Global Technical Specialist

**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. It advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

Position specifics:
**Job Role**:
The Global Technical Specialist serves as IFAD’s technical expert in their area of expertise. The incumbent supports country/regional programs by providing state-of-the-art global technical advice throughout the project cycle (strategic and operational), as well as contributes to the corporate agenda, in their technical area of expertise.

Position specifics:
The Global Technical Specialist serves as IFAD’s technical expert in the areas of Renewable Energy & Rural Infrastructure. The incumbent supports country/regional programs globally by providing state-of-the-art technical advice throughout the project cycle, and contributes to the corporate agenda, knowledge building and dissemination as well as strategy and policy setting. Within the fields of renewable energy and rural infrastructure, the Global Technical Specialist exercises a high degree of independence in providing technical support to the design and implementation of country programme and/or investment projects.

**Key Functions and Results**:
1.TECHNICAL ADVICE: On the basis of seasoned technical knowledge and analysis of current thematic conditions, emerging development challenges and the state of rural poverty at the country, regional and global levels, the Technical Specialist provides sound technical advice to improve IFAD’s s capacity to address rural poverty, to support national programmes and to enhance IFAD’s reputation as a trusted and valued partner. Accountabilities may include:

- Providing technical expertise in the Identification, elaboration and assessment, in accordance with existing organization guidelines, technical opportunities, proposals and feasibility studies for development projects and programmes and monitoring their execution;
- Participating in country programme management teams (CPMTs) and providing technical, analytical inputs to IFAD country strategic opportunity papers (COSOPs), project designs as well as to other policy documents related to rural development and poverty reduction; and
- Participating in project missions as necessary and pilot methods of analysis for IFAD projects Review proposals for small and large grants as required.

2. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: The Technical Specialist enhances the development of viable and sustainable policy and project development at the country-level and supports regional thematic input through seasoned technical knowledge sharing for their area of specialization. The incumbentwill ensure country-level access to the latest sources of knowledge and innovation, strengthen national technical capacity and establish new knowledge and advisory partnerships. Accountabilities may include:

- Sharing knowledge and experiences generated through activities such as analytical studies and regional grants with colleagues in the country programme as well as the division;
- Conducting relevant knowledge development and dissemination with institutions outside of IFAD within the region concerned and national Institutions, disseminating knowledge and lessons learned with peers, counterparts and stakeholders through drafting of of Occasional Papers, journal articles, seminars and workshops, through electronic media (e.g. web resource platforms and social media) and the development of new knowledge products and operational tools that are informed by learning from the field; and
- Participating in IFAD-wide thematic discussions and developing appropriate technical and operation approaches of relevance to the country/divisional strategies and programmes.

3. PARTNERSHIP BUILDING AND RESOURCE MOBILIZATION The Technical Specialist establishes and maintains a network of peer contacts inside and outside IFAD to keep 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 viable partner in development. Accountabilities may include:

- Building partnerships with complementary technical organizations, NGOs, and specialized departments of other development agencies as potential operational and strategic partners at regional and country levels;
- Strengthening IFAD’s representation and communication in technical issues (including representing IFAD at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conferences fora); and
- Mobilising new resources for IFAD, in collaboration with the RBMO, through partnerships and outreach activities.

4. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTIN