Back to top

Volunteer Opportunity: Governance and Management Training Specialist – Malawi and Canada

Date of Publication
Application Deadline
Company
Canadian Cooperative Association (CCA)
Brief Description

Volunteer Opportunity
Governance and Management Training Specialist – Malawi and Canada

WHERE: Lilongwe, Malawi and Canada

WHEN: Beginning March 2017

DURATION: Two-three weeks in Malawi with e-volunteering support in Canada for two months

REPORTING TO: Heather Hale, Program Manager DEADLINE: January 31, 2017

Note: This is a voluntary assignment. Domestic and international economy airfare, ground transport, visa, travel insurance, out of country accommodation, and a meal/incidental allowance will be covered by CCA.

BACKGROUND:

The Malawi Union of Savings and Credit Co-operatives (MUSCCO) is the apex organization for Savings and Credit Co-operatives (SACCOs) in Malawi. The INVEST Co-op –Malawi project will focus on four dietary staples – groundnuts, soya, maize, and beans. The project intends to work directly with 51,620 farmers including 25,000 women and 25,000 men.

ABOUT THE ASSIGNMENT:

MUSCCO provides member SACCOs with training, liquidity management, representative and advocacy services to its member organizations to improve financial, management and governance capacity. Field staff rely on lecture style delivery based on text heavy materials for knowledge transfer to adult learners. The Training of Trainers Specialist (TOT Specialist) will work with the INVEST field staff to improve training materials and tailor make them to suit producer cooperative leaders (farmers), specifically in the areas of SACCO governance and management, and will deliver at least one training of trainer’s workshop to field staff. The assignment will begin with a field visit to Malawi to familiarize the TOT specialist with MUSCCO’s training materials and observe/review current training methodology. The TOT specialist will then prepare and deliver a TOT workshop to improve training skills of field staff. The field visit is anticipated for March 2017 and will be followed up with up to two months of remote support to improve governance and management training materials (e-volunteering).

OBJECTIVE:

  • To equip MUSCCO field staff with adult learners training skills and methodologies especially in low literacy situations.

  • To improve the quality of training delivered by MUSCCO field staff through improved training materials and delivery.

ACTIVITIES AND DELIVERABLES:

  • Undertake a 2-3 week field visit to Malawi to gain first- hand knowledge of MUSCCOs current training materials and methodology used

  • Review existing SACCO Governance training materials used by MUSCCO to train producer cooperative leaders and staff

  • Develop a simplified and improved version of the Governance training material to suit producer cooperative leaders (farmers). This includes a selection of appropriate Governance and Management topics relevant for leaders in the cooperative sector.

  • Prepare and deliver a TOT workshop for MUSCCO field staff

  • Submit a post mission report outlining recommendations, strategy and activities to work with MUSCCO’s INVEST

    team to improve quality of training materials.

  • Remotely work with MUSCCO’s INVEST team to improve quality of training materials

QUALIFICATIONS:

The successful applicant must possess the following skills, experiences and personal characteristics

  • Proven experience in adult education and Training of Trainers methodology

  • Proven experience in developing written training materials for adult learners especially in low literacy

    situations

  • Experience in co-operative development in a developing country context

  • Excellent facilitation and interpersonal skills

  • Experience and knowledge of co-operatives principles, preferably in a developing context, is an asset

  • Excellent capacity to analyze, develop recommendations and capture lessons learned

  • Ability to work autonomously, be flexible and analytical

  • Experience facilitating group learning/training sessions or focus groups

  • Demonstrated ability and interest in communicating and interacting effectively with people of a different

    culture

  • Ability to communicate and effectively interact with people of different cultures in person and remotely

  • Excellent technical writing skills

  • Ability to transform complex concepts and information into plain language reports

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Please submit a resume and letter of intent by end of business day January 31, 2016 to Laurie Tennian Laurie.tennian@coopscanada.coop. Successful candidates will be required to obtain a police check from their local police/RCMP detachment and must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

No phone calls please. All applicants are thanked for their interest in CCA; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

CANADIAN CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION

The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) is a not-for-profit co-operative incorporated under the Canada Co- operatives Act and which operates as a subsidiary of Canada’s national association of co-operatives and credit unions, Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC). CCA’s mission is to establish and grow co-operatives, credit unions, and community-based organizations to reduce poverty, build sustainable livelihoods, and improve civil society in less developed countries.

CCA proudly delivers programs for the Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF), a nationally registered charity which helps communities fight poverty and create more secure lives through community- owned co-ops. For more information about CCA, visit www.coopscanada.coop