MEDA is an international economic development organisation that creates business solutions to poverty. MEDA works in agri-food market systems, focusing primarily on women and youth in rural communities in the Global South.
MEDA recently celebrated 70 remarkable years of investing in entrepreneurs; harnessing the power of business to create sustainable and lasting solutions to poverty for entrepreneurs around the globe.
With an ambitious goal to create or sustain decent work for 500,000 people in emerging economies by 2030 MEDA is shifting its focus beyond project-specific efforts to establish lasting alliances that bring about systemic change.
Millar Cameron was tasked with supporting the RIZAO Project, where our client MEDA was entrusted with the management of $13.1 million for the five-year initiative funded by the Mastercard Foundation to enhance the rice value chain in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Togo. We were tasked with hiring a Managing Director, Agricultural Engineer, Finance Manager, Regional IKM Lead and an Institutional Capacity Strengthening Specialist.
The client required the recruitment of five programmatic positions to be ready to assume roles as soon as the contract was signed. The challenge was that these positions needed to be filled with local bilingual candidates (French and English) who had experience managing regional or multi-country initiatives, all while being mindful of the budget and tight timelines. This required a tailored and efficient recruitment process that aligns with the funding approval timeline.
The quality of candidates was great, and the screening process was thorough, leading to a strong and well-considered shortlist. While the process did take longer given the funding process, overall, it was a positive experience.
Pierre D. KADET, PhD (Former) Senior Regional Director – West Africa, Middle East & North Africa Programs
Millar Cameron addressed this challenge by packaging the hiring process as a dedicated project, ensuring quick turnarounds while maintaining candidate engagement throughout the extended timeline. This Project Recruitment Solution involved end-to-end management of the recruitment process, including job description review, candidate mapping, attraction, candidate qualification, competency-based assessments, psychometric assessments and background checks.
Our bilingual team facilitated the translation of job descriptions from French to English as well as the interviews, ensuring that the recruitment process was seamless across language barriers. We maintained constant communication with both the client and candidates, supporting interviews, conducting background checks, and managing offer negotiations. Delivering roles in sprints – we were able to rationalise the selection process, keeping the pace, quality and making the process more manageable for the hiring community.
I really appreciated the accountability that Millar Cameron maintained throughout the entire process.
Nana Owusu Ansah-Regional People & Culture Lead (Africa)
As a result, all positions have been filled successfully. The client appreciated the quality of hires, our proactive planning, and the professionalism displayed throughout the process, with Millar Cameron’s ownership of the recruitment process making the work easier for the hiring panel and ensuring a smooth outcome for the project.