Policy LINK Ghana Program, Logistics, and Administrative Assistant/Officer/Coordinator At DAI Global

Project Background

The Feed the Future Policy LINK project will strengthen the capacity of local actors and institutions to lead and manage the agricultural transformation process and contribute effectively and collectively to improved, broad-based food security policy outcomes.

Specifically, the program aims to strengthen food security policy systems by investing in and reinforcing productive human and social capital and developing strategic partnerships that help bring these innovations and capacity investments to scale in order to achieve a critical mass of local actors with the ability and opportunity to effect positive policy change through collective action.

Policy LINK’s general approach is grounded in facilitative leadership and collaborative governance, which emphasize engaging stakeholders from civil society and public and private sectors in consensus-oriented decision making, collaborative problem solving, and adaptive learning.

Policy LINK in Ghana

USAID/Policy LINK Ghana is a five-year activity with the overall objective of fostering behavior change that strengthens the capacity and ability of Ghanaian stakeholders to participate in a more transparent, inclusive, and evidence-based agriculture and food security policy process that leads to improved food and nutrition outcomes and broad-based economic growth. Specifically, the activity will facilitate the transition towards a policy development paradigm driven by multiple stakeholders.

This approach to policymaking will strengthen the capacities of Ghana’s main agricultural policy system actors and institutions, and support them to engage stakeholders traditionally excluded from decision-making, including academia, financial institutions, the judiciary, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private sector representatives from the national, regional, and local levels.

This approach is underpinned by Policy LINK’s overarching theory of change focused on increasing human and social capital, engaging policy system actors in collaborative processes, and developing mechanisms for collaborative governance and dynamic learning systems and platforms to sustain collective action.

Position Objectives

The Ghana Program, Logistics, and Administrative Assistant/Officer/Coordinator will support all Activity operations. S/he will provide administrative, financial, logistical, and clerical support in the Accra Office.

S/he will be expected to liaise with operations and technical points of contact in the LINK/Ghana office and the LINK team remotely based as well as home office staff in Bethesda/Washington.

S/he will continually reinforce Policy LINK’s agreed-upon core purpose and principles, and ensure all decision-making is rooted in those purpose and principles. S/he will contribute to foster a learning environment in which personal and team growth is supported, with a shared understanding that the “team” always comes before the “individual.”

Responsibilities

The Program, Logistics, and Administrative Assistant/Officer/Coordinator will be responsible for the following for the LINK/Ghana office:

Office Administration and Logistics:

• Manage office inventory and office supplies, including records management, supply replenishment, disposal, and management of periodic audits;
• Ensure office supplies e.g. stationeries, sugar etc. are stocked on time.
• Manage security of office premises, including equipment and general facilities and communications with the landlord;
• Provide receptionist coverage during business hours;
• Support scheduling of meetings with staff and stakeholders, facilitating local and regional travel logistics for staff and international/regional guests;
• Manage coordination with hired transportation service companies, ensuring that transportation requests are communicated in a clear and timely manner, are associated with Blanket Purchase Agreement release orders as appropriate, and that transportation vendor invoices conform to logbooks and other required tracking documentation.
• Coordinate with external service providers providing office cleaning, maintenance, or repair services, ensuring office cleanliness is up to the required standard;
• Develop and maintain trackers and other similar tools to monitor pending logistical and administrative actions, leveraging Office 365 applications such as Teams, SharePoint, and Excel.

Procurement:

• Review and, as needed, submit purchase requisitions for operational and technical implementation needs, ensuring proper specifications are included;
• With guidance from the Finance & Operations Manager, compile all procurement documentation for selection of goods/service providers, including but not limited to: solicitations and amendments, source selection and price comparison documentation, evaluation committee documentation, and restricted party verifications;
• Work under the guidance of the Finance & Operations Manager to select appropriate procurement mechanisms to contract service providers (i.e. Fixed Price vs. Cost Reimbursable purchase orders and subcontracts; Blanket Purchase Agreements; Basic Ordering Agreements);
• Ensure that vendor agreements are fully executed by the appropriate DAI signatory per the latest Project Schedule of Authorities based on ceiling value, and that any necessary modifications are documented in compliance with DAI policies and procedures;
• Support preparation of responses to procurement findings from internal or external file audits.

Independent Consultants:

• Under the guidance of the Finance & Operations Manager, document the recruitment and hire of new consultants, as well as modifications to existing consultant agreements, ensuring that updated CVs, EBDs, SOWs, and other required documentation such as reference checks and restricted party screenings are saved in the project files;
• Maintain updated independent consultant agreement tracker, flagging approaching award ceilings or period of performance end dates for supervisors;
• Ensure that consultant agreements are fully executed by the appropriate DAI signatory per the latest Project Schedule of Authorities based on ceiling value.

S/he will also contribute actively to recruitment efforts throughout the contracted period of performance by serving on agreed-upon interview panels, according to Policy LINK’s recruitment policy and process. Responsibilities of interview panel members may include, but not be limited to:

• Contributing to position shortlists
• Developing or editing interview questions
• Serving as a “panel lead” for certain recruitment efforts
• Conducting oral reference checks

Reporting

The Program, Logistics, and Administrative Assistant/Officer/Coordinator will report to the LINK/Ghana Finance and Operations Manager/Director.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The Program, Logistics, and Administrative Assistant/Officer/Coordinator will not have any supervisory responsibilities.

Qualifications

Education:

• College / university level degree from a program at least 3 years in length.

Work Experience:

• Minimum 2+ years of relevant experience for Assistant (Grade 5); 4+ years for Officer (Grade 6); 5+ years for Coordinator (Grade 7).
• Prior work experience on donor-funded programs (USAID preferred).
• Preference for experience supporting fast-paced donor-funded programs focused on agriculture, value chains, digital tools, food security, or similar technical areas.
• Preference for experience providing procurement and consultant management support to donor-funded programs (USAID preferred).

Skills:

• Attention to detail;
• Ability to balance competing priorities and information shared by colleagues, policy and procedure manuals, stakeholders, etc.
• Accuracy in working with large amount of data;
• Ability to respond effectively to time sensitive demands and inquires;
• Proficiency using Microsoft office suite, and other relevant software;
• Demonstrate strong problem-solving skills as well as exceptional customer relations both internal and externally;
• Excellent organizational skills with a willingness to take initiative and be proactive;
• Excellent communication and personnel management skills and ability to relate to people at all levels of an organization and of different multi-cultural backgrounds;
• Professional fluency in English and Akan