises the Country Director on appropriate project adjustment strategies if required
•   Advises technical advisors on appropriate project impacts and stories that can be developed into knowledge products
•   Responsible for all evaluation and project closure activities
•   Provides inputs to technical advisors and Project Manager on donor reporting and public relations Development of case studies to capture qualitative outputs of the project.
•   Establish infrastructure project risk management plan and the system of early warning system for all programmes:
•   Ensures that projects are implemented in accordance with CIDA policies and other relevant rules and regulations.
•   Undertake other duties per the requirements of the project.

Key Result Expected:

•   Quality monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of CCA supported initiatives

Competencies

•   Communicating information and ideas: Communicating clearly and effectively. Seeking to understand the ideas of others. Facilitating and encouraging open communication.
•   Ethics and values: Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of CCA in actions and decisions. Demonstrating an appreciation of differences in values and learning from cultural diversity.
•   Organisational awareness: Understanding, building and using formal/ informal systems and contacts in a complex organisational and global environment to obtain results.
•   Self-management and emotional intelligence: Managing moods, responding effectively to stress, situations of ambiguity or crisis. Managing relationships with others to achieve mutual benefits. Building an emotionally intelligent organisation.
•   Working effectively in team in ways that allow the achievement of shared objectives.
•   Job knowledge and technical expertise: Demonstrating and applying professional and/or technical expertise/knowledge of the post or discipline.
•   Promoting accountability and results-based management: Monitoring and promoting practices, procedures and systems that support accountability and results-based management.

Qualification Required & Experience

The post holder must possess the following skills, experience, and personal characteristics:

Education:

•   Bachelor’s or Master’s or equivalent degree in public administration, community development, statistics, social or development related studies;

Experiences:

•   Ability to work under pressure;
•   At least three years’ experience on monitoring and evaluation
•   At least one years’ experience in designing research methodology
•   Knowledge of information systems
•   Excellent analytical skills; mature judgment combined with a proactive, energetic approach to problem solving.
•   Experience and knowledge in Co-operative organisation and Credit Union is a plus.
•   Experience and knowledge innovative community-level capacity assessment, monitoring, and reporting.
•   Languages Fluency in written and spoken English and one or more of the Ghanaian working languages.

Technical requirements:

•   Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, etc.)
•   Proficiency in Internet Research and Data Gathering

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Interested candidates should submit a CV and covering letter addressed to the Country Director. Applications should be sent electronically to: _lucie.tremblay@coopscanada.coop with the name of the position in the subject line.

Closing Date: 01 October, 2013

And the interviews will take place in Tamale.
All candidates are thanked for their interest in CCA; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

WOMEN ARE ESPECIALLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY