Value Chain Group Specialist (Call for CVs - Subject to Donor Approval)

Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (CHA) is a non-governmental, non-profitable, and non-political Afghan NGO, working since 1987 mainly in agriculture, health, education, and infrastructure sectors in more vulnerable areas of the country. CHA is working through the implementation of Emergency, rehabilitation, and development projects for emergency aid for war, famine, and natural disaster-affected families in the field, to assist with the rehabilitation of rural and urban life, and to work with communities for sustainable development in Afghanistan.

Core Commitments and Expectations from Candidates:

CHA is dedicated to creating an environment where all staff members are committed to our core values and principles. We believe that our employees play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and excellence of our organization. Therefore, we have outlined the following core commitments and expectations that all candidates must adhere to:

1. Adherence to CHA's Policies and Procedures: All candidates must adhere to CHA's policies and procedures, these guidelines are designed to ensure a safe, fair, and efficient working environment. Compliance with these policies is fundamental to maintaining the standards and quality of our operation
2. Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA): CHA has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and abuse. All candidates, employees, associates, and partners must comply with the PSEA policy.
3. Ethical Conduct and Integrity: Candidates are expected to maintain high standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all their professional dealings. This includes avoiding conflicts of interest, maintaining confidentiality, and adhering to anti-fraud and anti-corruption guidelines​​.
4. Commitment to Non-Discrimination and Diversity: CHA is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. Candidates must respect and promote diversity and non-discrimination based on race, gender, age, or any other protected characteristic​​.
5. Child Protection: Candidates must adhere to the Child Protection Policy, ensuring the safety and well-being of children in all CHA activities.
6. Environmental and Social Safeguards: Candidate must follow CHA's Environmental and Social Safeguard Policy to minimize environmental impact and ensure sustainable practices in all projects and operations​​.
7. Confidentiality and Data Protection: Candidates are required to maintain the confidentiality of all CHA data and information.

All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. To ensure compliance, candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks. These checks will include the verification of academic credentials and employment history. Selected candidates may also be required to provide additional information to facilitate these checks.

By joining CHA, candidates commit to these core values and contribute to our mission of providing humanitarian assistance with the highest level of integrity and professionalism. We look forward to welcoming dedicated individuals who share our commitment to making a positive impact.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Identify, mobilize, and support existing and potential Value Chain Groups (VCGs) within the apple, grape, pomegranate, and saffron value chains.

• Facilitate the formation, organization, and strengthening of producer groups, cooperatives, associations, and other value chain-based business groups.

• Support VCGs in developing clear organizational structures, governance arrangements, roles, responsibilities, and decision-making procedures.

• Strengthen coordination, cooperation, and collective action among producers, processors, aggregators, traders, and other value chain actors.

• Support VCGs in developing group constitutions, bylaws, membership criteria, operational procedures, and internal management guidelines, as appropriate.

• Assess the organizational, institutional, financial, and business capacity of existing and newly established VCGs.

• Develop and implement capacity-building plans based on the identified needs and capacity gaps of each VCG.

• Provide training and technical assistance on organizational management, leadership, group governance, and business administration.

• Support VCGs in establishing and maintaining proper financial record-keeping and accounting systems.

• Train VCG members on cashbooks, ledgers, receipts, payment vouchers, bank records, financial statements, and other basic accounting documents.

• Support groups in preparing and maintaining accurate records of income, expenditure, assets, liabilities, and financial transactions.

• Strengthen financial transparency, accountability, internal controls, and financial reporting mechanisms within VCGs.

• Support VCGs in preparing business plans, annual operational plans, budgets, and financial forecasts.

• Provide guidance on business development, business management, cost calculation, profitability analysis, and financial sustainability.

• Support VCGs in identifying business opportunities and developing commercially viable group-based activities.

• Facilitate collective activities such as joint purchasing of inputs, aggregation, shared processing, packaging, storage, and marketing.

• Assist VCGs in identifying their business development needs and accessing appropriate Business Development Services (BDS) and technical support.

• Support VCGs in preparing and submitting matching grant proposals for eligible business investments and value chain development activities.

• Review and assess the organizational and implementation capacity of VCGs, including their ability to manage proposed investments and activities.

• Provide guidance to VCGs on matching grant requirements, beneficiary co-financing, eligible expenditures, financial documentation, and reporting obligations.

• Support VCGs in establishing systems to record and monitor matching grant funds and beneficiary co-financing contributions.

• Monitor the use of grant resources and verify financial records and supporting documents in coordination with the project’s financial and grants management teams.

• Support VCGs in implementing approved business plans and matching grant activities in accordance with agreed workplans, budgets, and milestones.

• Facilitate linkages between VCGs, financial institutions, business service providers, suppliers, buyers, and relevant government institutions.

• Promote the participation and leadership of women, youth, and returnees in VCGs and project-supported business activities.

• Provide tailored capacity-building support to women-led VCGs to strengthen their organizational, financial, and business management capacities.

• Conduct regular field visits to assess group performance, identify implementation challenges, and provide practical follow-up support. • Monitor improvements in group performance, financial management, business operations, membership participation, and income-generating activities.

• Prepare training materials, capacity assessment reports, business development plans, field visit reports, and other required technical documentation.

• Coordinate closely with the Project Manager, Marketing Specialist, Horticulture Specialist, financial and grants management teams, and relevant stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of VCG support activities.

Professional Experience • Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in value chain development, business development, organizational strengthening, financial management, or MSME support. • Proven experience in establishing, organizing, and strengthening producer groups, cooperatives, associations, or other business groups. • Demonstrated experience in supporting financial record-keeping, basic accounting, budgeting, financial reporting, and internal control systems. • Experience in developing business plans, operational plans, budgets, and financial forecasts for groups or small and medium enterprises. • Practical experience in providing business development services, entrepreneurship training, and organizational capacity-building support. • Experience supporting agricultural value chains, particularly horticulture, including apples, grapes, pomegranates, and saffron, will be a strong advantage. • Experience in managing, monitoring, or supporting matching grants, business investments, or other grant-funded activities. • Experience in assessing the organizational, financial, and implementation capacity of producer groups and MSMEs. • Experience facilitating collective business activities, including joint purchasing, aggregation, processing, packaging, storage, and marketing. • Experience working with private-sector actors, financial institutions, business service providers, government institutions, and development organizations. • Demonstrated experience promoting women's economic participation and strengthening women-led business groups. • Previous experience working with national or international NGOs, UN agencies, or donor-funded projects in Afghanistan is an advantage. Technical Skills and Competencies • Strong knowledge of value chain development and group-based business models. • Good understanding of financial record-keeping, basic accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting. • Ability to develop and review business plans, budgets, and financial management tools. • Knowledge of MSME development, entrepreneurship, and business management principles.

• Strong facilitation, training, coaching, and mentoring skills.

• Ability to assess organizational capacity and identify institutional and business development needs.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and report-writing skills.

• Good communication, coordination, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word and Excel.

• Ability to work independently, conduct frequent field visits, and support groups in challenging operational environments. Language Requirements

• Fluency in Dari and/or Pashto.

• Good working knowledge of English, particularly for reporting and professional communication.

• Knowledge of additional local or regional languages will be an advantage. Key Expected Deliverables

• VCG organizational and capacity assessment reports.

• VCG strengthening and capacity-building plans.

• Training materials and reports on group management and financial record-keeping.

• Standard financial record-keeping templates and tools for supported groups.

• Business plans, operational plans, and budgets developed or improved with VCGs.

• Matching grant proposal support and organizational capacity assessment reports.

• Financial record-keeping and grant monitoring support documentation.

• Regular field monitoring and progress reports.

• Documentation of improved group governance, business performance, and women's participation.

Interested and qualified candidates should send us their information using the link below.

https://cha-net.org/jobs/application-form/value-chain-group-specialist-call-for-cvs-subject-to-donor-approval-6aec069912abe0001493074d

for more information please contact to this number: 0729128549