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The Market Development (MADE) Programme for Northern Ghana is a British Department for Development (DFID) funded programme being implemented by a consortium led by Nathan Associates London.  MADE uses the Making Markets Work for the Poor (M4P) approach to promote growth and reduce poverty in the 63 districts covered by the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA). The SADA zone covers the three Northern Regions and some parts of the Volta and Brong Ahafo Regions of Ghana.
MADE is expected to improve the incomes and resilience of poor farmers and small-scale rural entrepreneurs by improving the way that markets work, with a particular focus on agricultural sectors. The agricultural market sectors covered by MADE are rice, groundnut, onion, other vegetables (chilli, tomatoes, carrots, eggplant, cucumber, etc.) and livestock.
MADE’s overall objective is to raise economic activity in Northern Ghana, building the quality of entrepreneurship in the North is integral to achieving this objective. Facilitating the provision of Business Development Services (BDS)  is one of the main instruments which the programme is seeking to use to build the capacity of small businesses in the region. Currently the majority of enterprises in the North, majority of which are micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are not served by good quality BDS providers who are in short supply. Additionally, entrepreneurs are not certain of the value of these services and cannot afford the current level of fees charged.
MADE’s approach is to stimulate the market for the supply of quality BDS tailored to the needs of small enterprises. MADE is seeking to do this by co-financing service providers’ own business development initiatives to support them to innovate new cost effective service delivery models for serving MSE agribusinesses.
For larger more formalised enterprises with strong growth potential (e.g. nucleus farmers or aggregators) MADE is in the process of establishing a Business Growth Acceleration service for these businesses which would essentially consist of three to four service providers who could provide support on a “call-down” basis and work with these businesses to make them investment ready. In an environment awash with grant making donor funded development and NGO projects, it is critical for MADE to be strategic about the use of financial contributions not only to ensure they are well targeted and deliver value for money (VfM) but also to ensure careful selection of recipients and their compliance with the Programme’s relevant policies and procedures.
Promoting women’s entrepreneurship is also an important focus of the programme. MADE therefore analyses and identifies where women enter into markets and develops interventions and other initiatives to help maximise their economic activity there.  Maximising this economic activity will focus around either optimising the assets women have in these markets, for example physical stock, access to finance or access to new markets; or by maximising the input of their labour into new, dry season income generating activities, especially as entrepreneurs.

Job Description
About the Role
The Entrepreneurship Development Component of the role will primarily involve the coordination and management of the programme’s entrepreneurship and business development initiatives including the Business Growth Acceleration Programme described above. The specific responsibilities will include the following:

• Working primarily with the Programme’s team of market development specialists to identify the entrepreneurship and business development needs of private sector partner firms, other small scale entrepreneurs (including female entrepreneurs) in the five and related markets the programme works as well supporting organisations (in particular NGOs) that act as the Programme’s sub-facilitators;
• Prepare Terms of Reference (ToRs) to engage Entrepreneurship Development and BDS providers to undertake consulting assignments that address the identified entrepreneurship and business development needs; and
• Manage contracting processes including preparing the request for proposals (RfPs), preliminary screening and short-listing of prospective service providers, organising bid evaluations and monitoring contract performance (including making recommendations on pertinent issues for further action after review of consultants’ reports).

The Grant Management Component involves two major responsibilities. Firstly undertaking due diligence (including VfM assessment) on potential grantees as well as maintaining records of the grant-making process; and secondly, ensure accurate performance and financial reporting as well as procedural compliance by all grant recipients. Specific tasks will include the following:

• Working with the programme’s Finance Manager and Market Development Specialists to ensure accurate, timely, efficient and transparent processes for the entire grant life cycle, from proposal to close. This will entail:
  • Pre-award management, tracking payments, reviewing or producing relevant reports, monitoring and post-award management;
  • Review and recommend approval of grant awards prior to notification of the award;
  • Work with the Finance Manager, Market Development Specialists and other Programme staff to develop and maintain all grant agreements and MoUs pertaining to grant awards.
• Manage the due diligence process for each grantee’s ability to comply with MADE’s policies and procedures with a thorough review of all their financial and operational policies as well as evaluating each grantee against standard performance and financial risk assessment;
• Design and execute grantee monitoring processes, including conducting assessments and site visits, collecting and analysing data, documenting results, and identifying and discussing implications; and
• Proactively interpret and assess grantee gaps, provide technical assistance and hands-on training to grantees as it relates to grant administration and compliance with MADE’s grant policies and procedures.

The Client Relationship Management component of the role will involve overseeing the Programme’s relationship and other interactions with its major stakeholders including in particular the Advisory Committee (AC), SADA, government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), other development programmes, traditional authorities. Specific responsibilities will include the following:

• Maintain regular contact and interaction with, as well as organise and manage the meetings and other key events of MADE’s Advisory Committee including taking notes and producing draft minutes and other relevant reports;
• Work with the Programme’s Communications Specialist to maintain regular contact and interaction with other major stakeholders such as SADA, MDAs, other development programmes, traditional authorities, etc.;
• Work with the Programme’s Communications Specialist and Market Development Team to organise and manage MADE events such as development conferences, investment road-shows, workshops;
• Work with the Programme’s Communications Specialist, Market Development Team and other Programme staff to compile relevant periodic reports for internal use and for distribution to external stakeholders.

In carrying out his/her assignment the Entrepreneurship, Grants and Client Relationship Manager will report directly to the MADE Team Leader and will receive support from the Nathan London home office.
Time Frame
The role will be full-time until the end of the programme’s lifecycle in March 2018.  He/she will initially be contracted for one year, upon satisfactory performance the contract will be renewed for another year and subsequent years.

Required Skills or Experience
Potential candidates for the role should have the following qualification, skills and experience:

• An advanced degree in business and/or social sciences;
• Over five years of experience with grants management and/or compliance
• Strong project management and time management skills; highly organized and detail oriented
• Ability to write concise reports and effectively communicate the key report findings;
• Experience in establishing and managing relationships with external stakeholders;
• Experience in organising and managing events (meetings, workshops, conferences etc.)