Senior Technical Specialist - Social Environment and Climate Safeguards (SECAP), Abidjan

Job Title : Senior Technical Specialist - Social Environment and Climate Safeguards (SECAP), Abidjan

ID : 28267

Location : ABIDJAN

Date of issue : 05/07/2025

Close Date : (Midnight, Rome Time) 05/27/2025

Organizational Unit : Envir. Climate Gender & Incl.

Full/Part Time : Full-Time

Regular/Temporary : Regular

Assignment Duration : 2 Years

Grade : P-4

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, and advocates at local, national and international levels for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

The Office of Technical Delivery is responsible for providing expert technical guidance to IFAD teams engaged in the design and implementation of projects and programmes to deliver the high technical quality investments that facilitate rural transformation, and which comply with IFAD's mandate and operational policies. The Office ensures IFAD applies and disseminates state-of-the-art knowledge in its investments and evidence on strategic themes and encourages the innovative application of global knowledge and evidence in IFAD investments. This helps countries tackle complex development challenges in fostering inclusive and sustainable rural transformation including mainstreaming areas. The Office of Technical Delivery (OTD) is led by a Managing Director and is comprised of two (2) divisions: the Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division (ECG) and the Sustainable Production, Markets and Institutions Division (PMI).

The Environment, Climate, Gender and Social Inclusion Division (ECG) leads the mainstreaming of cross-cutting themes of environment and climate, gender, nutrition, youth, disability and indigenous peoples into IFAD's portfolio, and the implementation of social, environment and climate safeguards (SECAP), to strengthen the quality of IFAD's operations and programmes. ECG takes the technical lead to strengthen the quality of IFAD's operations and programmes ensuring that IFAD's operations are environmentally sustainable, climate change resilient, nutrition sensitive and inclusive of marginalized groups (particularly women, rural youth, Indigenous Peoples and persons with disabilities.) In addition to strengthening the technical quality of operations, ECG provides its technical expertise in corporate strategies, policy engagement, resource mobilization, knowledge generation, and partnerships.

ECG is led by a Divisional Director and is comprised of four clusters: Environment and Climate (ECC), Climate and Environment External funds (CEF), Social Inclusion (SI) and Safeguards (SECAP).

Job Role

The Senior Technical Specialist serves as IFAD's technical expert in their area of expertise. The position 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. Within their areas of responsibility, the Senior Technical Specialist exercises a high degree of independence in providing reliable programme delivery. The incumbent at this level performs the full complexity range of work independently, including the analysis and approval of complex and/or precedent setting cases with the aim to ensure cohesion and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support. The incumbent works collaboratively with the thematic Technical Specialists, Country Directors (CD)/Heads of Multi-country Offices (MCO) and other staff to ensure consistency, cohesion and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support.

The Senior Technical Specialist - Social, Environment and Climate Safeguards - (SECAP) works collaboratively with respective ECG technical specialists (both Environment/Climate and Social Inclusion), PMI thematic Technical Specialists, Country Directors and other staff in the Western and Central Africa (WCA) region to ensure consistency, cohesion and synergy in the application of technical advice and provision of programme development support facilitating knowledge flows and building of communities of practices.

Key Functions and Results

1.SENIOR TECHNICAL ADVICE: The Senior Technical Specialist provides technically authoritative advice on their area of specialization to improve the capacity of IFAD to position itself as an influential global player in these domains, and to improve related national government policies and programmes and ensure IFAD is regarded as a trusted and valued partner. Accountabilities may include but are not limited to:

• Providing IFAD staff and partners with up-to-date professional advice on policy, institutional and technical issues.
• Contributing to ensure that IFAD senior management is regularly and adequately briefed to engage effectively in high level fora with policy implications for rural transformation.
• Providing senior level technical expertise.

2. KNOWLEDGE AND ADVISORY SERVICES: The Senior Technical Specialist enhances the development of viable and sustainable policies and supports regional and global thematic input through authoritative technical knowledge sharing for their area of specialization. The position will ensure access to the latest sources of knowledge and innovation, strengthen technical capacity and establish new knowledge and advisory partnerships. Accountabilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Supporting intelligence gathering and analysis of debates relevant to inclusive and sustainable rural transformation;
• Supporting the coordination of the relevant knowledge development and dissemination with institutions outside of IFAD, within the region concerned and national Institutions, disseminating knowledge and lessons learned with external partners and stakeholders through publication of Occasional Papers, journal articles, seminars and workshops, through electronic media and the development of new knowledge products and operational tools that are informed by learning from the field;
• Participating in IFAD-wide thematic discussions and developing appropriate technical and operation approaches of relevance to the country/divisional strategies and programmes;
• Planning and leading learning events to strengthen IFAD's knowledge and capacity to engage in global debates with policy implications for rural transformation.

3. PARTNERSHIP BUILDING AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES: The Senior Technical Specialist develops and maintains a network of strategic partnerships that can help advance IFAD's mandate and messages around rural transformation in the global debate. The position develops 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 centers of excellence, complementary technical organizations and specialized departments of other development institutions (including United Nations agencies, International Financial Institutions, bilateral cooperation agencies, non-governmental organizations, and others) as strategic partners;
• Strengthening IFAD's representation and communication in policy processes (including representing IFAD at international, regional, inter-agency meetings, seminars and conferences);
• Developing and cultivating alliances in key global policy forums to strengthen IFAD's influence over time, with a strategic focus on specific themes in their area of specialization.

4. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING: The Senior Technical Specialist supports the Director/Lead Technical Specialists in knowledge management and other monitoring and reporting activities to enhance country level programme and funding decisions.

5. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Senior Technical Specialist is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources. This includes, among others, people management through support to recruitment of technical specialists and technical leadership/capacity development, coaching and mentoring of new and/or more junior staff, supervisory role and evaluation of performance of professionals and general service staff under their purview.

In particular, the Senior Technical Specialist (SECAP)'s main responsibilities include: 6. SENIOR ADVICE ON SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE SAFEGUARDS: The Senior Technical Specialist (SECAP) will work to enhance the quality of the preparation and implementation of the Social, Environmental and Climate Change Assessment Procedures (SECAP) including opportunities to enhance project development objectives through social integration, climate change adaptation and mitigation and sustainable environmental management. This will include support to projects financed through a variety of sources including the Programme of Loans and Grants (PoLG) and a variety of supplementary Funds. In particular, the incumbent will:

• Coordinate the preparation and oversight of the implementation of SECAP requirements such as, inter alia, environment and social impact assessments, climate risk and adaptation assessments and environment and social management plans or frameworks in the WCA regional portfolio.
• Provide advice, building capacity, and advancing the development of safeguards policies within member countries.
• Review projects, programmes and strategies in order to strengthen their contribution to countries' development objectives, including those identified under multilateral and regional climate change and environment conventions in in the WCA portfolio.
• Ensure high-quality SECAP outputs through robust and comprehensive assessments, development of management plans and project activities. The Senior Technical Specialist will both lead and provide support to others in achieving quality SECAP outputs.
• Lead the enhancement of high-quality climate risk, impact and adaptation assessments based on state-of-the art methodologies.
• Support and supplement the development and maintenance of a roster of certified SECAP regional and international consultants, ensuring expertise across all SECAP Standards and regional needs.
• Draft and revise Terms of References for consultants for the preparation, capacity building and implementation of SECAPs.
• Provide technical backstopping and troubleshooting in high-risk projects and countries in the WCA portfolio;
• Participate in project delivery teams in the WCA region, in particular where there are substantial and high safeguard risks.
• Work with regional teams to strengthen the climate and environment rationale and activities in project proposals.
• Provide technical inputs to the design, start-up and implementation of climate and environment projects supported through Supplementary funds (eg. concept notes, project design documents, preparation of TORs, data collection and analysis, review of consultants' work.

7. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT: The Senior Technical Specialist (Social, Environment and Climate Safeguards) (SECAP) will ensure country-level access to the latest sources of knowledge and innovation, strengthen national technical capacity and establish new Knowledge and advisory partnerships. In particular, accountabilities may include:

• Coordinate safeguard-related work within the WCA region to ensure that appropriate resources, capacity and knowledge are deployed to effectively cover the implementation of SECAP.
• Coordinate regional efforts to develop and implement the SECAP through adequate training and knowledge building on a continuous basis.
• Identify and implement trainings for IFAD staff, consultants, project delivery teams and partner institutions as required.
• Produce knowledge products to further develop IFAD's technical tools and to communicate lessons learned and results from the portfolio of projects.
• Propose enhancement of strategic documents and processes to support the preparation and implementation of the SECAP.
• Participate in UN, MDB, regional, national and other safeguards related working groups.
• Keep abreast and produce guidance materials to colleagues on changes to safeguards and other related policies and practices of the supplementary climate and environment funds.

8. PARTNERSHIP BUILDING: The Senior Technical Specialist (Social, Environment and Climate Safeguards) will:

• Monitor, ensure, and report on IFAD's compliance with safeguards policies of external funding sources to ensure continued access to supplementary financing. This applies specifically to the Adaptation Fund, the Global Environment Facility and the Green Climate Fund.
• Represent IFAD in relevant regional, sub-regional and international events to showcase IFAD's innovations and results.
• Expand innovative partnerships with development partners to facilitate coherence with IFAD climate change and environment agenda.
• Play an active role in resource mobilization efforts related to ECG themes.
• Contribute to responding to member requests for information.

9. MONITORING, EVALUATION AND REPORTING: The Senior Technical Specialist (Social, Environment and Climate Safeguards) (SECAP) contributes to ensuring and capturing results from IFAD's portfolio in order to enhance country level programmes in the WCA regional portfolio and funding decisions based on accurate technical data. In particular, accountabilities may include:

• Monitor the quality of SECAP implementation projects, programmes and strategies.
• Monitor and provide inputs to ensure the quality of SECAP studies being produced by projects during implementation.
• Monitor and identify means to address poor implementation of SECAP outputs by project teams.
• Provide support to reporting to IFAD's Board on the quality of SECAP implementation ratings.
• Monitor and ensure IFAD's and Supplementary Funds' public information, disclosure and grievance redress mechanisms are in place and requirements are met. euhGX48 PHMNB
• Monitor and provide input to IFAD policies and strategies to ensure accreditation requirements are maintained.
• Participate in supervision missions to provide support to the implementation of environment and social management plans.
• Assess the quality of project implementation and progress reports to ensure their quality and comprehensiveness.
• Troubleshoot issues related to project progress and provide recommendations to management on measures to overcome barriers to efficient and quality implementation.

Key Performance Indicators

Assignments require the provision of authoritative technical expertise in the field of specialization. The impact of work by the incumbent directly affects country programmes and contributes to regional and corporate policy and strategy. The impact on the overall IFAD country and regional programmes is significant in projecting the Fund's role/capacity as a reliable, viable partner in development. Work is intricate in that it requires consideration of a wide range of technical factors and related data. Senior Regional Technical Specialists also select and provide oversight of external consultants, participate as experts in field missions and in the servicing of intergovernmental and expert group meetings of a technical nature.

Work at this level normally is not reviewed for technical accuracy. Senior Regional Technical Specialists thus exercise independence and initiative in assessing needs and advising governments when on field mission. Decisions are made on the research or analytical strategies to be followed in resolving problems of concern in the technical area. Established methods and procedures are adapted as necessary in order to achieve desired results.

Working Relationships

The work relationships of Senior Technical Specialists involves the provision of technical advice and the negotiation and resolution of problems that arise in technical project design and appraisal, supervision/implementation support and in the preparation of studies and reports. The incumbent serves as an expert in the area of specialization and works with full technical independence in the provision of technical expertise and methodological guidance at the country level, as well as regionally as required. Contacts are with counterparts and senior officials within other United Nations organizations, IFIs governments, non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations, private sector research institutes and academia. In servicing intergovernmental bodies, expert and working groups and other meetings, the Senior Technical Specialist provides technical expertise and recommendations for investment, policy formulation and official conclusions in a consultative and Specialist capacity; the incumbent also may provide information regarding the organization's policies, and act as the representative of the organization. Maintain contacts to identify and evaluate emerging developments.

Job Profile Requirements

Organizational Competencies:

Level 2:

• Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains strategic partnerships internally and externally
• Communicating and negotiating - Acquires & uses a wide range of communication styles & skills
• Demonstrating leadership - Leads by example; initiates and supports change
• Focusing on clients - Contributes to a client-focused culture
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Challenges, innovates & contributes to learning culture
• Managing performance and developing staff - Manages wider teams with greater impact on others and on the organization
• Managing time, resources and information - Coordinates wider use of time, information and/or resources
• Problem-solving and decision-making - Solves complex problems and makes decisions that have wider corporate impact
• Strategic thinking and organizational development - Staff in management and/or strategic leadership roles
• Team working - Fosters a cohesive team environment

Education:

• Level - Advanced university degree from an accredited institution in a technically relevant area.
• Areas - Agriculture, Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Environment, Economics, Social Sciences, etc.
• Degree must be an accredited institution listed on https://www.whed.net/home.php.

Experience:

• At least eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience in, and demonstrated understanding of development initiatives in the field of social, environment and climate safeguards.
• Two (2) years in a multi-cultural organization or national organization providing support on a regional / global scope.
• Extensive expertise in social, environmental and climate risk analysis and management as specified in IFAD's Social, Environmental and Climate Assessment Procedures (SECAP); Experience in fieldwork and international policy frameworks related to project and program development for climate change and environment financing is an asset. Experience in environment and social impact assessments and management plans. Technical expertise at the country level. Skills in the design and coordination of technical research and identification of solutions to evolving safeguard issues.

Languages:

• Required: English and French (4 Excellent)
• Desirable: Spanish, or Arabic

Skills:

• Advocacy: Ability to leverage IFAD knowledge and/or communication materials to maintain and promote constructive dialogue around IFAD`s vision and strategic priorities to external actors
• Knowledge strategy & management: Extensive expertise in knowledge management & dissemination strategies
• IFAD governance & mandate: In depth knowledge of IFAD`s governance structure, mandate, strategic priorities and technical work
• 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
• Basic ICT & digital fluency: Expertise relevant to the specific role (e.g. in-depth, computer information systems, including micro-computer operating systems software, hardware and applications software and other office technology equipment), end-user computing configuration management
• Adaptability: Adaptability and flexibility when facing new or unexpected situations, and to specific constraints and circumstances and managing complex processes
• Collaboration: Successfully work toward a common goal with others by communicating clearly, actively listening to others, taking responsibility for mistakes, and respecting different perspectives of stakeholders.
• Corporate approach: Ability to bring in corporate vision and priorities into one's area of work (e.g. budgeting going beyond simple budgetary considerations, taking into account strategic priorities)
• 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)
• Political acumen: Ability to conduct sound political analysis and understand complex environments, providing options and advice
• Synthesis: Outstanding ability to synthesize and simplify complex technical information for a variety of (non-technical) audiences
• Verbal communication: Clear, succinct and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language
• 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.)
• Evidence-based policy: Know-how in the formulation of concrete and actionable policy recommendations based on hard evidence (going beyond simple data interpretation)
• Programme/Project development, management: Know-how in Programme/Project development, implementation, management
• Social & Environmental Safeguards: Know-how in Social & Environmental complianc as specified in the IFAD's Social, Environmental and Climate Assessment Procedures (SECAP)
• Cross-cutting themes - Environment & climate change: Expertise specific to the environment and climate change cross-cutting theme (e.g. climate and environmental policy, biodiversity, agroecology)
• Policy dialogue: Know-how in holding regular and effective consultations with IFAD counterparts - like ministries and governmental bodies at all administrative levels, donors, civil society

Other Information

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.

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.

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.

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.