Details

Mission and objectives

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 the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation. The East and Southern Africa Division (ESA) covers 22 countries. The drive towards aid effectiveness and harmonization and support that is given to Joint Assistance Strategies, and the One UN initiative is an important focus of the Division’s work. IFAD’s goal in the regions is to enable rural poor people to 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 processes. Focus is increasingly being put on catalysing private investment, creating employment opportunities for rural youth and adapting to climate change. The IFAD Country Office (ICO) in Rwanda is instrumental to achieving IFAD’s Mission to “be an effective and recognized partner for rural poverty al-levitation” in line with its Vision “to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger” in Rwanda.

Context

The UN Volunteer will provide professional technical assistance in the area of ICT for Development (ICT4D) in Agriculture covering primarily supporting the Rwanda and Burundi Country office efforts to support in delivery ICT for Digitalization (ICT4D) services under the country Programs portfolio. The UNV will also support the ICOs to contribute towards corporate level activities aligned to Country Strategic Opportunities (COSOP), demands from Countries(s) Project Portfolio and within the new action plan linked to the global ICT4D strategy whose key action areas include (i) building internal ICT4D awareness within IFAD; (ii) supporting the scalable uptake of ICT4D solutions; (iii) strengthening ICT4D partnerships; and (iv) promoting knowledge management and sharing related to ICT4D. The UNV will also provide technical Advice and Program Assistance, knowledge Management and Capacity Building Support, and partnership Building Support.

Task description

Under the supervision of the Country Director and in matrix collaboration with the Global Lead ICT4D and other Technical Specialist -ICT4D, the UNV will perform the following tasks:
1. Technical Advice and programme assistance: Based on proficient technical knowledge and analysis of current thematic conditions, emerging development chal-lenges in the countries. The UNV will:
• Provide technical advice that contributes to improving the delivery of IFAD Pro-grammes/Projects aimed at inclusive and sustainable rural transformation. S/he will be responsible for provision of technical advice to country programmes in the Region particularly:
• In liaison with Global Lead ICT4D, support ICO to develop a Portfolio ICT4D Action Plan to drive towards a more strategic focus on ICT4D to reach needed scale.
• Support integration of digital technologies in new designs and/or piloting and scale-up of digital technologies including GIS Integration, Opportunities for Artificial Intel-ligence and leveraging Data for IFAD supported Projects.
• Provide Technical Support to Project Management Units of Rwanda and Burundi for Implementation of ICT4D related initiatives under the current portfolio.
• Provide technical support and propose an offering of new technologies and/or iden-tify ICT4D tools and technologies that can be incorporated in IFAD pro-jects/programmes.
• Participate in Supervision missions and contribute to Aide Memoir(s) and Supervi-sion Reports
• Support in roll out of Project level digital enabled M&E as required.
2. Knowledge management and capacity building:
• Contribute to policy engagement and project development processes at the country level through technical knowledge sharing for his/her area of specialization.
• Support access to the latest sources of knowledge and innovation, contributes to strengthening regional technical capacity and establishing new knowledge and advi-sory partnerships among others, particularly:
• Support development of knowledge document covering approaches, solutions, im-pact and lessons from current digital interventions in the portfolio
• Support in the organization and management of stakeholder meetings with MinAgri Digital Unit in Rwanda and MoA in Burundi to evaluate status of digital projects an
• Support in the development, coordination and dissemination of case studies, lessons learnt etc. from implementation of digital solutions in the countries.
• Support Capacity building activities related to ICT4D for the PMU
• Contribute to the dissemination of IFAD ICT4D Courses to the PMU
• Support other ad hoc knowledge and policy related tasks and activities.
3. Other tasks:
• Participate in at least 1 design/supervision missions in the assigned to support inte-gration/retrofit/review of digital technologies interventions.
• Support in the development and implementation of the Country integrated ICT4D Ac-tion Plan
• Support dissemination of ICT4D courses
• Document, coordination and dissemination of case studies, lessons learnt etc. from implementation of digital solutions in the country.
• At least 2 ICT4D stakeholder meetings and follow-up actions completed.
• Contribute towards project implementation support and supervisions as required.
• Produce end of consultancy report and complete all tasks assigned by the Country Director