Programme Officer: Ghana - Solidaridad West Africa

Solidaridad West Africa (SWA) is a civil society organization that supports the sustainable development of production systems in West Africa. The West Africa Regional Office, headquartered in Accra, is one of eight (8) Regional Expertise Centers (RECs) within Solidaridad’s Network organization (www.solidaridadnetwork.org). We play a catalytic role in enhancing the well-being of farmers, miners, workers and their communities in West Africa through the promotion of socially responsible, environmentally sustainable and profitable supply chains. We work in partnership with private sector companies, governments and key stakeholders to achieve lasting impact.

Our supply chain work in West Africa is focused on cocoa, gold, oil palm, cotton, coffee, cashew, horticulture, and other crops. We focus, among other things, on stimulating sustainable supply chains through the introduction of innovations in good practices, market uptake for sustainable goods, farmers’/producers’ access to finance, sustainable natural resources management and institutional capacity development and enabling policy.

The West Africa Regional Office of Solidaridad currently has programmes and operations in Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Job Description

Solidaridad West Africa (SWA) is a civil society organization that supports the sustainable development of production systems in West Africa. The West Africa Regional Office, headquartered in Accra, is one of eight (8) Regional Expertise Centers (RECs) within Solidaridad’s Network organization (www.solidaridadnetwork.org). We play a catalytic role in enhancing the well-being of farmers, miners, workers and their communities in West Africa through the promotion of socially responsible, environmentally sustainable and profitable supply chains. We work in partnership with private sector companies, governments and key stakeholders to achieve lasting impact. Our supply chain work in West Africa is focused on cocoa, gold, oil palm, cotton, coffee, cashew, horticulture, and other commodities. We focus, among other things, on stimulating sustainable supply chains through the introduction of innovations in good practices, market uptake of sustainable goods, farmers' and producers’ access to finance, sustainable natural resource management, and institutional capacity development, as well as enabling policy.

The West Africa Regional Office of Solidaridad currently has programmes and operations in Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Solidaridad West Africa seeks to recruit two (2) highly qualified and self-motivated programme officers to support our projects in Ghana.

About the project (Deforestation Free Cocoa Project)

The Building Accountable Community-Based Governance and Monitoring Mechanisms to Promote a Deforestation-Free Cocoa Supply Chain Project is a three-year (2025-2028) initiative, funded by the European Union Delegation to Ghana. The project is implemented by four consortium partners: Solidaridad West Africa (SWA), Rights and Advocacy Initiatives Networks (RAIN), Tropenbos Ghana (TBG), and Taylor Crabbe Initiative (TCI), and targets three Hotspot Intervention Areas (HIAs): Juabeso-Bia, Asunafo-Asutifi, and Bibiani/Sefwi Wiawso. The Deforestation-Free Cocoa project seeks to engage women, men, youth, cocoa farmer cooperatives, traditional authorities, HIA governance structures, the private sector, and the media in an innovative way to identify and monitor deforestation risk areas in the cocoa landscape.

The project focuses on establishing inclusive, community-led governance and sustainable monitoring of the cocoa-forest landscape, with deliberate inclusion of women and youth. Its activities are designed to comply with both the European Union’s Deforestation Regulation and Ghana’s national environmental laws. It will also leverage existing governance frameworks under the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Program (GCFRP) to enhance deforestation monitoring and promote active advocacy among local actors in high-risk zones. Capacity building will equip communities and stakeholders with skills to utilize spatial tools, helping to drive advocacy for sustainable natural resource management and support climate-smart cocoa farming and livelihood diversification to address identified drivers of deforestation

Job Purpose

The Programme Officer will be responsible for implementing and monitoring project activities within the assigned HIA. This role involves facilitating and delivering training, engaging with stakeholders while working closely with community members, farmers, cooperatives, local authorities, women groups, Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), HIA executives and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the effective delivery of the project. The Programme Officer will collect field data, provide technical support, lead project interventions on capacity development to empower target groups to achieve project outcomes and capture success stories.

Main Responsibilities

Lead Community Mobilization and Awareness Initiatives

• Spearhead efforts to engage and mobilize community members around the Deforestation-free Cocoa (DfC) programme.
• Support the design and implementation of awareness campaigns to educate communities on the importance and benefits of deforestation-free cocoa production and sustainable livelihoods.

Facilitate Training and Capacity Building

• Organize and conduct training sessions and capacity-building workshops for community-level actors, utilizing programme-developed materials on deforestation-free cocoa practices and livelihood interventions.

Serve as the Liaison Between Programme and Communities

• Act as the key point of contact bridging programme management and selected communities within the High Impact Area (HIA), ensuring smooth communication and effective collaboration on all programme activities.
• Record and report community concerns, feedback and suggestions to the line manager for redress and to improve programme implementation and relevance.

Project Planning and Resource Management

• Develop detailed operational work plans that guide the day-to-day activities of the programme, aligned with overall project goals.
• Support the preparation of budgets and assist with resource allocation to optimize programme efficiency and effectiveness.

Project Visibility and Stakeholder Engagement

• Ensure consistent visibility and presence of the DfC programme within the HIA by coordinating activities in line with programme standards and branding guidelines.
• Foster partnerships with local stakeholders, community leaders, and relevant organizations to strengthen programme acceptance and support.

Monitoring, Documentation, and Reporting

• Prepare and submit timely, accurate progress reports detailing programme achievements, challenges, and next steps.
• Ensure all activities comply with programme policies and donor requirements.
• Regularly monitor field activities, including training sessions and community engagement efforts, to evaluate progress and outcomes.
• Document success stories, best practices, and lessons learned to highlight achievements and promote replication.
• Conduct   formal     monitoring   and   evaluation  exercises  of   training   initiatives   and communication strategies to ensure they meet intended objectives and achieve high impact.

Required Skills or Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Development Studies, Natural Resources Management or a relevant field, preferably with specialisation in community-based forestry, agriculture, agroforestry and environmental development work.
• 2–5 years experience in community development, climate-related projects, or natural resources management or related roles.
• Strong facilitation, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in Twi and English, with the ability to prepare technical reports in English.
• Willingness to live and work in rural project areas.
• Applicants currently residing in the project areas are highly preferred and will have an added advantage.

Additional Requirements

• Culturally sensitive and able to work in intercultural, multi-stakeholder settings
• Computer literate (Google Suite).
• Experience working with women’s groups, VSLAs, and rural cooperatives is an advantage.
• Must be able to ride a motorbike and possess a valid license.

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