Project Officer, SME Development - Street Children Empowerment Foundation

To oversee economic empowerment of households to increase their income, through training, value chain development, value addition, access to credit, business startup and linkage and access to market. This should serve to increase the life chances of children in street situations and their families in Accra Central and surrounding communities by increasing performance, learning, and transition through an integrated approach. In addition, support families in the actualization of their SCEF’s strategic plans aligned to Vision 2030.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Officer, SME Development Officer performs a wide range of duties pertaining to business and facility management which includes all of the following:

Project Planning and design

• Design Economic empowerment interventions responsive to context
• Design or review training manuals to aid in delivery of the intervention
• Develop project Economic Empowerment work plans
• Develop and maintain relevant database and serve as a hub of data required by stakeholders
• Incorporate workable empowerment model in new projects.

Value chain development

• Assess the current prevailing conditions among SMEs in regards to grassroots enterprise development
• Develop upstream and downstream linkages for SMEs
• Support coaching, mentorship and business incubation of SMEs.
• Design SME business models, business development plans, training manuals, model enterprises, enterprise development protocols, and communication and sponsorship protocols.
• Oversee Implementation of the economic empowerment designed plans for SCEF
• Monitor, evaluate and improve the economic empowerment interventions
• Develop replication plans to a wider geographical scope
• Support development of business start-ups to caregivers.
• Promote roll-out of products to the target communities and ensure set targets are met.

Project implementation and training

• Conduct business needs assessment whenever necessary.
• Carry out entrepreneurship trainings of the different target groups; parents, guardians, SMEs.
• Manage an effective and responsive Service Centre that embraces a “one-stop-shop” concept that ensures all customer requests are actioned to a high level of service.
• Train the parents and guardians of children in street situations in the implementation of group savings, loans and business development skills.
• Develop, review and evaluate business plans to ensure viability and sustainability of businesses.
• Participate in the development and update of training materials.
• Coordinate identification and transfer of appropriate technologies and innovations to target groups.
• Forge partnerships within the project sites for the attainment of project goals.
• Collaborate with partners in corporate mobilization and service delivery.
• Engage business mentors and coaches to mentors and support individuals and groups to excel in their established businesses or Income Generating Activities (IGAs).
• Assist development of marketing plans and strategies that promote market opportunities of product outputs and services to ensure steady generation of profits from the business enterprises;
• Promote and disseminate relevant market information to the identified enterprises
• Perform any other duty as may be directed by the project supervisor.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation

• Compile reports (narrative and data) and submit them to the Program Manager (M&E) as per the set deadlines
• Participate in the design, data collection and analysis of surveys and routine data
• Ensure proper documentation and dissemination of lessons learnt.
• Evaluation of all project interventions conducted.
• Monitoring and reviewing the progress of trainees.

Education

• A Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences preferably in Entrepreneurship, Economics, Marketing, Commerce, Education or Social Enterprise
• Diploma in Project Management will be an added advantage.

Knowledge and skills

• Strong analytical and operational knowledge of Small and Medium business, start- ups and SME business expansions needs;
• Be an excellent facilitator and can create partnerships within the project area.
• Understanding of SME business procedures including: business legal and regulatory systems, financing, human resources, IT needs, operations and sales, and marketing, financing option
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, a keen eye for details, good presentation and interpersonal skills and excellent report writing skills.
• People management skills as well as mentorship experience and capability.

Experience and Abilities

• Ability to speak fluent Ga in addition English and other Ghanaian languages.
• A minimum of three years training experience
• Ability to work with a team, foster a team approach and incorporate capacity
• building activities into the program
• Ability to analyze and utilize program development gaps for designing Programs.
• Knowledge of facility & project management
• Understand and work with e-commerce
• Proficiency in the use of computers for
• Word processing
• Simple accounting
• Database management
• Spreadsheets
• E-mail
• Internet

Personal characteristics

The Project Officer should demonstrate competence in some or all of the following:

• Understand ethical behaviour and business practices, and ensure that own behaviour and the behaviour of others is consistent with these standards and aligns with the values of the organization.
• Speak, listen and write in a clear, thorough and timely manner using appropriate and effective communication tools and techniques.
• Develop new and unique ways to improve operations of the organization and to create new opportunities.
• Work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problem, and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Set priorities, develop a work schedule, monitor progress towards goals, and track details/data/information/activities.
• Assess problem situations to identify causes, gather and process relevant information, generate possible solutions, and make recommendations and/or resolve the problem.

Working Hours

Hours of work may generally be around 40 – 60 per week.

Location: SCEF headquarters, James Town, Accra, Ghana

Reporting to: Project Manager, Exec. Director