Position Advertisement
Social Enterprise Development (SED) Technical Advisor (Consultant)
The above mentioned position exists in CARE South Africa – Lesotho. Interested persons are invited to apply.
PROJECT SUMMARY
CARE has been involved in various socio-economic development projects within the Mokhotlong district aimed at improving the livelihoods of the rural population. Some of the projects’ beneficiaries had been known to rear poultry albeit at a small scale and CARE saw an opportunity of establishing a commercial poultry production initiative as a means of alleviating widespread poverty within the district. Mokhotlong is home to the diamond mines of Letseng, Kao and Mothae and also dam site for the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. The mines and dam site employ a large number of workers who have to stay on the mining and construction sites and be supplied with food and therefore represent large potential markets for local poultry products from the district. The mining activities and the construction of a new dam, Polihali, in the district represent a unique opportunity to scale up local enterprise development and to strengthen agricultural value chains.
CARE has been implementing an egg enterprise project with five local women farmers who rear poultry, with a vision to empower the women to contribute meaningfully to their own and their community’s development. The project has two objectives, to develop and strengthen a smallholder egg enterprise model and to improve the sustainability and profitability of the smallholder egg producers’ association
To accomplish these objectives, CARE has designed a business model that will enhance the Association’s ability to access diverse markets and ensure connections to necessary business support services including financial services. The business model will focus on institutionalizing the nascent producers’ association (‘the Association’), as well as enhancing this Association’s connection to and relationships with the other value chain actors (notably, input suppliers; commercial market / purchasers; and, service providers). This approach requires a committed and actively involved local partner to facilitate the Association’s formalization, with particular attention to business and agricultural technical capacity building, as well as serving as a long-term resource for the producers’ association. CARE has therefore partnered with GROW, a local Basotho NGO that operates in Mokhotlong District and has been implementing development projects in the area since 1991, to provide technical assistance for the organisational development of Mokhotlong Poultry Farmers Association. GROW has developed substantial expertise around micro, small and medium-size enterprise (MSME) development, particularly in agricultural value chains.
PURPOSE
In collaboration with CARE Canada’s Private Sector Partnership Advisor who will provide additional technical support and GROW, the local NGO, the SED Technical Advisor will carry out a review of the opportunities and challenges related to work in extractives value chains looking to replicate the lessons learned in this project in other very large engagements elsewhere. Working from the outcomes of this project the Advisor will undertake a business model analysis and planning process in order to propose new strategic and programmatic opportunities for CARE South Africa to address issues of MSME ease of participating in value chains across the extractives sector within the Region.
REPORTING RELATIONS: Reports to the Country Director.
Note: The Technical Advisor will be expected to provide support to Social Enterprise Development (SED) project for at least one week in a month.
DURATION: up to – February 2015
TASKS AND REPSONSIBIITIES
Upon arrival, the Advisor, CARE Canada’s Private Sector Partnership Advisor and the Country Director will agree on a detailed work-plan. The components below represent the key areas of relevance to the assignment:
•Working with GROW and relevant local partners, ensure that the egg producers have registered their business as an association in the appropriate manner and specificities;
•Secure a signed contract between Letseng Diamond Mine (or ESS) and the Association.
•Monitor (M&E) the performance of the input supplier and egg producers’ association based on success indicators for the business model. This will involve a deliberate-yet-steady balancing between CARE (Canada and South Africa, as technical expertise dictates) and GROW, with a preference of drawing down toward increased involvement of GROW;
•In addition to M&E, provide other technical support to GROW and the Association, as will be required (e.g. around private sector engagement);
•Facilitate, together with GROW, necessary remedial actions to improve the viability of the business model;
•Manage the Revolving Fund account, ensure that reconciliation of transactions in the account is done every month and statements shared with the farmers and prepare to hand over the fund to the Management Board
•Engage with the Management Board (including formalized CARE participation on Board), GROW and the Association to prepare them for taking over the management of the project at the end of February 2015.
QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, AND COMPETENCIES:
•University degree in Economics, Commerce/Business, or related field;
•Excellent English writing and communications skills;
•Practical experience in Entrepreneurship, Business •Management/Analysis, and/or Microfinance;
•3-5 years work experience in a related field;
•Strong analytical skills and conversant with MS Excel, MS Word, Internet.
•Experience in a developing country is considered an asset;
•Excellent interpersonal skills and able to work in cross cultural environment;
•High level of personal and professional commitment to the assignment and the life experience in the new country;
•Ability to take initiatives and work independently;
Flexibility to take on additional responsibilities as requested.
Applications should include a letter of motivation indicating why you are interested in the position and what you have to offer, and a CV, and be sent on or before 27th June - Friday 12:00 to the: Human Resources Coordinator, CARE South Africa - Lesotho, P. O. Box 682.; 75 Constitution Road, Behind Victoria Hotel
Social Enterprise Development (SED) Technical Advisor (Consultant)
The above mentioned position exists in CARE South Africa – Lesotho. Interested persons are invited to apply.
PROJECT SUMMARY
CARE has been involved in various socio-economic development projects within the Mokhotlong district aimed at improving the livelihoods of the rural population. Some of the projects’ beneficiaries had been known to rear poultry albeit at a small scale and CARE saw an opportunity of establishing a commercial poultry production initiative as a means of alleviating widespread poverty within the district. Mokhotlong is home to the diamond mines of Letseng, Kao and Mothae and also dam site for the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. The mines and dam site employ a large number of workers who have to stay on the mining and construction sites and be supplied with food and therefore represent large potential markets for local poultry products from the district. The mining activities and the construction of a new dam, Polihali, in the district represent a unique opportunity to scale up local enterprise development and to strengthen agricultural value chains.
CARE has been implementing an egg enterprise project with five local women farmers who rear poultry, with a vision to empower the women to contribute meaningfully to their own and their community’s development. The project has two objectives, to develop and strengthen a smallholder egg enterprise model and to improve the sustainability and profitability of the smallholder egg producers’ association
To accomplish these objectives, CARE has designed a business model that will enhance the Association’s ability to access diverse markets and ensure connections to necessary business support services including financial services. The business model will focus on institutionalizing the nascent producers’ association (‘the Association’), as well as enhancing this Association’s connection to and relationships with the other value chain actors (notably, input suppliers; commercial market / purchasers; and, service providers). This approach requires a committed and actively involved local partner to facilitate the Association’s formalization, with particular attention to business and agricultural technical capacity building, as well as serving as a long-term resource for the producers’ association. CARE has therefore partnered with GROW, a local Basotho NGO that operates in Mokhotlong District and has been implementing development projects in the area since 1991, to provide technical assistance for the organisational development of Mokhotlong Poultry Farmers Association. GROW has developed substantial expertise around micro, small and medium-size enterprise (MSME) development, particularly in agricultural value chains.
PURPOSE
In collaboration with CARE Canada’s Private Sector Partnership Advisor who will provide additional technical support and GROW, the local NGO, the SED Technical Advisor will carry out a review of the opportunities and challenges related to work in extractives value chains looking to replicate the lessons learned in this project in other very large engagements elsewhere. Working from the outcomes of this project the Advisor will undertake a business model analysis and planning process in order to propose new strategic and programmatic opportunities for CARE South Africa to address issues of MSME ease of participating in value chains across the extractives sector within the Region.
REPORTING RELATIONS: Reports to the Country Director.
Note: The Technical Advisor will be expected to provide support to Social Enterprise Development (SED) project for at least one week in a month.
DURATION: up to – February 2015
TASKS AND REPSONSIBIITIES
Upon arrival, the Advisor, CARE Canada’s Private Sector Partnership Advisor and the Country Director will agree on a detailed work-plan. The components below represent the key areas of relevance to the assignment:
•Working with GROW and relevant local partners, ensure that the egg producers have registered their business as an association in the appropriate manner and specificities;
•Secure a signed contract between Letseng Diamond Mine (or ESS) and the Association.
•Monitor (M&E) the performance of the input supplier and egg producers’ association based on success indicators for the business model. This will involve a deliberate-yet-steady balancing between CARE (Canada and South Africa, as technical expertise dictates) and GROW, with a preference of drawing down toward increased involvement of GROW;
•In addition to M&E, provide other technical support to GROW and the Association, as will be required (e.g. around private sector engagement);
•Facilitate, together with GROW, necessary remedial actions to improve the viability of the business model;
•Manage the Revolving Fund account, ensure that reconciliation of transactions in the account is done every month and statements shared with the farmers and prepare to hand over the fund to the Management Board
•Engage with the Management Board (including formalized CARE participation on Board), GROW and the Association to prepare them for taking over the management of the project at the end of February 2015.
QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, AND COMPETENCIES:
•University degree in Economics, Commerce/Business, or related field;
•Excellent English writing and communications skills;
•Practical experience in Entrepreneurship, Business •Management/Analysis, and/or Microfinance;
•3-5 years work experience in a related field;
•Strong analytical skills and conversant with MS Excel, MS Word, Internet.
•Experience in a developing country is considered an asset;
•Excellent interpersonal skills and able to work in cross cultural environment;
•High level of personal and professional commitment to the assignment and the life experience in the new country;
•Ability to take initiatives and work independently;
Flexibility to take on additional responsibilities as requested.
Applications should include a letter of motivation indicating why you are interested in the position and what you have to offer, and a CV, and be sent on or before 27th June - Friday 12:00 to the: Human Resources Coordinator, CARE South Africa - Lesotho, P. O. Box 682.; 75 Constitution Road, Behind Victoria Hotel
