Programme Management Analysts at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) - 2 Openings

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialised 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. These roles will support this activity at country level.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Programme Management Analyst - United Nations Volunteer (UNV) Programme

Application Code: NGAR000032-3252
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Volunteer Category: National Specialist
Number of Volunteers: 2
Duration: Until 01-11-2019
Possibility of Extension: Yes
Expected Starting Date: 01-11-2018
Assignment Place: Family Duty Station

About the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme

• The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.
• In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a role in development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local communities.
• In all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct. Engaging in volunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich their understanding of local and social realities, as well as create a bridge between themselves and the people in their host community. This will make the time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

Organizational Context & Project Description
The West and Central Africa Division (WCA) is responsible for developing and managing IFAD's strategy for the region as a whole and for individual countries, one of which is Nigeria.Within the strategies for developing and managing its regional and country programmes is the drive towards aid effectiveness, harmonization and support to Joint Assistance Strategies and the One UN initiative, all of which are important pivots to the Division's work.

IFAD's goal is to enable poor rural poor people, through its investments, gain the skills, knowledge, organization and build assets that they need to take full advantage of markets and economic opportunities, engage with service providers and participate in local development process. The IFAD Country Office in Nigeria provides oversight functions to its projects/programmes in Nigeria.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries. In Nigeria, IFAD supports innovative and country specific solutions which increase agricultural productivity and rural poor people's access to financial services, markets, technology and services. IFAD finances programmes and projects that focus on developing approaches to poverty reduction that can be replicated and scaled up by the government and other agencies.

IFAD has supported the Government of Nigeria agricultural investment plans through loans and grants since 1985. In line with IFAD’s mandate, IFAD’s 2016-2021 Result-based Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (RB-COSOP) aligns with the development strategy of the Federal Government of Nigeria as articulated in vision 20:20 and more specifically in the Green Alternative, which is the agricultural promotion policy (APP) of the FMARD and of recent, the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Under IFAD’s recent Decentralization Approach, human and financial resources are allocated to supervision and implementation support of its activities to ensure that its development objectives and impact are achieved. The UNV in programme management will join IFAD Country Office in Nigeria to support its implementation, monitoring and evaluation, gender and programme management of IFAD assisted programmes in Nigeria, as part of its West and Central Africa Division and IFAD Country Office commitment to strengthen development effectiveness of interventions towards food security and poverty alleviation in Nigeria (diversification of the economy, job creation with decent jobs for youth, investment in profitable enterprises to achieve import substitution, improved incomes and livelihoods).

Task Description

• Under the direct supervision of the Country Director, the UNV Programme Management Analyst promotes a collaborative and client-oriented approach and maintenance of high staff morale by supporting the management of the country portfolio, with focus on achieving the following objectives.

Monitoring and Evaluation:
Provide support to:

• Review country programmes AWPB & PP and provide inputs to the CD, PO and CPO Monitor execution of Country Programme implementation and compliance to key performance indicators/parameters
• Monitor the Country Programme Performance on their Log-frames and update ORMS periodically
• Periodically review and monitor the performance of Country Programme M&E system in line with national and IFAD monitoring and evaluation requirements
• Contribute to country project/programme's design, and reviews including annual and midterm review
• Contribute to COSOP preparation and review and monitor performance
• Support compliance of projects and country programme's with IFAD corporate level policies, such as the ORMS, Annual reviews, COSOP Review, MTRs, etc.
• Monitor implementation status of project/programme's audit, and supervision recommendations
• Monitor programmes’compliance to key deadlines, which may include meeting deadlines to recommendations of supervision missions, submission of key reports (annual and audit reports).
• Support the documentation, packaging and dissemination of lessons learnt.
• Periodically draft portfolio score cards and country performance sheet based on COSOP indicators.

Supervision and Implementation Support:

Provide support to:

• Review country programmes AWPB & PP and provide inputs to the CD, PO and CPO
• Monitor execution of Country Programme implementation and compliance to key performance indicators/parameters
• Supervision and implementation support missions.

Management of Country Programme:

• the planning and facilitation of trainings, workshops, retreats and high-level visits from HQ the preparation of consolidated periodic and annual outcome tracking and monitoring country programme report the ICO in responding to corporate reviews, monitoring and reporting requirements
• Support and join when required supervision and evaluation missions, and monitor the follow up of recommendations the organization of Portfolio Reviews
• Undertake any other duties as may be assigned by management
• Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing Organization of trainings for the operations/projects staff
• Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices in programme management Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice
• Support the operation of ICO AWPB, manage , monitor, report and organize periodic reviews jointly with ICO.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day)
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country
• Provide annual and end of assignment reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities using UNV’s Volunteer Reporting Application-Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/Expected Outputs

• Timely and quality implementation of Programme/Portfolio/ activities against set workplans, timelines, and budgets, in line with the Strategic objectives;
• Quality and timely reporting;
• Strong relations with partners and stakeholders;
• Regular and timely monitoring of activities;
• Enhanced best practices and lessons learned documented and circulated.
• The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counter-parts, including Implementing Partners (IPs);
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development dur-ing the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.

Qualifications/Requirements
Education:

• Advanced University Degree in Management, Social Sciences with a focus on development-related studies

Experience:

• At least 5 years' experience in development programme management
• At least 3 years' work experience in the UN system or in donor-funded development programmes
• Fluency in both spoken and written English.
• Demonstrated experience in partnership management
• Demonstrated experience in analysis of development issues and report writing
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation and supervision of development programme is an asset
• Proficiency in IT, data-bases and web-based research Standard Computer Software (Word, Excel, Database, PowerPoint, Internet)
• Excellent report writing, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Professional and personal flexibility, adaptability and result oriented.

Language Skills:

• English (Mandatory) , Level - Fluent

Area of Expertise:

• Development programme management Mandatory
• Monitoring and evaluation Mandatory
• Development programme/project administration Mandatory.

Area of Expertise Requirements:

• Good programme formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation skills;
• Good budget and finance skills;
• Good knowledge of Results Based Management;
• Ability to gather and interpret data, reach logical conclusions and present findings and recommendations;
• Good analytical skills;
• Knowledge of UN programme management systems.

Application Closing Date
2nd October, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Click here for more on the Conditions of Service

Click here for Job Description (PDF)