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Senior Research Officer (Poverty Economics and Impact Evaluation) P-5

IFAD is an International Financial Institution and a Specialized Agency of the United Nations whose mission is to enable poor rural people to overcome poverty. IFAD¿s headquarters is in Rome, Italy, and its staff work with poor rural people, their governments, communities and organizations in more than 90 countries to develop and finance programmes and projects aimed at increasing rural productivity and incomes.

The Strategy and Knowledge Management Department, SKM, led by the Chief Development Strategist, provides IFAD's analytical leadership capacity, on the one hand enabling the Fund to effectively participate in, and contribute to, the international policy dialogue on agricultural and rural development (in particular, on smallholder agricultural development), and on the other helping ensure that IFAD's policies, programmes and projects are informed by state-of-the art thinking on these issues.

The Development Studies and Statistics Division, SSD, is located inthe SKM Department, manages statistics and studies for development programmes in IFAD, in close collaboration with other units within IFAD and networking with centres of excellence outside IFAD as partner institutions. Statistics and studies in IFAD aim to ensure: that high quality data, strategic rural intelligence (processed, quantitative and qualitative, information on rural poverty and productivity) and state-of-the-art-thinking on smallholder agricultural and rural development inform IFAD¿s strategies and policies, country programmes and impact/outcomes assessments, advocacy and resource mobilisation; and that state-of-the-art-doing (evidence-based best-practice) informs IFAD's research. A range of periodic publications and data visualisation constitute a cornerstone of the dissemination strategy.




2. Job purpose

Under the general supervision of the Director SSD, in direct collaboration with the SSD/SKM colleagues and in close cooperation with the other divisions and units including the Independent Office of the Evaluation, the incumbent is responsible for leading IFAD's corporate initiatives on identifying, adapting and mainstreaming state-of-the-art methods for poverty analysis, impact evaluation and metrics of rural poverty and rural transformation.




3. Duties/responsibilities

Conceptualize, design and manage meta-studies on topics related to rural transformation and poverty reduction pathways, based on evaluation findings and coordinate relevant peer reviews.

Provide IFAD management with policy advice on rural poverty related issues, as they emerge from the analytical work.
Design, develop and improve related learning tools; and be responsible for providing training and other capacity building activities at HQ, IFAD County Offices and key IFAD partners in countries.
Advise on M&E systems design in the context of quality assurance process.
Provide technical guidance and strategic advice on the design of impact evaluations and for their analysis.
Conceptualize and design conferences, workshops, seminars, and other forms of the dissemination of the poverty analysis and impact evaluation research output.
Author analytically rigorous written work on poverty analysis and impact evaluation that is adapted for different audiences and needs.
Represent the IFAD in the global processes and outputs to improve rural data; be responsible for developing and maintaining a relevant open database.
Manage and promote partnership network with centres of excellence in the field of poverty analysis and impact evaluation.
Represent IFAD at national or international seminars, conferences, workshops, symposia, and various policy making forums and present research/analytical papers as well as advocate IFAD's position on poverty analysis and impact evaluation.
Contribute to the strategic planning of the analytical work in SSD and IFAD.





4. Professional requirements

Education and experience

Advanced degree in development economics, rural sociology or rural development related fields.
At least 10 years of relevant post-qualification professional experience in applied research and policy design and analysis in a field of poverty economics and impact evaluation, including relevant work experience at research institutions.
Proven experience in impact evaluation methods, shoestring evaluations, and participatory methods. Experience in RandomizedControlTrialsisan advantage.
Proven records of publications related to methods and applications.
Experience with agricultural censuses, household surveys and Living Standard Surveys and gender disaggregated analyses is an advantage.
Strong knowledge of quantitative methods required.





Technical/general skills and competencies

Judgement/decision maker: excellent judgement and the ability to think strategically, assessing and responding to new challenges in rural development.
Analytical skills: Thorough understanding of socio-economic issues as well as the capacity to lead specific analytical work.
Negotiator and communicator: work effectively with others to meet mutual goals. Negotiate to align parties and build networks and partnerships. Communicate effectively to engage others.
Facilitator of change: produces adaptive change. Encourages others to seek opportunities for different and innovative approaches to addressing problems and opportunities, facilitating the implementation and acceptance of change. Communicates continuously and motivates and inspires people to overcome major obstacles toward achieving a vision and producing the change.
Propensity for innovation and results-orientation.





Languages and other skills

Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English. Working knowledge ofFrench, Spanish, and/or Arabic would be an advantage.
Excellent communicator, who can deliver analytical and policy messages clearly and convincingly; ability to communicate with rural development practitioners from the international to the grassroots level.



5. Other information

Applicants should note that IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD, and they may be assigned by him/her to any of the activities of IFAD, including field assignments and/or rotation within IFAD.

IFAD reserves the right to appoint a candidate at the appropriate grade commensurate with experience and knowledge.

Interested candidates are requested to apply by completing IFAD's Personal History Form (PHF) in English. A separate CV may be attached if you so desire, only as a supplement and NOT a substitute to the PHF. The application should be made through the online system only. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY the instructions in 'How to Apply' before you start.

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.

Senior Research Officer (Poverty Economics and Impact Evaluation) P-5