DISTRICT OFFICER - CCRP

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Plan International Ghana is seeking to engage the services of suitably qualified, experienced and committed professionals for the position of District Officer – Cocoa Community Resilience Programme (CCRP).

The Cocoa Community Resilience Programme (CCRP) seeks to reduce child labour and strengthen child protection systems in Ghana’s cocoa-growing communities by addressing the structural, cultural and economic factors that contribute to child labour. The programme adopts a holistic, child-centred and gender-transformative approach that promotes community resilience, sustainable livelihoods, improved child protection systems, equitable gender relations and positive social norm change.

The District Officer will provide leadership, coordination and technical oversight for programme implementation at the district level, ensuring that interventions are effectively delivered across assigned cocoa-growing communities and contribute to the achievement of the programme's objectives.

The programme will be implemented across the Central, Western, Western North and Ashanti Regions. Successful applicants may therefore be assigned to work in districts within any of these four regions, depending on programme requirements.

ABOUT YOU

As the District Officer, you will support the Project Manager in leading and coordinating the implementation of CCRP activities across assigned districts and communities. You will facilitate community entry, mobilization and stakeholder engagement; coordinate community assessments and selection processes; and work closely with relevant government institutions, traditional authorities, community structures and cocoa suppliers to ensure effective programme delivery.

You will also directly supervise, mentor and build the capacity of Community-Based Facilitators (CBFs), monitor programme performance and data quality, coordinate reporting and support financial monitoring and compliance. The role requires a strong commitment to child protection, safeguarding, gender equality and inclusion, as well as the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders in field-based and community settings.

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Project Planning and Implementation

• Coordinate district and community entry processes, stakeholder engagement and community sensitisation activities.
• Facilitate community selection processes, including the application and validation of selection criteria and scoring matrices.
• Coordinate community needs assessments, risk assessments and participatory consultations to inform programme interventions.
• Ensure that gender, child protection, safeguarding and social inclusion considerations are integrated into community assessments and implementation plans.
• Coordinate community validation, feedback and approval processes, including the documentation of community commitments and agreements.

2. Supervision and Management of Community-Based Facilitators

• Directly supervise, mentor, coach and provide technical support to Community-Based Facilitators.
• Develop and monitor monthly and quarterly work plans for CBFs.
• Conduct routine field supervision visits and performance assessments.
• Review and approve CBF activity plans and reports, ensuring quality and timely delivery.
• Facilitate regular review meetings to assess progress, address implementation challenges and strengthen programme delivery.
• Build the capacity of CBFs in child protection, safeguarding, monitoring and evaluation, community facilitation and gender-transformative programming.

3. Stakeholder Coordination and Partnership Management

• Serve as the primary district-level representative of the CCRP.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with District Assemblies, the Department of Social Welfare and Community Development, Ghana Education Service, Department of Agriculture, Health Directorates, traditional authorities and relevant community structures.
• Engage community child protection committees, community development committees, youth groups and women's groups to promote local ownership and sustainability.
• Coordinate closely with cocoa suppliers and buying companies, including ECOM, OFI (Olam Food Ingredients) and Touton.
• Participate in district stakeholder platforms and multi-sector coordination forums.
• Facilitate joint planning, implementation, monitoring and review of programme activities with relevant stakeholders.

4. Monitoring, Reporting and Quality Assurance

• Monitor programme implementation against approved work plans, targets and key performance indicators.
• Coordinate district-level data collection, verification, validation and reporting, ensuring the accuracy and quality of programme data.
• Maintain comprehensive programme records, databases and documentation in line with established standards.
• Support baseline, midline and endline studies, surveys, assessments and evaluations.
• Analyse implementation data and use findings to inform programme improvements and adaptive management.
• Document lessons learned, best practices, innovations and success stories.
• Facilitate accountability mechanisms and community feedback processes.

5. Financial Management and Compliance

• Support the Finance team in tracking programme expenditure and ensuring adherence to approved budgets.
• Contribute to the preparation of financial reports and supporting documentation required by donors and other stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements, organisational policies and programme procedures.
• Maintain accurate records of programme activities, communications and financial transactions.
• Support the updating of programme financial information in the SAP system.

6. Coordination, Communication and Reporting

• Coordinate the activities of stakeholders and partners to promote effective planning, implementation and teamwork.
• Facilitate regular programme meetings, including kick-off, progress review and status update meetings.
• Manage stakeholder expectations by providing timely information on programme developments, progress and implementation challenges.
• Prepare and present district-level progress reports to the Project Manager, highlighting achievements, emerging issues and areas requiring attention.
• Support effective integration of programme activities with existing Management Information Systems, including SWIMS and CLMRS.
• Coordinate stakeholder concerns and feedback in a timely and professional manner.

7. Risk Management and Programme Quality

• Identify and monitor programme implementation risks, including security, access, political and social risks.
• Support the development and implementation of appropriate risk mitigation measures.
• Promote quality assurance across programme activities and ensure adherence to approved implementation standards.
• Escalate implementation challenges and emerging risks to the Project Manager for appropriate action.

8. Safeguarding, Child Protection and Gender Equality

• Ensure that child protection, safeguarding, gender equality and inclusion principles are embedded in all programme activities.
• Promote safe and inclusive participation of children, girls, boys, women, young people and marginalised groups.
• Identify and appropriately report or refer child protection and safeguarding concerns in accordance with Plan International's policies and procedures.
• Uphold Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy, Gender Equality and Inclusion Policy and Code of Conduct.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Community Development, Agriculture, Rural Development, Education, Project Management, Natural Resource Management or a related field.
• A Master's Degree in a relevant field will be an added advantage.

Experience

• Minimum of five (5) years' relevant experience in community development, child protection, livelihoods, education, agriculture, cocoa sector programming or resilience programming.
• Demonstrated experience supervising field staff and community facilitators.
• Experience working with government institutions and community structures.
• Experience managing donor-funded projects.
• Experience working in cocoa-growing communities or in supply chain sustainability programmes will be highly desirable.
• Experience in child labour prevention and child protection programming will be an advantage.

Technical Competencies

• Project planning and implementation.
• Stakeholder engagement and coordination.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL).
• Child protection and safeguarding.
• Gender-transformative programming.
• Community mobilisation and facilitation.
• Report writing and documentation.
• Data management and analysis.
• Financial and budget monitoring.
• Capacity building, coaching and supervision.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Strong leadership and supervisory skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, networking and relationship-management abilities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• High levels of integrity, accountability and professionalism.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated commitment to children's rights, safeguarding, gender equality and inclusion.

LOCATION AND TRAVEL

The positions will be based at district level, with possible assignments in districts across the Central, Western, Western North and Ashanti Regions of Ghana. Applicants must be willing and available to work in any of these regions, subject to programme deployment requirements.

The role requires approximately 40% travel, including travel to remote communities and programme implementation areas.

LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN

High contact. The role involves regular interaction with children and requires strict adherence to Plan International's safeguarding policies and procedures.

Location: Central / Western / Western North / Ashanti Regions

Type of Role: Program Implementation

Reports to: Project Manager

Job Type: Fixed - Term Contract (Renewable)

Closing Date: 27th November, 2026

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.