Lead Regional Technical Specialist - Rural Finance

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, and agronomy), land, natural resources management, water and rural infrastructure, renewable energy, financial services, rural markets and enterprises, ICT4D and rural institutions. It contributes to the generation of evidence and knowledge on these themes, and facilitates their use in IFAD projects and activities. PMI also leads IFAD’s non sovereign private sector investment activities. 

The Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Rural Finance) works under the overall strategic, policy and management guidance, and supervision of the Director, PMI with dual reporting to the Regional Division Director to which the position is mapped. 

Job Role  

The Regional Technical Lead technically leads country/regional programs as well as the corporate agenda by providing state-of-the-art technical advice throughout the project cycle (strategic and operational). Within their areas of responsibility, the Regional Technical Lead exercises a high degree of independence in providing reliable programme delivery. The incumbent at this level performs the full complexity range of work independently, including the analysis and approval of complex and/or precedent setting cases with the aim to ensure cohesion and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support.

Position specifics:  The Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Rural Finance) is a leading professional and serves as the lead regional expert in Rural Finance. The incumbent technically supports country/regional programs with a particular focus on the WCA region as well as the corporate agenda by providing state-of-the-art technical advice throughout the project cycle (strategic and operational). As an integral member of delivery teams, the position works collaboratively with other thematic Technical Specialists, Country Directors (CD)/Heads of Multi-country Offices (MCO) and other staff to ensure consistency, cohesion and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support.

Key Functions and Results  

1.POLICY AND STRATEGY ADVICES AND DEVELOPMENT: The Regional Technical Lead provides technically authoritative advice informed by empirical evidence to improve the capacity of IFAD to position itself as an influential global player in agricultural and rural development. The position ensures that IFAD is regarded as a trusted and valued partner of national government in policy dialogues and forums. Accountabilities may include but are not limited to: (a) Providing IFAD staff and partners with up-to-date and evidence-based advice on relevant policy, institutional and technical matters; (b) Providing evidence-informed recommendations to IFAD management on IFAD's rural development agenda using a wide range of data sources and analytical tools; (c) Providing substantive support to IFAD senior management's participation in high level fora with policy implications for rural transformation, including proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, and preparing documents and presentations; (d) Leading the preparation of technical products (e.g., complex papers, analysis, substantive sections of reports and studies) to advance IFAD’s voice in the global debate on rural transformation, in close collaboration within PMD and other SKD divisions. 

2. KNOWLEDGE ADVISORY LEADERSHIP: The Regional Technical Lead enhances the development of viable and sustainable policies and supports regional and global thematic input through authoritative technical knowledge sharing for their area of specialization. The position will ensure access to the latest sources of knowledge and innovation, strengthen technical capacity and establish new knowledge and advisory partnerships. Accountabilities may include, but are not limited to: (i) Leading processes related to intelligence gathering and analysis of debates relevant to inclusive and sustainable rural transformation in the global debate and facilitating knowledge sharing and experiences in this area within SKD, IFAD and other stakeholders in the global arena; (ii) Coordinating relevant knowledge development and dissemination with institutions outside of IFAD, within the region concerned and national Institutions, disseminating knowledge and lessons learned with external partners and stakeholders through publication of Occasional Papers, journal articles, seminars and workshops, through electronic media and the development of new knowledge products and operational tools that are informed by learning from the field; (iii) Participating in IFAD-wide thematic discussions and developing appropriate technical and operation approaches of relevance to the country/divisional strategies and programmes; (iv) Planning and leading learning events to strengthen IFAD’s knowledge and capacity to engage in global debates with policy implications for rural transformation. 

3. PARTNERSHIP BUILDING AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES: The Regional Technical Lead develops and maintains a network of strategic partnerships that can help advance IFAD's mandate and messages around inclusive and sustainable rural transformation in the global debate. The position develops peer contacts inside and outside IFAD to develop new products and services, keeps up-to-date on activities at the country and regional levels, to support joint advocacy and for knowledge sharing to enhance the Fund’s profile as a highly competent and reliable partner in development. Accountabilities may include, but not limited to: (a) Building partnerships with centers of excellence, complementary technical organizations and specialized departments of other development agencies as strategic partner; (b) Strengthening IFAD’s representation and communication in policy processes (including representing IFAD at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conferences); (c) Generating new resources for IFAD through partnerships and outreach activities; (d) Identifying major opportunities, as well as serving as a focal point, for strategic collaboration with centers of excellence, complementary technical organizations and specialized departments of other development agencies as strategic partners; (e) Leading wider IFAD and Rome-based discussions on the development of sustainable and inclusive approaches to rural transformation as requested. 

4. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING: The Regional Technical Lead supports the Director in monitoring and corporate reporting activities to enhance knowledge creation, country level programme and funding decisions. Accountabilities may include, but not limited to: (i) Supporting the Director in setting up systems to monitor the use of research output and knowledge products; (ii) Advising on all aspects of the planning and reporting associated with Research and Impact Assessment as well as donor reporting in the case of supplementary funding. 

5. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Regional Technical Lead is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources. Accountabilities may include but are not limited to: (a) Contributing to the supervision of key divisional programme activities, including key missions and other initiatives, leading and directing a team of staff, overseeing research and impact assessment activities, planning and allocating work assignments, coaching, mentoring and evaluating staff, and participating in recruitment, selection and training of new staff and in the development of training programs; (b) Contributing to the personnel and financial management of the work unit, including the development and implementation of work plans and budgets.

POSITION SPECIFICS:
6. TECHNICAL ADVICE TO COUNTRY PROGRAMMES: Based on a planning exercise, and working in close collaboration with the CDs and CPOs, technical experts from PMI and ECG, the Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Rural Finance) provides technical advice to selected country programmes primarily in the West and Central Africa (WCA) region in the area of rural finance, with specific emphasis on improving the access of small producers and other IFAD target groups (e.g. rural women, youth, indigenous peoples) to inclusive and sustainable rural financial services,  supporting the development or upgrading of pro-poor and inclusive agricultural/food systems, building stronger partnerships with private sector actors through the deployment of catalytic financial instruments such as guarantee funds, tri-partite cost/risk sharing financing mechanisms, value chain financing schemes, climate finance  and leveraging on digital technology to promote improves access to all financial services including credit, savings, insurance and payment.     

Through participation in project teams and missions, the position provides technical leadership and advice in Rural Finance as part of rural development approaches for the preparation of project design reports and supporting documents/annexes as well as in project implementation support, preparing project supervision reports with concrete guidance and actions to improve project delivery and achievement of impacts. The Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Rural Finance) serves as a member of Project Design Teams (PDTs) as the Project Technical Lead (PTL) for selected projects that require inputs on Rural Finance. As PTL, the position co-leads the project design and implementation support with the CD and the position is responsible for the technical quality of the assigned project design across all thematic areas. This includes: drafting terms of reference in collaboration with CDs for technical team members (incl. consultants); selecting and providing over-sight of qualified technical consultants in consultation with CDs; facilitating technical inputs from other IFAD staff and/or others (i.e. centers of excellence, research institutions); ensuring the technical quality of the project design report; participating in and/or leading selected design missions; ensuring that comments provided through corporate quality assurance processes are adequately addressed; participating in or leading supervision and implementation support missions; organizing and/or contributing to training and/or capacity building activities of project partners as needed; and providing technical inputs to project completion reports. The incumbent also provides technical support in Rural Finance for selected ongoing projects, for which they may not be a member of the PDT requiring implementation support with particular challenges linked to markets and value chain development (e.g. projects-at-risk).   

The Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Rural Finance) will provide technical support and propose new and/or effective approaches, practices and technologies that allow small-scale producers and rural communities to improve their access to more inclusive and sustainable financial services including credit, savings, insurance and payment as well as greater climate finance. Gender equality, social inclusion and opportunities for youth will be considered as crosscutting priorities as well as the use of ICT4D solutions. Particular emphasis will be on: strengthening institutional, business and financial capacities and access to markets for  small farmers and their organizations to access inclusive and sustainable financial services (including climate finance), and improve their returns from financial resources borrowed to implement income generating activities and strengthen their resilience to climate change and other shocks, promoting greater use of insurance and other risk management tools supporting climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive value chains when/where relevant; brokering partnerships with private sector actors (including public-private producer partnerships - 4Ps and attracting private investments in the value chains that result in win-win solutions for all parties) through deployment of appropriate funding schemes and instruments; collaborating with other experts in PMI to identify and support the development of appropriate instruments and technologies related to rural financial services, ICT4D applications, non-sovereign private sector operations; etc.
 
7. POLICY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS: The Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Rural Finance) develops and maintains a network of peer contacts and  partners  outside  IFAD  notably in WCA region to  keep  abreast  of  recent developments and  trends  and  facilitate  brokering  of  partnerships in the WCA.  The incumbent will follow-up on existing and new partnership discussions with other UN agencies, research institutions, NGOs, private sector investors, etc. interested in working with IFAD on inclusive and sustainable rural financial services.  

Working closely with CDs, CPOs, relevant Specialists, and the regional economist, the position contributes to the development of relevant technical policies and strategies linked to inclusive and sustainable rural financial services in WCA. The incumbent also represents IFAD in technical policy fora that are of relevance in the area of technical expertise, and develops and maintains strategic technical partnerships with organizations, centres of excellence, research institutions and thematic platforms that are relevant for IFAD. 

8. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: The Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Rural Finance) serves as a champion for knowledge management focusing on inclusive and sustainable rural financial services in the WCA  region. This includes systematizing and disseminating knowledge, good practices and innovations generated on inclusive and sustainable rural financial services through loans and grants or non-sovereign operations across the globe, through specific knowledge products, toolkits, guidelines and learning events.  
The Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Rural Finance) in collaboration with CDs, CPOs and other technical staff may propose ideas for grant projects addressing gaps and needs mainly in the WCA  portfolio for improved access to inclusive and sustainable rural financial services. This include proposals for testing and or upscaling innovative approaches and technologies that are relevant to inclusive and sustainable rural financial services. The incumbent contributes or takes the lead on developing the competitive process for selecting a grantee and develops the grant document for approval, supervises and supports the implementation of the grant, including reviewing and approving annual work plans and budgets, project progress reports and fund withdrawal applications. The incumbent contributes to the preparation of knowledge products based on the grants and organizes learning events for their disseminations. 

9.  MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS. The Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Rural Finance) may supervise other more junior professional staff, general service staff assigned to him/her, as well as consultants hired to deliver specific activities and/or outputs. The incumbent will be coordinating the PMI team in the WCA region and works collaboratively with other PMI staff regionally mapped  to WCA and global technical specialists, Country Directors (CDs) and other SKD thematic Technical Specialists ensuring consistency, cohesion and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support, facilitating knowledge flows, building communities of practice and providing technical support to regional divisions and IFAD Senior Management.

Key Performance Indicators  

Assignments require the provision of authoritative professional expertise and technical leadership at the global, regional and national levels. Regional Technical Leads define, propose, revise and/or develop programmes or policies for the Fund and represent the position of IFAD in national, regional as well as global fora and conferences. Innovation is required in the adaptation and development of approaches and methods to evolving technical and programmatic contexts. Work at this level is considered as substantially complex and of critical concern to the Fund. In particular, analytical and advisory work requires in depth identification and consideration of a full range of factors relevant to the examination and discussion of programme problems and policies in the solution of methodological problems or in the formulation of policy proposals and project recommendations.

Position specific: 
Work at this level, is normally not reviewed for technical accuracy, the Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Rural Finance), thus exercises independence and initiative in assessing needs and advising governments when on field mission. Decisions are made on the research or analytical strategies to be followed in resolving problems of concern in the technical area. Established methods and procedures are adapted as necessary in order to achieve desired results. 

Working Relationships  

The work relationships of Regional Technical Leads involves the provision of authoritative technical advice  for policy, programme and strategy development, resource mobilization,and the negotiation and resolution of problems that arise in mission planning, technical project appraisal or the preparation of studies and reports. The incumbent typically serves as the Fund’s senior technical advisor in the field of specialization and exercises wide professional latitude in contacts in their field(s), providing technical leadership and methodological guidance to management, CDs/HeadsMCOs, national governments, development partners and other country programme staff in the technical area of specialization.

Position specific: 
The work relationships of Lead Regional Technical Specialist (Rural Finance) involve the provision of authoritative technical advice and the negotiation and resolution of problems that arise in technical project design and appraisal, supervision/implementation support and in the preparation of studies and reports. The incumbent serves as an expert in the field of rural finance and works with full technical independence in the provision of technical expertise and methodological guidance at the country level, as well as regionally as required.  Contacts are with counterparts and senior officials within other United Nations organizations having related programmes and with officials of governments, non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations, research institutes and academia.

Job Profile Requirements  

Organizational Competencies:

Level 2:

Education:

(*) Note:  For internal candidates, this requirement will be assessed in line with the provisions set forth in the IFAD’s Human Resources Implementing Procedures. 

Experience:

Languages:

Skills: