Country Programme Analyst (Local Recruitment Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso)

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. 
The incumbent works under the overall policy and management guidance and direct supervision of a Country Director (CD).

The position is located in WCA division.

The Country Programme Analyst is responsible for established programme/project coordination. S/he is expected to perform functions related to IFAD’s mandate of improving rural foods security and nutrition and enabling poor rural men and women to overcome their poverty and to overall efforts by IFAD within the UN Common System to increase capacity-building and sustainable development in developing countries.

1. COUNTRY OFFICE SUPPORT: The Country Programme Analyst is accountable for day-to-day support to administration and reporting in support of the CD. S/He provides analysis of and inputs to budget preparation, monitors expenditures and grant portfolios providing support as requested.

2. COUNTRY PROGRAMME SUPPORT: The Country Programme Analyst collects and analyzes data to acquire a basic understanding of international practices and HQ procedures to complement her/his knowledge of national practices in support of programme / project activities. S/He enhances the technical quality of IFAD country activities by supporting programme (COSOP) and project (grants and loans) design, supervision, and implementation and completion (PCR) activities. The Analyst specifically provides substantive contributions to monitoring and evaluation (RIMS) and reporting (PSR). The Country Programme Analyst participates in capacity building activities including support to the identification, analysis, documentation, harmonization and dissemination of both national and local issues as well as conditions, best practices and lessons learned among partner development agencies.

3. SUPPORT TO PARTNERSHIP BUILDING: As a country team member, the Country Programme Analyst supports the CO's relationships through the identification of potential partners, development initiatives and best practices. S/He analyzes findings in comparison with the assigned Fund strategies, identifying potential opportunities. The Analyst maintains counterpart contacts needed to promote programme and project implementation. Activities encompass tracking project/programme documentation through the project cycle, including completion.

4. SUPPORT TO POLICY DEVELOPMENT/KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: As a country team member, the Country Programme Analyst participates in relevant policy meetings and events of interest to IFAD's target groups, which involve the government, donors, and civil society, including NGOs, in order to analyze and draft reports on innovations and developments for knowledge sharing. From a national perspective and in-depth knowledge of government structure, development environment and local culture, s/he gathers evidenced based data from projects in support of linking the realities on the ground and the voices of the poor with the policies and programmes of the government.

5. REPORTING: The Country Programme Analyst is accountable for supporting communications with headquarters as well as the drafting regular and periodic reports and documents. Reports may include project, country office, thematic or country portfolio reports. S/He compiles data for and drafts the country office half-yearly and annual reports including lessons learned from design and implementation support experience as well as occasional reports and specific information and documents per request.

6. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Country Programme Analyst is accountable for IFAD core values and code of conduct, including integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources.

Position specifics:
•    Maintaining a stakeholder/partnerships database for ease of communication and strengthening of said partnerships.
 

Technical analysis and synthesis of information and data, including database management, creates the foundation for IFAD's decision-making and quality of policy and programme advice provided to regional staff and/or the government. Analytical documents and linked monitoring frameworks (programme logframes that support IFAD Results-Based Country Strategic Opportunities Programme [RB-COSOP] objectives and results framework) are used in the development and evaluation of IFAD's country programme. Thus, the Country Programme Analyst indirectly supports the country office's reputation for capacity and for programme delivery and enhances its recognition as a reliable development partner.

In the context of programme development and delivery, the Country Programme Analyst ensures the exchange of technical information as well as builds and maintains collaborative working relationships with counterparts and other partners to enhance consistency and reliability in the provision of development assistance to the government. In work relationships with counterparts s/he establishes and maintains relationships and projects the image of IFAD as a credible/reliable partner striving for harmonization of development activities. S/He facilitates programme/project logistics and administration with local authorities as required.

Organizational Competencies:

Level 1:

• Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains effective working relationships
• Communicating and negotiating - Communicates effectively; creates understanding between self and others
• Demonstrating leadership - Personal leadership and attitude to change
• Focusing on clients - Focuses on clients
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Continuously seeks to learn, shares knowledge & innovates
• Managing performance and developing staff -
• Managing time, resources and information - Manages own time, information and resources effectively
• Problem-solving and decision-making - Demonstrates sound problem-solving and decision-making ability
• Strategic thinking and organizational development - Personal influence
• Team working - Contributes effectively to the team

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 policyor 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. 

Certifications: 
Relevant certifications in areas such as: project planning and management, M&E/data management, knowledge management,  procurement and supply chain management, financial management, and other related areas are of added advantage.

Experience:

• At least two (2) years' progressively responsible professional experience in development institutions and/or government service.
• Position-specific experience: Qualifying work experience in country programme analysis or loan/grant administration with International financial institutions, development cooperation agencies, etc., would be an asset.

Languages:

• Required English (4 – Excellent) 
• Desirable: Spanish or Arabic 
• Position-specific requirement:  Excellent command of French is mandatory (4 – Excellent)

Skills:

• Budgeting, resource management: Know-how in budget administration and accounting, resource allocation and planning at divisional level
• Advocacy: Know-how in advocacy, to maintain and promote constructive dialogue around IFAD¿s vision to external actors
• Data management: Data collection, cleaning, transformation and consolidation; data-base architecture & development; data presentation
• Risk management (e.g. reputational): Identification and assessment of potential liabilities and risks in IFAD's activities, particularly vis-à-vis third parties; ability to handle risks via contingency and mitigation strategies
• Ethics & Compliance: Expertise in managing and overseeing the ethics and compliance functions, advising management and staff on ethical issues, reviewing allegations of violation of the Code of conduct, managing the mandatory ethics training programme on harassment including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, the whistleblowing protection procedures and the financial disclosure programme
• Basic ICT & digital fluency: High level of digital literacy and ability to quickly get familiar with new digital tools (e.g. ability to carry out EPR data entry and extraction when budgeting; monitoring security systems, uploading content to inter/intra-net websites, etc.)
• Problem solving: Strong systemic and structured thinking, ability to identify and dissect problems into components and formulate a comprehensive set of creative viable and sustainable solutions and strategies
• 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.)
• Loans & grants: Know-how in designing loan and grant operations and managing loan and grant preparation process
• Programme/Project development, management: Know-how in Programme/Project development, implementation, management

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.

Applicants for vacancies in the National Professional Officer (NPO) category should be nationals of the country in which the position is located.