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Senior Regional Procurement Officer

Abidjan

  • Organization: IFAD - International Fund for Agricultural Development
  • Location: Abidjan
  • Grade: Mid level - P-4, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Procurement
  • Closing Date: Closed

Vacancy Announcement Number 1976
Date of Issue 06/01/2021
Deadline for Applications 27/01/2021
Organizational Unit West & Central Africa Div.
Level P-4
Duty Station ABIDJAN
Duration of Assignment 2 years

Organizational context

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.


Post's organizational accountability

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). Under the strategic management and policy guidance of a PMD Regional Division Director and Lead Procurement Advisor, the Senior Regional Procurement Officer will work closely with the Country Programme Managers (CPMs), IFAD Country Offices (ICO) staff and project team members, to provide strategic analysis and advice to ensure that the division's programmes and projects are aligned to IFAD's procurement policies and procedures.

The Senior Regional Procurement Officer is accountable for IFAD core values of integrity, transparency, and equity in the alignment to IFAD's procurement policies and procedures (as established in the IFAD Project Procurement Guidelines, IFAD Procurement Handbook and other related and relevant documentation), of the divisions programmes and projects. The accountabilities/key results include:

  • Strategy and Effectiveness Management
  • Procurement Management
  • Partnership Building
  • Managerial Functions

The Senior Regional Procurement Officers in regional divisions have a dual reporting line to the PMD Regional Division Director and the Lead Procurement Advisor in OPR.


Key results expected / Major functional activities

1. STRATEGY AND EFFECTIVENESS MANAGEMENT: The Senior Regional Procurement Officer is responsible for the effectiveness of procurement management execution by country programme management teams and project teams on project design documents. He/she is responsible for procurement execution in line with IFAD procurement guidelines and handbook, non-compliance in procurement management, controls, risk assessment and contract management and effective use of resources, identifying bottlenecks and weaknesses of project procurement controls and establishing mechanisms for solutions. He/she is also responsible for Letters to the Borrower, with emphasis on procurement thresholds and specific implementation and procurement arrangements.

2. PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT: The Senior Regional Procurement Officer has the following roles and responsibilities:

Roles:

  1. Promote fulfilment of IFAD’s project procurement oversight function.
  2. Champion the design and effective implementation of appropriate project procurement quality assurance and risk-based systems.
  3. Provide direction to the Regional Division management and CPMTs, on procurement policies, practices, processes and procedures.
  4. Dispense strategic support and backstopping to the Regional Division management and CPMTs, on procurement issues throughout project design, supervision and implementation support, including by serving as a member of Design Review Meetings (DRM).
  5. Provide authoritative advice, counsel and guidance particularly on complex procurement issues, innovative solutions.
  6. Assist the Regional Division management and CPMTs on approaches and strategies for the development of procurement documents that take into consideration latest sector trends, life- cycle costing analysis, value-for-money concepts and practices used in other donor agencies including multilaterals.
  7. Monitor procurement performance across the portfolio, develop key project procurement performance indicators and risk management tools to ensure proactive identification and action to address procurement and contract management issues and bottlenecks.
  8. Assesses needs and identifies training options for CPMs, ICO staff and project team members to ensure robust management of procurement risk. When necessary, provides training and guidance to CPMs, ICO staff and project team members on project procurement management and related risks.
  9. Advise, as appropriate, the Regional Division management and CPMTs on market analysis, market outreach and communication strategies to attract capable, available and responsive bidders.
  10. Contribute to the knowledge and expertise of project procurement by staying abreast of and reporting on current trends in international public procurement.
  11. Recommend practices and procedures for implementing procurement lessons learned in projects funded or administered by IFAD.
  12. Share knowledge through formal trainings and/or hands-on field practice and exchanges lessons learnt with other Regional Divisions and OPR.
  13. Prepare new procurement templates and guidance notes on various topics in procurement or suggest modifications to existing ones.
  14. Provide advice, appraisal and feedback on the work of Procurement consultants hired by IFAD.
  15. Facilitate, follow up and support procurement investigations.
  16. Lead and organise project procurement reviews (PPRs).
  17. Prepare and contribute to updating ORMS and Management Letters.
  18. Lead development, operationalization and roll-out of ICT systems for procurement.

Responsibilities:

i.            Prepare or clear procurement capacity/system and risk assessments.

ii.           Prepare or clear definition of project procurement arrangements and prior-review thresholds.

iii.          Review and clear Letters to the Borrower.

iv.          Review prepared Project Implementation Manuals (PIMs).

v.           Review and/or clear procurement activities and processes requiring IFAD's prior review and advise CDs/CPMs accordingly regarding issuance of No Objections.

vi.          Undertake PPRs.

vii.         Undertake post review of procurement.

viii.        Provide inputs to procurement issues in supervision missions.

ix.          Support procurement training and capacity building.

x.           Undertake procurement analysis of trends and risk.

These responsibilities (preparation, undertaking, review and clearance) may be delegated to ICO staff and/or IFAD procurement consultants. The Senior Regional Procurement Officer only clears when s/he did not prepare, and when s/he prepares, clearance may need to be undertaken by other members of the team.

3. PARTNERSHIP BUILDING: The Senior Regional Procurement Officer contributes to promoting a constructive dialogue on procurement matters with country programme managers, government officials, counterparts in other international organizations and public sector management and financial management specialists, as well as other external parties through engaging them on public procurement reforms. He/she attends meetings on procurement related matters to champion continuous procurement improvements within IFAD and maintains and facilitates an IFAD-approved roster of qualified procurement consultants in the region, ensuring they are fully updated on IFAD procurement policies.

4. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Senior Regional Procurement Officer is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the alignment to IFAD's procurement policies and procedures of the  divisions programmes and projects. He/she coordinates and liaises with the Office of Audit and Oversight and other Technical Divisions on procurement cases. He/she maintains a consolidated database and files on prior review contracts and ensures project/programme contract registers are updated and submitted to the division. Ensures procurement management at divisional level and relevance and appropriateness of Guidelines on Procurement, proposing drafts for revisions and updates.


Impact of Key results / Key performance indicators

The key results have an impact on the overall efficiency in procurement management, and success in introduction and implementation of operational strategies. Strategic approach to procurement, accurate, thoroughly researched documented information, timely and appropriate delivery of services, ensure client satisfaction and overall timely delivery of IFAD programmes and projects. The Senior Regional Procurement Officer at this level provides strategic analysis and advice on procurement related issues to ensure that regional divisions' programmes and projects follow IFAD's procurement policies and procedures. Going beyond established procedures or models, the Senior Regional Procurement Officer's substantive contributions reflect proposals for revisions and updates of Guidelines on Procurement ensuring relevance and appropriateness. He/she demonstrates authoritative knowledge and capacity in performing the Senior Regional Procurement Officer role.


Representation / Work relationships

Within the parameters of a Senior Regional Procurement Officer, at this level he/she serves as senior strategic analyst and advisor on procurement related issues. Combination of credible authoritative capacity with independent responsibility for assessment of division's procurement systems, training of staff and management of procurement risks, ensures the adherence to IFAD's procurement policies and procedures. He/she contributes to resolving complex issues related to procurement matters.


Competencies

Organizational:

  • Strategic thinking and organizational development: Strategic leadership
  • Demonstrating Leadership: Leads by example; initiates and supports change
  • Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating: Challenges, innovates and contributes to a learning culture
  • Focusing on clients: Contributes to a client-focused culture
  • Problem solving and decision making: Solves complex problems and makes decisions that have wider corporate impact
  • Managing time, resources and information: Coordinates wider use of time, information and/or resources
  • Team Work: Fosters a cohesive team environment
  • Communicating and negotiating: Acquires and uses a wide range of communication styles and skills
  • Building relationships and partnerships: Builds and maintains strategic partnerships internally and externally
  • Managing performance and developing staff: Manages staff and teams effectively

Technical/Functional

  • Senior expert in procurement matters and management as well as specific expertise in procurement advisory role.
  • Solid relevant working experience in procurement activities in an international organization, which includes a proven record of managing and delivering complex procurement programmes.
  • Extent and relevance of experience in assessing critical linkages between procurement and business functions, and, the ability to deal effectively within a multicultural environment, and with external clients within a country specific framework.
  • Proven record of relevant experience in drafting reports and other  communication material clearly and concisely in English.

Minimum recruitment qualifications

Education:

  • Advanced university degree from an accredited institution in business administration, public administration, law, commerce, finance or a related field.

Experience:

  • At least eight (8) years of experience in procurement activities in an international organization including a proven record of managing and delivering complex procurement programmes and record of relevant field experience. Work in more than one geographic region as well as at Headquarters is an asset. Management and procurement experience in the UN system is desirable.

Language requirements:

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and proficiency in French. Working knowledge of another official language (Arabic or Spanish) is desirable.

Other information

Applicants should note that IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD, and they may be assigned by him/her to any of the activities of IFAD, including field assignments and/or rotation within IFAD.

In the interest of making most cost effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful.

Candidates may be required to take a written test and to deliver a presentation as well as participate in interviews.


This vacancy is now closed.
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