Project Officer, SME Development at Street Children Empowerment Foundation(SCEF)

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Officer, SME Development Officer performs a wide range of duties pertaining to business and facility management which includes all of the following:

Project Planning and design

• Design Economic empowerment interventions responsive to context
• Design or review training manuals to aid in delivery of the intervention
• Develop project Economic Empowerment work plans
• Develop and maintain relevant database and serve as a hub of data required by stakeholders
• Incorporate workable empowerment model in new projects.

Value chain development

• Assess the current prevailing conditions among SMEs in regards to grassroots enterprise development
• Develop upstream and downstream linkages for SMEs
• Support coaching, mentorship and business incubation of SMEs.
• Design SME business models, business development plans, training manuals, model enterprises, enterprise development protocols, and communication and sponsorship protocols.
• Oversee Implementation of the economic empowerment designed plans for SCEF
• Monitor, evaluate and improve the economic empowerment interventions
• Develop replication plans to a wider geographical scope
• Support development of business start-ups to caregivers.
• Promote roll-out of products to the target communities and ensure set targets are met.

Project implementation and training

• Conduct business needs assessment whenever necessary.
• Carry out entrepreneurship trainings of the different target groups; parents, guardians, SMEs.
• Manage an effective and responsive Service Centre that embraces a “one-stop-shop” concept that ensures all customer requests are actioned to a high level of service.
• Train the parents and guardians of children in street situations in the implementation of group savings, loans and business development skills.
• Develop, review and evaluate business plans to ensure viability and sustainability of businesses.
• Participate in the development and update of training materials.
• Coordinate identification and transfer of appropriate technologies and innovations to target groups.
• Forge partnerships within the project sites for the attainment of project goals.
• Collaborate with partners in corporate mobilization and service delivery.
• Engage business mentors and coaches to mentors and support individuals and groups to excel in their established businesses or Income Generating Activities (IGAs).
• Assist development of marketing plans and strategies that promote market opportunities of product outputs and services to ensure steady generation of profits from the business enterprises;
• Promote and disseminate relevant market information to the identified enterprises
• Perform any other duty as may be directed by the project supervisor.

Project Monitoring and Evaluation

• Compile reports (narrative and data) and submit them to the Program Manager (M&E) as per the set deadlines
• Participate in the design, data collection and analysis of surveys and routine data
• Ensure proper documentation and dissemination of lessons learnt.
• Evaluation of all project interventions conducted.
• Monitoring and reviewing the progress of trainees.

Education

• A Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences preferably in Entrepreneurship, Economics, Marketing, Commerce, Education or Social Enterprise
• Diploma in Project Management will be an added advantage.

Knowledge and skills

• Strong analytical and operational knowledge of Small and Medium business, start- ups and SME business expansions needs;
• Be an excellent facilitator and can create partnerships within the project area.
• Understanding of SME business procedures including: business legal and regulatory systems, financing, human resources, IT needs, operations and sales, and marketing, financing option
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, a keen eye for details, good presentation and interpersonal skills and excellent report writing skills.
• People management skills as well as mentorship experience and capability.

Experience and Abilities

• Ability to speak fluent Ga in addition English and other Ghanaian languages.
• A minimum of three years training experience
• Ability to work with a team, foster a team approach and incorporate capacity
• building activities into the program
• Ability to analyze and utilize program development gaps for designing Programs.
• Knowledge of facility & project management
• Understand and work with e-commerce
• Proficiency in the use of computers for
• Word processing
• Simple accounting
• Database management
• Spreadsheets
• E-mail
• Internet

Personal characteristics

The Project Officer should demonstrate competence in some or all of the following:

• Understand ethical behaviour and business practices, and ensure that own behaviour and the behaviour of others is consistent with these standards and aligns with the values of the organization.
• Speak, listen and write in a clear, thorough and timely manner using appropriate and effective communication tools and techniques.
• Develop new and unique ways to improve operations of the organization and to create new opportunities.
• Work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problem, and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Set priorities, develop a work schedule, monitor progress towards goals, and track details/data/information/activities.
• Assess problem situations to identify causes, gather and process relevant information, generate possible solutions, and make recommendations and/or resolve the problem.

Working Hours

Hours of work may generally be around 40 – 60 per week.