Consultant Roster Technical Specialist - Targeting and Poverty Analysis

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. It 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. 

The Technical Specialist works under the overall strategic, policy and management advice, and supervision of the Lead Technical Specialist.

Consultancies play a critical role in the execution of IFAD’s mandate and our impact on the ground. Rosters are designed for junior and senior experts whose skills are required for specific project assignments. Given the different technical and time-duration nature of assignments, IFAD is looking for consultants of varying ability and experience.

Consultants may be contacted for specific assignment throughout the year and the remuneration will be commensurate with candidate's qualifications, experience and skills as well as the nature of the assignment in terms of:

Responsibilities and complexities of the assignment
The degree of specialization required
Consultants are not considered staff of IFAD. Consultancy assignments do not carry any expectation of employment, extension or conversion to another type of contract with the Fund. Consultants can be recruited for a maximum of 240 days in 1 calendar year and 960 days in 5 calendar years.

Reporting to the Lead or Senior Technical Specialist - Gender and Social Inclusion - the consultant will conduct the following activities where and when applicable to the specific assignment:

• Join design, supervision, mid-term review, or completion missions and conduct tasks related to Gender, Targeting and Social Inclusion as indicated in the mission TORs

At design:

• Review the country context (legal, political, institutional, social, cultural and sector policies) relevant to targeting in relation to the project thematic focus;
• Conduct a participatory gender-sensitive rural poverty and livelihoods analysis in the proposed project area(s) and consult potential target groups and key stakeholders to identify and better understand the needs, priorities and expectations of poor rural people (including their livelihood strategies and outcomes, vulnerabilities and coping mechanisms, local poverty processes and rural institutions).
• Develop tables and figures showing poverty incidence and trends in the project’s area and combine data on the socio-demographic structures of the target area with data on poverty in its multiple dimensions.
• Define the target group classification, elaborate a criteria for geographic and beneficiary targeting (see the guidelines in the targeting toolkit), especially for the most vulnerable people (displaced, women, youth, ethnic minorities, PWDs while keeping poverty and inequalities in mind.
• Analyse people’s livelihoods and address climate vulnerability in the analysis.
• Design the project targeting and social inclusion strategies, develop ToCs to set out the pathways for reaching and benefiting the poorest, the poor and the vulnerable, and shows how the poorest will benefit in projects that are directly targeted at them.
• Provide technical support, as required, during budget allocation of the all relevant targeting, gender, social inclusion activities.
• Provide inputs to the SECAP development, including the assessment of opportunities of enhancing social impacts, potential social risks and ensure that mitigation measures are integrated into the risk matrix and into the Environment, social and management plan. Update the social and economic assessment, target group profiles, institutional analysis, recommendations for project design and implementation.  

At implementation, mid-term and completion:

• Assess poverty outreach and targeting performance of the project, especially the extent to which the poorest and most vulnerable are benefitting.
• Review the targeting strategy, including targeting and implementation mechanisms, to ensure that project accommodates the needs and priorities of the target group and facilitates its participation in project interventions, and that the special concerns of vulnerable groups are taken into account (advise on areas of improvement).
• Identify and describe factors and constraints that have influenced project implementation, including technical, bureaucratic, managerial, organizational, institutional and socio-economic policy issues, in addition to other external factors unforeseen during design, and how these have affected the project in terms of implementation delays and shortfalls, and impact on the beneficiaries engagement and empowerment.
• Review targeting sensitivity of the M&E framework, project logframe and learning systems to assess how they incorporate social inclusion perspectives, including the use of participatory approaches and disaggregated data and indicators, and to measure performance of the strategies.
• Identify lessons from what worked and what didn’t work on targeting and social inclusion.
• Contribute to the identification of good practices and stories from the field.
• Contribute technical written sections for the mission reports as requested.

Other activities:

• Contribute to start-up workshops and other capacity building initiatives.
• Develop other technical papers or reports in the area of targeting, social inclusion and povery analysis.
• Conduct other activities as required.

Assignments require the provision of authoritative technical expertise in the field of specialization. The impact of work by the incumbent directly affects the overall country programme and contributes to regional and corporate policy and strategy.

The Technical Specialist - Targeting and poverty analysis, design and contribute to the delivery, implementation support and supervision of investment projects and country programmes. The impact on the overall IFAD country and regional programmes is significant in projecting the Fund’s 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, national policies relevant for the economic policy concerns of the international organization. The Technical Specialist - Targeting and poverty analysis - also monitors and guides the work of external consultants and participate as experts in field missions and in the servicing of intergovernmental and expert group meetings of a technical nature. 

The work is considered moderately complex requiring in-depth technical analysis and reporting. Typically operating as a technical specialist at the country or regional levels, the Technical Specialist’s work may be reviewed for technical accuracy, but more typically is reviewed for supporting the established work plan.

The work relationships of Technical Specialists at this level are primarily for the exchange of information regarding development projects. Information-gathering and exchange in support of studies and thematic assignments may also include identifying reliable sources and establishing guidelines for obtaining information on national and sub-regional; conditions and to convey methodological approaches and operational experience for implementation of activities undertaken on behalf of the Fund.

The Technical Specialist Targeting and Poverty Analysis, works under the overall supervison of the Lead Technical Specialist Gender and Social Inclusion, and also liaises directly with the Regional Gender and Social Inclusion specialists to provide support to IFAD programmes

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:

• Level - Advanced university degree from an accredited institution in a technically relevant area.
• Areas - Agriculture, Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Environment, Economics etc.
• Degree must be an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php .

Experience:

• At least five (5) years progressively responsible experience in, and demonstrated understanding of, development initiatives in the field of specialization.  
• Three (3) years in a multi-cultural organization or national organization providing support on a global scope.
• Position-specific experience: Experience in fieldwork and international policy frameworks related to global environment, natural resource management and rural development is an asset.

Languages:

• Required English (4 – Excellent) 
• Desirable: French, Spanish, or Arabic (3 - Good)

Skills:

• Evidence-based policy: Know-how in the formulation of concrete and actionable policy recommendations based on hard evidence (going beyond simple data interpretation)
• 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
• 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.
• 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
• 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.)
• 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
• Project/Programme mgmt (incl. coordination, design, development): Know-how in Project design and evaluation

In the interest of making most cost-effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to candidates who's application is considered for the selection process. Candidates may be required to take a written test and participate in interviews.
 

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.

The inclusion in the Consultant Roster does not represent a guarantee or commitment of employment on the part of IFAD. Recruitment depends on the availability of suitable temporary assignments.If you want to be added to our Consultant Roster, please register your profile by using the Apply button above.