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 Climate Change Adaptation Manager (CCAM) will lead all climate change related activities of GASIP, including (a) implementation of subcomponent 1.3 of the Programme; (b) knowledge management related to climate change resilience and adaptation. The CCAM will work closely with the Zonal Climate Change Adaptation Officer in the northern zone and all programme stakeholder groups, particularly the Environment Unit of MOFA, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ghana Irrigation DevelopmentAgency (GIDA) as well as consultants of climate change assignments.

Duties and Responsibilities shall include:

•   Lead Climate Change strategy development of the Programme; ensuring the integration of recent experiences of RTIMP and NRGP on climate change adaptation in the Programme Implementation Manual (PIM) and the Annual Workplan and Budget (AWPB).
•   Integration of climate change adaptation activities into programme implementation; especially value chain development and infrastructure development,
•   Collaborate with MOFA Environment Unit and EPA, organize awareness programmes and develop training materials on climate change and adaptation for training of Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs), Value Chain Committees (VCCs) and other relevant stakeholders.
•   In collaboration with MoFA Environment Unit build and manage environment and climate change information systems.
•   In consultation with MoFA, FBOs, District Assembles (DAs), and Identify, develop and support pilots in value chain development in the field of conservation farming and water-efficient irrigation technology.
•   Provide technical support to MOFA Environmental Unit in the areas of Climate Smart Agriculture.
•   Undertake  any  other responsibility  that  will  ensure  smooth  and  effective implementation of the Programme.

Line Management: Reports to the National Programme Coordinator (NPC),and have close liaison with the Zonal Programme Offices

Qualification Required & Experience

•   Post-graduate qualification in relevant subject (e.g. environmental or climate change-related studies in public policy,  Land Resources Management, environmental management, water resources planning or a related field (essential).
•   First degree in agriculture, geography or related field (essential).
•   At least 10years of relevant work experience in the design and implementation of climate change interventions/programme (essential)
•   Background in a consulting role or research (essential).
•   A thorough understanding of issues relating to Climate Resilient Agriculture and Climate Change Adaptation (essential).
•   A solid understanding of public policies, development approaches with a focus on participatory processes, market economy management, and gender issues.
•   Excellent written and verbal communication skills and proven ability to engage multiple partnersand stakeholders (essential).
•   Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook (essential),
•   Demonstrated ability to train and build capacity of others.
•   Capacity to produce coherent and persuasive documents.
•   Good team player and good communicator.

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