Background:

The GCAP, financed by the World Bank and USAID, is Ghana's flagship agricultural project.The project is currently being restructured including the following  revised Project Development Objective: To improve agricultural  productivity of both smallholder and nucleus farms in selected project  intervention areas through increased access to reliable water, land,  finance, agricultural inputs, and output markets.

The restructured GCAP will consist of the following seven components:

1)  Strengthening investment promotion infrastructure and facilitating secure access to land;
2)  Securing PPPs and smallholder linkages in  the Accra Plains; (iii) Securing PPPs and small-holder linkages in the  SADA Zone;
3)  Project Management including M&E and impact analysis;
4)  Investments in physical rehabilitation and modernization of existing  public irrigation and drainage infrastructure;
5)  Support to the  restructuring of irrigation and drainage institutions of the Government  of Ghana; and
6)  Support for the development of Water Users'  Associations and new scheme management institutions.

GCAP is looking for suitable candidates for a number of key positions as specified in detail below. Each position will be for three years. Selected candidates will be on probation for the first year; if confirmed based on satisfactory performance, the term will be extended by two years. For national positions, an extremely attractive remuneration package will be offered in accordance with the provisions for nationally recruited staff in World Bank funded projects in Ghana.

Organizational Reporting: Reports to the Senior Social Safeguards Specialist, GCAP

GCAP is looking for a dynamic and energetic Social Safeguards Specialist with knowledge and hands-on experience in the use of social assessment, social impact analysis, and application of social safeguards for ensuring the adequate incorporation of social equity considerations and inclusive community and farmer organizations in all GCAP activities.The SSS will be based in Tamale.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Social Safeguards Specialist (SSS) is responsible to ensure that all social safeguards screening is taking place as per agreed environmental and social management framework (ESMF) and based on an in-depth understanding of gender, class and clan relations at the community level, effective community mobilization and inclusive institutional development objectives are achieved. The SSS will report to the Project Director and ensure that high standards of effective, inclusive development through strong participatory, empowered, gender sensitive and equity-conscious community institutions developed under the project. Specific responsibilities would include but not limited to:

•   Ensuring that guidelines for responsible treatment of land-related issues as defined by GCAP, the Government of Ghana and the World Bank are respected and diligently followed in all GCAP activities that involve land acquisition.
•   Evolve a strategy for provision of effective training and sensitization on social issues such as empowerment, inclusion, participation and effective functioning as an institutional collective such as Water User Associations and other relevant user groups and how to effectively integrate the process of addressing these issues as part of activities under the project;
•   Coordinate the provision of effective training and capacity building in social issues to the GCAP Team in Accra and the GIDA functionaries in the project area through experienced organizations and experienced practitioners with expertise in this area in a manner that this results in the development of a manual of practical do's and don'ts of direct relevance to the planning and implementation of the project.
•   Using all available data on social issues (including the ESMF, social assessment and analysis, and studies undertaken as part of project preparation) to evolve a strategy for social mobilization and community organization that is based on actual demonstration of what is possible in the different parts of the project area.
•   Coordinating the process of social assessment through participatory rural appraisal and joint walk-through in each scheme and to develop plan of action for institutional strengthening with inclusion of women and men farmers on the project.
•   Helping and coordinating with the PIM Support Specialist to provide effective support WUA formation as per the proposed new Ghana PIM regulations and ensuring that all stakeholders' voices and concerns are effectively included.
•   Sensitizing GIDA, ICOUR and private sector entities like Golden Exotic to the need to work in partnership with farmers and to understand farmers' perspective for ensuring win-win agreements that help achieve GCAP project objectives.
•   Identifying a suitable agency to undertake process documentation of the community organizing and social mobilization processes under the project, outputs of which can be used as effective training material for learning from experience of implementing the project.     .
•   Organizing exposure visits of farmers, WUA representatives, GIDA, ICOUR and other stakeholder teams to best practice examples of social mobilization and community organizing in other parts of Ghana and other countries.
•   Mainstreaming social mobilization/community organization related issues in the project by being an active participant along with senior colleagues in GCAP and GIDA in key project decisions and processes including those related to project strategy development, technical design, MIS, monitoring and learning and all such decisions that would contribute to the project development outcomes

Qualification Required & Experience

Essential:

•   At least a Master's degree in Sociology, Anthropology or related field, with 15 years of relevant experience of which at least 5 years should have been for projects funded by international financing institutions.
•   Thorough knowledge of Government of Ghana and World Bank guidelines and procedures in social safeguards, social assessment, social analysis, effective stakeholder engagement and grievance redress systems.
•   Fluency in spoken and written English is essential. Excellent presentation and group moderation skills.

Desirable:

•   Knowledge and hands-on experience of having undertaken work with community
•   institutions including user groups and water user associations (WUAs), their training and
•   capacity building and facilitating their partnership with concerned government agencies

Location: Tamale

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:

The Project Coordinator
Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP)
Ministry Of Food And Agriculture (MOFA)
Po Box MB.37, Accra

jobs@gcap.org.gh

Tel: +233-0302686948

Applicants are to include direct contacts (reliable telephone, fax numbers and email address) in their applications in order to facilitate early and easy contract. Only short listed applicants will be contacted.

Closing Date: 15 October, 2015