PROGRAMME MANAGER-LEAP PROJECT

ABOUT FAIRTRADE AFRICA

Fairtrade Africa (FTA) is the umbrella network organization representing Fairtrade-certified Producer Organizations in Africa and the Middle East. It has four (4) regional networks – Eastern & Central Africa; Southern Africa; West Africa; and the Middle East & North Africa. Established in 2005, FTA is a member of Fairtrade International and currently represents 1,354,294 farmers and workers in 660 producer organizations spread across 28 countries in Africa and the Middle East by providing services to them that contribute to the improvement of their livelihoods. Fairtrade Africa (FTA) is the umbrella network organization representing Fairtrade-certified Producer Organizations in Africa and the Middle East. It has four (4) regional networks – Eastern & Central Africa; Southern Africa; West Africa; and the Middle East & North Africa. Established in 2005, FTA is a member of Fairtrade International and currently represents 1,354,294 farmers and workers in 660 producer organizations spread across 28 countries in Africa and the Middle East by providing services to them that contribute to the improvement of their livelihoods.

ABOUT THE ROLE

FTA is looking to hire a Côte d’Ivoire (CDI) Programme Manager (Livelihoods Ecosystem Advancement Programme) to lead in-country coordination and strategic oversight of an ambitious new programme, the Livelihoods Ecosystem Advancement Programme (LEAP), aiming to address the root causes of market failures which keep Ivorian cocoa farmers in poverty traps. The programme will deliver tailored interventions across three key areas: cooperative strengthening; access to finance; and income diversification. By the end of the programme, it is anticipated that over 5,200 Ivorian cocoa farmers will benefit from increased incomes. The programme will also test and seek to understand which interventions and/or a combination of interventions drive farmers closer to reaching a living income in CDI.

We are looking for a candidate with experience in economic growth, agricultural value chains and market systems approaches applied in Ivorian contexts. The candidate must be familiar with the Ivorian cocoa sector or similar agricultural value chains. The candidate must have extensive programme management experience, with the complete package of skills needed to ensure programme delivery runs smoothly, including managing a workplan, oversight of the CDI programme budget, managing a team of programme staff, stakeholder management, and managing the work of consultants and/or organisations contracted on the programme.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Management

• Work closely with the Programme Management Unit Lead (UK-based) to co-lead an effective Programme Management Unit, with staff split across the UK and CDI.
• The applicant will lead the CDI-based team of a Programme Management Unit comprising technical and operational staff.
• Manage, coordinate and supervise staff within the team in accordance with FTA’s policies and procedures. This will include recruitment, induction, training and support of team members, and staff appraisals and performance reviews as appropriate.
• Lead the CDI-based Programme Management Unit staff through day-to-day problem solving, showing resilience and promoting new ways of working and innovation as required.

Programme delivery

• The applicant will be tasked with co-managing the successful delivery of a 5-year, multi-million dollar living income programme.
• Responsible for leading the in-country team and implementation partners to ensure effective delivery of planned programme interventions at cooperative and farmer household level, as well as ensuring smooth delivery of workstreams related to income diversification, organisational strengthening and access to finance.
• Provide significant inputs into the programme reporting structure, supporting the PMU Lead in presenting to the programme steering committee and governance structure on a regular basis, as well as providing inputs into programme reports to those funding the programme.
• Responsible for overseeing the financial management of the programme at country level, managing programme finance staff and reporting internally (including to Fairtrade Foundation on a monthly basis) and externally on programme expenditure. Ensure adherence to FTA finance procedures e.g. for expenditure approval and internal reporting.
• Provide quality assurance of technical work carried out under the programme.
• Responsible for maintaining appropriate risk management mechanisms to be agreed with the PMU Lead
• Responsible for maintaining appropriate safeguarding procedures on the programme to be agreed with the PMU Lead
• Manage a wide range of consultants and third-party organisations with the appropriate skillsets to deliver on high impact pieces of work.
• Ensuring that appropriate data protection procedures are in place, aligned with CDI legal requirements.

Stakeholder Management

• Responsible for leading key relationship management at the country level including with partners, government and funding organisations.
• Liaise regularly with the CDI lead contact from the programme funder, organising monthly meetings and providing updates in between.
• Liaise regularly with Ecookim lead contact to ensure smooth coordination throughout programme delivery and to be kept updated on any challenges that arise during implementation.
• Ensure effective stakeholder management at the country level e.g. ensuring government stakeholders are kept informed about the programme and a suitable contact is invited to take part in the Steering Committee.
• Coordinate field trips for the project team, partners and other stakeholders.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Academic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Economics, Management, Agriculture or another related field
• Technical background relevant to development economics, agricultural value chains and market systems approach
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office

Experience and Knowledge

• Good understanding and applied experience in development economics, agricultural value chain development and market systems approach, and previous experience of applying such approaches in Ivorian contexts
• At least 5 years of programme management experience
• Familiar with the Ivorian cocoa sector or similar agricultural value chains
• Knowledge of access to finance and/or gender analysis is also desirable
• Proven experience managing a team
• Significant experience coordinating the operations of large-scale complex programmes
• Knowledge of best practices in project management and familiar with all aspects of the project cycle
• Excellent relationship management with programme stakeholders at funder, partner and government levels

Skills

• Full professional proficiency in written and spoken English and French
• Excellent client-facing communication skills
• Good negotiation skills
• Solid organizational skills including attention to detail and multitasking skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Project management skills
• Sound budgeting skills
• Ability to be creative and think flexibly