Date of last update: 03/07/2023 2023-07-03
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.
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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 Programme Management Department (PMD), under the leadership of an Associate Vice-President, is responsible for the overall programme of loans and grants of the Fund and is composed of five (5) regional divisions and the Operational Policy and Results Division (OPR).
The Programme Officer works under the overall policy and management guidance and direct supervision of a Country Director (P-4/P-5) or Country Director/Head of IFAD Multi-Country Office (CD/Head of MCO).
The position is located in West and Central Africa Division (WCA), in Dakar, Senegal and the incumbent works under the direct supervision of Country Director/Head of MCO Dakar.
The Programme Officer is responsible for coordinating programmes and/or projects within the assigned portfolio.
Position specific:
The Programme Officer provides support to country portfolios in the Dakar MCO (i.e., Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Conakry, Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal).
COUNTRY STRATEGY AND COUNTRY PROGRAMME SUPPORT: The Programme Officer provides a solid understanding of international practices and of IFAD's policies and procedures to ensure activities of a programme or project within her/his assigned portfolio enhance the related technical quality of IFAD activities within the relevant country, through effective programme (COSOP) and project (grants and loans) design, supervision, implementation, monitoring and evaluation (RIMS), reporting (PSR) and completion (PCR) activities. S/he also provides substantive contributions to the development of advice and technical guidance in support of sustainable government strategies, policies and programmes to improve agricultural development and rural poverty reduction. The Programme Officer is further accountable for capacity-building activities including identifying, analyzing, documenting, harmonizing and disseminating both national and local issues as well as conditions and best practices and lessons learned among partner development agencies. Capacity-building activities include coordinating meetings, workshops and seminars with project management teams, government, partners and other stakeholders.
COUNTRY OFFICE SUPPORT: The Programme Officer is accountable for day-to-day administration and reporting in support of the Supervisor and for supervision of assigned Country Programme Associate/Assistant. In addition to human resources management, s/he has accountability for financial and material resources and related processes including managing contracts for services. S/he provides inputs to budget preparation and monitors expenditures, manages contract completion and certifies payments.
SUPPORT TO PARTNERSHIP BUILDING: As a key PMD team member, the Programme Officer enhances IFAD's relationships and collaborations with in-country counterparts by identifying synergies and proposing coordinated strategies with multilateral/bilateral donors and civil society organizations involved in agricultural development and rural poverty reduction. S/he establishes and maintains counterpart contacts to promote programme and project collaboration and harmonization as well as identifies financing opportunities with other donors.
POLICY DEVELOPMENT/KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: The Programme Officer participates in relevant policy meetings and events of interest to IFAD's target groups and which involve the government, donors, and civil society, including NGOs, to develop an enabling environment for sustainable, pro-poor development. From an international best practices perspective, s/he analyzes evidenced based recommendations from projects to link the realities on the ground and the voices of the poor with the policies and programmes of the government. S/he contributes to IFAD's policy intelligence with regular updates and information exchange with her/his supervisor on relevant policy discussions and ensures a continuous knowledge flow with peers in accordance with the knowledge management mechanism in place. This will serve to enhance the empowerment of the rural poor and disadvantaged so that they can enter into partnerships at all levels of policy dialogue.
MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Programme Officer is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources.
Position specific:
The Programme Officer:
The Programme Officer maintains the standards for IFAD's competence in development in her/his assigned portfolio. S/he has demonstrated technical expertise and credibility in portfolio management and creates the foundation for IFAD's capacity and reputation for programme delivery and enhances its recognition as a reliable development partner. S/he provides substantive support in the development of country strategy, project design, partnership building and policy development and the foundation for enhancing sustainable government strategies and policies to improve the livelihoods of the poor and other disadvantaged groups.
Working Relationships
In the context of programme development and delivery, the Programme Officer ensures the exchange of information, advocates for programme and policy enhancements and ensures consistency and reliability in the provision of development assistance to the government. In collaboration with other members of the UN country team, bi-lateral development agencies, NGOs and country programme counterparts, s/he establishes and maintains relationships and projects the image of IFAD as a credible/reliable partner striving for harmonization of development activities.
Job Profile RequirementsOrganizational Competencies:
Level 1:
Education:
Education includes Advanced university degree from an accredited institution listed on https://whed.net/home.php in rural development, agriculture, economics, rural finance, development policy or related field is required (*):
(*) Note: For internal candidates, this requirement will be assessed in line with the provisions set forth in IFAD's Human Resources Implementing Procedures.
Experience:
Languages:
IFAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic, social or political background, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, family size or sexual orientation.
Please be aware of fraudulent job offers. IFAD does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. Official communication from IFAD will always come from e-mails ending in @ifad.org.
This position is included in IFAD internal reassignment exercise and advertised externally in parallel. Should a suitable staff member be identified during the reassignment exercise and the reassignment decision accepted, the recruitment process will be cancelled. In case no suitable candidate is identified through reassignment, the recruitment process will continue.
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For Swiss nationals
Working hours (%): 80-100%
80-100%Type of contract: Staff (Permanent and Fixed Term)
Duration: 2 years
Macro-area: Sub-Saharan Africa
Level of experience: Senior Professional, more than 5 years
Area of work Definition: Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Rural Development
Type of organisation: Multilateral Organisations