Location – Philippines

The internship is based in Manila, with possibility of working periodically in other areas.

Partner

The National Federation of Co-opera tives for Persons with Disability (NFCPWD) was founded in 1998 to provide support and services to Persons with Disabilities (PWD) co-ops and to promote co-ops as an
alternative vehicle for PWD empowerment and socio-economic progress. Starting with 5 members, the Federation has grown to include 16 primary co-ops. The organization is entirely owned and staffed by physically disabled persons. The Federation provides training to co-operatives on governance, managerial and technical skills, and health and safety practices. They advocate on be half of PWDs and for the past 13 years they have bid on and won procurement contracts from the Department of
Education to produce school desks.

The Project

The project centres on the creation of a business development unit (BDU) within the Federation that will support co-op enterprise development and increase income streams at the national and local levels. The BDU will work on business incubation, pilot testing, business needs assessments, investment assistance and other technical services that will facilitate the development of viable and sustainable co-operative enterprise. This more business centered approach will be supported by ongoing capacity trainings, including: providing co-op members with the skills to take on new
business lines; management, leadership, and governance training; occupational safety and waste management training; and marketing and advocacy training.

Activities

The Business Development Officer will carry out the following activities and tasks:

1. Provide business development assistance to member co-ops of NFCPWD
2. Work with one or more of the member co-ops to identify and develop other small-scale business opportunities that may be relevant to them or to other member co-ops of the Federation
3. Assist in marketing studies of new lines of business being considered by the federation or its member co-ops
4. Liaise with the Business Development Officer and other staff of the National Federation of Co-operatives of Persons with Disability (NFCPWD), working together to help increase business development opportunities for member co-ops
5. Support NFCPWD to develop its work related to micro and small enterprises for members not working on the major income-generating projects
6. Become familiar with business planning and tracking systems and support NFCPWD in (and potentially its member co-ops) in applying and using them consistently where needed
7. Continue to provide business development support on the expansion of organic (vermicast) fertilizer as a business line for specific co-ops as needed
8. Other activities as needed

Qualifications

The Business Development Officer must have the following qualifications:

1. Graduated from a recognized university or college program in commerce, community economic development, business administration, marketing, international development, or a related area, ideally with a value chain/ business development orientation
2. Interest in/knowledge of the social economy–social enterprises, co-operatives.
3. Ability to communicate clearly and provide training related to business operations
4. Knowledge of international development
5. Ability and interest in communicating and interacting effectively with people of different cultures and with different abilities
6. Demonstrated ability to work in dynamic situations and to be flexible and adapt to change. This includes the flexibility to live in a small community, without daily access to city amenities
7. Ability to take initiative, set goals, and manage time independently, while seeking guidance and direction from your manager
8. Formal computer skills (Microsoft Office)

IYIP Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the international Youth Internship Program, an intern must:

1. Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident legally entitled to work in Canada
2. Be a post-secondary graduate
3. Be out of school

Deadline for application: Thursday May 15, 2014. Only successful applicants will be contacted for an interview.