VOLUNTEER RESOURCE PERSONS NEEDED TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES IN GHANA!!

LOCATION: Ghana (various regions in Ghana)
DURATION: 14 day trips
TEAMS: Aiming to send 3 groups of 12 RPs over 3 months
TRIP DATES: May 3rd – 17th 2008; June 7th – 21st; July 12th – 26th 2009

CONTEXT AND PURPOSE OF JOB:

The African Foundation for Development (AFFORD) through its SEEDA [Supporting Entrepreneurs and Enterprise Development in Africa] Programme has signed a contract for the provision of support and businesses advising services to its clients running businesses in Ghana.

SEEDA is an enterprise development programme that has been running since 2006 and has already sent over 80 volunteer Resource Persons (RP) to Ghana and Sierra Leone.

We are looking to send out 37 diaspora volunteer Resource Persons to work with entrepreneurs in Ghana by August 2009 to be sent in groups of 12 over three months.

The overall purpose of SEEDA is ‘To develop accessible, affordable and co-ordinated business development services nationwide through harnessing domestic and diaspora resources, and to contribute to the creation of an enabling environment for entrepreneurship’ by working with Africa based entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and create jobs. (http://www.afford-uk.org/).

PERSON SPECIFICATION: Volunteer Resource Person (Business Adviser)
Essential:
1. Experience of supporting people within a business mentoring, coaching or advising context.
2. Experience and understanding of cultural diversity and the ability to work with people from a range of different cultures.


KNOWLEGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Proven business advising, mentoring or coaching skills to entrepreneurs or companies
- Proven ability to deliver financial management, business planning, access to credit or business strategy training to small businesses
- Ability to design, deliver and evaluate training workshops and mentoring sessions and experience of doing so
- Ability to help business owners identify and develop their staff through training so as to gain relevant skills to sustain the growth of higher performing businesses.
- Ability to liaise with strategic partners including financial institutions, government departments, co-operative societies etc to influence their policy and practice and experience of doing so.
- Ability to lobby at a high level including with the media for the needs of the clients
- Good communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with clients and stake holders
- Willingness to be included in the Resource Pool which is aimed at continuing engagement with our Resource Persons over and above the trips to Ghana and participating in development awareness in the UK.
- Knowledge of developing a virtual mentoring programme will be highly attractive but not essential.

Pre-requisites to joining SEEDA:

1. That you will work under a signed contract with AFFORD detailing roles and responsibilities on both parties.
2. That you will pay the requisite RP fees to AFFORD as follows:
(These fees go towards providing unrestricted funds needed to develop the programme)
• £500 for new RPs never before been on a SEEDA trip
• £250 for RPs who have previously been on any SEEDA trip
• All RPs will pay an additional deposit of £50 refundable after each RP has submitted required reports and to cover any damages.
• (Each RP will receive an allowance to cover their meals and subsistence costs for 14 days. AFFORD will cover air travel and accommodation expenses in country under terms and conditions that will be explained during interviews)
3. Key Dates that shortlisted and successful applicants MUST attend:
• Half day interview & assessment date: April 4th 2009 in London (location to be confirmed)
• Pre-departure meetings: These must be attended prior to travelling abroad.
• May team: 5.30 – 8.30pm: Thursday April 16th and April 23rd 2009
• June team: 5.30 – 8.30pm: Thursday May 14th and May 21st 2009
• July team: 5.30 – 8.30pm: Thursday June 18th and June 25th 2009

APPLICATION PROCESS

1. Send an expression of interest in the form of an application letter and CV that clearly describes how you meet the person specification above.
2. Please specify clearly which month you would be available to travel.
3. Application deadline: MARCH 25TH 2009 1700H UK TIME
4. Send all applications to seeda@afford-uk.org
5. SEEDA will respond to all shortlisted applicants by MARCH 30th 2009.
6. All shortlisted applicants will be invited to a half day assessment and interview on Saturday APRIL 4TH 2009.
7. If you have not heard back from SEEDA by MARCH 30th please consider that on this occasion your application was not successful.
8. Failure to send your application to seeda@afford-uk.org may result in your application not being shortlisted.

SEEDA Programme Officer
seeda@afford-uk.org