Company Profile

Oxfam is a rights-based global development organization with more than 70 years of experience in more than 90 countries worldwide. Oxfam’s mission is to end the injustice of poverty and inequality through systemic change and the advancement of political, economic and social rights. Oxfam has been working in Ghana since 1986, managing programs related to food security and livelihoods, universal access to education and healthcare and transparency and accountability in extractive industries (mining, oil and gas).

Oxfam’s experience in Ghana and strong partnerships with government institutions, Ghanaian civil society organizations and NGOs supports the delivery of active and innovative programs and advocacy work seeking to improve the livelihoods of Ghanaians and strengthen citizen accountability. Oxfam in Ghana currently works in 11 out of Ghana’s 16 administrative regions.

Job Description

1. Given the gender and cocoa commitments made by industry actors following the Behind the Brands campaign, what evidence of implementation exists in Ghana? A roadmap of progress is available here: https://www.behindthebrands.org/roadmap/. Full corporate commitments will be shared by Oxfam staff.
2. Map the presence of major agrifood companies, traders and cocoa processers in Ghana. In what ways do these entities engage in the Ghanaian cocoa value chain? The world’s major agrifood companies source much of their cocoa from Ghana, and yet their engagement in the value chain is opaque. Drawing on lessons learned from engaging with these industry actors on their commitments to gender and land, we seek to map the value chain and address the role of companies, traders and cocoa processors:
   • At the community level: Many agrifood companies and their traders engage in corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs in cocoa-producing communities. However, it is not clear that companies are able to trace the communities where their cocoa is actually produced. How are these producer communities selected for CSR programming, and in what ways do they benefit from the services and interventions they receive? To what extent do these CSR programs address women’s economic empowerment?
   • At the purchasing level: In recent years, several traders and processors have established licensed buying companies (LBCs). Ownership of LBCs is likely to provide traders with more control over their supply chain (e.g. collecting the cocoa from the farmers, taking it to COCOBOD and then recovering it again to export it out of Ghana, allowing, in their words, for “sustainable and traceable cocoa from Ghana,”2 and “directly source cocoa from certified farmers in Ghana for the first time – putting the farmer at the heart of our business.”3. But does LBC ownership actually allow for traceability, and what are the implications for cocoa producing communities?
3. How can the cocoa industry better value women cocoa farmers’ contributions, including through formal payments? How can companies support training, access to finance, and other pathways to women’s economic empowerment? What opportunities exist for women’s voices to be heard throughout the cocoa value chain (e.g. through cocoa cooperatives, through direct engagement with CSR programs), and how effective are these entry points in addressing gender 
4. What does a sustainable cocoa future in Ghana look like? Given the difficulties associated with traceability, and the potentially limited power of major agrifood companies to effect on-the-ground change in Ghanaian cocoa-producing communities, where are the entry points improving gender and land outcomes in the sector?

• Carry out a desk review of existing literature and documentation on cocoa supply chain sustainability, including existing research and evaluations carried out by Oxfam.
• Prepare an inception report; discuss initial findings from literature review with Oxfam counterparts.
• Design and formulate the research methodology, including interview protocols for private sector actors and CSOs, and focus group protocols for farmers and workers.
• Conduct a pilot on the designed questionnaires before implementation of the final plan. Plan and carry out fieldwork, in consultation with Oxfam counterparts.
• Prepare a draft report of findings; carry out a validation workshop with Oxfam staff and relevant external stakeholders.
• Revise and prepare final report of findings, in accordance with required template.
• Weekly reporting on the progress of the work through regular meetings or calls.
• To abide by Oxfam policies for research, engaging with communities, and protecting data.

Required Skills or Experience

ELIGIBILITY

• Applicants should have demonstrated expertise in supply chain sustainability and agricultural commodities, specifically in the cocoa value chain; varied experience in relevant methodologies; and a history of undertaking similar research consultancies.
• Applicants with experience and keen interest in the private sector engagement and sustainability and multi-stakeholders dialogue will be an added value. Applicants should be based in Ghana.