Employment Opportunities at Cooperative Facility For Africa

The Cooperative Facility for Africa - CoopA"IOA - is a regional technical cooperation programme of the International Labour Organization mainly funded by the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (DfID) for the development of cooperatives in Africa and the promotion of the decent work agenda.

The programme is establishing a Cooperative Business Development network for the cooperative movement.

The programme is inviting all eligible support institutions, in particular cooperative organisations (unions, apexes/federations, cooperative colleges, cooperative development centres), and other (trade unions, employers' organisations, NGOs, private business service providers, government departments and parastatal organisations) that have the capability to provide high quality technical support services on cooperative-related issues to express interest and apply to be selected as Cooperative Business Services providers (CBS- Centres of Competence).The selected organisations will be able to contract services to primary cooperatives within the CoopAfrica framework, as well as being eligible to apply for grants through the Coop Challenge Fund.

Your organisation will stand a good chance of being selected if:

A- It has broad knowledge and experience in upgrading the performance of cooperative businesses in at least one of the following sectors/areas:

1) Agriculture, agribusiness, fishing, mining (Ref. COC/A6R)
2) Industry, manufacturing and construction (Ref.COC/IND)
3) Financial services (credit, savings, insurance...) (Ref. COC/ FIN)
4) Social services (education, health and HIV and AIDS) (Ref. COC/SOC)
5) Other Services (transport, tourism, utilities, information...) (REF. COC/SERV)

B - It has the expertise in at least one of the following cross cutting areas:

1) Cooperative Education and Training (Ref. COC/CET) organisation can enhance professional staff technical and operational skills.
2) It has experience in training curricula development, residential and distance-learning programmes, and special campaigns in local languages, while addressing the core values and principles of cooperatives, their role in social and economic development, including cooperative governance, member education, member empowerment etc...
3) Guidance on market access and other market information (Ref. COC/MK)
4) Your organisation can help cooperatives to become commercially competitive and establish commercial relations at national, regional and where possible, global levels, by building capacity in establishing market development aims and targets, and developing strategic proposals with reference to competitors, positioning, pricing, product mix, and margins.

5) Your organisation can also provide services and technical advice on fair trade products, price negotiation and products' compliance with international trade markets.

Business planning (Ref. COC/BUS)

Your organisation can support cooperatives in dealing with strategic thinking and planning, preparing long term strategies, setting up business plans, going through business registration.

Production and Technology (Ref. COC/PT)

Your organisation can help cooperatives in improving their production methods and processes, addressing productivity issues, providing value addition through innovation, improving the branding and packaging of products, diversifying the products to respond to markets "niches", etc...

Organisation and Management (Ref.COC/OM)

Your organisation can help in strengthening the areas of work that include but non limited to leadership, human resources, governance, accounting and finance, microfinance management, production process, procurement, and IT.

Audit services (Ref.COC/AUD)Your organisation can provide appropriate services to ensure monitoring highest standard, the development and use of efficient cooperative audit systems, the appropriate competencies in key management and decision-making positions, to maintain high standards of probity and transparency by management.

Research (Ref.COC/RS)Your organisation can help to strengthen the social economy in Africa by carrying out siudies specifically related to cooperatives' needs (e.g. impact of cooperatives on community's growth; development of strategies for sustainable financing...) as well as providing access to research materials and outcomes (articles, books, internet links...).

Legal support (Ref. COC/LE6)Your organisation can support cooperatives to deal with legal issues that are specific to their status as defined in the policies and laws regarding cooperative development, trade, accounting and finance, labour etc... in the country .

Communication and networking (Ref.COC/COM)

Your organisation can provide services to enhance communication and collaboration between cooperatives, with cooperatives in other countries or region, and with other institutions outside the cooperative movement.

You can develop appropriate information packages and networking using effective mass communication approaches.

To receive the Application Form, please go to our website www.ilo.org/coopafrica. or contact us by email coopafrica @ ilo.org indicating the reference number of your sector of activity, country(ies) of intervention and the reference number of the area of interest.

Deadline for submission: April 20.2009.

Only eligible organisations will be contacted for the final selection.

They might also be visited during and after the application and/or selection process.