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*This position isย initally based in New Delhiย and will move toย the IFAD Regional Office for the Asia and the Pacific Region (location to be confirmed).
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 local, national and international levels 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 operations. It plays a critical role in providing technical expertise to operational teams to enhance development effectiveness by generating and disseminating IFADโs development knowledge and evidence on strategic themes, and encouraging innovative application of cutting-edge global knowledge and evidence in IFAD investments to help 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); (ii) Sustainable Production, Markets and Institutions Division (PMI); and (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, 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 funded projects and activities.
The Senior Regional Technical Specialist - Water & Rural Infrastructure (Water & RI) works under the overall strategic, policy and management guidance, and supervision of the division Lead Global Technical Specialist, Water & Rural Infrastructure.
Job Role ย
The Senior Technical Specialist serves as IFADโs technical expert in their area of expertise. The position supports country/regional programs by providing state-of-the-art global technical advice throughout the project cycle (strategic and operational), as well as contributes to the corporate agenda, in their technical area of expertise.ย
Within their areas of responsibility, the Senior Technical Specialist 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. The incumbent works collaboratively with the 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.
Position specific: The Senior Regional Technical Specialist - Water & Rural Infrastructure acts as the global anchor in this discipline, leading as the water and rural infrastructure team, acting as the lead corporate expert in the ย area of Water and Rural Infrastructure and managing key programs and initiatives related to Water and Rural Infrastructureโ development, empowerment and strengthening as promoters of change in the value chains and food systems in which they operate as well as stronger partners to private sector actors. The incumbent works collaboratively with the thematic Technical Specialists covering Water and Rural Infrastructure other areas in PMI, 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. The Senior Regional Technical Specialist Water & Rural Infrastructure also represents IFAD at the global level within their area of expertise (Water and Rural Infrastructure), and ensures knowledge flows among the regionally-mapped technical staff within the area of expertise.
Key Functions and Results ย
1.SENIOR TECHNICAL ADVICE: The Senior Technical Specialist provides technically authoritative advice on their area of specialization to improve the capacity of IFAD to position itself as an influential global player in these domains, and to improve related national government policies and programmes and ensure IFAD is regarded as a trusted and valued partner. Accountabilities may include but are not limited to: (a) Providing IFAD staff and partners with up-to-date professional advice on policy, institutional and technical issues. (b) Contributing to ensure that IFAD senior management is regularly and adequately briefed to engage effectively in high level fora with policy implications for rural transformation. (c) Providing senior level technical expertise to the preparation of knowledge products aiming to advance IFADโs voice in the global debate on rural transformation, in close collaboration within SKD and IFAD.ย
2. KNOWLEDGE AND ADVISORY SERVICES: The Senior Technical Specialist 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) Supporting 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) Supporting the coordination of the 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 IFADโs knowledge and capacity to engage in global debates with policy implications for rural transformation.ย
3. PARTNERSHIP BUILDING AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES: Senior Technical Specialist develops and maintains a network of strategic partnerships that can help advance IFADโs mandate and messages around rural transformation in the global debate. The position develops peer contacts inside and outside IFAD to keep up-to-date on activities at the country and regional levels, to support joint advocacy and for knowledge sharing to enhance the Fundโs profile as a highly competent and viable partner in development. Accountabilities may include: (a) Building partnerships with centers of excellence, complementary technical organizations and specialized departments of other development institutions (including United Nations agencies, International Financial Institutions, bilateral cooperation agencies, non-governmental organizations, and others) as strategic partners; (b) Strengthening IFADโs representation and communication in policy processes (including representing IFAD at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conferences); (c) Developing and cultivating alliances in key global policy forums to strengthen IFAD's influence over time, with a strategic focus on specific themes in their area of specialization.ย
4. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING: The Senior Technical Specialist supports the Director/Lead Technical Specialists in knowledge management and other monitoring and reporting activities to enhance country level programme and funding decisions.
5. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Senior Technical Specialist is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources. This includes, among others, people management through support to recruitment of technical specialists and technical leadership/capacity development, coaching and mentoring of new and/or more junior staff, supervisory role and evaluation of performance of professionals and general service staff under their purview.
Position specifics:
6. TECHNICAL ADVICE TO COUNTRY PROGRAMMES: The Senior Regional Technical Specialist- Water & Rural Infrastructure serves as a broker in their area of technical expertise to facilitate the integration of global best-practices in country programmes across the globe on water and rural infrastructureโ development and strengthening of their role in promoting inclusive and sustainable food system transformation, greater and better collaboration with the private sector, medium, small and micro enterprises and rural market creation and development, among others. The incumbent has an over-sight function to ensure consistent application of corporate quality standards within the area of technical expertise and serves as technical peer reviewer in corporate quality enhancement processes to ensure adherence to relevant quality standards and policies. Based on a planning exercise undertaken jointly between PMD and SKD, and working in close collaboration with the CDs/Head MCOs, the Senior Regional Technical Specialist- ย Water & Rural Infrastructure provides targeted technical advice on Water & Rural Infrastructure to selected country programmes across the globe, including supporting the preparation of Results-based Country Strategic Opportunities Programmes (COSOPs), Country Strategy Notes (CSNs), project designs and project supervision/implementation support, through participation in project teams and missions as required. For strategic reasons and based on business needs, the incumbent may serve as Technical Lead for selective project designs, ensuring overall technical quality of the project design across all thematic areas, including drafting of terms of reference for technical team members (incl. consultants), selecting and providing over-sight of qualified technical consultants, 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 or leading select missions and ensuring comments provided through corporate quality enhancement and assurance processes are adequately addressed. ย The Senior Regional Technical Specialist - Water & Rural Infrastructure also; (a) provides support in Water & RI ย area of technical expertise to ongoing projects across the globe (in particular projects for which the incumbent was Technical Lead during design or projects at risk), and has an over-sight function to ensure regionally-mapped technical staff consistently apply corporate quality standards within the technical area of expertise during project supervision and implementation support; (b)โintroduces to country counterparts innovative and integrated solutions for water harvesting, watershed management and efficient water use including modern irrigation for increased agricultural production; (c) provides solutions for post-harvest and connectivity to markets in order to increase the value of crops, including storage and drying facilities, farm track roads, access roads and market places; (d) incorporates renewable energy where appropriate with other climate-smart elements to qualify national programs and projects for climate adaptation and mitigation financing where possible; (e) ensures that IFAD SECAP procedures are followed for all water and rural infrastructure at various functions and scales; (f) identifies opportunities and entries for private sector engagement, in particular for the supply of equipment and setting up service, and also provide after-sales service, including operation and maintenance, as a result additional resources and modern technologies will be introduced as well as a number of jobs created especially for youth.
7. POLICY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTNERSHIPS: The Senior Regional Technical Specialist Water & Rural Infrastructure develops and maintains a global network of peer contacts and partners outside IFAD to keep abreast of recent developments and trends and facilitate brokering of partnerships to enhance the Fundโs profile as a highly competent and viable partner in development. Specifically, on the basis of the thematic expertise and skills and working closely with the CDs, the Lead Global Technical Specialist at headquarters, the Lead Regional Economist and other relevant Technical Specialists, ย the incumbent leads the development of relevant technical policies and strategies in the thematic area of Water & Rural Infrastructure building on the knowledge generated from IFADโs country programs. The incumbent represents IFAD in global fora related to policy formulation on smallholder water management, irrigation and development of rural infrastructure. The incumbent develops and maintains strategic partnerships with relevant organizations, centres of excellence, private sector partners, research institutions, thematic platforms at the global level, in particular with smallholder water management, irrigation and development of rural infrastructure in the framework of UN-Water and other relevant global forums.ย
8. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATION IN THE RURAL SYSTEMS CONTEXT: The Senior Regional Technical Specialist Water & Rural Infrastructure serves as the corporate focal point for knowledge management activities related to the thematic area of technical expertise (including production (water resources management, watershed management, water harvesting, irrigation, drainage) and connectivity (rural roads, storage facilities and market places), social (drinking and home water supply, sanitation), and water and community organizations (water userโs associations, road maintenance committees, etc.). Working closely with SKD and PMD colleagues, the incumbent; (a)coordinates the preparation and implementation of an action plan for knowledge management activities within the area of technical expertise, including securing the required resources (i.e. budget, consultants); (b) leads the systematization and dissemination of knowledge, good practices and innovations generated through IFADโs country programs across the globe, through specific knowledge products, tool-kits, guidelines, blogs, training material, technical notes, publications and learning events; (c) maintains a global network of peer contacts and partners outside IFAD to facilitate brokering of information and knowledge exchanges; (d) builds and/or maintains communities of practice as well as roster of qualified consultants with their area of expertise; (e) represents IFAD in global events on technical matters related to the thematic area of technical expertise and relevant to IFAD; (f) identifies and promotes opportunities for knowledge sharing and exchanges between regionally-mapped technical staff within the area of technical expertise.ย
9. CORPORATE ACTIVITIES: The Senior Regional Technical Specialist (Water & RI) provides targeted authoritative overall advise in the area of technical expertise for the development of corporate initiatives/instruments, policies and procedures, including leading corporate task forces and preparing technical position papers as required. The incumbent also provides substantive inputs to corporate events, training activities and technical management briefs as required.ย
Key Performance Indicators ย
Assignments require the provision of authoritative technical expertise in the field of specialization. The impact of work by the incumbent directly affects country programmes and contributes to regional and corporate policy and strategy. The impact on the overall IFAD country and regional programmes is significant in projecting the Fundโs role/capacity as a reliable, viable partner in development. Work is intricate in that it requires consideration of a wide range of technical factors and related data. Senior Regional Technical Specialists also select and provide oversight of external consultants, participate as experts in field missions and in the servicing of intergovernmental and expert group meetings of a technical nature.ย
Work at this level normally is not reviewed for technical accuracy. Senior Regional Technical Specialists thus exercise 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 ย
The work relationships of Senior Technical Specialists involves the provision of 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 position serves as an expert in the area of agronomy 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, IFIs governments, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations,private sector research institutes and academia. In servicing intergovernmental bodies, expert and working groups and other meetings, the Senior Technical Specialist provides technical expertise and recommendations for investment, policy formulation and official conclusions in a consultative and Specialist capacity; the incumbent also may provide information regarding the organization's policies, and act as the representative of the organization. Maintain contacts to identify and evaluate emerging developments.
Position specific: The incumbent represents IFAD at the regional level within the area of expertise, in particular in the UN-Water and Steering Committee of the Water and Climate Collation.
Job Profile Requirements ย
Organizational Competencies:
Level 2:
Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains strategic partnerships internally and externally Communicating and negotiating - Acquires & uses a wide range of communication styles & skills Demonstrating leadership - Leads by example; initiates and supports change Focusing on clients - Contributes to a client-focused culture Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Challenges, innovates & contributes to learning culture Managing performance and developing staff - Manages wider teams with greater impact on others and on the organization Managing time, resources and information - Coordinates wider use of time, information and/or resources Problem-solving and decision-making - Solves complex problems and makes decisions that have wider corporate impact Strategic thinking and organizational development - Staff in management and/or strategic leadership roles Team working - Fosters a cohesive team environmentEducation:
Level -ย Advanced university degree from an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php in a job related field (*): ย Areas - Engineering, Civil Engineering, Water and Irrigation, Rural Development, ย Natural Resource Management, etc.(*) Note: ย For internal candidates, this requirement will be assessed in line with the provisions set forth in the IFADโs Human Resources Implementing Procedures.ย
Experience:
At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in the field of Water & Rural Infrastructure development, strengthening and empowerment, specifically in the formulation of technical guidance and advise on Water & Rural Infrastructure into development programmes and investment projects promoting inclusive and sustainable rural development, value chains development, market creation and development, greater partnerships with the private sector, as well as management of regional and/or global capacity building grants and programs for civil society organizations, in particular for producers organizations.ย At least five (5) years of relevant experience in a multi-cultural inter- governmental organization.ย Position-specific experience: Highly specialized experience in Water & Rural Infrastructure is requested along experience in international policy frameworks related to global agricultural, food security and rural development issues is an asset as well as experience in the field of water management and rural infrastructure, particularly in the formulation of technical guidance and input to agriculture and rural development programmes. Familiarity with application of IFIs safeguards to manage the social and environmental effects of rural infrastructure projects is a strong asset.Languages:
Required English (4 โ Excellent) ย Another IFAD language ย French, Spanish, or Arabic is desirable (4 โ Excellent)ย Position-specific requirement: Good skills both in speaking and drafting technical documents.Skills:
Advocacy: Ability to leverage IFAD knowledge and/or communication materials to maintain and promote constructive dialogue around IFAD`s vision and strategic priorities to external actors Specialized communication skills: Technical know-how relevant to the specific communication role considered (e.g. communication planning, building and maintaining media relations, video production, publishing, web and other digital media, graphic design, visual identity, brand management, internal communication and events management) Risk management (e.g. reputational): Identification and assessment of potential liabilities and risks in IFAD's activities, particularly vis-ร -vis third parties; ability to handle risks via contingency and mitigation strategies Stakeholder management: Strong alignment capabilities and consultation skills, building on effective interactions and relationships with different stakeholders (e.g. for the co-creation of communication material with member states) and ability to build and maintain a strong network (e.g. with journalists, media outlets, etc.) Strategy implementation: Ability to lead and manage the development and implementation of medium to longer-term strategies for IFAD / for respective divisions Resources management: Know-how in the management of human, financial and material management of IFAD resources Adaptability: Adaptability and flexibility when facing new or unexpected situations, and to specific constraints and circumstances and managing complex processes Confidentiality & Discretion: Establishes self and division as trusted advisor to internal stakeholders by maintaining high level of discretion and confidentiality in assignments; demonstrates sound judgement when dealing with sensitive and/or confidential matters; drives good governance and is a \"Culture Carrier\" demonstrating IFAD institutional conscience through his/her work. Corporate approach: Ability to bring in corporate vision and priorities into one's area of work (e.g. budgeting going beyond simple budgetary considerations, taking into account strategic priorities) Interpersonal skills: Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with others (e.g. visitors, clients, callers, etc.), including senior individuals (e.g. high-level meeting participants) Leadership: Group thought leader, sought out by others and providing mentorship and effective guidance to others; Ability to build trust, inside and outside the organization by acting as a role model for IFAD's core values and competencies, and to provide a clear sense of direction, mentorship and effective guidance to the team, strategizing the IFAD's goals, giving the vision, empowering the team and ensuring a positive environment for all. Synthesis: Outstanding ability to synthesize and simplify complex technical information for a variety of (non-technical) audiences Verbal communication: Clear, succinct and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language Written communication: Clear, succinct and convincing written communication in the language needed for specific role; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language (e.g. for drafting of position papers, briefings, etc.) Evidence-based policy: Know-how in the formulation of concrete and actionable policy recommendations based on hard evidence (going beyond simple data interpretation) Programme/Project development, management: Know-how in Programme/Project development, implementation, management Social & Environmental Safeguards: Know-how in Social & Environmental complianc as specified in the IFAD's Social, Environmental and Climate Assessment Procedures (SECAP) Cross-cutting themes - Environment & climate change: Expertise specific to the environment and climate change cross-cutting theme (e.g. climate and environmental policy, biodiversity, agroecology)