Vacancy title:
Project Training Facilitator

Jobs at:
Land O’Lakes

Deadline of this Job:
28th October 2018

Duty Station:
Kigali, Rwanda

Summary
Date Posted: 15th October 2018 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed , Employment Type: Full-Time

Land O’Lakes International Development is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit helping communities around the world build economies by strengthening agriculture from farm-to-fork, helping businesses grow, and linking farmers to markets. Since our start in 1981, we have been leveraging nearly 100 years of expertise in dairy, animal nutrition, crop inputs and agricultural insights from our close affiliate, Land O’Lakes, Inc., a farmer-owned agribusiness committed to fulfilling its purpose of feeding human progress.

JOB DETAILS:

Cooperative Development Project-4 (CD4)
Kigali, Rwanda

Background:
Land O’Lakes International Development is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit helping communities around the world build economies by strengthening agriculture from farm-to-fork, helping businesses grow, and linking farmers to markets. Since our start in 1981, we have been leveraging nearly 100 years of expertise in dairy, animal nutrition, crop inputs and agricultural insights from our close affiliate, Land O’Lakes, Inc., a farmer-owned agribusiness committed to fulfilling its purpose of feeding human progress.

Our team is made up of nearly 350 employees who are committed to market-led approaches, and passionate about collaborating locally to create lasting inclusive economic growth. By unlocking the potential of agriculture for the last 36 years, the lives of more than 3 million people have been transformed through nearly 300 programs in more than 80 countries.

Project Description:
Land O’Lakes International Development is implementing a cooperative development project in Rwanda and Malawi, Cooperative Development Program – 4 (CD4).

Land O’Lakes Cooperative Development Program (CDP) has pursued the goal of increasing the performance of cooperative enterprises to improve the livelihoods of their members and contribute to building more inclusive and resilient communities. Over the past 20 years, Land O’Lakes has partnered with cooperatives across the world to improve cooperative governance and help improve business performance in response to evolving market conditions. Most recently, Land O’Lakes has implemented CDP projects in East African countries including in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Our recent work in the dairy and maize sectors focused on partnering with cooperatives that have leveraged economies of scale through horizontal or vertical integration—working with each partner to improve operational management, organizational governance, and business decision-making.

CD4 is now focused on two countries: Rwanda and Malawi working with cooperatives as well as with apex organizations, academic institutions, and service providers.

Position Summary and Primary Responsibilities
The Project Training Facilitator will be responsible for overall coordination and management of project’s technical assistance initiatives to cooperatives in Rwanda. S/He will conduct capacity needs assessments of partner cooperatives, work with the Cooperative Development Manager in finalizing scopes of work for responsive technical assistance as well directly manage individual consultants and/or firms executing short-term technical assistance assignments or long-term coaching assignments in support of cooperatives and apex organizations.

Detailed responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Initiate capacity building efforts to improve the business performance of partner cooperative enterprises (50%)

• Conduct annual capacity needs assessments at partner cooperatives to inform performance priority areas of improvement.
  
• Collaborate with the Project Assistant to conduct periodic performance assessments at cooperatives and unions.
  
• Work with Cooperative Development Manager to draft scopes of work that are responsive to identified performance areas.
  
• Follow Land O’Lakes procedures to mobilize and manage individual consultants and firms providing technical assistance to partner cooperatives and apex organizations.
  
• Ensure consultants and firms providing technical assistance use vetted manuals and materials that are harmonized across technical areas.
  
• Monitor and track cooperative business performance, and regularly liaise with Cooperative Development Manager for associated reporting and thoughtful planning of future technical assistance.
  
• Monitor and track any pieces of training provided directly by CD4 staff, consultants and firms and regularly liase with the Monitoring Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Manager to ensure reporting requirements are being met on a timely basis. Develop and manage a folder of final training materials and store on Land O’Lakes SharePoint/Devlink site.
  
• Assist in project studies and data collection initiatives as appropriate.
  
• Work with the Project Assistant to plan and execute impactful study tours for cooperatives in Rwanda.
  
• Sourcing, executing and managing agreements with individual consultants and contracts with firms (35%)
  
• Work with Cooperative Development Manager to execute individual consultant assignments in Rwanda. Examples of responsibilities may include posting ads, making inquiries for position, setting up interviews (and conducting interviews with Cooperative Development Manager), collecting relevant documentation from final candidates and finalizing consulting agreements using contracts software.
  
• Manage a consultant and contractor tracker which records technical assignment start and end dates, payment schedules and deliverables. The Project Training facilitator will ensure agreements are up to date and if extensions are required will inform the Cooperative Development Manager and initiate extension requests. This will also include monitoring performance of contractors and consultants against the terms of the agreement.
  
• Work with Project Accountant – Rwanda to ensure timely and accurate payments are made to consultants and contractors.
  
• Monitor consultant and contractor performance and review deliverables for quality and completeness.
  
• Assist with any procurements of Rwanda firms to conduct work for Land O’Lakes- this includes assisting in drafting scopes of work, issuing RFPs/RFQs, coordinating a selection committee and carefully following all Land O’Lakes policies and procedures, under the guidance of the Cooperative Development Manager.
  
• Ensure adherence to Land O’Lakes short-term technical assistance guildlines when soliciting, selecting, hiring, and managing consultants.
  
• Convening and supporting procurement committee to evaluate bids for firms and/or individual consultants.
  
• Maintain complete and verifiable documents related to obtaining and monitoring technical assistance services following Land O’Lakes processes and procedures– upload all documents to Land O’Lakes internal document management systems.
  
• Liase with the MEL Manager to ensure firms and individual consultants are submitting accurate, timely MEL reports.
  

Assist in Implementation of Project Objectives (15%)

• Regularly visit cooperatives and unions for meetings; participate in and monitor consultant led trainings, and follow-up on technical support.
  
• Work with the Project Assistant to mobilize the right cooperative membership to project trainings.
  
• Track key implementation lessons, and liaise with Cooperative Development Manager and MEL Manager to properly document.
  
• Represent the organization at meetings, as may be delegated by the Cooperative Development Manager
  
• Work with project team in organizing and executing stakeholders meetings.
  
• Collect project’s useful information (e.g. M&E, match and leverage) as requested by the Cooperative Development Manager.
  
• Attend project team meetings.
  
• Assist in other tasks as called upon.
  

Reporting & Supervision:

• Supervised by the Cooperative Development Manager-Rwanda.
  

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business or any other related development subject.
  
• Relevant background in developing business development services to farmer cooperatives and or SMEs.
  
• Good understanding of agricultural cooperatives development.
  
• Minimum of five (5) years experience training and coaching farmers and or leaders of producer organizations (Cooperatives).
  
• A qualified trainer who can command attention and respect from the diverse audience.
  
• Fluent in English and Kinyarwanda.