| Duration of Assignment |  | 2 years fixed-term (renewable) | | Organizational Context | | The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an International Financial Institution and a Specialized United Nations Agency whose mission is to enable poor rural people to overcome poverty. IFAD’s headquarters is in Rome, Italy, and is present in more than 80 countries to develop and finance programmes and projects aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and incomes. | | Division Context | | The mission of the Office of the Strategy Knowledge Management (SKM), led by the Chief Development Strategist, is to enhance IFAD’s analytical and leadership capacity in the global dialogue on rural and smallholder development and ensure that IFAD’s development work is guided by state of the art thinking on rural on agricultural and rural development issues. Towards this end, SKM produces periodic and regular analyses on subject matters relevant to IFAD’s mission and strategic objectives. In addition to producing periodic papers and analysis, the Office is also responsible for producing the flagship publication of the Fund the IFAD Rural Poverty Report. SKM is also responsible for producing key high-level policy papers such as IFAD’s Strategic Framework which provides overall guidance to IFAD’s work in its developing member counties. To carry out its mandate, SKM works closely with other Divisions of the Fund and is also responsible for establishing strategic partnerships with research and academic institutions and development agencies in both developing and developed member states. | | Duties and Responsibilities | | Under the overall supervision of the Chief Development Strategist, and the functional guidance of a Senior Research Coordinator, the Research Officer will be part of a multi-disciplinary team of researchers that will develop knowledge products to help ensure that IFAD programmes, projects and strategic processes as well as its advocacy work are informed by state of the art thinking on rural development and smallholder agriculture. The Research Officer will be a member of research teams, with a managing, coordinating and supervisory role depending on the specific grade, that will be established to undertake specific research work and will undertake specific research work. He/she will also identify, gather and analyse critical intelligence on agricultural and rural development issues from various national and international sources and prepare papers on emerging issues of development and rural poverty. The Research Officer will support or actively engage in the establishment of partnerships with IFAD’s operational, technical and communication divisions and with international and national research institutions to undertake collaborative work and to harness expertise to support SKM’s work.
Functional Statement:
At P2 level – Junior Research Officer
• Conduct background research and contribute to the preparation of briefs on specific topics upon request by the Senior Research Coordinator and other SKM senior staff;
• Collaborate as requested with senior staff in the preparation of working papers and the IFAD Occasional Paper Series;
• Scout for global developments that impact on rural development and agriculture in developing countries and prepare analyses and reports on possible implications for IFAD;
• Track relevant policy developments in IFAD’s development partners, including policies, strategies, resource allocation to agriculture and rural development and contribute towards the development of a perspective on global support for agriculture and rural development in developing countries;
• Assist in the operationalization of SKM partnerships with IFAD departments, partners in the UN system, governments and financing partners and other stakeholders, as necessary, on issues related to agriculture and rural development;
• Support the Senior Research Coordinator and other SKM senior staff in the preparation of conferences, lectures, or other SKM knowledge events;
• Support the work of the Knowledge Management and Innovation (KMI) core group;
• Other relevant duties as requested.
At P3 level, as Research Officer, the incumbent will also:
• Conduct the preparation of IFAD’s Occasional Papers Series and other research publications in collaboration with senior SKM staff;
• Conduct analyses to feed into the preparation of key IFAD publications, such as the Rural Poverty Report;
• Contribute to quality control functions of the SKM knowledge products and participate in internal documents’ review consultations;
• Prepare technical briefs, research reports, and other relevant material;
• Contribute to IFAD core strategic processes, such as the preparation of IFAD’s Strategic Framework and Medium-Term Plans (MTP);
• Participate in relevant policy advisory processes, events and meetings, as well as in advisory committees for research and advisory initiatives within IFAD;
• Track, analyse and disseminate major global developments in agriculture and rural development and prepare periodic technical analyses and reports;
• Research and prepare technical analyses and reports on international trends in agriculture and rural development to identify potential implications for IFAD’s work;
• Participate in the organization of SKM knowledge events and prepare the background material, relevant research papers and proceedings from these events;
• Provide research material and analyses for statements by IFAD senior management.
At P4 level, as Research Coordinator, the incumbent will also:
• Conceptualize, design and manage research projects on issues of specific relevance to the IFAD mandate and to the SKM annual program of work, from the initiation stage to the peer review and finalization stage;
• Coordinate and conduct substantive analysis and research on issues related to agriculture and rural poverty and prepare peer-reviewed research papers as contributions to the SKM’s occasional papers series;
• Identify and supervise the analysis and monitoring of key global trends on agriculture, food security, and rural poverty, recognizing strategic challenges facing smallholder agriculture and provide briefs to the management and staff of IFAD on the possible implications of these developments for IFAD’s work;
• Engage and lead key strategic corporate processes within IFAD such as the preparation of IFAD’s Strategic Framework and the Medium-term Plan (MTP);
• Conduct the analysis of data, prepare background papers and draft chapters of IFAD Rural Poverty Report, supporting the delivery of the final report, working in in a team or taking leadership as assigned.
• Lead the preparation of other analytical reports and other periodic and regular analysis on issues that have a bearing on IFAD’s mandate and operations and disseminate such analyses widely.
• Review and revise drafts of Development Research Digest Briefs prepared by consultants for posting in SKM’s Development Research Digest website;
• Actively collaborate with other departments and divisions, participate to and prepare material for various interdepartmental working groups tasked with the preparation of IFAD strategies and policies, effectively contributing to the required outcome of those groups;
• Build external collaborative networks and partnerships with development research counterparts in the development community to undertake the research and analytical work;
• Represent IFAD at national or international seminars, conferences, workshops, symposia, and various policy making forums and present research/analytical papers as well as advocating for IFAD’s position on such issues;
• Conceptualize and design conferences, workshops, seminars, and other forms of the dissemination of the research output of the SKM Office. | | Education and Experience | | At P2 level
• Advanced university degree in Economics or relevant social or natural sciences;
• Minimum 3 years of progressively responsible experience in the field of development, international cooperation, or in relevant research institutions, with particular focus on research, analysis and writing.
At P3 level
• Advanced university degree in Economics or relevant social or natural sciences;
• Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience in the fields of development, international cooperation, or in relevant research institutions, with particular focus on research, analysis and writing.
At P4 level
• Advanced university degree in Economics or relevant social or natural sciences;
• Minimum 8 years of progressively responsible experience in the realm of development, international cooperation, or in relevant research institutions, with particular focus on research, writing, research coordination, communication and/or advisory functions. | | Tech/Functional Competencies | | At P2 level
• Good research and analytical skills
• Familiarity with main databases of relevance to rural development and smallholder agriculture issues
• Good writing skills
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and interdisciplinary team
• Excellent time management skills and capacity to meet deadlines
• Good communication and presentation skills.
At P3 level
• Excellent research and analytical skills
• Sound understanding of contemporary research methodologies
• Excellent writing skills
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and interdisciplinary team
• Excellent time management skills and capacity to meet deadlines
• Good communication and presentation skills.
At P4 level
• Excellent research and analytical skills
• Excellent writing skills
• Good supervisory and management skills
• Excellent time management skills and ability to deliver under tight deadlines
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and interdisciplinary team
• Excellent communication and presentation skills. | | Communication | | • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; including the ability to set out a coherent argument in presentations and group interactions
• Working knowledge of Arabic, French and/or Spanish is an asset. | | Other Information | | This is a banded role (P2/P3/P4) however this vacancy announcement is aimed at filling the position at GRADE P-3 LEVEL.
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.
IFAD reserves the right to appoint a candidate at the appropriate grade commensurate with experience and knowledge.
Interested candidates are requested to apply by completing IFAD’s Personal History Form (PHF) in English. A separate CV may be attached if you so desire, only as a supplement and not a substitute to the PHF. THE APPLICATION SHOULD BE MADE THROUGH THE ONLINE SYSTEM ONLY.
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.
Please note this is a re-advertisement of vacancy 1016. Those who have applied before to vacancy 1016 will be considered and do not need to apply again. |
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