The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. The conference was organized in response to the food crises of the early 1970s that primarily affected the Sahelian countries of Africa. It resolved that “an International Fund for Agricultural Development should be established immediately to finance agricultural development projects primarily for food production in the developing countries.” One of the most important insights emerging from the conference was that the causes of food insecurity and famine were not so much failures in food production but structural problems relating to poverty, and to the fact that the majority of the developing world’s poor populations were concentrated in rural areas. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries. Seventy-five per cent of the world’s poorest people – 1.4 billion women, children and men – live in rural areas and depend on agriculture and related activities for their livelihoods.
Job Role
The Senior Regional Procurement Officer is accountable for IFAD core values of integrity, transparency, and equity in the alignment to IFAD’s procurement policies and procedures (as established in the IFAD Project Procurement Guidelines, IFAD Procurement Handbook and other related and relevant documentation), of the divisions programmes and projects.
Key Functions and Results
- STRATEGY AND EFFECTIVENESS MANAGEMENT: The Senior Regional Procurement Officer is responsible for the effectiveness of procurement management execution by country programme management teams and project teams during project implementation and project design. He/she is responsible for procurement execution in line with the IFAD Procurement Guidelines and Handbook, and the appropriate controls, risk assessment and contract management while ensuring the effective use of resources, identifying bottlenecks and weaknesses of project procurement controls and establishing mechanisms for solutions. He/she is also responsible for Letters to the Borrower, with emphasis on procurement thresholds and specific implementation and procurement arrangements.
- PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT: The Senior Regional Procurement Officer has the following roles and responsibilities: Roles:
- Promote fulfilment of IFAD’s project procurement oversight function.
- Champion the design and effective implementation of appropriate project procurement quality assurance, risk-based systems and evidence-based oversight.
- Provide guidance and advice to the Regional Division management and Proejct Delivery Teams (PDTs) on procurement policies, practices, processes and procedures.
- Lead the development of the Procurement Strategy for IFAD’s project: prepare project implementation to achieve the best procurement results and value for money, including a detailed research of the market, its capabilities in terms of safeguards/SECAP requirements and other key operational risks that need to be addressed while ensuring good procurement planning in support of project implementation.
- Lead the coordination with colleagues in ECG and PMI on safeguards and mitigation measures during project design and implementation. IFAD’s updated Social Environmental and Climate Assessment Procedures (SECAP) require a close integration of safeguards into the procurement process.
- Dispense strategic support and backstopping to the Regional Division management and CPMTs, on procurement issues throughout project design, supervision and implementation support, including by serving as a member of Design Review Meetings (DRM).
- Provide authoritative advice, counsel and guidance particularly on complex procurement issues, innovative solutions.
- Assist the Regional Division management and PDTs on approaches and strategies for the development of procurement documents that take into consideration latest sector trends, market conditions, life cycle costing analysis, value-for-money concepts and practices used in other donor agencies including multilaterals.
- Monitor procurement performance across the portfolio, develop key project procurement performance indicators and risk management tools to ensure proactive identification and action to address procurement and contract management issues and bottlenecks.
- Assesses needs and identifies training options for Country Directors (CDs), Ifad Country Office (ICO) staff and project team members to ensure robust management of procurement risk. When necessary, provides training and guidance to CDs, ICO staff and project team members on project procurement management and related risks.
- Advise, as appropriate, the Regional Division management and CDTs on market analysis, market outreach and communication strategies to attract capable, available and responsive bidders.
- Monitor, review and manage procurement and contract data entered by projects into the IFAD Contract Monitoring Tool and other project procurement ICT systems. This includes the setting of targets with projects and regular follow-up meeting.
- Provide proactive project procurement portfolio management:develop regular procurement reports for the regional division highlighting the amount of contracts for different categories of procurement, main risks and problems faced in the portfolio. Propose actions for improvement, taking into consideration the specific economic and social context of the region;
- Contribute to the knowledge and expertise of project procurement by staying abreast of and reporting on current trends in international public procurement.
- Recommend practices and procedures for implementing procurement lessons learned in projects funded or administered by IFAD.
- Share knowledge through formal trainings and/or hands-on field practice and exchanges lessons learnt with other Regional Divisions and OPR.
- Prepare new procurement templates and guidance notes on various topics in procurement or suggest modifications to existing ones.
- Provide advice, appraisal and feedback on the work of Procurement consultants hired by IFAD.
- Facilitate, follow up and support procurement investigations and management of procurement complaints.
- Lead and organise project procurement reviews (PPRs).
- Prepare and contribute to updating ORMS and Management Letters.
- Contribute and lead thedevelopment, operationalization and roll-out of ICT systems for procurement.
- Responsibilities:
- Prepare or clear procurement capacity/system and risk assessments.
- Prepare or clear definition of project procurement arrangements, project procuremtn strategy and prior-review thresholds.
- Review and clear Letters to the Borrower.
- Review prepared Project Implementation Manuals (PIMs).
- Review and/or clear procurement activities and processes requiring IFAD’s prior review and advise CDs/CDs accordingly regarding issuance of No Objections.
- Undertake PPRs.
- Undertake post review of procurement.
- Provide inputs to procurement issues in supervision missions.
- Support procurement training and capacity building.
- Undertake procurement analysis of trends and risk. These responsibilities (preparation, undertaking, review and clearance) may be delegated to ICO staff and/or IFAD procurement consultants. The Senior Regional Procurement Officer only clears when s/he did not prepare, and when s/he prepares, clearance may need to be undertaken by other members of the team.
- Proactive project procurement portfolio management:to the regional division: Develop reports, targets including detailed analysis of the procurement portfolio and if required proposed actions for improvement specifics to the region.
- PARTNERSHIP BUILDING: The Senior Regional Procurement Officer contributes to promoting a constructive dialogue on procurement matters with country directors, government officials, counterparts in other international organizations and public sector management and financial management specialists, as well as other external parties through engaging them on public procurement reforms. He/she attends meetings on procurement related matters to champion continuous procurement improvements within IFAD and maintains and facilitates an IFAD-approved roster of qualified procurement consultants in the region, ensuring they are fully updated on IFAD procurement policies.
- MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Senior Regional Procurement Officer is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the alignment to IFAD’s procurement policies and procedures of the divisions programmes and projects. He/she coordinates and liaises with the Office of Audit and Oversight and other Technical Divisions on procurement cases. He/she maintains a consolidated database and files on prior review contracts and ensures project/programme contract registers are updated and submitted to the division. Ensures procurement management at divisional level and relevance and appropriateness of Guidelines on Procurement, proposing drafts for revisions and updates.
Key Performance Indicators
The key results have an impact on the overall efficiency in procurement management, and success in introduction and implementation of operational strategies. Strategic approach to procurement, accurate, thoroughly researched documented information, timely and appropriate delivery of services, ensure client satisfaction and overall timely delivery of IFAD programmes and projects. The Senior Regional Procurement Officer at this level provides strategic analysis and advice on procurement related issues to ensure that regional divisions’ programmes and projects follow IFAD’s procurement policies and procedures. Going beyond established procedures or models, the Senior Regional Procurement Officer’s substantive contributions reflect proposals for revisions and updates of Guidelines on Procurement ensuring relevance and appropriateness. He/she demonstrates authoritative knowledge and capacity in performing the Senior Regional Procurement Officer role.
Working Relationships
Within the parameters of a Senior Regional Procurement Officer, at this level he/she serves as senior strategic analyst and advisor on procurement related issues. Combination of credible authoritative capacity with independent responsibility for assessment of division’s procurement systems, training of staff and management of procurement risks, ensures the adherence to IFAD’s procurement policies and procedures. He/she contributes to resolving complex issues related to procurement matters.
Job Profile Requirements
Organizational Competencies – Level 2
- Strategic thinking and organizational development: Strategic leadership
- Demonstrating Leadership: Leads by example; initiates and supports change
- Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating: Challenges, innovates and contributes to a learning culture
- Focusing on clients: Contributes to a client-focused culture
- Problem solving and decision making: Solves complex problems and makes decisions that have wider corporate impact
- Managing time, resources and information: Coordinates wider use of time, information and/or resources
- Team Work: Fosters a cohesive team environment
- Communicating and negotiating: Acquires and uses a wide range of communication styles and skills
- Building relationships and partnerships: Builds and maintains strategic partnerships internally and externally
- Managing performance and developing staff: Manages staff and teams effectively
Education:
Level – Advanced university degree
Areas – business administration, public administration, law, commerce, finance or a related field.
Degree must be an accredited institution listed on this website https://ift.tt/2PQxWkg
Work experience:
- At least eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional experience in procurement activities in an international organization out of which two (2) should be at the international level, including a proven record of managing and delivering complex procurement programmes and record of relevant field experience.
- Position-specific experience: Work in more than one geographic region as well as at Headquarters is an asset. Management and procurement experience in the UN system is desirable.
Languages:
- Required English (4 – Excellent)
- Desirable: French, Spanish, or Arabic (3 – Good)
- Position-specific requirement: Knowledge of French is desirabel.
Skills:
Job role specific
- Procurement, Know-how in the application of the procurement policies, rules and regulations applicable to IFAD HQ and/or Country Programmes/Projects, including for complex individual cases; (4)
- Stakeholder management, Strong alignment capabilities and consultation skills, building on effective interactions and relationships with different stakeholders (e.g. for the co-creation of communication material with member states) and ability to build and maintain a strong network (e.g. with journalists, media outlets, etc.);(4)
- Project/Programme management (incl. coordination, design, development), Know-how in Project design and evaluation;(4)
- Procedure adherence, Ability to strictly adhere to established, formal guidelines, including in new situations; (4)
- Record management, Know-how in record keeping (e.g. proper handling of records and systems to preserve institutional memory, including correspondence logs, office filing and reference systems, etc.); (3)
- Problem solving, Strong systemic and structured thinking, ability to identify and dissect problems into components and formulate a comprehensive set of creative viable and sustainable solutions and strategies;(4)
- Integrity and ethics, Strong emphasis on acting with honesty, not tolerating unethical behaviour, demonstrating fairness, impartiality and sensitivity in exercising authority and interacting with peers, stakeholders, High sense of moral purpose and ethical conduct;
- Risk management (e.g. reputational), Know-how in identifying and assessing of potential legal, reputational, ethical risks and liabilities in relation to the Fund’s activities; contributing strongly to the division as second line of defence function; demonstrating ability to manage these risks by advising senior management on contingency and mitigation strategies. (4)
- Client orientation: Strong critical thinking combined with communication skills to liaise between the business and technologies to understand business problems and needs, document requirements and identify solutions; (4)
- Stakeholder management: Strong alignment capabilities and consultation skills, building on effective interactions and relationships with different stakeholders (e.g. for the co-creation of communication material with member states) and ability to build and maintain a strong network (e.g. with journalists, media outlets, etc. (4)
Position specific
- 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 (4)
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