Job Summary

THE OBJECTIVES OFTHE ASSIGNMENT

The Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP) envisages monitoring and evaluation as a forward-looking activity given the likelihood of continued support to commercial agriculture in Ghana beyond the GCAP lifetime and future GoG reforms in the sector.

The Project intends to engage an individual professional Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for the SADA Zonal Office to work with the SADA Zonal Coordinator and the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist in the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) to provide services with a view to ensure adequate reporting on progress towards the development objectives especially in the SADA zone and to lay a solid foundation of data and information on which evidenced-informed programming and policy-making can take place and coordination between development partners and GoG can be facilitated.

He/She will provide valuable sector-specific information to the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist of GCAP for feed- back to Ministry of Finance on outcomes of public-private partnership arrangements and also to SADA on the contribution that commercial agriculture can make to poverty alleviation and job creation.

The M&E Officer will be guided by the M&E manual and will assist the M&E specialist generate and implement an M&E framework and information management system of the Project that adheres to the project management information needs and implementation requirements of the World Bank and other donors.

The specific objective of the assignment is to provide M&E support to the project in the SADA zone to determine performance and progress toward achieving outputs and outcomes as outlined in the project document, M&E manual and M&E framework.

SCOPE OF SERVICES
The Monitoring and Evaluation Officer will be responsible for monitoring and evaluation system management with stakeholder participation. The Officer will conduct the tasks identified below by applying sound technical practices and methods; collecting and making use of available and necessary data in carrying out the assignment. The M&E officer shall work in close consultation with the SADA Zonal Coordinator of GCAP and the M&E Specialist of the PIU. The Officer will discuss issues that would affect efficient information monitoring and evaluation management with the M&E Specialist and the SADA Zonal Coordinator and agree on the ways to resolve them.
The specific functions of the M&E Officer will cover but not limited to the following:

•   Assist the M&E Specialist undertake a Baseline Survey for the project. This survey will collect information that will aid in project planning as well as provide a basis for monitoring and evaluating the impact of the project.
•   Design a project performance monitoring, evaluation and reporting system for the SADA zone which is aligned to the overall Monitoring Framework of the project, including roles and responsibilities for implementation under the supervision of the M&E Specialist.
•   Responsible for data collation, entry and generation of analyzed data and information on all M&E activities in the SADA zone
•   Collaborate with other focal persons for timely submission of data in the form and format required for reporting
•   Maintain an appropriate MIS system to monitor and evaluate progress in achieving the project outputs and outcomes in the SADA zone at key junctures during the project period to assess progress towards achieving project's objectives.
•   Assist the M&E Specialist measure and evaluate Project Impact. This will include undertaking the Project's mid- term impact evaluation and the final impact evaluation survey and measuring results against the baseline.
•   Develop where necessary, refine and implement, together with the SADA Zonal Coordinator, M&E Specialist and the Project Management Unit and project teams, the projects planning and M&E and MIS system.
•   Assist the M&E Specialist strengthen the capacity of the project implementing agencies in the SADA zone monitor project impacts and use the MIS (reporting functions related to M&E only) by providing on-the-job training.
•   Guide the regular sharing of the outputs of M&E findings with Implementing Agencies and primary stakeholders in the SADA zone
•   Check that monitoring data are discussed in the appropriate forum and in a timely fashion in terms of implications for future re actions. If necessary, create such discussion forums to fill any gaps.
•   Participate and facilitate Mission Team Members' access to monitoring and evaluation data and to stakeholders as well as direct personal knowledge of the field situation in the SADA zone.
•   Through the regular M&E system will incorporate learning activities throughout: through stakeholder review
•   activities, impact studies, cross-visits, field monitoring visits, to ensure lesson learning and feedback mechanisms
•   Will assist in the supervision of the annual value chain survey which will monitor the commercial agriculture value chain and the participation of smallholders in it.
•   Undertake any other duties as may be reasonably assigned by the SADA Zonal Coordinator.

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
The following criteria will be used to assess the performance of the M&E Specialist at regular intervals and based upon which the contract with the PIU may be continued or terminated:

•   Timeliness of project monitoring and evaluation management activities
•   Quality of documentation submitted for prior review
•   Quality and timeliness of reports

REPORTING AND TIME SCHEDULES
The Specialist will prepare Quarterly, Semi-Annual and Annual M&E reports to the SADA Zonal Coordinator and the M&E Specialist as inputs into the Zonal Report and the overall Project Management Reports and in addition, will prepare other reports, as and when needed.

Qualification Required & Experience

•   A Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, administration, management, economics, social sciences, Statistics
•   Development studies or other related field
•   At least 5 years experience in designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation programmes and projects monitoring and evaluation.
•   Demonstrated knowledge of participatory M&E systems, project performance monitoring system, benefit monitoring and evaluation, or other relevant experience
•   Capacity to work under tight deadlines and to handle potentially controversial and/or very sensitive issues that require clarity, accuracy and speedy responses.
•   Must have excellent computing skills.
•   Membership of a Professional Body will be an advantage.
•   Proven ability to multi-task and work independently
•   Highly self-motivated, confident and with good interpersonal skill
•   Ability to arrange and facilitate consultations, meetings and workshops
•   Proven ability to produce quality reports (quantitative and qualitative data, photos, charts, maps),
•   Very good computer skills including use of technical software for M&E purposes such as SPSS, Stata, and Microsoft Excel
•   Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
•   Fluency in English language.

Location: Tamale

How To Apply For The Job

COMMON CONSIDERATIONS

•   Remuneration: Competitive Salary
•   Terms of payment: Payments will be made in equal end-of-month payments of agreed amount subject to completion of core reporting responsibilities as laid out in the Assignment Work Plan.
•   Location: Tamale
•   Duration: Two (2) years (renewable yearly based on satisfactory performance)

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
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

alabibortey@gmail.com  Tel: + 233-20-0198921

Closing Date: 09 August, 2013

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