Date of issue	16 March 2010
Expiry date	15 April 2010
Organizational Unit/Div/Dept	Environment and Climate Division (PE)
Title	Portfolio Management Support Consultant
Duty Station	Rome
Duration of contract	8 months

Organizational context

The IFAD Environment and Climate Division (PE) focuses on the promotion of sustainable natural resource management (biodiversity, land, forest, water, etc.), and climate change adaptation and mitigation programmes and activities that generate global and local benefits relevant to the IFAD target groups. The Division contributes to make IFAD’s portfolio and tools (country strategies, loans and grants, etc.) more climate and environmentally sensitive. Lessons learned and innovations generated will enhance IFAD’s work on knowledge management. PE strengthens IFAD’s work on agriculture and rural development in developing countries to respond to the threats to global and country environmental commons.

The PE Division works in close collaboration with the five IFAD Regional Divisions and other departments to integrate environment and climate change issues into IFAD’s operations and activities. PE identifies, designs and provides technical implementation support to impact-oriented environment and climate change projects and components. These projects and components will complement and diversify IFAD's investments at country and regional levels.

The Division aims at enhancing existing IFAD partnerships with key agencies, especially the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and at establishing new partnerships with international or bilateral agencies that share common goals. In the case of the GEF, collaboration started in 2004, and during this period IFAD has secured a total GEF grant portfolio of 32 projects, totaling US$110 million from the GEF, directly co-financed by US$ 370 million from IFAD and other partners. The Division also manages grants from other institutions, and develops knowledge management products.

This broad portfolio, and several other related activities, are administered by two Program Managers, in charge respectively of activities in (a) Latin America, Eastern and Southern Africa, and Asia, and (b) Near East and North Africa, and Western and Central Africa.

Objective and scope of work

The objective of the consultancy is to support the PE Division in the identification, development and management of its portfolio in the Near East and North Africa Division (PN) in West and Central Africa (PA) and in francophone countries in other regional divisions of IFAD.

The consultant will help in the identification of new opportunities, contributing to the design of concept notes and project design documents, through documentation, research and consultations with relevant persons. The consultant will also provide support for the full design of projects and the implementation of PPG (Project Preparatory Grants). S/He will provide support the operationalization, implementation and supervision of projects implemented in collaboration with IFAD’s regional divisions (PN and PA). The consultant will assist in the preparation of knowledge management activities (papers, seminars).   

Detailed tasks and activities

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Program Manager for PN and PA and francophone countries, assisting in the following tasks:

Development and management of the GEF Pipeline and Portfolio

The consultant will provide support throughout all stages of the project cycle under PE responsibility in the Near East and North Africa region as well as in francophone countries across the other IFAD regional divisions.

• Provide support for the identification, preparation and revision of proposals to be submitted to the GEF under the new replenishment (GEF-5), helping to prepare concept notes (PIF) and requests for project preparation grants (PPG).
• Assist in the formulation and revision of project design documents following IFAD and GEF requirements, providing inputs, compiling information required for their design, contributing to their revision, and the overall management of the design process.
• Contribute to supervision and provision of implementation support for IFAD-GEF projects already operational or for the start-up of four new projects.

Operationalization and management of the MENARID MSP on KM and M&E with ICARDA

The GEF CEO approved in 2009 a cross cutting grant that will provide a platform for Knowledge management and M&E functions across the MENARID portfolio which is an IFAD-led GEF programmatic approach in the NENA region. The consultant will assist in overall implementation of this MSP by coordinating with ICARDA and relevant partners and contributing to the preparation of progress reports, providing inputs to the grant supervision in close coordination with ICARDA and coordinate any required logistical tasks for the organisation of seminars and meetings etc.

The consultant may be required to perform other related duties assigned by the supervisor, and may be required to travel, if necessary, to the project locations.

Competencies

• Good planner and implementer
• Ability to work in team and in a multi-cultural environment
• Proven ability to work under tight deadlines
• Strong communications and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated capacity to multi-task
• Establishes good working relationship with clients and colleagues
• Practices good judgement and ability to decide on his/her own

Required qualifications

• Master Degree, preferably in natural resources and/or rural development. Background on both environmental and rural development issues will be an asset. Knowledge of climate change issues will be very valuable.
• The consultant must have previous working experience in the management of the project cycle related to development initiatives. Experience in the design and implementation/supervision of IFAD and/or GEF projects will be an advantage.
• Familiarity with the main Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and the international environmental governance system, with special focus on the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
• Full command of written and spoken English and French. Arabic would be an asset
• The consultant must be able to work independently and under pressure to meet strict deadlines. S/He is also expected to have excellent multi-tasking and good organizational skills, as well as commitment to personal performance and self development.

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Additional information

It must be noted that consultants are not staff of IFAD, and that this consultancy does not carry any expectation of employment with the Fund. Remuneration will be in line with the standards set for UN consultants.

IFAD can recruit consultants only among its member states. Applications from women candidates are particularly encouraged. Applications for this assignment must be sent to: GECCregistry@ifad.org and copied to eRCS@ifad.org. Only candidates under consideration will be contacted.