PROJECT OVERVIEW
The ultimate outcome of this 6-year project is to enhance food security and resilience for poor male and female smallholder farmers (35% male/65% female) and their households in the three northern regions.  This ultimate outcome is to be achieved through increased, diversified and more equitable agricultural production; and increased, diversified and more equitable incomes and assets.

his position is open to Ghana nationals only.

ACDEP, a local NGO, is currently recruiting for the position of Gender Officer for a project in northern Ghana.  The incumbent will operate out of the project’s regional office in Wa, Upper West Region.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Gender Officer is directly answerable to the Regional Coordinator. He/she is responsible for supporting the implementation of the project’s gender equality strategy at the regional level. Working together with the Gender Equality Specialist (based in the Tamale office), as well as project staff and local partners, he/she will support the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of gender integrated and sex-specific interventions.

This includes working in close collaboration with the Gender Equality Specialist and Officers in the Tamale and Bolga offices, as well as the project specialists and staff in the Tamale and regional offices (in the areas of climate change adaptation/environment, monitoring and evaluation, gender equality, crops, livestock, marketing and income generating activities).

Essential duties and responsibilities include:

Scope of work

•   Under the guidance of the project’s Gender Specialist (based in Tamale), provide technical support to project staff and implementing organizations to strengthen capacity in mainstreaming gender equality in project programming;
•   In collaboration with project staff and implementing organizations, ensure gender equality issues are integrated in all training curriculum, as appropriate;
•   Verify that results-based reports include gender equality considerations;
•   In collaboration with the regional office’s M&E officer, participate in baseline data collection for the project, ensuring it is gender-disaggregated as appropriate, and analyze;
•   Under the leadership of the Gender Specialist, develop practical tools and culturally-appropriate learning materials to help staff and implementing organizations incorporate gender equality into their daily work, and monitor the use of these tools;
•   In collaboration with the monitoring and evaluation specialist and staff, conduct qualitative studies, e.g. through focus group discussions, to enhance understanding of gender equality issues and how they affect project beneficiaries;
•   Provide input into the development of annual work plans and budgets, including annual milestones;
•   Prepare regular progress reports that will be incorporated into reports to the donor;
•   Establish and maintain a good rapport with local government officials and community leaders;
•   Ensure efficient use of project resources; and
•   Under the leadership of the organization’s Documentation and Publication Unit, document information on gender integration, results and lessons learned.

REQUISITE QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

•   University degree in social sciences, e.g. in gender studies, or other relevant discipline, with a focus on gender related studies.
•   At least 3 years of work experience(over and above national service) providing technical advice on gender equality programming;
•   Previous experience in designing, supporting implementation and reporting against integration of gender equality into baseline studies is considered an asset.
•   Previous experience working on donor funded projects considered an asset.
•   Work experience in the agricultural sector or in economic development is considered an asset.

REQUISITE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

•   Strong gender analysis and writing skills.
•   Good knowledge of how to analyze statistics from a gender perspective.
•   Good computer skills in Word, Excel and other Microsoft Office tools.
•   Strong facilitation and interpersonal skills with colleagues and farmers.
•   Demonstrated capacity to work in teams with colleagues.
•   Ability to speak at least one language commonly spoken in the region of posting. Strong oral and written communication skills in English.
•   Ability to work up to 50% of the time in small rural communities.

Location: Wa, Upper West Region

How To Apply For The Job

Suitably qualified persons are invited to submit a covering letter detailing how their work experience and academic qualifications meet the requirements described above; their CV; and 3 professional references no later than January 27th, 2014 via e-mail to:

jobsapplications@yahoo.com

Please indicate in the subject line of the email, the position title being applied for.

•   The principles of employment equity are followed.
•   Suitably qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
•   While all applicants are thanked for their interest, only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Closing Date: 27 February, 2014