Call for Interest: IFAD is hiring a Consultant, Gender Transformation Mechanism (GTM), ECG
Close Date (Midnight, Rome Time)06/08/2024
Location: ADDIS ABABA
Organizational Setting
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 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 help 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); (ii) Sustainable Production, Markets and Institutions Division (PMI); and (iii) Research and Impact Assessment Division (RIA).
ECG is composed of two clusters: (i) Environment and Climate Change Cluster; (ii) and the Social Inclusion Cluster. ECG takes the lead in integrating cross-cutting themes of environment and climate, nutrition, gender, youth, and indigenous peoples into IFAD’s portfolio, with the aim of strengthening the quality and impact of IFAD’s operations. ECG also contributes to the generation of evidence and knowledge on these themes, and facilitates their use in IFAD-funded projects and activities. In addition, ECG provides guidance and support to ensure the inclusion of marginalized groups, particularly women, indigenous peoples and rural youth, into IFAD operations. Addressing environmental, biodiversity and climate change issues are inseparable from IFAD’s mission to overcome poverty.
IFAD has a long and well-established history of targeting poorer populations in rural areas and supporting gender equality and women’s empowerment. These commitments are underpinned by the IFAD policies on targeting (2006) and gender equality and women’s empowerment (2012). Gender equality is a key principle of engagement in the 2016-2025 Strategic Framework with a clear commitment to mainstreaming gender, climate, nutrition and youth in IFAD programmes. In response to the persistent gender inequities in IFAD has committed to step up its gender agenda and mainstream gender transformative approaches at IFAD.
IFAD is establishing the Gender Transformation Mechanism in the context of Climate Change Adaptation (GTM) to help countries achieve their gender transformation in agriculture goals. The goal of the GTM is support 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 Ethiopia is a grant embedded in the recently approved Participatory Agriculture and Climate Transformation Programme (PACT). The objectives of the GTM in Ethiopia in the context of PACT are (1) to enable the overall PACT investment to achieve gender transformative results by supporting dedicated interventions, and (2) to strengthen women’s access to market and climate resilience by enhancing the quality of loan delivery, and by introducing new, evidence-driven interventions.
To achieve these objectives, the GTM and PACT work through five high-priority entry points: (i) address social norms, attitudes, beliefs, and practices that underlie gender inequality and preclude women from accessing opportunities, skills and assets to build their resilience to climate change through the Gender Action Learning System; (ii) increasing women’s participation and leadership in cooperatives and other farmer organizations to improve women’s access to the core project interventions (including those focused on strengthening beneficiaries climate resilience), which are provided through these local organizations; (iii) improving women’s access to financial services to grow their business and improve financial stability; (iv) improving women’s access to markets; and (v) improving women’s access to and adoption of appropriate, climate-smart inputs, technologies, practices and extension services, using to increase women’s demand for climate-smart technologies). In addition, the GTM will integrate a strong gender dimension into initiatives to build capacity to adapt to climate change with staff from project, local administration, and extension services.
Job Role
The Consultant will be responsible for the supervision of GTM activities in the country, providing technical and programmatic support to the implementation and management of GTM activities under PACT project.
Key Functions and Results
Under the supervision of the Sr Technical Specialist (GTM global Coordinator), Ethiopia Country Director, in close collaboration with the Programme Management Unit (PMU) of PACT, and IFAD ICO, the Consultant will be in charge of the following activities:
- Ensure regular communication and exchange of information with the various stakeholders involved in the GTM implementation to ensure synergies and coordination: the GTM coordination team at IFAD headquarters, PACT stakeholders and implementing partners, the PMU and its staff, the GTM, as well as with the IFAD country team in Ethiopia;
- Supervise and support the implementation of the activities of the GTM Grant, providing technical support to the PMU in achieving GTM payment- conditional milestones;
- In close collaboration with PACT Project Coordinator and all other relevant team members, support the provision of GTM-related inputs for key project management documents, such as progress reports, annual work plans and budgets, procurement plans, etc.;
- Ensure timely reporting to IFAD, the donors as well as compliance with all necessary requirements laid out in the GTM Grant Agreement;
- Facilitate procurement processes related to GTM by adequate support to address key issues;
- Prepare necessary background documents and strategies for supporting PACT in policy engagement, i.e. drawing, harmonizing and using the lessons learned generated by the project to inform and promote the adoption of best practices by governments and other relevant institutions;
- Regularly participate in supervision missions and produce the relevant reports / sections or Appendices / Annexes;
- Write quality reports on the implementation of GTM for both the GTM and PACT reporting systems, and collect of quality data on GTM service providers;
- Participate in coordination meetings with IFAD country office, national partners, the GTM team and others;
- Assist in the preparation of the international missions of the GTM and contribute, if necessary, to the international missions of supervision and implementation support for the implementation of the PACT project;
- Support GTM and gender-related events in-country, such as workshops, launches and learning events;
- Develop lessons learned and knowledge management products on GTM in Ethiopia;
- Consolidate and disseminate good practices and lessons learned and formulate guidance tools related to the implementation of activities;
- Participate in periodic coordination meetings organised by the Country Office and ICO;
- Ensure regular update on GTM activities under PACT to the ICO team and the IFAD GTM team;
- Ensure timely Reponses to information requested by the country office;
- Participate in other activities that the supervisors may require to ensure a sound and timely implementation of the GTM in Ethiopia
Organizational Competencies:
- Building relationships and team work ability, experience to engage, consult and negotiate with government and public-private actors and work in a team
- Analytical skills: ability to analyze and synthesize qualitative and/or quantitative information from a variety of sources and filter out key insights and recommendations
- Verbal and written communication: Clear, succinct and convincing verbal & written communication; ability to write report & briefing, demonstrating leadership (for team leaders assignment)
- Time management: Adherence to deadlines under time constraints and pressure (e.g. to deliver project report on time)
Education:
Advanced university degree from an accredited institution listed on https://whed.net/home.php in rural development, agriculture, environment, climate economics, rural finance, development policy or related field is required.
Experience:
The ideal candidate should possess a minimum of five (7) years of progressively responsible and relevant experience.
Languages and country experience: will depend on region of assignment
- Required level 4 (excellent) in either English, Spanish, French Portuguese, or Arabic
- Experience in at least one Region / Country covered by IFAD, preferably experience in more than one context
- Experience in fragile context (i.e. environmental-climate or social fragility) is a plus
Other Information
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.
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.
Given the diverse technical nature of the assignments, IFAD is looking for consultants of varying ability above the minimum threshold stated.
Consultancies play a critical role in the execution of IFAD’s mandate and our impact on the ground. Applicants to this call for interest might undergo a first level screening and those candidates meeting the minimum requirements will undergo a more in-depth assessment in order to be included in IFAD’s Consultants Roster. Inclusion in the roster is no guarantee of assignment.
Consultants are not considered staff of IFAD. This consultancy assignment does 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.
Rostered consultants may be engaged for brief assignments to assist in the planning, supervision, and implementation of investment projects funded by IFAD and other co-financiers across the countries within IFAD’s scope, depending on the consultant’s current location, expertise, and language proficiency. Compensation will be determined based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and skills, as well as the assignment’s characteristics in terms of:
- Responsibilities and the level of complexity involved in the assignment.
- The specialized knowledge and expertise demanded.
