Background:

•   The Government of the Republic of Ghana has received funds from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to implement the Ghana Agricultural 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 sustainable 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 value 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 62,860 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).

Components of Programme:
The Programme has three components:

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 sustainable 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 small holders 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 (RTlMP).
•   GASIP will have a National Programme Coordination Unit in Accra and three Zonal Programme Offices (ZPO) in Kumasi, Tamale and Dodowa. The ZPCO shall be composed of (i) Zonal Programme Coordinator, (ii) a M&E Officer, (iii) a Zonal Accountant and (iv) a Zonal Infrastructure Officer,
•   To enhance implementation of the GASIP, MOFA intends to recruit a qualified person to fill the following position:
•   MIS/M&E Officer

Reports to: Senior Policy and M&E Manager

Role:

•   The MIS/M&E Officer will support the Senior Policy and M&E Manager in guiding the overall M&E strategy and implementation of related activities within the Programme and via partners, plus providing timely and relevant information to project stakeholders.
•   This entails close communication with all involved in MIS design and coordination: core Programme and partner staff; representatives from primary stakeholder groups; external consultants and members of external M&E-related missions.
•   He/she will also serve as the in-house information systems resource person who will administer the automated aspects (central database) of the GASIP M&E system.

Specific Tasks:

•   Design the MIS for the Programme and upgrade it as and when required;
•   Together with the sub-contractor, conduct systems analysis and prepare a logical model and functional specification of GASIP-electronic MIS for installation and decentralisation;
•   Support the development of electronic database for the Programme and perform basic network administration and security functions ensuring system integrity and security;
•   Monitor, evaluate and follow up on the use and results of MIS system at all levels as regular technical support;
•   Facilitate the development of the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWP), ensuring alignment with programme strategy, agreement on annual targets;
•   Assist Programme and IA staff in collecting and compiling data from the field, analysing and producing reports;
•   Review monitoring reports, analyze them for impact evaluation and identify the causes of potential bottlenecks in project implementation;
•   Guide the regular sharing of the outputs of M&E findings with Programme staff, implementing partners and primary stakeholders and plan for regular opportunities to identify lessons learned and implications for the Programme's next steps;
•   Guide and supervise organizations that are contracted to implement special surveys and studies required for evaluating programme effects and impacts.
•   Ensure that all service provider contracts include specifications for the internal monitoring required of them, the reporting systems and the penalties for failure to report as specified.
•   Design an information retrieval system (Intranet) for all major programme documents, reports and manuals produced in coordination with Programme and IA staff;
•   Update the GASIP Website regularly and provide technical support in computer system to all programme staff;
•   Upgrade dashboard and reporting module from time to time and incorporate new evaluation parameters for management use.
•   Ensure integration of GASIP's broader principles including attention to gender, climate change, youth development, etc. into the Programme's activities.

Performance Targets:

•   Conduct periodic orientation on the electronic MIS database for GASIP and Implementing Agency (IA) staff and other members as required;
•   Develop a User Manual for the electronic MIS Database for use by Programme and IA staff;
•   Assist Programme and IA staff in establishing the M&E indicators in relation to objectives, outcomes and inputs as defined in Results Framework of GASIP
•   Provide regular updated facts and figures in tables, graphs, and charts as part of the management information system;
•   Organize (and provide) refresher M&E/MIS training for programme and implementing partner staff,local organizations and primary stakeholders.

Common Considerations:

Remuneration: Competitive salary

Qualification Required & Experience

•   At least a first degree in Information Technology, Information Systems Management, or in a field related to development and/or management and experience in field research.
•   Three years of strong professional background with management information systems, with exposure in development field.
•   Experience of public sector and donor funded project is highly desirable.

Specific traits should include:

•   Expert database management experience and software familiarity with MS Access, Visual Basics, FoxPro and other database software related to M&E.
•   Familiarity with the deployment of M&E tools for strategic planning and performance monitoring
•   Highly organized with methodological approaches to data management (in manual and computer based forms)
•   Data analysis and strong background with spreadsheets & databases (Excel & Access)
•   Leadership qualities, personnel and team management (including mediation and conflict resolution).

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 National Programme Coordinator
Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Programme
Ministry of Food and Agriculture,
P.O.Box M.37, Accra, Ghana

Tel: 0544-094669 / 233244-233887

Email: procurement@gasip.org

•   Location: MOFA Projects Block,Procurement Office, 3rd Floor, in the premises of the Government Secretarial School,Cantonments, Accra.
•   Deadline for submission of Applications shall be on or before 15:00 hours GMT [i.e. 3.00pm local time) on 2nd May, 2017.
•   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 short listed applicants will be contacted.
•   Candidates can send both soft and hard copies.

Closing Date: 02 May, 2017