Job Description
Position: Deputy Chief of Party-(COP) / Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist
Location: West Africa
Anticipated Start Date and duration: June 2017.
Life of project: June 2017—March 2023.
The Organization: Since 1974, IFDC has focused on increasing and sustaining food security and agricultural productivity in over 100 developing countries through the development and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise.
The Role: IFDC enables smallholder farmers in developing countries to increase agricultural productivity, generate economic growth and practice environmental stewardship by enhancing their ability to manage mineral and organic fertilizers responsibly and participate profitability in input and output markets. IFDC is recruiting a Chief of Party (COP) candidate for an upcoming USAID project in West Africa.
The West African landscape is mostly comprised of fragile states, characterized by smallholder farmers, utilizing marginal lands with traditional practices, unable to break from the vicious cycle of low yields and poverty. IFDC aims to drive the process of agricultural transformation in West Africa by supporting African-led regional institutions to address critical issues that constraint the effective supply and use of agricultural inputs in West Africa and result in a strong, positive and lasting change on improving farmers’ access to appropriate, affordable and quality agricultural inputs.
The DCOP is the second most senior management staff on the project – subordinate only to the COP, with duties that complement the work of the Organization Development Advisor/Technical Director, the DCOP will assume technical lead on monitoring and evaluation aspects of the project. As such, the DCOP supports the Chief of Party in managing aspects of the project, including program implementation, personnel, liaising with partners and funders, ensuring compliance with applicable US government rules and regulations, project reporting and facilitating smooth program operations.
Specific Duties
Specific duties will include:
- Assists the COP in shaping program’s vision and in providing leadership
- Assists the COP in managing the program’s overall internal and external (USAID WA, ECOWAS, host governments, donors and stakeholders) relations
- Represents the project in the absence of the COP
- Assists the COP in the day to day operations, staff management, overall program planning, and implementation of the Program
- Assures implementation, quality assurance and timeliness of project activities as per work plan
- Responsible for planning and management of staff travels including vetting the terms of reference and ensuring trip reports are submitted
- Ensures the timely preparation and submission of project deliverables (e.g. quarterly and annual reports)
- Leads the design of the program monitoring and tracking system including data quality assessment.
- Leads the establishment of the program’s baseline data, performance evaluation, mid -term and final evaluations.
- Contributes to the development and implementation of program sub-agreements
- Assists in overall preparation of long terms and annual program plans
- Assures quality of indicator data and incorporates appropriately into the program M&E system
- Prepares indicator reports comparing actual achievements to program targets
- Trains WAFP and implementing partners’ team members in M&E and environmental compliance requirements
- Designs impact survey tools and methodology and leads program impact surveys
Position Requirements:
- A M.Sc.’s degree (Ph.D. preferred) in a field relevant to project activities, e.g.; agricultural economics
- Experience implementing performance monitoring of agricultural development interventions.
- At least 5 years of prior experience working in West Africa is a must.
- Ability to perform internal control functions to manage day to day operations of the project.
- Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally in small audience and large audience settings.
- Fluency in written and spoken French and English is a must.
- Multiple country work experience is required.
- Demonstrated ability to manage, lead, and make decisions in a timely fashion.
- Demonstrated ability to assemble and lead highly skilled, interdisciplinary teams; interact with and lead a broad range of governmental and non governmental actors and institutions across sectors.
Level of Effort — This is a full time position based Accra, Ghana, with frequent travel expected to other countries in West Africa.
IFDC’s ability to employ a candidate for this position is dependent upon the organization being awarded the project following a competitive solicitation process from the US Agency for International Development.
More Information
- Job City Accra