The Program – VOICE for Women and Girls

The VOICE for Women and Girls project is an eight-year initiative (2020 – 2028) aimed at strengthening the performance of developing country partner (DCP) organizations to advance gender equality and economic empowerment of 50,000 women and men from marginalized communities, in particular young women (target: 60% women and girls), in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Senegal and Malawi with a focus on action areas of the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), namely:

·        Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls, and

·        Growth that Works for Everyone.

The Project responds to the needs identified by women and men of cooperatives and all members in the countries of operation, and it is designed to increase the capacities of individual producers and primary co-operatives to support more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient growth. Supporting institutions, including apex co-operatives, co-operative colleges, and government/regulatory institutions, are also engaged to increase capacity and prioritize vulnerable groups.

The Partner you will work with

The African Confederation of Co-operative Savings and Credit Associations (ACCOSCA)

What you will do – Activities and deliverables

The Training and Capacity Building Advisor will report directly to the Country Program Officer and collaborate closely with the local partner ACCOSCA, as well as the Board of Directors and management of SACCOs. The advisor’s primary role is to assess the capacities and specific needs of the target SACCOs and develop tailored support strategies to address identified gaps. By strengthening both internal and external training structures, the advisor will facilitate the delivery of targeted training sessions aimed at building the skills and competencies required to enhance Financial Inclusion. The role focuses on empowering SACCOs, particularly those in marginalized regions, to improve their organizational effectiveness and better serve their members through sustainable and inclusive development practices.

Objectives

The objective of the Training and Capacity Building Advisor role is to lead the implementation of a strategic capacity-building plan aimed at strengthening the financial and human resource systems of targeted SACCOs, in partnership with ACCOSCA under the VOICE for Women and Girls project. The advisor will support SACCOs in developing clear, measurable processes for growth, enabling them to become resilient business entities that offer innovative and incentivized products and services to their members. Based on a needs assessment conducted by VOICE, the advisor will lead Training of Trainers (TOT) initiatives for selected SACCO members, ensuring the cascading of knowledge and skills to the broader SACCO members. The role ultimately aims to enhance the SACCOs’ ability to respond to member needs and withstand socio-economic challenges through sustainable capacity development.

Deliverables

As the Co-operative development (Training and capacity building) Advisor, your mandate will be to conduct capacity building assessments and gap analysis, and provide support to CDF Canada to organize and deliver trainings to build specific technical skills for cooperatives.

·        Work with ACCOSCA and VOICE CPO to understand their capacity-building plans for the identified cooperatives.

·        Conduct a cooperative assessment in the target SACCOs to establish their specific capacity-building needs.

·        Develop a training action plan

·        Conduct trainings for the target SACCOs.

·        Continuous review of the SACCOs’ needs for training and capacity building.

·        Prepare training report, including pre and post-test and evaluations

·        Carry out follow-up and monitoring of the trained cooperative members

·        Provide technical support for TOT trainees on beneficiary training

·        Complete monthly reports and timesheets and submit to the CPO and volunteer coordinator.

·        Prepare activity, and end-of-mandate report/output promptly

·        Participate in planning and review meetings as expected during the mandate

·        Create and develop a strategic innovation fund project or initiative for the women-led groups

·        Participate in knowledge management sessions with other volunteers within and in other VOICE implementing countries through sharing best practices

·        Develop and share success stories and case studies from your volunteer engagement experience.

Your qualifications

Education:

·        Bachelor’s degree in business studies, Social Sciences, International Development, or any other relevant field.

Experience:

·        Experience in capacity building, facilitation, Training of Trainers, and curricula development.

·        Experience in adult education, social and behaviour change, and/or community development work.

·        Strong presentation and communication skills.

·        Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills to engage varied stakeholders.