1. POLICY AND STRATEGY ADVICE AND DEVELOPMENT:
The incumbent provides technically authoritative advice informed by empirical evidence to improve the capacity of IFAD to position itself as an influential global player in agricultural, food security, rural development and rural poverty innovation. The incumbent ensures that IFAD is regarded as a trusted and valued partner of national government in policy dialogues and forums. Accountabilities may include but are not limited to:
Providing IFAD staff and partners with up-to-date and evidence-based advice on relevant policy, institutional and technical matters
Providing evidence-informed recommendations to IFAD management on IFAD's rural development agenda using a wide range of data sources and analytical tools.
Providing substantive support to IFAD senior management's participation in high level fora with policy implications for rural transformation, including proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, and preparing documents and presentations.
Leading the preparation of technical products (e.g., complex papers, analysis, substantive sections of reports and studies) to advance IFAD's voice in the global debate on rural transformation, in close collaboration with other relevant divisions.
2. KNOWLEDGE ADVISORY LEADERSHIP:
The incumbent enhances the development of viable and sustainable policies and supports regional and global thematic input through authoritative technical knowledge sharing for their area of specialization. The incumbent will ensure access to the latest sources of knowledge and innovation, strengthen technical capacity and establish new knowledge and advisory partnerships. Accountabilities may include, but are not limited to:
Leading processes related to intelligence gathering and analysis of debates relevant to inclusive and sustainable rural transformation in the global debate and facilitating knowledge sharing and experiences in this area within IFAD and other stakeholders in the global arena.
Coordinating relevant knowledge development and dissemination with institutions outside of IFAD, within the region concerned and national Institutions, disseminating knowledge and lessons learned with external partners and stakeholders through publication of Occasional Papers, seminars and workshops, through electronic media and the development of new knowledge products and operational tools that are informed by learning from the field.
Participating in IFAD-wide thematic discussions and developing appropriate technical and operation approaches of relevance to the country/divisional strategies and programmes.
Planning and leading learning events to strengthen IFAD's knowledge and capacity to engage in global debates with policy implications for rural transformation.
3. PARTNERSHIP BUILDING AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES:
The incumbent develops and maintains a network of strategic partnerships that can help advance IFAD's mandate and messages around inclusive and sustainable rural transformation in the global debate. The incumbent develops peer contacts inside and outside IFAD to develop new products and services, keeps up-to-date on activities at the country and regional levels, to support joint advocacy and for knowledge sharing to enhance the Fund's profile as a highly competent and reliable partner in development. Accountabilities may include, but not limited to:
Building partnerships with centres of excellence, complementary financial and technical organizations and specialized departments of other development agencies as strategic partner.
Strengthening IFAD's representation and communication in policy processes (including representing IFAD at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conferences).
Generating new resources for IFAD through partnerships and outreach activities.
Identifying major opportunities, as well as serving as a focal point, for strategic collaboration with centres of excellence, complementary technical organizations and specialized departments of other development agencies as strategic partners.
Leading wider IFAD and Rome-based discussions on the development of sustainable and inclusive approaches to rural transformation as requested.
4. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING:
The incumbent supports the Director in monitoring and corporate reporting activities to enhance knowledge creation, country level programme and funding decisions.
5. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS:
The incumbent is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources and for fostering a high-performing, inclusive and accountable team environment.. Accountabilities may include but are not limited to:
Contributing to the supervision of key divisional programme activities, including key missions and other initiatives, and providing strategic guidance on their design and implementation, leading and directing a team of staff and non-staff, overseeing and curating knowledge management, acting as a knowledge broker to facilitate its use across projects and regional teams, innovation, needs based research and impact assessment activities, planning and allocating work assignments, coaching, mentoring and evaluating staff, and participating in recruitment, selection and training of new staff and in the development of training programmes.
Contributing to the personnel and financial management of the work unit, including the development and implementation of work plans and budgets and ensuring alignment of human and financial resources with divisional and corporate strategic priorities.
POSITION SPECIFICS:
6.TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP AND ADVICE TO COUNTRY PROGRAMMES: The LGTS (Rural Finance) provides global -level, strategically and technically authoritative advice in their area of specialization, to improve the capacity of IFAD to position itself as an influential global player and to improve related national government policies, investments and programmes, and ensure IFAD is regarded as a trusted and valued partner. The incumbent provides strategic guidance, input, technical leadership, and quality oversight across the full project cycle, ensuring alignment with IFAD's corporate priorities and policies. Key accountabilities may include:
Providing authoritative technical leadership, in the area of specialization, in the strategic identification, guidance and quality review and oversight of technical opportunities, proposals and feasibility studies for development investment projects and programmes and advising on their alignment with IFAD's corporate priorities and policies;
Maintaining portfolio-level oversight of execution, quality and results in the Rural Finance thematic area through technical reviews, advisory inputs, and participation in key project cycle decision points. This may include functional guidance, supervision and strategic alignment advice to other colleagues within related thematic areas, where applicable
Participating in country programme management teams and providing authoritative technical leadership, in the area of specialization, to IFAD's country strategic opportunity papers (COSOPs) and Country Strategic Notes (CSNs), project designs as well as to other policy documents related to rural development and poverty reduction
Leading and participating in project missions, as necessary, providing strategic technical guidance to regional and country teams for selected missions and other colleagues, ensuring methodological consistency and innovation across the portfolio/unit/thematic area;
Lead the development of proposals for small and large grants of strategic relevance to IFAD's global Rural Finance agenda, as required.
7. RURAL FINANCE AREA: The LGTS, Rural Finance serves as global thematic lead for Rural Finance, providing strategic oversight, policy leadership and technical stewardship and direct supervisory responsibility for HQ based staff within the Unit. Participating in project teams and missions as needed, policy formulation and knowledge generation, partnership building and networking, the incumbent ensures global strategic coherence, technical quality, guidance and advice for the preparation of policies, projects, programmes, country strategies and country strategic notes, ensuring alignment across IFAD's Rural Finance portfolio. As a manager of PMI's thematic unit on Rural Finance, the LGTS has primary managerial accountability and technical oversight responsibility for the thematic unit staff, including professional staff, supplementary funded staff, general service staff and consultants assigned to them. Responsibilities include providing strategic direction, functional oversight, technical leadership, coaching, mentoring, capacity development, and regular performance review and oversight . The incumbent is also involved in the recruitment process of the team and contributes to workforce planning, skills mapping and capability development for the Rural Finance thematic area.
The LGTS provides functional guidance, strategic oversight, and advisory support to the RF Unit, with direct line management authority of other P-5 LGTS colleagues in related thematic areas within the unit, where applicable, in line with ICSC supervisory standards, to ensure methodological coherence, strategic alignment, and quality of outputs.
