Call for Interest for Consultancy: Technical Expert in Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment for the Gender Transformation Mechanism in Climate Change Adaptation (GTM) in India

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).

ECG takes the lead in mainstreaming cross-cutting themes of environmental sustainability and climate change resilience, nutrition-sensitivity, gender equality and women’s empowerment and inclusion of rural youth and indigenous peoples through an integrated approach. 

What is the GTM - IFAD is establishing the Gender Transformation in Climate Change Adaptation (GTM) mechanism to help countries achieve their gender transformation in agriculture goals. The goal of the GTM is to inspire governments to invest in and scale up the capacities and activities needed to achieve gender-transformative results in their agricultural programs. Through the GTM, IFAD leverages the scale of its loans and grants, and builds on its experience of practices that have achieved gender transformation.

The GTM in India consists of a grant that will expand the scope of work on gender equality and women's empowerment (GEWE) within the framework of the already ongoing IFAD-funded investment, Maharashtra Rural Women's Enterprise Development Project (Nav Tejaswini). The Nav Tejaswini project aims to enable one million poor rural households overcome poverty sustainably while improving rural women’s capacity to develop sustainable enterprises, engage in remunerative employment, and access markets.

In the context of the Nav Tejaswini project, the GTM will pursue an institutional strengthening approach by supporting the development of a high-impact, influential Centre of Excellence (CoE) for gender transformative results and women’s empowerment housed within the government implementing partner for Nav Tejaswini (Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal, MAVIM). By sharing MAVIM’s expertise and good practices with other ecosystem actors, a CoE will help to sustain and scale the GEWE impact of Nav Tejaswini within Maharashtra and India, and the extent to which its lessons are applicable elsewhere.  

Building upon a foundation of MAVIM’s continued excellence in programmatic implementation the CoE will leverage four core pillars of activities—technical and advisory services, knowledge and evidence, advocacy and policy, and partnership promotion. Three CoE objectives, which signify the change the center will seeks to achieve with targeted actors, will be prioritized under the GTM: (1) Actors in other states and countries leverage MAVIM’s best practices, lessons learned, and expertise to support the achievement of gender transformative results in their locality; (2) the GoM’s policies and programs support the achievement of gender transformative results by better integrating GEWE in planning, design, and implementation; and (3) the GoM’s budgeting supports the achievement of gender transformative results by better allocating and disbursing funds for GEWE.

Against this background, IFAD is looking for a consultant based in India qualified to perform the role of technical adviser to the GTM on GEWE for the implementation of the GTM in India. The consultant's contract will be for a maximum of 240 days per calendar year.

The consultant will be located in the IFAD India office at New Delhi, India and be responsible for following up on the progress of the project, providing technical support to the activities of the GTM in the country, contributing to its cooperation with the Nav Tejaswini project and, more generally, with the portfolio of IFAD projects and grants in the country.

Reporting to the GTM global coordinator and the CD/CPO in the India (New Delhi) office, in close coordination with the Nav Tejaswini project director and their Programme Management Unit (PMU), and under the overall guidance of the Lead Technical Specialist on Gender and Social Inclusion, the consultant will be in charge of the following activities:

• Provide technical support and guidance for the overall management and implementation of the GTM initiative in India and oversee the implementation of GTM activities;
• Ensure the collection of data from the implementation of the GTM, while also supporting the collection of relevant data from the implementation of the Nav Tejaswini project. Lead the analysis and presentation of data to track progress of the GTM and assess its results on the promotion of gender equality, the empowerment of women and the overall transformation of gender relations;
• Provide technical support and advice related to GEWE in activities such as the development of terms of reference, the review and selection of technical proposals, implementation support to GTM activities and the development/update of progress reports;
• Contribute to regular communication and exchange of information with the various stakeholders involved: the GTM coordination team at IFAD headquarters, the GTM coordinator in India, government authorities at central and local level, the PMU and its staff, the GTM and Nav Tejaswini project implementing partners, as well as with the IFAD country team in India to ensure synergies and coordination;
• In collaboration with the GTM coordinator in India, the project director and the monitoring and evaluation manager, provide relevant contributions related to the GTM for the main Nav Tejaswini project management documents, such as progress reports, annual work plans and budgets, procurement plans, etc.;
• Conduct periodic missions to supervise and/or provide implementation support related to the activities of the GTM, and draft mission reports;
• Contribute to the preparation of international missions;
• Contribute to partner reporting for implementation of GTM related services in GTM and Nav Tejaswini project systems, including quality data collection;
• Participate in coordination meetings with national GTM partners, GTM team and others
• Support knowledge management on good practices and lessons learned related to the implementation of activities;
• Undertake other activities that the supervisor may require to ensure a sound and timely implementation of the GTM in India.

Education:

University degree from an accredited institution in the field of agriculture, rural development, social studies,  gender studies, development studies, economics, management, international relations.

Work Experience: 

• At least five(5) years of professional experience in the design, implementation, supervision of projects in the field of gender equality, women's empowerment and social inclusion in an agricultural or rural context;
• Experience in data analysis and presentation;
• Experience with Indian institutions, actors and policies related to rural poverty, gender equality and women's empowerment and social inclusion;
• Experience in the management and coordination of programs for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women;
• Experience in community work, livelihoods analysis, approaches to poverty reduction, gender transformation and social inclusion strategies in agricultural and rural development projects;
• Experience with the UN or other international development organizations is highly desirable.

Languages:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Good knowledge of Hindi or Marathi will be an asset.

Applicants to this call for interest will undergo a first level screening and those candidates meeting the minimum requirements will undergo a more in-depth assessment, including written tests and interviews.

As per provisions on maximum contract duration under the Handbook on consultants and other persons hired by IFAD under a non-staff contract, the number of days in which services can be rendered in any 12-month period is limited to 240, and the number of days in which services can be rendered in any 60-month period is limited to 960. This specific assignment is for 180 days over a one year period, with possibility of extension depending on performance, funding availability and overall ceiling, up to 240 days over a 12 month period.

Consultants are not considered staff of IFAD. An eventual consultancy assignment does not carry any expectation of employment, extension or conversion to another type of contract with the 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 written tests and interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.