Ethics Officer, Rome

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 Ethics Office (ETH) is a stand-alone division which assists the Office of the President and Vice President, in ensuring that all staff observe and perform their functions consistent with the highest standards of integrity required by the organization’s Code of conduct and Core values fostering a culture of ethics, transparency and accountability. The Ethics Office reports administratively to the Vice-President. The Ethics Office main functions include: 

• Providing guidance to management to ensure IFAD rules, policies, procedures and practices reinforce and promote those values.
• Managing the organization’s ethics and anti-harassment programmes, leads corporate efforts on the promotion of the no tolerance policy for sexual harassment , sexual exploitation and abuse by developing and conducting staff training in these areas.
• Managing informal and formal complaint mechanisms. Reviewing allegations of misconduct (that do not involve fraud and corruption) and closely coordinates with the investigation unit of the Office of Audit and Oversight when an investigation is warranted ensuring protection of staff against retaliation.
• Providing confidential advice to managers and staff on actions that may constitute violations of the Code of Conduct or the Core Values such as conflicts of interest, outside activities, and gifts.
• Administrating the annual declaration and financial disclosure programme.

The Ethics Office tracks trends to provide insight to the IFAD President and senior management on organizational effectiveness including risks, incidents and initiatives relating to business conduct.

This position is located in IFAD Headquarters in Rome, Italy and the Ethics Officer reports to the Chief Ethics Officer.

Under the general supervision of the Chief Ethics Officer, the Ethics Officer supports ETH’s initiatives aimed at preventing and responding to sexual misconduct, including Sexual Harassment (SH) and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), and the implementation of ETH’s relevant policies and procedures to reinforce IFAD’s workplace culture and uphold the values of the Organization. The Ethics Officer coordinates the IFAD Sexual Misconduct Focal Points Programme globally. The incumbent will support policy development and oversight, conduct a prima facie review of sexual misconduct allegations, provide support and advice to alleged victims, and facilitate field support and interagency engagement.  

The Ethics Officer supports the organizational efforts that boost ethical and functional integrity and promote respect for the dignity, diversity, and rights of all individuals in compliance with the Organization’s Code of Conduct, Core values, and other policies or procedures regulating the conduct of all individuals involved in IFAD’s activities and operations. 

The Ethics Officer understands the root causes of sexual misconduct, its behavioural implications, and their impact on alleged victims, the workplace, and the reputation of the Fund.

1.    Policy/Advocacy

• Guide IFAD’s management, IFAD personnel, and external parties to ensure that IFAD’s ETH-related policies, procedures, and practices are duly applied.
• Provide support to IFAD’s personnel to facilitate their clear understanding of the IFAD Code of Conduct, IFAD policy to preventing and responding to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, and any other document regulating their conduct.
• Provide confidential advice and guidance to IFAD’s personnel on ETH-related issues, including sexual misconduct.
• Enhance and lead ETH’s program to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation, and abuse in all IFAD offices and operations.
• Provide confidential advice and guidance to staff members on ethical standards of conduct and conflict of interests and promote IFAD’s core values and Code of conduct.
• Under the supervision of the Chief of Ethics, conduct preliminary reviews of complaints of unsatisfactory conduct or misconduct primarily related to workplace harassment (including sexual misconduct), retaliation, or abuse of authority; make prima facie determination whether there are elements that indicate possible instances of unsatisfactory conduct and/or misconduct, and refer cases where such a determination is made to the Office of Audit and Oversight for further investigation, by the IFAD’s procedures.
• Engage, as needed, on a strictly confidential basis with victims or witnesses reporting sexual misconduct.
• Administer ETH’s reporting tools and provide timely answers to requests made via the ethics helpline while applying current IFAD policies and procedures and analysing the root causes of ethical dilemmas.
• Conduct in-depth legal research on ETH related topics, identify best international practices, including to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct, and recommend initiatives to the Chief of Ethics to be implemented in ETH Sexual Misconduct annual workplan.
• Under the supervision of the Chief of Ethics, draft ETH Prevention and Response to Sexual Misconduct annual workplan and coordinate its timely execution.

2.    Monitoring of Annual Declaration of compliance to the Code of Conduct and Financial Disclosure Programme (FDP)

• Support the administration of the Annual Declaration of compliance to the Code of Conduct and the Financial Disclosure program in line with applicable rules and established procedures addressing conflict of interest, actual, perceived, and potential, to mitigate or eliminate them in the best interest of IFAD.
• Provide advice and guidance related to the FDP to IFAD staff and support FDP corporate activities.

3.    Review of Protection against Retaliation requests

• Under the supervision of the Chief of Ethics, review requests for protection against retaliation, make a prima facie determination whether there is a credible case of retaliation or a threat of retaliation, and refer cases where such a determination is made to the Office of Audit and Oversight for further investigation, following the IFAD’s Whistle-blower protection policy.
• Liaise as appropriate with relevant divisions such as the Human Resources Division, the Office of the General Counsel, and the Office of Audit and Oversight to implement IFAD’s whistle-blower procedures.

4.    Education, Training and Outreach 

• Under the supervision of the Chief of Ethics, develop the Ethics Office’s strategy and directions on training and outreach, and plan and conduct training and outreach activities in coordination with other relevant offices as required.
• Develop and deliver education, training, and outreach events on IFAD’s Code of Conduct, anti-harassment programs, policy on preventing and responding to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, and any other ethical topic within ETH’s mandate.
• Develop ad hoc ethics outreach materials and activities, including designing advocacy materials to respond to ethical situations.
• Increase awareness of IFAD’s values, standards of conduct, and procedures through training and outreach.
• Incorporate best international practices in ETH’s processes.
• Represent ETH in knowledge-sharing activities and on internal and external fora.

5.    Reporting

Under the supervision of the Chief of Ethics:

• Prepare the Ethics Office sexual misconduct reports to be presented to the Audit Committee and the Executive Board.
• Monitor and report progress to the President on the effectiveness of prevention and management of Sexual misconduct at IFAD.
• Prepare regular and ad hoc sexual misconduct reports and communications to the UN Secretariat, IFAD stakeholders, and ETH networks, included but not limited to the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) on SH and SEA and the High-level Committee on Management (HLCM) on SH and SEA.

6.    Coordination and cooperation

• Lead ETH’s engagements with Ethics Networks (United Nations and IFIs) and Rome-based agencies (FAO and WFP) to discuss best practices to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct.
• Act as ETH Sexual Misconduct Focal Point and participate in regular meetings of the Ethics Network of Multilateral Organizations, Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Task Team on Accountability and Inclusion; the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) Task Force on Addressing Sexual Harassment; the Multilateral Financial Institutions (MFIs) SEA and SH Working Group; and other regular working groups meetings, as needed.
• Liaise with stakeholders in field locations (the United Nations, IFIs, governments, and others) for closer SH/SEA coordination, knowledge sharing, and collaboration (including SH and SEA resident coordinators and local SEA networks, as appropriate).
• Review and assess requests from IFAD stakeholders regarding Sexual misconduct matters and initiatives, including donor´s initiatives on aligned language on SEAH.
• Support ETH´s participation in the United Nations innovation challenge in close cooperation with the World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator to identify and propose tangible and implementable projects in leadership, culture, and prevention of sexual misconduct.
• Drafting policy guidance and recommendations for managers including senior management referring where appropriate to the legal policy frameworks; drafting of briefs to senior management on ethical matters and other documents for submission to international standard-setting entities, internal governing bodies, and external  bodies, including the United Nations Executive Group to Prevent and Respond to Sexual Harassment.

7.    Operational Support

• Under the supervision of the Chief of Ethics, develop, implement and monitor the Terms of reference and framework of the ETH SH and SEA Task Force and Global Focal Point Programme.
• Represent ETH and participate in preparing the Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP) or Country Strategy Note (CSN) to support the achievement of concrete development results within the 2030 Agenda, including mainstreaming gender, and sexual misconduct preventive measures.
• Support IFAD’s Social, Environmental, and Climate Assessment Procedures (SECAP) team to develop clear procedures to assess sexual misconduct risk and establish preventive and mitigation measures during the project cycle to maximize IFAD´s positive social and environmental impact in the field.
• When needed, support IFAD’s Programme Management Department (PMD) IFAD in handling sexual misconduct complaints in IFAD-funded projects applying SECAP 2015 and SECAP 2017.
• Provide advice, guidance, and support to IFAD Country Directors, Regional Directors, and Country teams on sexual misconduct matters and implementation of ETH policies and procedures, including IFAD policy to preventing and responding to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse.
• Support the creation of a sexual misconduct risk assessment for IFAD´s projects: (i) understand the risk of SEA happening and how IFAD addresses the risks, and (ii) provide recommendations to promote safer projects and to enhance IFAD´s actions to respond to prevent sexual misconduct, including SH and SEA.
• Carry out any other tasks assigned by the Chief Ethics in support of the efficient functioning of the Ethics Office.

8.    Managerial functions

The Ethics Officer is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the personal use of assigned IFAD resources, including equipment, supplies and, as applicable, staff or consultants supervised.

Work is intricate in that it requires review of a wide range of confidential and sensitive ethical matters and compliance with the organization’s ethical standards and applicable norms as well as best practices in the IFIs and UN system. The Ethics Officer works with minimal supervision and is expected to be guided by the organization’s code of conduct and core values as well as a strong concern for and commitment to IFAD core values, justice and equity.

The assignments of the Ethics Officer require review of a wide range of confidential and sensitive ethical matters and to recommend an appropriate course of action in compliance with the organization’s ethical standards and applicable norms. The Ethics Officer have good understanding of best international practices applicable to the ethics function as may be identified in the IFIs and UN system. The Ethics Officer works with moderate supervision, is guided by the organization’s code of conduct and core values and demonstrates a strong commitment to the principles of objectivity, accountability, confidentiality, justice and equality.

The Ethics Officer is expected to work with independence and initiative with the utmost confidentiality. The work relationships of the Ethics Officer involve the provision of ethical advice and guidance to IFAD personnel and to engage with counterparts within the IFIs, UN system, government officials, and representatives of member states in governing bodies sessions. 

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 (Master or equivalent) from an accredited institution in a technically relevant area. The advanced university degree may be substituted by a first university degree and at least four (4) additional years of relevant professional experience over and above the minimum number of years of experience as stipulated below.
  Areas – Law, Ethics, Compliance, Human Resources, or another related field. 

  Degree must be an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php.

Certifications:

• Certification in ethics and compliance or organizational psychology is an asset.

Experience:

• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible international experience in the areas of law, corporate compliance, organizational ethics, staff misconduct.
• Three (3) years in a multi-cultural organization or national organization providing support on a global scope. Experience in field offices/UN missions is an asset.
• Experience in prevention and response to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse and protection from retaliation.

Languages:

• Required English (4 – Excellent) written and verbal communication skills in English, including the ability to explain concepts and set out a coherent analysis in presentations.
• Working knowledge (3 – Good) of another IFAD language (Arabic, French or Spanish) is highly desirable.

Skills:

• Policy drafting: Drafting, Know-how in drafting policy guidance and recommendations for managers including senior management referring where appropriate to the legal policy frameworks; drafting of briefs to senior management on ethical matters and other documents for submission to international standard-setting entities, internal governing bodies and external  bodies (e.g. UN, IFIs, other multilateral organizations).
• 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.)
• 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
• Legal Research, interpretation and analysis: Know-how to conduct in-depth legal research (on a wide range of institutional, corporate, operations, finance and investment issues related to the functions, structure, investments and operations of the Fund) and to analyse and interpret legal instruments (e.g. as treaties, constitutions, statutes, rules and regulations and other legal materials on institutional, corporate, operations, finance and investment issues relevant to IFAD’s work)
• Risk management (e.g. reputational): Know-how in identifying and assessing of potential legal, reputational, ethical risks and liabilities in relation to the Fund’s activities; contributing strongly to the division as second line of defence function; demonstrating ability to manage these risks by advising senior management on contingency and mitigation strategies.
• Integrity and ethics: Strong emphasis on acting with honesty, not tolerating unethical behaviour, demonstrating equity, impartiality and sensitivity in exercising authority and interacting with staff, and other  stakeholders. Conduct must be guided by IFAD core values, the Code of conduct and a high sense of ethics.
• 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
• Verbal communication: Clear, succinct and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language

Applicants should note that 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.https://webapps.ifad.org/members/eb/134/docs/EB-2021-134-R-9.pdf ; https://www.ifad.org/documents/38711624/42415556/SEA_e_web.pdf/85275c4d-8e3f-4df0-9ed8-cebaacfab128?t=1611326846000

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.  See here. 

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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