Country Programme Analyst – Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

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 (OPR). The five regional divisions are: Asia and the Pacific (APR), East and Southern Africa (ESA), West and Central Africa (WCA), Near East, North Africa and Europe (NEN), and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), where this position is located.

The incumbent works under the overall supervision of the Country Director (CD) and daily guidance of the Country Programme Coordinator (CPC). 

Within this context, IFAD’s Brazil office manages a portfolio of loan and grant projects, both ongoing and under design. It operates the South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) and Knowledge Centre in Brasilia with a mandate covering the Latin America and the Caribbean region. It also maintains an office in Salvador, Bahia mainly responsible for project identification, design, supervision, and implementation support. The office has a vital role in partnership building and portfolio development.  

IFAD is developing a programme in the Northeast of Brazil totaling around USD 1 billion by mobilizing cofinancing from various partners for diverse levels of intervention. These interventions range from local and thematic, state-level and regional. This array of projects means that IFAD has become a major assembler of finance for rural development in Northeast Brazil channeling resources from many cofinanciers.  

The Project Planting Climate Resilience in Rural Communities of the Northeast (PCRP or Sertão Vivo) with total investments of USD 212.5 million and duration of eight years aims to transform family farmers’ productive systems in the eligible semiarid north-eastern states in Brazil by increasing production while simultaneously improving farmers’ capacity to face the challenges posed by ongoing climate change. The Project will result in resilient and productive farming systems performing restored ecosystem functions, which, in turn, both increase and stabilize family income and food security while incentivizing young generations to stay active in rural activities. The PCRP is a partnership between IFAD, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Brazilian National Development Bank (BNDES), and the states in Northeast Brazil.  

The position is located in IFAD Office in Salvador, Brazil, in the Latin American and Caribbean Division (LAC). 

The Country Programme Analyst is responsible for established programme/project coordination. The incumbent 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.

The Country Programme Analyst (CPA) is responsible for the supervision and implementation support of the PCRP, including the GCF reporting, and also for ensuring the synergies and complementariness with the rest of the country portfolio.

1. COUNTRY OFFICE SUPPORT: The Country Programme Analyst is accountable for day-to-day support to administration and reporting in support of the CD. The incumbent 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. The incumbent 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. The incumbent 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, the incumbent 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. The incumbent 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.

Supports the CPC in the country operations in activities linked to the PCRP (Sertão Vivo).

• Promotes the implementation of non-lending activities linked to the implementation of PCRP, such as policy engagement, knowledge management (KM), monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and south-south and trinagular cooperation (SSTC).
• Supports partnerships with climate finance institutions, other multilateral organizations, civil society, private sector and other partners for the Salvador Office linked to the PCRP operations.
• Serve as focal point for corporate priorities linked to climate finance in the implementation of the PCRP, as agreed with the  CD and in close coordination with the CPC.
• Enhances the promotion of the environmental and climate change agenda in the country portfolio related to the PCRP.

Under the supervision of the CD  and with daily guidance of the CPC, the Country Programme Analyst will be responsible for providing day-to-day support in the implementation  of the PCRP and other project in IFAD portfolio in Brazil.  

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.

The CPA maintains the standards for IFAD’s competence in development in the PCRP (Sertão Vivo). The incumbent demonstrates technical expertise and credibility in portfolio management and creates the foundation for IFAD’s capacity and reputation for programme delivery and enhances its recognition as a reliable development partner.

The incumbent provides substantive support for the PCRPsound implementation including projectdesign, supervision and implementation support, partnership building and policy engagement, and the foundation for enhancing sustainable government strategies and policies to improve the livelihoods of the rural poor and other vulnerable groups in Northeast Brazil.  

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 the incumbent establishes and maintains relationships and projects the image of IFAD as a credible/reliable partner striving for harmonization of development activities. The incumbent 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 policy or 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.

Experience:

• At least two (2) years’ progressively responsible professional experience in development institutions and/or government service.
• Must be a national of, or hold a valid working permit for, the country of assignment.
• 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)
• Portuguese (4 – Excellent)
• Desirable: French, Spanish, or Arabic)

Skills:

• Project/Programme management (incl. coordination, design, development), Know-how in Project design and evaluation;
• Loans and grants, Know-how in designing loan and grant operations and managing loan and grant preparation process;
• Data Management, Data collection, cleaning, transformation and consolidation ; data-base architecture & development; data presentation;
• 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;
• Advocacy, Know-how in advocacy, to maintain and promote constructive dialogue around IFAD’s vision to external actors;
• High level of digital literacy and ability to quickly get familiar with new digital tools (e.g. uploading content to inter/intra-net websites, etc);
• 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.) communication;
• 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;
• 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;  (e.g. reputational);
• 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 in the country) and ability to build and maintain a strong network (e.g. with journalists, media outlets, etc.);
• Analytical skills: Outstanding ability to analyse and synthesize qualitative and/or quantitative information from a variety of sources and filter out key insights and recommendations;
• Time management: Adherence to deadlines under time constraints and pressure (e.g. to deliver governing body documents on time); ability to coordinate and manage complex workflows and in-house and external teams;
• Initiative and good judgment: High sense of proactive initiative-taking and good judgement (including on security matters);
• 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);
• Policy dialogue: Know-how in the representation of IFAD as a trusted and strategic partner, advocating and promoting;
• IFAD’s mandate and vision; effective consultations with IFAD counterparts – like ministries and governmental bodies at all administrative levels, donors, civil society, private sector.

IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD. In accordance with IFAD’s Human Resources Policy, the President can decide to assign them to any of the activities of the Fund. All International Professional staff members are required to be geographically mobile and positions in the professional category are subject to changes in location at any time in line with strategic priorities and reform initiatives in IFAD.

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 in line with its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and the Policy to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse.

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 accordance with IFAD’s provisions, all new staff members will normally be placed at the first step in the grade level for which they have been selected. For information on IFAD’s remuneration package, please visit IFAD’s compensation and benefits page on our website. Applicants are invited to use the ICSC compensation calculator to estimate the salary and benefit entitlements.

Candidates may be required to take a written test and to deliver a presentation as well as participate in interviews.

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.

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