Ministry of Food and Agriculture Job Vacancy For Value Chain and Agribusiness Manager

The Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Programme (GASIP) is a Government of Ghana (GoG) programme designed to provide a framework for a long-term financing arrangement for private sector-led, pro-poor agricultural value chain development in Ghana. Financiers are International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of Ghana (GoG). The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) is the implementing ministry

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: (i) Agribusiness linkage development; (ii) Rural financial services and (iii) Climate Change Resilience—which is mainstreamed into value chain interventions to reduce risks, enhance profitability and sustainable production systems.
Component 2 (Rural Value Chain Infrastructure) is aimed at providing the enabling infrastructure to catalyse value chain development. It has two sub-components: (i) Productive Infrastructure and Facilities—aimed at encouraging investments in commercial infrastructure and facilities for the selected value chains; and (ii) 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.

Line Management: Reports to the National Programme Coordinator

• The Value Chain and Agribusiness Manager will serve as the key technical lead for the programme. He/she will supervise technical and field-based activities including value chain development, market linkages, private sector engagement and local partner capacity building support.

Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Develop support programmes to strengthen chosen value chains and oversee the execution of support to value chains from technical service providers;
• Provide technical guidance in the process for selecting value chain cluster drivers, evaluation of business proposals and finalization of cluster formation agreements among cluster actors;
• Facilitate the promotion of commercially viable linkages among smallholder farmers, larger businesses, service providers, private financiers and development partners through contracted service providers;
• Liaise with other development partners and projects to create leverage for GASIP and a coordinated approach;
• Identify technical assistance needs for the development of market and value chain tools, training materials and facilitating the conduct of pro-poor market and value chain studies;
• Promote access to credit by value chain operators and ensure that public and private infrastructure facilities provided under the programme is appropriately integrated to support value chain development;
• Provide oversight and direction for the work of the Value Chain Specialists. Responsibilities include technical supervision of annual work planning process and development of programme activities;
• Supervise value chain assessments and oversee the value chain selection process. This includes developing scopes of work for any consultants who may be required to help carry out these assessments. Provide leadership and mentoring to the local technical team on analysing data from the assessments;
• Design activities to increase smallholder agricultural production and market linkages that lead to increased profitability of on-farm enterprises. This includes the development and implementation of upgrading plans in targeted value chains with a focus on improving smallholder productivity and net revenues; and
• Provide specific Technical inputs in reviewing business proposals submitted to GASIP and make recommendations that will enhance the quality and sustainability of the GASIP funded businesses, both existing and new.

Qualification Required & Experience

Essential

• At least a Masters’ degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness or any other related academic field;
• At least 10 years of relevant work experience in dealing with issues related to agribusiness and with smallholder farmers in a rural setting;
• Experience in marketing and value chain research and/promotion in agricultural commodities in Ghana;
• Considerable experience and involvement in development partner funded-projects that provide support to smallholder farmer groups; and
• Demonstrated ability to develop contractual arrangements between and among value chain actors.

Desirable

• Experience in research or other activities aimed at influencing policy to support agribusiness development;
• Demonstrable knowledge in pro-poor value chain development and participatory methods;
• Ability to achieve pro-poor, gender sensitive and socially inclusive working results; and
• Demonstrated ability to train and build capacity of others;

Duration

• The position will be on a contract basis for two (2) years with the possibility of extension depending on satisfactory performance and availability of funds.

Location: Accra