Financial Assessment Consultant
Environmental Justice Foundation
Consulting & Strategy
Job Summary
Ghana’s marine fisheries are in steep decline, with crucial implications for the income, food security and economic development of fishing communities along Ghana’s coast. Over the past two decades, the incomes of Ghana’s small-scale fishers have dropped by as much as 40% , with fish populations plummeting due to unsustainable and often illegal fishing practices and increasing fishing effort. This, coupled with rising costs associated with fishing trips, procurement of gear, fuel, and fish to process, has led to increased levels of poverty in fishing communities, as fishers, fish processors, and fish traders (collectively fisherfolk) have limited or no alternative sources of income to rely upon. As a result, many in small-scale fishing (SSF) communities seek to acquire livelihood assets on credit, or via the acquisition of formal (through financial institutions) and/or informal (through friends, family etc.) loans .Often however, fisherfolk in the country can face barriers to accessing loans due to institutional perceptions that the seasonal nature of their business makes it difficult to service their payments. Loans are often associated with high-interest rates, with fisherfolks in some instances struggling to make repayments, leading to spiralling debt and the negative consequences associated with this. The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), along with its partners which include Ghanaian NGOs CEWEFIA, Friends of the Nation and Hen Mpoano, are implementing a sustainable fisheries project in Ghana with funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD). The project, entitled ‘Building grassroots capacity for a sustainable ocean economy in Ghana’ aims to ensure greater environmental sustainability and social equity in Ghana's fishery sector through a reduction of illegal fishing and by strengthening the capacity and resilience of SSF communities and grassroot organizations. The project includes three core areas: reducing fishery decline through ending illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and promoting participatory co-management; improving income resilience of fishing communities through enhanced opportunities for value addition along fisheries supply chains and enterprise development; and strengthening climate change adaptation and mitigation capacities in coastal areas. As part of the activities under the second core area, this project is seeking to engage a Consultant to undertake a study that maps available financial services for small-scale fisherfolk and the drivers/barriers faced to accessing them.
- Minimum Qualification:Degree
- Experience Level:Mid level
- Experience Length:5 years
Job Description/Requirements
Expected Outputs:
The outputs to be delivered by the Consultant are:
- Prior to commencing the study, a methodological statement which includes a list of communities stakeholders who will be engaged, and the rationale behind the selections.
- A draft report to be provided alongside a short presentation of key findings to EJF staff, with any comments expected to be incorporated into the final version.
- A co-hosted validation meeting in which key findings of the report are shared with relevant stakeholders for feedback.
- A final report of between 20 and 30 pages (excluding Appendices) detailing the methodology, the stakeholders engaged, the findings with reference to the above-mentioned questions and specific recommendations including the next steps that should be taken to improve sustainable access for fisherfolks to financial services both within communities and financial institutions.
- Produce a concise strategy/roadmap to enhance access to the available/identified financial services.
- Alongside EJF, provide technical input and review of a small number of accessible learning materials, including, but not limited to, materials on financial literacy, business development, accessing financial services, etc, that can be shared with fishing communities.
EJF and the Consultant will explore the possibility of co-authorship and publication of the report following its submission.
Requirements:
The lead Consultant must have the following:
- Academic qualification in a relevant discipline (e.g. economics, rural finance, micro-finance).
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience engaging rural communities in Ghana, preferably with a focus on small-scale fisherfolk.
- A track record of undertaking studies on coastal/rural livelihoods, and the provision of financial services to coastal/rural communities.
Applications
Interested consultant/consulting groups can apply by sending the CV of the lead consultant and a proposal outlining the understanding of the role and how they intend to conduct the study to recruitment@ejfoundation.org.
CVS should be sent to recruitment@ejfoundation.org
Closing date for applications: 17th March 2023.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
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