Job Vacancy

Kuapa Kokoo is looking for a well qualified and motivated person with experience for immediate employment. Suitably qualified persons should send their application to kkfu@kuapakokoo.com not later than 4th March, 2022.

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR PROJECT FIELD COORDINATOR

Introduction

The Sankofa Project is a multi-stakeholder project that aims to improve the livelihoods of smallholder famers through the implementation of agroforestry, climate smart agriculture and diversification of crops, resulting in improved cocoa yields, biodiversity, market linkages, better trade and higher farmer incomes. The Project sets out to improve environmental, economic and social sustainability of stakeholders in cocoa and associated crops value chains but can extend to other crops and cropping systems as appropriate to contexts. The Project is currently located in the Ahafo Ashanti, Western, Western North and Central Regions.

Through the establishment of alliances between local and international partners, the project is implementing re-afforestation activities with cocoa farmers, belonging to the Kuapa Kokoo Co-operative Cocoa Farmers & Marketing Union Lmited (KKFU), through the development of an agroforestry system referred to as Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF). The implementation of this cocoa production system will bring significant benefits to farmers through increased cocoa yields, less reliance on inputs, as well as diversified income and food security from the production of a diversified range of food and timber products.

As a result of a successful pilot of the project started by ITC, KKFU, Fairtrade Africa, Max Havelaar Switzerland and Halba, the project has now been up-scaled with funding secured from donors including Halba, Coop Switzerland - a supermarket in Switzerland which sources cocoa products from KKFU farmers -, SECO, DANIDA and ITC. With this funding the project targets to establish up to 400 hectares of DAF with 400 cocoa farmers, whilst 2,500 cocoa farmers a under Climate Smart Cropping System (CSCS) simultaneously establishing yam and associated crops diversification plots to enhance their livelihoods and readiness to adopt DAF in the future.

Based on the successes achieved by the project since its inception, KKFU has adopted the approach as the necleus of its future strategy of transitioning towards organic production. In support of this strategy, and to build local capacity within KKFU for the transition, the Sankofa Project recruited 20 Extension Officers and located them in the project areas to learn from the project experts and offer support to the farmers. There are also over 40 KKFU Extension Officers supporting the CSCS component which is also critical for the future KKFU strategy. But the Sankofa Project has lacked a management level coordinator in the field to harness all the knowledge and insights into a structured KKFU knowledge storage and management system for sustainability.

With support of the Sankofa Project KKFU now seeks to employ a Project Field Coordinator to be based in Goaso who will provide on-the-ground technical and project management leadership to the Extension Officers and Lead Farmers involved in the project.

Nature of the Position

This is a full-time position dedicated to work on the Sankofa Project. The Field Coordinator will be KKFU’s technical and senior manager who will be responsible for the work of all the Extenison Officers and Lead Farmers. (S)he will be KKFU’s direct technical interface with the technical experts involved in the Project and be a key member of the Project’s technical team.

Location and Workstation of the Project Field Coordinator

The Field Coordinator shall be located Goaso with need to travel to all the project communities.

Key tasks of the Project Field Coordinator

The Project Field Coordinator’s tasks shall include, but not limited to the following:

Liaise with the Sankofa Project’s Technical Committee and experts to develop, implement and monitor the technical plan of the Sankofa Project
On the basis of the approved plan of the Sankofa Project develop and agree individual work plans with each of the Extension Officers and Lead Farmers involved in the Sankofa Project
Request, receive and process regular feedback from the Extension Officers and Lead Farmers for discussion by the Technical Committee
Liaise with the Sankofa Project M&E Officer and the Extension Officers to monitor the plots, collect relevant data and input into the project’s M&E infrastructure
Liaise with the project partners and National Project Coordinator, as necessary, to integrate partner objectives and interests in the implementation of the project
Any other related activity that will be assigned from time to time within the scope of the project

Skills

Ability to produce documents for official circulation among institutions and international stakeholders (memos, reports, business proposals)
Ability to design, develop, monitor and coordinate work plans and business plans;
Good understanding and direct knowledge agriculture and extension services
Good understanding and direct knowledge of the cocoa sector
Good understanding of the agri-business sector
Good understanding of international development project functioning and dynamics
Good understanding and experience of multi-stakeholder platform facilitation
Good knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Education

University degree in agronomy, extension services, agricultural engineering, agribusiness, business administration, development studies or related field.

Experience

At least 7 years of relevant relevant professional experience in project management, business development, business planning, group dynamics, agricultural and rural development, agro-processing and exports, including knowledge of agri-business and participatory approaches.
Experience of working with international/donor organizations or in national development agencies. Experience in data collection, survey administration and agribusiness.