Market Analyst at Fairtrade

Fairtrade and Cadbury have been working together in Ghana since 2009 under the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership (CCP). In 2012, CCP was continued by Mondel?z international after it was created from Kraft Foods but changed the name of the sustainability programme to Cocoa Life. The Cocoa Life programme focuses on 3 areas: Sustainable Cocoa Farming Businesses, Empowered Cocoa Communities and Conserved and Restored Forests. In 2016, the Cocoa Life – Fairtrade partnership was created, moving “beyond sourcing,” based on partnership principles. In 2020, the Climate Change and Organisational Strengthening Programme (CCOSP) was launched, with the aim to support the cocoa farmers in the Mondel?z Ghana Cocoa Life programme to become more resilient against changing climate and to ensure ongoing viability of the Cocoa Life unions.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme was awarded additional funding by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) as part of the Vulnerable Supply Chain Facility, and hence has expanded to include two additional aims – to maintain the incomes of farmers through the pandemic, and create awareness on safe practices. This will be achieved through the launch of a flexible grant facility to provide start-up capital on climate-smart new business models, and help farmers maintain their cocoa harvest through the 20-21 season. The programme will also launch a communications strategy for each of the unions to ensure their members and key cocoa supply chain actors are enacting safe COVID practices.

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

• The overall objective of the Consultant assignment is to conduct a market analysis exercise. Market Analyst will be responsible for ensuring that cocoa farming unions have the best available knowledge and design strong climate-smart business models to diversify their incomes, including preparing strong grant applications. To do this, he/she will adapt existing market analysis/conduct fresh analysis to identify promising new business ventures suitable for the cocoa farming unions, including the best climate-smart crops for livelihoods diversification and food security, provide training on income diversification models and market analysis findings to union leaders with grant window; work with Union leaders to support the development of grant applications for both grant windows in the programme; follow up Grants and Income Diversification training as per unions’ need; conduct site visits and review quarterly progress reporting.

KEY PERFORMANCE AREA

Inception

•  Working closely with the programme technical advisers, the market analyst will support with necessary fieldwork and developing the necessary tools to conduct a market analysis to identify the most promising new business models for cocoa farming unions – including a specific focus on climate smart crops and food security.
•  The analysis should identify the target group and their priority needs, assess the most promising business ventures available for the cocoa unions, identify climate-smart crops for the relevant ecological zones and conduct a participatory assessment of the crops against the framework with project stakeholders.
•  Lead on the development and write-up of the analysis, conducting meetings with key project partners, producer organisations with the support of the project team.

Implementation

•  Train the unions on the models and market analysis findings, with follow-up training where needed
•  Conduct site visits and support the unions and project team with the information and processes required for developing grant applications and implementing the projects
•  Prepare annual and quarterly work plans in line with the project and partnership objectives for approval
•  Develop, submit and update field activity implementation guidelines based on learnings from implementation and producer needs, feeding into the project MEL framework as required
•  Conduct follow up research as required ensuring the market analysis is kept up to date and takes into account new information

Reporting, Communication, Monitoring and Evaluation

•  Lead in preparing market analysis and submit to the Project Manager for approval and submission to key project partners
•  Build relationships with technical experts from government, industry and NGOs, to ensure the market analysis situates solutions within the context of existing support
•  Facilitate joint planning and review meetings with producer organisations and ensure timely gathering and distribution of all relevant information to producer organisations
•  Participate in key partners and project related meeting in-country and outside, where necessary including in-country Proof of Performance (POP) meetings
•  In liaison with MEL Officer, project team and key project partners, lead in effective monitoring of progress of project implementation, adopt appropriate tools and methodology to collect and analyse required data and apply agree templates to report outcome
•  Compile quarterly summary reports of activities in liaison with MEL Officer and project team using agreed/required Fairtrade Africa and project specific templates
•  Undertake risk mapping and report on same

Accounting Support

•  Support union leaders to prepare plans, projections and budgets for the income diversification and protect cocoa activities.

Administrative Support

•  Represent the Project at meetings, events/forums, and conferences in the country in relation to the Project and its key topics

EXPECTED KEY DELIVERABLES

• In close collaboration with a Market and Livelihoods Expert develop and implement a detailed approach/methodology to conduct Market analysis for Climate Smart income diversification including specification of promising new business models for cocoa farmers;
•  Deliver Unions and stakeholder’s field-based consultation meetings for the market analysis
•  Train unions on findings of the market analysis to guide application process to access the FCDO grant facility for income diversification;
•  Develop, submit and update field activity implementation guidelines based on learnings from implementation and producer needs, feeding into the project MEL framework as required
•  Contribute to regular programme reporting through the gathering of data with the MEL team, collection of case studies and written reports as well as photographs from delivery as required
•  Final report presentation on assigned task
• Time frame for the assignment
•  The work specified in this term of reference is expected to be completed within a period of 6 months (between October and March 2020).

Qualification Required & Experience

•  University Degree with focus on Agricultural studies or Economics, Rural Development Studies, or other relevant field. Specific training on market systems or agricultural value chain analysis is desirable.
•  At least 5 years working experience in non-government not for profit organization at field and management level in the fields of Agriculture, Climate Change, Economics and development work, in general
•  Substantial experience conducting research and delivering technical advice on agricultural value chains and sector strategies in Ghana (a specific understanding of the cocoa sector is desirable)
•  High level of relationship and communication management skills to build relationships with producer organisations, key partners and stakeholders  Demonstrable experience in working with Monitoring and Evaluation teams
•  Good level knowledge of Financial and accounting systems in the context of building new business models
•  Strong analytical skills.
•  Ability to prioritize and plan work activities and use time efficiently.
•  Demonstrated skills in project planning, implementation and budgeting
•  Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, meet tight deadlines and handle multiple tasks