Position Summary
The VCD Coordinator will draw on a thorough understanding of market systems, the relationships between key market actors, the Ghanaian national, regional and district enabling environment and service providers critical to the market system, to ensure that the women farmers who participate in GROW forge sustainable linkages to markets systems for soybeans and the products of their dry season activities.

The goal of the Value Chain Development Coordinator is to facilitate this sustainable integration of women farmers into growing market systems by coordinating the work of the GROW technical team whose activities must be closely coordinated to ensure maximum benefit for women farmers participating in the GROW project.

The VCD Coordinator will consistently focus on finding the most sustainable approaches to carrying out project activities and challenge the coordinated technical team and the Key Facilitating Partners (KFP) with which the project works, to do the same.

The VCD Coordinator will be part of the GROW Program team, working closely with the Agriculture Technical Specialist and Financial Services Specialist. The team is under the supervision of Wa Area Manager who represents GROW in Wa in working with project stakeholders, liaising with KFP project coordinators and, administering the GROW office in Wa.

The VCD Coordinator will keep the Wa Area Manager informed of all developments within the technical implementation of the project. The VCD Coordinator will work closely with the M&E Manager to use information collected through the project’s monitoring processes to inform project implementation and adjust plans as needed.

The VCD Coordinator will work closely with the Gender Specialist to ensure that gender considerations are included in all aspects of project implementation so that each intervention is tested for its ability to effectively reach and serve women.

The VCD Coordinator will be a member of the GROW Program Management Team and will meet regularly with the team to review project progress and to address issues.

Duties
Provide technical expertise on value chain to the KFPs and GROW program team, deepening the understanding of a)market systems, b) the role of facilitators and c) interventions that stimulate new value chain relationships that are sustained by mutual benefit. This may include preparing discussion sessions for the technical team on relevant topics, arranging for presentations by value chain players, or other means of ensuring the team develops thorough understanding of market-based development approaches.

Assist KFPs and Program Team members in establishing broad networks with relevant actors in the soybean value chain, service providers to this sector (including financial service providers, equipment and technology suppliers, research institutions, radio stations and other sources of information, etc)

Coordinate the analysis of potential dry season opportunities to be promoted to women participating in GROW. This analysis will consider market demand, resources available within each community, women’s current engagement and skills and their interest in the sector. The product of this analysis will be a report analyzing the relative merits of opportunities for women to increase incomes during the dry season that will help them keep their families better fed throughout the year.

Opportunities selected for promotion should a) represent sustained market growth potential, b) be something that does not have high barriers to entry and c) adds to the family’s nutrition either directly or indirectly.

Use information collected through the project’s monitoring system to adjust project implementation as needed to achieve outputs, outcomes, and ultimately, impact.
Continuously monitor project activities to ensure that Lead Farmers and all project participants are developing knowledge and skills that will allow them to continue to expand their agricultural production and business activities independently after the end of the project.

As the project develops, lead the KFPs and other members of the Program Team in reaching out to new value chain players, new partners and new stakeholders to ensure that women farmers are linked to ongoing sources of agricultural information, services, inputs, technologies and markets that will support improved food security on an ongoing basis.
Participate in project planning, monitoring and evaluation, identification of lessons learned and ongoing improvement of project implementation as needed.

Carry out tasks as assigned by supervisor.

Qualification Required & Experience

•   Demonstrated understanding of market-driven approaches to increase farm income and improve food security
•   Experience working on women-focused programs.
•   Bachelor’s Degree in Management, Business, Marketing and other related field.
•   Minimum of 5 years’ experience in market-focused development projects.
•   Private sector experience a plus
•   Appreciation and support of MEDA’s faith, values and goals

Location: Tamale

How To Apply For The Job

Submit your letter of application and resume to this email address:

lkadiri@meda.org

Closing Date: 15 September, 2013