Call for Interest - Consultant for Africa Rural Climate Adaption Finance Mechanism (ARCAFIM)

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

The Strategy and Knowledge Department (SKD) provides expert guidance on IFAD's strategic direction, thematic priorities, and technical quality of IFAD's operations. It plays a critical role in providing technical expertise to operational teams to enhance development effectiveness, by generating and disseminating IFAD's development knowledge and evidence on strategic themes and encouraging innovative application of cutting-edge global knowledge and evidence in IFAD investments to support countries tackle their most complex development challenges in fostering inclusive and sustainable rural transformation. SKD is composed of the (i) Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division (ECG); the (ii) Sustainable Production, Markets, and Institutions Division (PMI); and the (iii) Research and Impact Assessment Division (RIA).
PMI provides technical support to IFAD Country Programs to ensure the proper application of corporate quality standards required for achieving development results and impact in key thematic areas, including food production systems (i.e. fisheries, livestock, agronomy), land, natural resources management, water and rural infrastructure, financial services, rural markets and enterprises and rural institutions. It contributes to the generation of evidence and knowledge on these themes and facilitates their use in IFAD country programs and activities.

1. The Private Sector Advisory and Implementation Unit (PAI) was created to host and coordinate the existing and new initiatives aimed at leveraging additional investments for smallholder agriculture in alignment with IFAD's Strategic Framework 2015-2025 and the IFAD11 Reform Agenda, as well as to act as the main coordinating unit for the implementation of IFAD's Private Sector Engagement Strategy 2019-2024 (PSS). Current initiatives which are be covered by the PAI unit include:
2. The Private Sector Financing Programme (PSFP) launched in February 2021 with the ambition to mobilize private funding and investments that deliver economic, social and environmental benefits to rural poor and small producers in particular LICs, LMICs and fragile situations. 
3. The Agribusiness Capital (ABC) Fund, a blended-finance facility sponsored by IFAD, financed by several development partners, and managed by a private fund manager, Bamboo Capital Partners;
4. The Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network (SAFIN), an inclusive partnership of actors working in different parts of the global ecosystem for agricultural and related small and medium enterprises (SMEs) finance and investment;
5. The Climate & Commodity Hedging to Enable Transformation (CACHET), a program financed by IFAD that operates a hedging mechanism to protect smallholders against price volatility. 
6. The Africa Rural Climate Adaptation Financing Mechanism (ARCAFIM), a blended finance risk-sharing facility, together with with a technical assistance facility, that catalyzes private sector climate change adaptation investments in small producers and MSMEs in rural areas of Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. 
7. These initiatives are at various stages of maturity and are amongst the instruments that IFAD uses to implement its PSS. The main function of the PAI unit is to ensure cross-departmental coordination through formal mechanisms and implementation of key investment and non-investment activities into private sector non-sovereign operations (NSOs). 

   
   The Africa Rural Climate Adaptation Finance Mechanism (ARCAFIM) launched in December 2023 at COP28, along with funding partners including the Green Climate Fund, the Nordic Development Fund, the Government of Finland, and the Government of Denmark, and with Equity Bank Kenya as the implementation partner. ARCAFIM's goal is to establish a demonstration effect of the viability of large-scale private sector CCA financing and beyond by introducing a practical, scalable model that follows a comprehensive approach combining financial solutions, knowledge and policy advocacy as well as an innovative CCA Finance Taxonomy. IFAD is seeking a consultant to provide technical support for the implementation of the ARCAFIM. 

   Key Functions and Results  

   The consultant will provide technical support for the implementation of ARCAFIM within the PAI team. Activities will include but are not be limited to the following:

   1. Technical leadership. Provide overall technical leadership of the finalization of the implementation arrangement, working closely with Investment Officers (IOs) as well as other staff including the thematic Technical Specialists in SKD, Country Directors;
   2. Quality assurance. Review the GCF Funding Proposal and other approved documents of the ARCAFIM, and develop the workflow required to implement the project in an efficient manner to ensure the quality of the implementation;
   3. ARCAFIM legal and financial framework. Lead negotiation and legal documentations, including loan agreement and funding agreements, in consultation with IOs, the legal team (LEG) and other relevant divisions. Lead financial analysis and modelling to ensure the proper concessionality level;
   4. ARCAFIM operations plan and manual. Support the team in development of ARCAFIM IFAD Operations Manual as well as ARCAFIM Operations Manual in the implementation partner, through addressing any gap identified in its operationalization;
   5. ARCAFIM Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system and reporting mechanism. Support IOs and the implementation partner in operationalization of the ARCAFIM M&E and reporting systems.
   6. ARCAFIM CCA financing product development and delivery mechanism. Support IOs and the implementation partner in developing the CCA products and delivery channel. Support the finalization of CCA taxonomy and capacity building programme. 
   7. ARCAFIM development in the other regions of Africa. Support IOs to develop the ARCAFIM in the other regions of Africa. Lead the feasibility studies, the development of the funding proposals, and financial structuring of the project.

      Other duties may be assigned depending on priorities.

      📚 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯! 🌍🤝 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗡 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗡𝗛𝗖𝗥, 𝗪𝗙𝗣, 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗘𝗙, 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗦𝗦, 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗣𝗔, 𝗜𝗢𝗠 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀! 🌐

      ⚠️ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰: 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐣𝐨𝐛 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

      Job Profile Requirements  

      • An advanced university degree (Masters or equivalent) in economics, finance, business administration, or similar is required.
      • At least eight (8) years of progressively relevant experience is required, with at least 3 years of international experience in structuring private sector investments in developing countries.
      • Experience in commercial lending or guarantee operations. Experience in risk sharing products is a strong asset.
      • Proven track record in reviewing and negotiating the legal agreements.
      • Demonstrated ability to work with multiple teams and to engage in high level discussions.
      • Ability to provide verbal and written input and recommendations in a succinct and clear manner is required.
      • Experience in blended finance and climate finance operations is a strong asset
      • Prior experience in International Financial Institutions (IFIs) or development institutions in the area of private sector operations and initiatives would be a plus.

         

        Other Information

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        Given the diverse technical nature of the assignments, IFAD is looking for consultants of varying ability above the minimum threshold stated.
        Applicants to this call for interest might undergo a first level screening and those candidates meeting the minimum requirements will undergo a more in-depth assessment in order to be included in IFAD’s Consultants Roster. Inclusion in the roster is no guarantee of assignment.

        Consultants are not considered staff of IFAD. This consultancy assignment does not carry any expectation of employment, extension or conversion to another type of contract with the Fund