Programme Manager at Ethical Tea Partnership, Kigali, Rwanda – DEADLINE: 27/10/2014, , Rwanda Project Coordinator – Rwanda

The Ethical Tea Partnership (www.ethicalteapartnership.org) is inviting applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill the position of Project Coordinator in Rwanda. The successful candidate will need to be based in Rwanda.

Organisation and the projects to be coordinated

The Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) is a UK-based membership organisation for tea companies (buyers) who are committed to creating a tea sector that is socially just and environmentally sustainable. We plan to run 2 projects in Rwanda, one which is already underway and one which still needs to be set up. We are looking for a suitable person to help us coordinate these two projects.

We started the first project in July 2014 in partnership with a UK tea company, the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) and Rwandan tea producers. The project goal is to improve the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers and their communities focusing on two smallholder groups. This will be done through setting up farmer fields schools (FFS) to improve farming practices thereby improving quality, productivity and yields leading to increased smallholder incomes. Based on the identified priority needs the project will set up a community programme to address issues outside tea farming. Finally the project will test out and assess options for increasing value to smallholders.

From February 2015 onwards we will start our second project in Rwanda, in partnership with the German development agency GIZ and a number of Western tea companies (buyers). This project will focus on improving wages for tea pluckers (through a living wage study and consultations with tea producers) as well as on improving smallholder incomes through: a living income study, consultations with tea producers, increasing worker representation in wage negotiations, business skills training, improving access to affordable credit, etc.

General Description of the Post

The successful candidate will be responsible for day to day project coordination and implementation, including setting up farmer field schools (FFS) amongst smallholder tea growing organisations and liaising with the producers participating in the projects. (S)he will be supported by the ETP’s Regional Manager for Africa Joseph Wagurah (based in Nairobi) as well as Programme Managers Anu Huhtisaari and Heleen Bulckens (based in London).

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

PROJECT 1: ETP-IDH-UK Tea Company

Attend FFS methodology training workshop

Work closely with the producers and Joseph Wagurah to establish FFS groups, including the development of a curriculum with the farmers

Coordinate the running of FFS groups and activities, which will involve:

Delivering training on good agricultural practices to the FFS groups

Where external trainers are needed; coordinating other training as identified by the farmers, such as on business skills, climate change adaptation and mitigation, HIV/AIDS awareness, nutrition,…

Regular communication with Joseph Wagurah as well as Anu Huhtisaari

Assist with budgeting, budget control and financial reporting

Assist with the identification of additional facilitators/trainers

Support the development and implementation of community support activities

Monthly, quarterly and annual report writing and submission

Monitoring and evaluation of FFS as well as other activities, including data collection, entry and analysis using SPSS or Excel

PROJECT 2: ETP-GIZ-Tea Companies

Liaising with producers on the project’s aims and activities, and coordinating on dates for trainings etc

Organising training days, workshops, and conferences including communication around it to the participants and logistics (booking venue, organising transport, etc)

Facilitating study tours, e.g. living wage and living income studies. Again, sorting out logistics and assisting with communication towards the tea producers that take part in the studies

Depending on skillset, delivering training or organising training delivery to workers and/or smallholders, e.g. on business skills, human resources management, gender and leadership of women, financial skills and access to banking.

Assist with budgeting, budget control and financial reporting

Assist with the identification of facilitators/trainers

Monthly reporting to Joseph Wagurah (Nairobi) and Heleen Bulckens (London) and frequent calls to plan the work and discuss progress

Qualification and Experience

Applicants must have at a minimum a Bachelor of Science Degree in the following areas: General Agriculture, Agriculture Extension, Agriculture Economics, Horticulture, Agronomy/Crop Science, Agri-business management or similar, with experience in participatory extension methodologies.

Key Skills & Competences Required

Essential

Excellent project management skills including: finding partners, liaising with stakeholders, monitoring and evaluation

Good training skills including organising workshops

Knowledge and experience in participatory extension methodologies

Ability to multitask, be a self-starter, innovative, creative and results-oriented

Knowledge and skills in agriculture production, ideally tea production

Honest, trustworthy and accountable

Able to engage with people from different educational, social, cultural, religious and political backgrounds as well as unions and government ministries

Strong writing, presentation and communication skills

Computer literate, especially MS Word, Outlook and Excel

Possess a valid motor vehicle driving or motor cycle riding license

Fluent in English, French and Kinyarwanda

Desirable

Experience in conducting surveys

Knowledge and experience in some/all of the following:

Farming as a business (record keeping etc)

Worker empowerment

Wages and in-kind benefits in the agricultural sector

Human Resources Management

Gender and women empowerment

Micro-credit schemes / Affordable credit access for smallholder farmers

N.B: Those possessing their own vehicle/motor cycle will have an added advantage

Remuneration Package

The successful candidate will be contracted as a full-time consultant and shall initially be offered a contract starting as soon as possible until December 2015 (with a 3-month paid probation period and a possibility to renew the contract for a further 2 years). Competitive salary can be offered commensurate with education and experience.

How To Apply

Interested and qualified persons who meet these requirements for the post are invited to submit their application, which will consist of:

– A document – maximum 2 pages – which states why you think you are suited for this role. Highlight educational background and relevant work experience and personal attributes. Please cover as much of the ‘key skills and competences required’, as outlined above

– A CV, also maximum 2 pages, which provides further personal details, including your address, education, work experience, telephone number and e-mail addresses of 3 traceable work-related referees

– Copies of your university diploma

– Salary and benefits expectations

The deadline for submission is Monday 27th October 2014. Please send your application to Anu Huhtisaari [email protected].

Only shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews. We hope to conduct the first interviews in the week commencing 27 October (by skype/ teleconference), and the second interview the week after in Rwanda.

UM– USEKE.RW