Overseas Volunteer Opportunity: Ghana

Technical specialist (Specific Co-op and Partner Needs) 

Contribute. Discover. Grow. Volunteer with CDF Canada.

Eligibility criteria:   Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada

Location:   This position is in the field (Bimbila, Kpandai and Salaga)

Start Date:   As soon as possible.

Duration:   3 months

Language Requirement:   English (Mandatory)

Reporting to:   Country Program Officer

The Program – VOICE for Women and Girls

VOICE for Women and Girls, funded by the government of Canada, is a volunteer cooperation program (2020 – 2028) that aims to strengthen the performance of country partner organizations to advance gender equality and economic empowerment of 50,000 co-operative and credit union members from marginalized communities in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi.

The program, supported by volunteers, strives to address the challenges and barriers that adversely affect the economic and social well-being of vulnerable groups, with particular emphasis on women and girls. VOICE aims to respond to the needs identified by these groups and to increase the capacities of individual producers and primary co-operatives, to support more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient growth. Supporting institutions such as apex co-operatives, co-operative colleges, and government/regulatory bodies will also be engaged to increase the capacity and prioritization of vulnerable groups.

The Partner you will work with

SEND Ghana has previously implemented the ACCESS and Fostering project and in some initiatives including 4R-NSP in partnership with CDF with funding from GAC. SEND Ghana focuses on research and advocacy to increase good governance practices of accountability, transparency, equity and participation in pro-poor policies and social services as well as empowers resource poor women and men to expand their small enterprises to improve income and farmers to increase food and nutrition security

What you will do – Activities and deliverables

Your assignment

The Technical Specialist (Specific Coops and Partner Needs) will provide strategic and technical support to selected cooperatives and partners (CUA and SEND Ghana) operating under the VOICE Project. The assignment focuses on strengthening governance systems, financial sustainability, and operational efficiency in order to safeguard members’ structures and savings and reposition the cooperatives toward growth and long-term resilience.

Both the Primary cooperatives and the credit unions Salaga, Bimbila, and Kpandai Community Credit Unions are currently facing significant financial and operational challenges and require comprehensive technical assessment and action planning to address these issues.

The role will involve conducting a thorough operational and financial assessment to identify key challenges and analyse viable solutions to stabilize and strengthen the institutions. The Specialist will develop a clear roadmap outlining strategic targets, timelines, and growth pathways. In addition, the Specialist will build the capacity of cooperative leadership and management teams to review and adapt the strategy as necessary. Practical tools and templates will also be developed to enable continuous monitoring of progress toward the implementation of the recovery and growth plan

The Specialist will be based in Bimbila and will work closely with the three credit unions and their affiliated cooperatives, management teams, the Cooperative Credit Union Associations (CCUA) Northern Chapter, and SEND Ghana.

Deliverables

The desired Technical Specialist (Specific Co-op and Partner Needs) is expected to carry out the following key duties and responsibilities.

·  Conduct a comprehensive assessment of specific cooperative and partner operations, governance systems, and financial performance.

· Identify key technical, administrative, managerial, and financial bottlenecks.

·  Assess internal controls and risk management systems.

· Review compliance with cooperative and regulatory standards.

· Develop a practical roadmap for financial stabilization and long-term growth.

·  Assess Board of Directors (BOD) performance and governance effectiveness.

·  Facilitate strategy sessions with BOD and management to address identified issues.

·  Provide advisory support on organizational restructuring where necessary.

·  Strengthen leadership accountability, transparency, and oversight mechanisms.

·  Develop tools and templates to improve operational efficiency and monitoring

·  Build skills in business proposal development and innovative product design.

·  Support the development of new financial products and services tailored to member needs, especially women.

·  Facilitate participatory learning sessions and workshops.

·  Simplify complex financial and strategic concepts into accessible tools and reports.

·  Provide regular technical updates to SEND Ghana, CUA and VOICE project management.

·  Ensure alignment with gender equality and economic empowerment objectives.

Your qualifications

Experience:

·       The successful applicant must possess the following skills, experiences, and personal characteristics: 

·       A minimum of a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent experience) in Business, Finance, Cooperative Management, or Strategic Planning.

·       Strong background in cooperative development financing and organizational management.

·       At least 2–3 years’ experience supporting struggling or distressed Cooperatives and partner organization through restructuring and recovery programs.

·       Proven experience in financial analysis, restructuring, and recovery strategy development.

·       Experience training cooperative managers, Partners and facilitating group learning sessions.

·       Ability to translate complex financial concepts into simple, practical guidance.

·       Strong analytical, reporting, and documentation skills.

·       Experience working in community-based credit unions in an African context (added advantage).

·       Ability to work autonomously and in remote locations with limited infrastructure.

·       Knowledge of participatory and community engagement methodologies

Support package

This is a voluntary assignment. CDF Canada supports volunteers through the provision of a comprehensive package designed to cover a modest and healthy lifestyle, while allowing for effectiveness in the placement:

·       Return-trip international and/or domestic airfare.

·       Visa-related costs (if needed).

·       Police record check.

·       International health insurance.

·       Vaccination and health-related costs (covered by the insurance if needed).

·       Interpreter and/or translator (if needed and depending on the assignment).

·       Modest monthly living allowance.

·       Pre-departure support and orientation.

·       Support and orientation during the assignment.

·       Debriefing upon completion of the assignment.

E-volunteering

Depending on the nature of the assignment, volunteers are encouraged to provide e-volunteering support to our local partners before or after their assignment.

Engaging Canadians

CDF Canada provides technical and logistical support to young and experienced professionals through volunteer assignments to apply and acquire new skills and knowledge in international co-operative development. We ask each volunteer, regardless of the duration of their assignment, to share their experience during and upon return to Canada. The experience can be shared by providing stories of human interest and photographs that can be used for social media outreach; Participate in events/conferences or other public engagement activities to share their experience to motivate other Canadians to volunteer.