Company Profile

Established in 1986, Canadian Feed The Children (CFTC) is an independent, non-faith-based, registered charitable organization with its headquarters in Toronto, Canada.  CFTC envisions a world where children thrive free from poverty. Working with local partners internationally and in Canada, the organisation’s mission is to unlock children's potential through community-led action in Canada and around the world.

CFTC builds community capacity and helps create opportunities for long-term, sustainable food security, climate change, livelihoods and access to quality early childhood care and primary education in Bolivia, Ethiopia, Ghana and Uganda, as well as in Canada.  Programs in Canada are focused on food security and nutrition in Aboriginal communities, where the organisation funds school and community-based feeding and healthy eating education programs.  www.canadianfeedthechildren.ca.

Job Description

• Title: CFTC Ghana Program Officer
• Type: 3 Years (Renewable)
• Reporting to:   CFTC Ghana Program Manager  
• Direct reports:  ]Occasional overseeing of contractors
• Location: Tamale Ghana with frequent travel to the field
• Start Date: September 1, 2016

The Program Officer (PO) position at Canadian Feed The Children (CFTC) requires a motivated, passionate and innovative person with strong project management skills and an ability to work independently. As a member of the programs team reporting to the Program Manager, the Program Officer (PO) will work in close collaboration with the CFTC and partner teams and the Country Director to achieve the objectives of the Ghana country program in the areas of food security, education and capacity building. The PO position requires a team player with strong organizational, administrative and communication skills and a high sense of commitment to producing excellent quality work.

Position Summary
The role of this position is to support the CFTC country program to deliver on program/project goals, priorities and objectives as defined in the CFTC Ghana Theory of Change and in strategic and annual plans. This role requires supporting all aspects of the program/project management cycle including in developing, planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating food security, education, capacity building and integrating Climate Change adaptation (CCA) initiatives.

The CFTC Ghana Country Program is currently implementing two projects, INCOME and RESULT, in collaboration with three local partners and supported by a number of technical institutions. In liaison with the Program Manager, the Program Officer will support project management for the INCOME project which is implemented by two partners in the Northern and Upper East regions of Ghana.
 
Accountabilities

• Planning, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation
• Support the Country Office in rolling out the Strategic Framework, Theory of Change process and in annual planning processes in Ghana. This includes conducting participatory program reviews with partners and preparation of annual plans and budgets that are aligned with the CFTC Strategic Framework and Theory of Change.
• Support the CFTC Ghana program to deliver on annual outputs and program outcomes on time and on budget.
• Conduct periodic (at least quarterly) monitoring visits to partners and program operational areas to monitor and validate progress and provide relevant feedback to partners.
• Liaise with and provide technical support to partners in the production of all reports, plans and budgets on a timely basis and in their required formats, analyze these and provide timely written feedback and recommendations to partners.
• Produce semi-annual and annual country program reports using the template provided by CFTC Head Office for review and submission by the Program Manager.  
• Organize, coordinate and, as required, accompany CFTC staff, donors, board members, etc. on field trips.
• Support the Program Manager in building a strong effective work team.

Resource Acquisition

• Support CO fundraising activities, responding to enquiries and requests for information in support of CFTC fundraising, marketing, and communications opportunities.
• Support the Program Manager in local resource development, identification of initiatives and in the development of concept notes and proposals to donors or funding agencies.  

Sponsorship Administration 

• Manage the administration of child sponsorship in Ghana, training and providing technical support to partner staff to ensure effective and efficient sponsorship administration. 
• Liaise with HO and partners to develop the child sponsorship critical path and ensure its compliance with CFTC sponsorship standards.
• Provide technical support and training to CO staff and partners on sponsorship database management, child data collection and child sponsorship operations, ensuring that all CFTC Child Sponsorship Programming and Administrative Guidelines are complied with.  

Finance 

• Support the Program Manager in processing financial transactions, i.e. all payments; documentation of all transactions (hard and soft), and preparation of payment vouchers.
• Oversee the management of petty cash. 
• Produce monthly financial reports for the CFTC HO.
• Collaborate with partner Finance and Administration Officers to ensure the production of accurate and timely financial reports.

Other

• Support the Country Director through the Program Manager to ensure country context emergency preparedness compliance for CFTC and, as required, carry out a needs assessment of emergencies in consultation with local partners and make recommendations to the Program Manager regarding courses of action.
• Represent CFTC Ghana at district and regional networks focused on education.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Program Manager or the Country Director within the scope and intent of the job, as required from time to time.

Required Skills or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant social sciences field with five years of related experience or Master’s degree in international development/related field, plus three years of relevant experience. Work experience in the NGO sector is advantageous; 
• Demonstrated in-depth experience in at least two of the following areas: food security, climate change adaptation, education and capacity building;
• Program management experience and knowledge in budgeting, managing program-related finances and results based management (RBM); 
• Experience with program planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; 
• Experience working with the Canadian government and/or other large donor agencies; 
• Experience in preparing and conducting trainings and facilitating workshops; and 
• Experience in the Theory of Change methodology.

Skills and Competencies Required

• Well organized, accurate and efficient with ability to work effectively in a team setting and independently; 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and local languages; 
• Solid analytical and report writing skills;
• Demonstrated organizational and administrative skills coupled with the ability to coordinate with multiple stakeholders and meet deadlines; 
• Superior understanding of international development programming with specific focus on food security and education programming; 
• Strong facilitation skills and proven ability to provide training and capacity-building to staff and partners;
• Solid understanding of international development programs and project cycle management;
• Proven skills in gender analysis and integrating gender equality priorities into program implementation;
• Excellent research and computer skills in a Windows environment (MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and database software;
• Superior skills in building productive working relationships with team colleagues, country offices, donors and partners;
• High energy, positive, “can-do” attitude, flexibility, teamwork, and high degree of initiative and independence; and 
• Commitment to Canadian Feed The Children’s values and mission. 

Other desirable skills and attributes

• Able to speak at least one of the principal languages of Northern Ghana;
• Holder of a valid Ghanaian driver’s license;
• Experience working with a Canadian NGO or Canadian funding agency.