The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), working alongside Catholic Relief Services and various partners in the Haitian cocoa industry, is launching an initiative to help small-scale farmers in Haiti to expand into global supply chains.
Haiti is a country with a long tradition and comparative advantage in cocoa cultivation. The cocoa sector continues to provide important income generating opportunities to approximately 20,000 smallholder producers, the majority of whom are at or below the poverty line. The main challenges facing the industry are low volumes and quality, which negatively affect the sector’s ability access new markets. Cocoa producers in Haiti have some of the lowest yields in the region and have limited technical knowledge of ways to improve cocoa quality through the post-harvest process. Furthermore, most of Haiti’s cocoa cooperatives remain very fragile and have limited capacity to engage in direct trade with buyers seeking high quality supplies of cocoa.
The project will improve the participation of small-scale cocoa farmers and their cooperatives in the cocoa value chain by focusing on key areas for overcoming low competitiveness. First, it is geared to promote market access by creating direct links between cooperatives and local exporters, reducing the need for intermediaries and allowing producers to capture a higher share of prices. To boost production, it will improve yields, quality, and natural resource management. It aims to overcome a critical bottleneck by facilitating access to finance for cooperatives through business and financial training. Last, it will adopt a holistic perspective to promote coordination and collaboration with other actors of the chain to establish linkages, find synergies and improve the performance of the industry as a whole.
The project is expected to benefit 7,000 small scale cocoa producers, nearly 35% of cocoa producers in Haiti. It will catalyze systemic change by achieving significant scale at the national level in the two main cacao production zones through strengthening private institutions ability to access new markets. MIF and CRS will partner with a host of stakeholders to pull together the financial resource and technical expertise needed to address the needs of the cocoa value chain at a national level.
Fonctions
The Project Coordinator directly oversees the strategic approach development, planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of the cocoa project. S/he ensures the appropriate coordination and integration of activities across programs, as well as an integrated approach to development interventions, including promoting gender equity.
S/he coordinates outside evaluations, technical and strategic planning, project design, and implementation. S/he is directly responsible for the effective implementation in concert with partners and cocoa value chain actors who will be co-implementing various sub projects within the overall program portfolio. S/he will adhere to CRS, Government of Haiti and international standards in value chains enhancement. S/he is expected to professionally represent CRS/Haiti and sustain the agency’s reputation for high quality programming.
S/he may serve as representative to donors and be responsible for quality and timely reporting. S/he coordinates technical and strategic planning, project design, implementation and monitoring.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES
Management
1. Directly supervise three staff members, providing coaching, promoting professional development and conducting performance appraisals.
2. Provide leadership to and mentoring for partner project team members. Elaborate with partners a report format that integrates results and findings of all parties to be shared.
3. Ensures timely liquidation of project advances with partners, reviews monthly Budget Comparison Reports to verify accuracy, timeliness and appropriateness of expenditures in coordination with the CRS finance department.
4. Ensures timely and responsive reporting to donors and conformity with donor standards and technical parameters.
5. Contribute to the development and the implementation of initiatives to strengthen staff’s and partner’s capacity in administrative and financial management, and timely reporting.
6. Cooperates with the Internal Audit Department in the preparation of audit reviews, and in responding to audit findings pertaining to the program sector.
Project Implementation
1. Supervise daily project activities and project staff to ensure program consistency and direction, coordinated implementation of program plans, and collaboration among partners.
2. Provide technical and management support to program components implemented through partners, ensuring transparency, program accountability and quality, and the achievement of expected results.
3. Participate in the program analysis and reflections with staff and partners to evaluate program methodologies and performance; disseminate lessons learned.
4. Periodically monitors progress against project objectives and indicators, ensuring timely and appropriate data collection, and that the interventions are on track and meeting their objectives. Provide recommendations and/or support for corrective action as necessary.
5. Reviews and edits progress and financial reports prepared by staff and partners, ensuring quality, accuracy, timely liquidation of advances and appropriate use of resources.
6. Manages project budgets to ensure projects are implemented within budget and on-time.
Strategic Planning
1. In coordination with Senior Management and Programming staff contributes to the design and execution of CRS/Haiti’s Agriculture Strategy.
2. Works closely with other managers toward project integration with Disaster Risk Reduction, Watershed Management, and Health programming.
3. Participate actively in CRS meetings, and the SPP process, as well as other regional and agency-wide initiatives.
4. Contributes to proposals to respond to new opportunities in the cocoa value chain
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
1. In coordination with the MEAL Coordinator, provide guidance to partner staff in design and/or enhancement of participatory M&E tools and protocols, surveys and evaluation instruments, to strengthen data collection, analysis and reporting on project indicators.
2. Provide guidance to the project team in design and/or enhancement of M&E tools and protocols, surveys and evaluation instruments, effective collection and data analysis, and reporting on indicators.
3. Compile data and generate quality and accurate narrative reports.
4. Ensure follow-up of evaluation and consultant report results and dissemination of lessons learned. Closely monitor program activities to ensure implementation of recommendations.
Representation:
1. Attend donor and government meetings as required.
2. Represent CRS’ interests to partners, donors, and research institutes.
3. Create and animate a platform for exchange with all partners of the alliance to share strategy and forward plans
4. Liaise with private sector buyers GEO WIENER S.A., SOGEPA S.A., REBO S.A, and others.
Qualifications:
1. University degree in Agronomy, Horticulture, Agricultural Economics, or related field;
2. A minimum of four years of project management experience in an international organization, in particular working with donors and partner organizations, monitoring and evaluation, training and technical assistance;
3. Strong professional proficiency in spoken and written Haitian Creole, French and English. Proficiency in spoken and written Spanish is a plus;
4. Excellent organizational, team leadership, and communication skills;
5. Ability and willingness to work and travel in remote areas;
6. Ability and willingness to work beyond “regular” work hours when needed for project purposes;
7. Experience in value chain programming, tree propagation, integrated pest management, agroforestry, and cocoa production;
8. Experience in financial management and attention to detail in presenting quantitative and qualitative information
9. Computer literate: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet, Google Earth, and GIS tools;
10. Honest, responsible for achieving results, a self-starter;
11. Ability to work independently and in coordination with a team;
12. Strong cross-cultural skills;
13. Willingness to work in potentially stressful work environment;
14. Strong professional proficiency in spoken and written French and English.
Conditions de travail
Emergency Competencies:
Each CRS staff member working in emergencies is expected to use the following competencies to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
• Communicates strategically under pressure
• Manages stress and complexity
• Actively promotes safety and security
• Manages and implements high-quality emergency programs
Key Working Relationships:
Internal: Business Development Manager, MEAL Coordinator, Program Manager Coffee and Mango Value Chains, Health Coordinator, Watershed Coordinator, Emergency Program Manager.
