Regional Development Officer - Cowater International

Cowater International is a leading global development consulting company founded in 1985. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada and with corporate hubs in Montreal, Canada, Brussels, Belgium, and London UK. Cowater International has successfully delivered a portfolio of over 2500 projects and assignments in more than 95 countries.

We work with governments, private sector actors and communities to implement projects that support socio-economic development, institutional strengthening, and environmental improvements and advance equal opportunities for all. We are a diverse and experienced team committed to building a better tomorrow for the people we serve.

Our adaptive approach to management has led to our yearly award-winning work and recognition as one of Canada's Best Managed Companies since 2017.

Job Description

KEY INFORMATION

• Job Title: Regional Development Officer (2 positions)
• Sector: Environment; Gender; Experience in project management, community engagement and development facilitation
• Position Type (full/part-time): Full time
• Duration/Level of Effort (long/short term): Long term
• Position Location (e.g. city, country, remote): Ghana, (1 position in Ho in the Volta Region and 1 position in Tamale in the Northern Region)

SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT

Strengthening Investments in Gender-Responsive Climate Adaptation (SIGRA) will improve “the resilience of Ghanaian citizens, particularly women, girls, and vulnerable groups, through increased investments in inclusive and gender-responsive climate adaptation initiatives.”

Our approach first involves providing technical assistance (TA) and support to strengthen governance and national systems in key institutions within the Ghanaian Public Administration while providing direct grants to five districts to fund local gender-responsive climate adaptation projects. Second, SIGRA will support regional government stakeholders in the Northern and Volta regions and strengthen the ability of targeted districts to plan, implement, and report on climate adaptation initiatives.

Thirdly, the project will partner with Ghanaian women-led CSOs to strengthen the participation, voice, and influence of women in government decision-making.

In this context, and to support project implementation, SIGRA is recruiting two Regional Development Officers, one based in Tamale in the Northern region, and another based in Ho, in the Volta region.

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION

Under the supervision of the Senior Governance Advisor, the Regional Development Officer will be responsible for supporting SIGRA’s work at the sub-national level, i.e., at the RCC and MMDA levels. Specifically, in collaboration with the SIGRA team, the selected candidate will be responsible for coordinating day-to-day project activities with key officials at the RCC and MMDA levels.

He will also be responsible for identifying opportunities and implementing strategies to promote gender-responsive climate adaptation planning and investment within the Regional Coordination Councils (RCC) and SIGRA-targeted MMDAs. The role will also facilitate the capacity building of key stakeholders to effectively identify, plan, implement as well and report on gender-responsive climate adaptation initiatives that will be funded by the project via sub-grants to MMDAs.

This role involves collaborating with various stakeholders, including government bodies, local businesses, Women-led CSOs, community-based organizations, and local communities, to contribute to sustainable development toward advancing specific local climate adaptation projects.

This will also include supporting and working with local CSOs on engaging MMDAs to ensure sufficient community participation in planning and reporting on local climate adaptation initiatives. The role will typically involve a mix of office-based work, field visits, and meetings with stakeholders within and outside the region. Regular travel will be required within the region of assignment and to Accra as necessary.
 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Key responsibilities include, but are not necessarily limited to:

Project Planning and Implementation

• Support the District Selection process in collaboration with the SIGRA team and key government and CSO stakeholders;
• Contribute to the development of annual work plans and budgets based on the needs assessment of key stakeholders in the region, and in particular, support the planning of the activities focused on engagement with RCCs and MMDAs to achieve SIGRA’s expected outcomes;
• Lead and conduct partner workshops and technical assessments at regional, and local levels, and ensure the preparation of related reports;
• Coordinate and support technical assessments and training for project partners to support the implementation of the project, including public financial management, local governance, and accountability;
• Support SIGRA-selected MMDAs to develop gender-responsive climate adaptation projects in key areas including infrastructure improvements, business initiatives, community programs, and other projects aimed at mitigating the negative effects of climate change advancement.
• Oversee the planning, implementation, and reporting of key activities in the the region and targeted districts, and in particular the planning, approval, implementation, and reporting on gender-responsive climate adaptation projects implemented by MMDAs in collaboration with women-led CSOs;
• Support the implementation of and data collection for the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan.
• Work with the Senior Governance Advisor and other relevant staff to identify and collate development results which can be used to support the development of project knowledge products including policy briefs, best practices, and results summaries.
• Provide inputs into the development of key reports, including key narrative donor reports (GAC’s semi-annual and annual reports) as well as any other relevant project report.

Stakeholder relations

• Lead the development and management of partnerships with government stakeholders and MMDAs in the region, including be providing continuous coordination and information sharing;
• Collaborate with government RCCs and their agencies, MMDAs, community groups, local businesses and other stakeholders to understand needs, build partnerships, and align initiatives for mutual benefit;
• More specifically, act as the key liaison between SIGRA and RCCs, MMDAs, CSOs, CBOs and other key stakeholders as relevant;
• Support and in some instances facilitate engagements between MMDA and gender-based CSOs to identify specific gender-responsive climate adaptation projects;
• Undertake regular assessments of stakeholder needs and relay this to the ACCRA team to always ensure proactive engagement with RCCs and MMDAs;
• Collaborate and provide technical support to the relevant staff at the regional and district level as well as CSO/CBOs on SIGRA thematic issues;
• Collaborate and provide support to the MEL specialist concerning data gathering to respond to the MEL needs of the project;
• Participate in and/or facilitate dialogue, workshops, and consultations with key stakeholders at the RCC level;
• Participate in and provide support for outreach and communication including community awareness campaigns as well as knowledge sharing and learning activities in the region;
• Identify and engage with other stakeholders, as needed, to support project implementation.

Project coordination

• In coordination with the Senior Governance Advisor, ensure the planning and organization of the project’s Regional Technical Committee (RTC) meetings involving key regional project stakeholders;
• Provide secretarial and logistic support to RCCs and the RTC for monitoring and meetings on the SIGRA project;
• Support the initial logistics and project office set-up in the RCC.
• Support the responsibilities of the Finance and Grants officer in terms of tracking the grants disbursement and related expenditures by MMDAs for SIGRA’s grant tracking system.
• Provide logistical support to SIGRA team members and external consultants undertaking assignments in the region for SIGRA related activities.
• Lead the planning, organization, and coordination of field visits to the regional and local levels in the Northern and Volta regions and engage with project stakeholders.

Required Skills or Experience

Education

• A university degree in international development, economics, sociology, political science, or related fields;

Minimum Experience

• At least seven years of experience in project management, community engagement and development facilitation in the context of international donor-financed projects;

Essential Skills

• Experience in the design and implementation of projects integrating or focused on public financial management, decentralization, gender equality and inclusion and climate change highly desirable;
• Specific experience working with sub-national government on PFM issues in Ghana will be strong a asset;
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders with a commitment to human rights, gender equality, and social inclusion principles will be highly valued;
• Proficiency in stakeholder engagement and facilitation as well as research, analysis, and reporting skills;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to engage with stakeholders, present ideas effectively, and support stakeholder engagement;
• Ability to develop long-term plans, think critically, and adapt strategies based on evolving circumstances.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders and foster collaboration.

Language Proficiency: English

Knowledge of the Ewe language in the Volta region and knowledge of one of the dominant local languages in the Northern region as an asset or advantage

Employment Conditions: Full-time position