Farmer to Farmer – Sierra Leone

Volunteer Assignment Scope of Work

Summary Information
Assignment Code: / SL2
Country: / Sierra Leone
Country Project: / Rice Value Chain Country Project
Host organization: / Makoniline Agribusiness Center (ABC)
Assignment title: / Leadership and Management
Type of Volunteer Assistance: / Organizational Development (O)
Type of Value Chain Activity: / Information and Input services (S)
Preferred assignment dates: / October-November, 2016
Objective: / Provide a road map for Makoniline ABC to address leadership challenges through hands-on training in leadership skills and group dynamics best practices.
Desirable Volunteer Knowledge and Skills: / Formal qualifications in leadership/management studies and extensive knowledge and experience in cooperative development, administration and management.

A.  BACKGROUND

Makoniline Agribusiness Center (ABC) was established in 2010 and is composed of four Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs): Youth Action for Rural Development, Masamka Farmer Association, Dim Din Farmers Association and the Agriculture Farmer Association. Each constituent FBO has approximately 30 members. Both the ABC and FBOs have separate registration with the local government and Ministry of Agriculture. The ABC offers services to members including storage, rice milling and marketing services. The ABC has a board of directors and a management team, and each FBO shares the same structure. The ABC board is headed by a chairperson with seven members and a staff headed by the manager. The ABC buys rice from both FBO and non-FBO farmers. FBO member farmers also grow other crops such groundnuts, pigeon peas, beans, fruits and vegetables. The ABC has many demands and challenges in operating as a growing business. The board and management must be able to guide the association to meet its strategic objectives and develop new ones as the needs of the association and members change in response to a challenging economic environment. The board and management as well as FBO farmer group leaders all need to have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, planning and decision making processes, financial management as well as effective communication. In addition, leaders should have the capacity to monitor and evaluate organization activities to ensure that objectives are met and services are delivered. Furthermore, the vision, mission and objectives need to be reviewed in the context of an ever changing environment.

B.  ISSUE DESCRIPTION.

Weak leadership and management within an organization or cooperative will often manifest in the form of poor communication, lack of problem-solving and decision-making, poor linkages among farmer groups, conflicts among members, unclear roles and responsibilities (for members, board and management), the inability to plan, implement and monitor activities, and limited advocacy and outreach. For sustainability and growth, organizations such as Makoniline ABC and constituent FBOs must have effective leadership and management systems to meet membership expectations and achieve goals and objectives.

Effective leaders are those who are able to communicate ideas effectively and diplomatically. Therefore, it is important that leaders are well aware of forms of communication. Using words effectively to convey information or ideas is important in ensuring effective leadership. Poor communication results in poor performance and undesirable outcomes including errors, a decline in productivity, distress, low morale, confusion, absenteeism and general dissatisfaction. Technical assistance that focuses on the importance of effective communication, productive communication channels will go a long way in building the capacity of leaders to manage an association more effectively.

Group development goes through a number of stages. How quickly a group moves through each stage will depend on the team members, their individual skills, the work they are expected to do, and the type of leadership available to the team. Technical assistance that helps leaders understand the different stages of group development will help both the ABC and FBOs reach effectiveness more quickly. Leaders will then be in positions to develop teams through different stages, and then to move on to other roles.

It is important that managers understand group dynamics and how establishing social support helps people to take positive risks. In organizational environments were negative relations exist people are inclined to adopt defensive or aggressive postures and do not secure many growth opportunities. Technical assistance that helps streamline roles and responsibilities of group leaders, the board and group members, will help improve power relations and avoid conflicts.

Conflict within an organization is sometimes inevitable, as group members have varying interests, beliefs and goals. Although conflict can cause frustration within an organization, there is always the possibility that positive outcomes may result if leaders allow group members to express their emotions through constructive processes. Organizational or structural problems can also be identified as causing conflict, requiring strategies to allow group members improve the procedure to resolve conflicts and improve efficiency. Completely eliminating conflict within the association might be impossible, but technical assistance in conflict resolution may help improve group dynamics, moral and efficiencies.

In light of these needs, Makoniline ABC is requesting CRS’s F2F Program for technical assistance. The F2F Volunteer will work directly with the ABC as well as FBO leaders to impart leadership and management skills for successful operation of the organizations. It is anticipated that the technical assistance will strengthen group cohesion, improve group/association performance and enhance success and sustainability.

C.  SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The technical assistance will focus on achieving the following objectives:

1.  Streamline the structure of leadership and management for new farmer group leaders with an emphasis on roles and responsibilities of leaders, management and association members.

2.  Train farmer groups in conflict resolution, group dynamics and group cohesion.

3.  Create awareness about the importance of collectively working together.

4.  Leadership and management training emphasizing the following topics:

•  Leadership- what it is, functions and qualities of a good leader

•  Roles and responsibilities for leaders at different levels of the organizational structure

•  Roles and responsibilities of members.

•  Conflict resolution and group dynamics and how to build cohesion among groups (ability to harness differences for a greater good)

•  Effective communication skills (structuring communications planning and feedback mechanisms)

•  Conducting an effective meeting

The volunteer will also provide leadership training for the board and management teams:

o  Interaction skills (ability to deal with subordinates and complications)

o  Skills in unstructured decision making (dealing with ambiguity)

o  Resource allocation skills (allocation of resources to achieve the best end result)

Host contribution – the ABC has committed to mobilize the board and sub-group leaders to attend trainings to be conducted by the volunteer. The ABC will also avail key personnel to work closely with the volunteer, during both preparations and the actual trainings, to ensure that key staff are trained and will continue training other members even after the assignment is completed.

D.  ANTICIPATED RESULTS FROM THE ASSIGNMENT

With volunteer technical assistance, the association will continue to function in a progressive manner, with improved leadership and management system, improved group activities and communication skills offering better service delivery to its members due to clear and well understood leadership roles and responsibilities. Technical assistance that helps streamline roles and responsibilities of group leaders, the board and group members will help improve power relations and avoid conflict. The management plans will be effectively implemented because a large percentage of members will actively take part in decision making. Both the association and group leaders will also be aware of the need for conducting effective advocacy and strengthening linkages between association leadership and farmer groups.

The anticipated deliverables include:

• Trainings conducted and people trained

• Training guidelines/manuals developed on leadership skills

• Debriefing with USAID and in country group presentations after assignment

• Field trip report and expense report

E.  SCHEDULE OF VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES IN SIERRA LEONE

Upon arrival at Lungi International Airport, you will be met by an expeditor named Bai Bai (cell phone +232 76 412 456) at the airport to help arrange your transfer by water taxi from Lungi to Freetown. You will take a 10 minute bus ride from the airport to the Lungi water taxi landing dock where there is a bar/waiting area. You can and should keep your carry-on with you. Your other luggage may or may not go over with you on the same boat, but you are given tickets for your bags and these are checked on the other side. Locking straps are a good idea in the event your luggage goes ahead of you. Be prepared to tip luggage handlers (about 10,000 Leones or $2.50 USD is appropriate). The boat trip from Lungi to Freetown takes about 35 minutes. The fare is currently $40 USD one-way and CRS will cover this. A CRS driver will meet you at the Freetown water taxi landing dock for transfer to accommodations or the CRS Office.

Day / Activity
Day 1 / At 9.00 am, the volunteer is greeted at the hotel by CRS staff and thereafter go to CRS office for introductions and briefings including host brief, logistics and expectations and anticipated outcomes. Hand-outs will be prepared at CRS offices.
Day 2 / In the morning CRS introduces the volunteer to the Dim Din management team. Together with CRS and the management, the volunteer will review and finalize the work-plan. The action plan should include group presentations to be done after the assignment. In the afternoon, visit some of the Dim Din farmer homes/fields.
Days 3-5 / ABC: Training management staff and board members on objectives 1-3; and make appropriate recommendations
Day 6-8 / FBO1: Training management and board members on objectives 1-3; and make appropriate recommendations
Days 9-11 / FBO2: Training board and management on objectives 1-3; and make appropriate recommendations
Days 12-14 / FBO3: Training board and management on objectives 1-3; and make appropriate recommendations
Days 15-17 / FBO4:Training board and management on objectives 1-3; and make appropriate recommendations
Day 18-19 / Wrap up trainings and emphasize key concepts of assignment to the entire Dim Din membership. Participants evaluate the training and together with the volunteer discuss final report recommendations.
Day 20-21 / Develop a training guide on best agronomic practices
Day 22 / Volunteer will finalize his/her reporting at CRS office and fill out all necessary M&E forms as well as finalize advances and expenditures with finance. End of assignment presentation and Volunteer travels back to Freetown.
Day 23 / Debriefing with USAID Mission and CRS staff at head office.
Day 24 / Depart for USA
TBD / Outreach event in the US

F.  ACCOMODATION AND OTHER IN-COUNTRY LOGISTICS

In Freetown, the volunteer will stay at Lacs Villa Guest House http://lacsvilla.com and while working in Makeni district, the volunteer will be accommodated at Hotel Conteh U, website: www.hotelcontehu.com.

CRS will pay for hotel accommodation, and provide the volunteer with per diems to cater for meals and other incidentals. The volunteer may get an advance, which will have to be cleared before departing from Sierra Leone. For more information, please refer to the country information that will be provided.

G.  RECOMMENDED ASSIGNMENT PREPARATION

·  The volunteer should prepare materials for hand-outs, which can be printed at CRS office in Makeni before commencement of the assignment. Flip charts, markers, masking tapes can be obtained at CRS offices in case the volunteer wishes to make some illustrations. Depending on the training venue the volunteer may use a laptop and projector for power point presentations. However if the training venue is in the community, it will be difficult to use PowerPoint. In this case the volunteer will be expected to prepare training materials and have hand-outs printed at CRS offices for distribution to the participants.

·  CRS strongly recommends that the volunteer becomes familiar with the Rice Country project description prior to arrival in the country as well as country information that will be provided.

H.  KEY CONTACTS

CRS Baltimore / CRS EA Regional Office
Maria Figueroa
Head of Recruitment
EA Farmer to Farmer Program
228 W. Lexington Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-951-7366
Email: / Nyambura Theuri
Deputy Project Director
EA Farmer to Farmer Program
P.O. Box 49675 – 00100
Nairobi, Kenya
St. Augustine Court Karuna Close Road
Email:
CRS Sierra Leone
………………………………
Project Director,
Farmer to Farmer Program
Catholic Relief Services
41 Riverside Drive
Brook Fields, P.O. Box 1392
Freetown, Sierra Leone
No landline phone / Kwame Akangah
Country Representative
Catholic Relief Services
41 Riverside Drive
Brook Fields, P.O. Box 1392
Freetown, Sierra Leone
No landline phone
Cell: +232 (0)99.901.303

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