The  Government of the Republic of Ghana has applied for funds from the International Fund a for Agricultural Develepment (IFAD) to implement the Ghana  Agricutural Sector Investment Programme (GASIP). The Programme provides a framework for a long-term financing engagement for private sector-led, pro-poor agricultural value chain development in Ghana. The objective of the programme is to contribute to sustamable poverty reduction in rural Ghana, ensuring that agribusinesses - including smallholders - increase their profitability and resilience to climate change- The programme is national in scope and governed by a demand - and market-driven approach that will provide a basis for scaling up investments in pro-poor agricultural vaiue chain development led by the private sector. The strategic focus of GASIP will be on smallholder farmers, to make them more competitive by increasing their capacity to respond to market demand in terms of quality, price, time and volume thus contributing to METASIP objectives. At least 62T860 clients or direct beneficiaries will be targeted towards the end of project year 3 (PY3) and 86,400 clients by PY6, of which at least 50% will be women, 20% youth (15-24 years) and 30% young adults (25-34 years).

Job Summary

Component 1: Value Chain Development - is central to ensuring strong business linkages among actors in the entire value chains of commodities to ensure they meet market or consumer and industry demands. It has three sub-components: Agribusiness linkage development; rural financial services and climate change resilience which needs to be mainstreamed in promoting value chains to reduce risks and enhance profitability and justainable production systems.

Component 2: Rural Value Chain Infrastructure - aimed at providing the enabling infrastructure to catalyze value chain development, it has two sub-components: Productive infrastructure  and   Facilities aimed   at encouraging   investments  in commercial infrastructure and facilities for the selected value chains and Enabling Public Infrastructure - aimed to finance enabling public infrastructure for the growth and viability of selected value chains.

Component 3: Knowledge Management, Policy Support and Coordination aimed at harnessing successful lessons for replication and providing an enabling environment for optimization of programme opportunities and benefits. The two sub-components are Knowledge Management, Harmonization and Policy Support- aims at creating an enabling environment for smallholders to participate in profitable and climate change resilient agricultural value chains and Coordination, Monitoring and Evaluation of the Programme.

The Programme which is planned for six years is expected to commence in January 2015 under the responsibility of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA). It builds on the achievements of some on-going and soon-to-complete projects such as Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP) and Root and Tuber improvement and Marketing Programme (RTIMP). GASIP will have a National Programme Coordination Unit in Accra and three Zonal Programme Offices (ZPO) in Kumasi, Tamale and Dodowa. The NPCU shall be composed of (i) National Programme Coordinator, (ii) a Policy and M&E Manager, (iii) a Financial Manager, (iv) Procurement and Contract Manager, (v) a Climate Change Adaptation Manager, (vi) an Infrastructure Manager, and other professional and support staff.

The Policy and Monitoring and Evaluation Manager (PMEM) will be responsible for (a) policy support (b) monitoring and evaluation and (c) knowledge management. (S)he is responsible for guiding the overall M&E strategy and implementation of related activities within the programme, plus providing timely and relevant information to the NPC, NPCO and programme stakeholders including field staff as well as consultants of external M&E-related missions. The PMEM will also be the Deputy National Programme Coordinator.

Duties and Responsibilities shall include:

•   Agricultural   Policy   Development   and   management   involving   coordination   of  and participation in policy studies, advocacy and dissemination of such studies.
•   M&E System Development and Management in close collaboration with MoFA M&E Division and Zonal M&E officers.
•   Establishment a functional  Knowledge management system that involves analysis,documentation and dissemination of information and lessons learned.
•   Facilitating the development of the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB), ensuring alignment with programme strategy, agreementon annual targets,
•   Facilitating external supervision and evaluation missions
•   Assessing M&E capacity of the programme, implementing partner staff and primary stakeholders and ensure that required capacity is in place,
•   Undertake any other responsibility that will ensure smooth and effective implementation of the Programme.
•   Critically assess achievement of outcomes and results, gather and analyze data to enhance management's   efforts  towards  effectiveness,   efficiency  and   sustainability  of  the programme.
•   Identify policy gaps and opportunities to create a favorable environment for value chain development in Ghana.

Qualification Required & Experience

•   Advanced degree in Agriculture, Project Management, Agricultural Economics, Social Science and other related academic background(essential)
•   Training in M&E development and implementation (essential).
•   At least 7 years of relevant work experience in policy design and implementation, planning and design and implementation of M&E systems in the agricultural sector.
•   Possess excellent understanding of rural and agricultural development issues related to markets,  private sector development, decentralization and participation of the poor (essential).
•   Ability to use M&E methods and approaches including quantitative and participatory approaches in surveys, surveillance systems, and evaluations.
•   Possess high managerial experience and knowledge of strategic planning approaches.
•   A solid understanding of public policies, development approaches with a focus on participatory processes, market economy management, and gender issues
•   Ability to produce high-quality briefs and reports.
•   Good level of proficiency in Microsoft Applications including MS Project;
•   Demonstrated ability to train and build capacity of others.
•   Experienced in electronic data processing and analysis and data base development.

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Qualified and interested applicants should send application letters with copies of curriculum vitae, certificates and other relevant documentation to:

The Chief Director
Ministry of Food and Agriculture
PO Box M 37, Accra, Ghana

For further information please contact:

chiefdir@mofa.gov.gh
Tel: +233-0302-660935

MINISTRY OFFOOD AND AGRICULTURE (MOFA)
PO BOX MB.37, ACCRA

Applicants are to include direct contacts (reliable telephone, fax numbers and email address) in their applications in order to facilitate early and easy contact.

Closing Date: 22 August, 2014