Cordaid combines more than 90 years' experience and expertise in emergency aid and structural poverty eradication. We are one of the biggest international development organisations with a network of almost a thousand partner organisations in 36 countries in Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe and Latin America.
The counterpart organisations work on various themes, including health care, quality of urban life, access to markets and peace and conflict. Each year around 170 million euros is spent on initiatives in the South. Of that, over 30 million euros is available for emergency aid. A small part is spent in the Netherlands on lobby, public support and consciousness-raising. For ACDEP Financial Services (AFS), an organisation in Tamale, Ghana, Cordaid is looking for a Micro Finance Business Advisor. Country: Ghana
Duty station: Tamale
Vacancy number: 2/11 Introduction
As a pioneer in development innovation in northern Ghana, ACDEP and its partners have developed a micro-finance linkage project that will seek to improve the access of small-holder and medium scale farmers to credit and savings services. From 2009 and 2010 ACDEP implemented a "feasibility" phase of the project called ACDEP Financial Services (AFS). AFS will link farmers and banks. Presently in the pilot phase about 7.000 farmers and 6 Rural Banks are reached. As a development NGO ACDEP has grounded experience in rural development, dynamics and potentials of the rural economy and the opportunities for growth. The strength of ACDEP is in agricultural development and strengthening farmers' organizations and production capacities. Following from the preparation of this business plan ACDEP is to enter into the next phase - making operational of the independent business unit (AFS).
The main objective is to move this towards full independence and a self-financing status. This will include exploring opportunities for business relationship with other relevant actors with small-holder farmers as the main targeted beneficiaries. As NGOs our strength and expertise is not in the development of business support services. Hence the need for a micro-finance expert to facilitate this process. AFS requires an expatriate staff with a wide experience of agricultural finance and micro-finance activities, institutional arrangements and experience in rural development, who believes in the potential of small producers, and is willing to accompany them in that transformation process. One should understand the limitations, opportunities, and potential of small-scale producers and processors and be able to develop feasible institutional options that create development opportunities. One will need to market these alternative institutional frameworks effectively with the traditional micro-finance institutions (commercial, rural and community banks). Position and responsibility
The expatriate staff will be an Advisor to the Ghanaian AFS Manager. AFS will have a staff of nine (9); five (5) of whom will operate as field staff facilitating the linkage between farmers and the banks in collaboration with the ACDEP-member agricultural NGOs. It will be managed by a Ghanaian Project Manager. An expatriate micro-finance business advisor is requested to provide technical assistance and guidance to move the project forward and to achieve project objectives. General objective of the posting
Support AFS' manager in developing and delivering a financially and economically self sustaining micro-finance intermediation service as a business enterprise that increases the access of small producers to saving and credit services from financial institutions and enhancing stronger and beneficial relationship between financial institutions and small-scale producers. Specific objectives
• To support and advise the AFS Manager on programme implementation and organisational development, with due attention to financial sustainability.
• To explore and establish business relationships with relevant actors with small-holder farmers as the main targeted beneficiaries.
• To provide technical expertise to further develop the value chain development programme in which AFS is the link between farmers and banks.
• To support capacity building of AFS-staff. Qualifications
• Academic degree or comparable level.
• Expertise in microfinance with proven expertise in agri-finance for small rural producers and processors.
• Experience in management and leadership position in the private sector.
• Cross-cultural and African cultural experience,, sociable and open-minded, a listening and learning attitude.
• Able to live with limited facilities and luxuries.
• At least 5 years experience in the South.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Drivers license.
• Computer skills. Specifics of station
Tamale is a well developed town in Northern Ghana with all basic facilities and a reasonable expat community. ACDEP has a lot of experience with expatriate relationships and partners. It has an open organizational culture, provides direction, is result oriented and allows people to excel. Contract information
The contract period is 31 months starting the 1st of June 2011. We offer a contract conform PSO conditions, a competitive salary and a benefit package. Further information & how to apply
For additional information, please contact Mr. Frans Pakvis, HR Officer. Phone: +31 70 3136 300. Applications including a motivation letter and extensive CV in English, including the contact details of at least three professional references, should be forwarded before 28 February 2011 under reference of the vacancy number. Please note that only short-listed applicants will be contacted for this position, that applications will be reviewed on a regular basis in the meantime and that given the necessity to fill this position as soon as possible, we may offer this post before the closing date. An assessment will be part of the procedure. Please note that we accept applications through our website only: www.cordaid.nl (>English>Vacancies>See our vacancies>Vacatures in het buitenland). | 
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