District Coordinator

1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Ministry of Local Government Unity and Culture is the lead implementing agency of a six-year programme known as Transforming Agriculture through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) Programme. TRADE is a successor programme of Rural Livelihoods and Economic Enhancement Programme (RLEEP) and it is being co-funded by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) whose overall goal is to contribute to improved sustainable livelihoods of rural people in Malawi through Value Chain commercialisation and resilience of rural poor and smallholder’s producers”. TRADE Programme specifically seeks to: (i) increase production and productivity by smallholder farmers; (ii) functionally upgrade smallholder farmers and the rural poor to undertake new functions such as processing, storage, packaging to capture more value; (iii) improve horizontal linkages by strengthening the capacities of cooperatives to provide market access functions to smallholder farmers; and, (iv) improve vertical linkages between stakeholders at different functional levels of the commodity chain, including private sector.

TRADE supports rural entrepreneurs, focusing on youths and women to develop and sustain their agribusiness enterprise opportunities and ensuring that commodities are nutrition sensitive. The objective is achieved through targeted support to smallholder farmers and non-farm actors to benefit from commodity markets, improved access to rural financial services, market and business development services and partnerships with the private sector.

The programme directly contributes to Pillar 1 and 3 of MW 2063. and Strategic objective 2 of the Malawi Country Strategic Opportunity (COSOP 2016-2021). Under the Ministry of Local Government as lead agency, TRADE is being implemented under 3 interlinked components namely: sustainable producer-private partnerships; enabling environment for smallholder commercialization and component; and, institutional support and programme management. With a total target of 300,000 households, TRADE covers Eleven (11) Districts of Mchinji, Ntchisi, Dedza, Blantyre, Kasungu, Nkhata-Bay, Rumphi, Karonga, Lilongwe Rural, Thyolo and Chitipa, focusing on Seven (7) commodities namely Groundnuts, Soybean, Sunflower, Potato, Dairy, Beef and Honey).

The Ministry of Local Government Unity and Culture, therefore, invites experienced candidates to fill various positions existing under the TRADE Programme as follows:

DISTRICT COORDINATOR
Number of Positions : 1
Recruitment: National
Reporting to: Commodity Specialist

Job Purpose

The District Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating TRADE Programme activities in a designated cluster of Districts. The role involves stakeholder engagement, service provider oversight, and project monitoring to ensure successful programme implementation. The coordinator will also serve as the primary liaison between the Programme Management Unit (PMU) and District-level partners, including government agencies, NGOs, and private sector organizations.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Ensure active participation of district councils in programme implementation, including monitoring progress through field visits and quarterly review meetings.
• Develop and maintain collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders, including government agencies, service providers, agribusinesses, and farmer organizations.
• Identify and support agricultural production, agribusiness, and enterprise development organization enterprise development initiatives based on existing constraints and opportunities.
• Facilitate the transformation of traditional marketing channels into coordinated value chain systems involving farmers, processors, retailers, and other commodity actors.
• Provide technical assistance to NGOs and private service providers, ensuring they effectively support farmer groups in commercial development activities.
• Compile and submit quarterly progress reports to the Commodity Specialist as part of PMU reporting.
• Facilitate the establishment of District Support Teams consisting of key government and Programme stakeholders.
• Organise and lead quarterly review and planning meetings with district Programme support teams.
• Oversee the work of service providers, ensuring adherence to project design and TRADE Programme objectives.
• Provide technical and logistical support for community engagement activities and networking initiatives that enhance value chain development.
• Ensure effective administration and coordination of cluster offices.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Commodity Specialist.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• A Bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness, Economics, Business Administration, Development Studies, or a related field.
• At least five years of experience in agriculture-oriented economic development, agribusiness, and contract management.
• Demonstrated expertise in project and enterprise planning techniques.
• Strong project management experience.
• Commitment to improving rural livelihoods, with a particular focus on women and vulnerable groups.
• Experience in multi-stakeholder engagement and partnership development.

All applications, with attached copies of professional and academic certificates, National ID, Curriculum Vitae and evidence of membership to a relevant professional body, should be hand delivered to the following address, not later than 14th June, 2025:

The Secretary for Local Government, Unity and Culture,
Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture,
Post Office Box 30312,
LILONGWE 3.
(Room 12)