Location: Tamale, Northern Ghana, Ghana
Reporting to: Vice President, Programs – Canadian Feed The Children, Toronto, ON
Direct Reports:
Deputy
Country Director, RESULT Deputy Project Director, Project Finance
Manager, Senior Administrator, M&E Specialist, Gender Specialist,
Environment/CCA Specialist (all located in Tamale, Ghana)
Start Date: June 1, 2016 (Toronto); in post July 1, 2016
BACKGROUND:
Canadian
Feed The Children (CFTC) – founded in Canada in 1986 and still proudly
and independently Canadian – envisions and works toward a world in which
children thrive, free from poverty. CFTC delivers development programs
through local partners that have positive, meaningful, and sustained
impact on children’s lives and on the self-sufficiency of their families
and communities.
Currently
operating in five countries (Uganda, Ethiopia, Ghana, Bolivia, and in
First Nations communities in Canada), this ‘little engine that could’ of
an agency has transformed itself from the inside out by implementing
best practices in Theory-of-Change programming, governance, financial
management, and communications. CFTC is moving from charity to change
agent, and has established itself as an award-winning, Imagine Canada
Standards-accredited agency at the leading edge of practice in the
international development sector.
In
August 2015, CFTC assumed responsibility for two Global Affairs
Canada-funded projects, one in Ethiopia and the larger project, The
Resilient and Sustainable Livelihoods Transformation Project (RESULT),
in northern Ghana. RESULT, being implemented with northern Ghana-based
NGO, the Association of Church-Based Development Projects (ACDEP) and
CFTC in the role of Canadian executing agency, is designed to strengthen
poor rural communities in the Upper East and Upper West regions of
Ghana by increasing and diversifying what is produced on farms. The
$19-million project began in 2012 and will run until 2018.
THE OPPORTUNITY:
- We are seeking a Project Director / Country Director – Ghana to assume accountability for field operations of RESULT for the remaining two years of its term, as well as leadership for CFTC’s Ghana Country Office.
- This truly unique opportunity is ideal for someone with finely-honed development expertise and a passionate commitment to making a difference in the world, and the management acumen to put that passion into action.
- You will be responsible for overseeing CFTC program operations in Ghana to ensure the successful achievement of program goals, objectives and deliverables for CFTC’s core programming. This will be accomplished through a small team of professionals who design, deliver, monitor and evaluate food security, education and capacity building initiatives through local partners in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions of Ghana.
- You will also lead RESULT work planning, implementation, and reporting; manage relationships with implementing partner, ACDEP; liaise with key stakeholders at the district, regional and national level; and ensure that cross-cutting themes of gender equality and environmental sustainability are fully integrated in all project activities.
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ACCOUNTABILITIES:
RESULT Project Director (90% time allocation)
Project Leadership:
- Achieve project outputs and outcomes through results-based project management
- Lead project work planning (annual and quarterly work plans, budgets, implementation strategies)
- Ensure the coordination and timely implementation of project activities according to approved work plans and budgets
- Ensure the integration of gender quality and environmental sustainability into all project activities
- Ensure monitoring and evaluation of project results, and maintenance of RESULT M&E systems
- Oversee financial management of the project and ensure compliance with required financial procedures
- Oversee and approve major goods and services procurement
- Liaise and coordinate with project implementing partner, ACDEP, at a strategic and management level
- Guide, support, coach and manage RESULT staff including senior level technical specialists and the RESULT Deputy Project Director (an ACDEP employee)
- Lead the preparation of quarterly, semi-annual and annual narrative and financial reports to CFTC, Global Affairs Canada (formerly Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development – DFATD) and key stakeholders
Coordination with Key Stakeholders:
- Establish and maintain positive working relationships with ACDEP, Government of Ghana officials, Government of Canada officials, key stakeholders, NGOs, and relevant partners
- Act as the secretary for the RESULT Project Steering Committee; chair and participate in other committees and project-related forums
- Liaise with donors, NGOs and government officials and engage stakeholders in the capture and dissemination of lessons learned
- Participate in relevant regional or national level networks (e.g. Northern Ghana Agricultural Sector Working Group, CEAs Coordinating Committee)
- Gather and analyze intelligence on critical issues and challenges related to project implementation
- Capacity Building
- Provide capacity development assistance, training, technical assistance, coaching and mentoring of partners and project staff to ensure project delivery
- Conduct participatory organizational assessments, develop appropriate capacity development plans to support project implementation, and monitor implementation of the capacity development plans
- Oversee human resources, financials, organizational structures and operations
- Work with local partners to design effective implementation strategies and partnership building
- CFTC Ghana Country Office Program (10% time allocation)
- Ensure country strategy and plans are executed in line with overall organizational priorities
- Oversee and approve country-level annual work plans, budgets and narrative and financial reports
- Collaborate with CFTC HQ to ensure quality programming, financial compliance, M&E, and reporting
- Oversee partner management, selection and evaluation processes
- Support the pursuit of funding opportunities in-country or globally where required
- Guide, support, coach and manage the performance of the CFTC Deputy Country Director, ensuring roles and responsibilities are clear, and a positive team environment is fostered
- Provide general oversight of all CO operations (administrative, financial, programmatic, etc.)
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KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
- A Master’s Degree from a recognized university in a relevant field
- Minimum ten years of professional experience in international development
- Minimum seven years of professional experience in a senior project management role, managing complex international development projects focused on poverty alleviation, food security, agriculture and livelihoods; experience with CIDA/DFATD funded projects is an asset
- Significant experience in project leadership, including results-based management and Theory of Change, complex financial control and management systems, financial reporting and contracting requirements, and delivering partnership-based projects
- Significant experience mainstreaming gender equality and environmental sustainability in project implementation, monitoring and reporting
- At least three years of continuous field-based experience in a developing country, preferably in Africa; field experience in Ghana is an asset
- Human resources management experience in a field office setting including recruitment, retention, performance management, mentoring and coaching, and team building
- Experience in partnership-building and working in collaboration with Southern partner organizations, governments and donors
- Experience with organizational assessments, capacity building, and organizational structuring
- Experience with project conception, design, planning, implementation and evaluation; strong knowledge of key development issues in Ghana is an asset
- Solid understanding of international development funding compliance
SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:
- Proven leadership and people management skills
- Strong strategic, analytical and problem solving skills
- Proven budgeting and financial reporting skills using Excel
- Outstanding communications skills (English), both written and oral, for report writing, presentations, public relations and knowledge sharing
- Superior skills in building productive and supportive working relationships or networks with country office and project staff, local partners and key stakeholders
- High energy, positive, “can-do” attitude, flexibility, teamwork, and high degree of initiative
- Commitment to Canadian Feed The Children’s vision, mission and values
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be able to travel locally, regionally and internationally (a valid passport is required), sometimes on extended assignments and under challenging conditions
- Must be a Canadian citizen or possess Canadian landed immigrant status
Interested? Please submit a C.V. and cover letter to jobs@canadianfeedthechildren.ca with the name of the position in the subject line. Deadline for applications is March 4, 2016
at 5pm Eastern. Interviews are scheduled to take place in early March
(first round); and late March 2016 (second round). We thank all
applicants for their interest, however only those selected for an
interview will be contacted.
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