Full-Time Senior Partnership Specialist
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Job Description
BACKGROUND
The CGIAR is a global research-for-development partnership with a vision to reduce poverty and hunger, improve human health and nutrition, and enhance ecosystem resilience through high-quality international agricultural research, partnership and leadership. The World Bank has been a co-sponsor of the CGIAR since its founding in 1971 and has since been providing its Chair and Secretariat. The CGIAR system has undergone a major reform in 2009, led by the Chair, and redefined the components of the partnership. The New CGIAR system is characterized by (i) the CGIAR Funders coordinated through the CGIAR Fund, and (ii) the CGIAR Doers coordinated through the Consortium of CGIAR Centers established by the 15 research Centers of the former Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. The funders and doers, working with partners, implement an agreed Strategy and Results Framework aimed to realize the vision of this international research system. This strategy is implemented through a portfolio of Consortium Research Programs (CRP), ambitious research programs that aim to address today’s most pressing agricultural research for development challenges.
The CGIAR Fund is a new multi-donor, multiyear funding mechanism designed to provide strategic financing to support priority Research implemented by the Consortium. The Fund was established in 2010 as a new Trust Fund at the World Bank. The World Bank Group (WBG) is committed to working to promote poverty reduction and inclusive and sustainable development in developing countries. Recognizing the inter-linkages between economically, socially and environmentally sustainable development, the WBG is taking an integrated approach to achieving these goals under the leadership of the Sustainable Development Network (SDN), where the CGIAR has been administered since the founding of SDN.
The CGIAR Fund aims to facilitate harmonization of donor support by providing a single entry point for financing CGIAR programs and institutions. The Fund Council is the Fund’s decision-making body, representing the Fund Donors who meet, along with donors providing bilateral funding to CGIAR Centers, at a biennial Funders Forum. The Fund Office is the principal support unit to the Fund Council and the Funders Forum. Organizationally, the Fund Office is a part of SDN, reporting to its vice-president, who also serves as Chair of the Fund Council and co-chair of the Funders Forum. The Fund Office operates under the World Bank policies and procedures. The Executive Secretary of the Fund Council manages the Fund Office.
The main responsibilities of the Fund Office include: (1) providing support to the Fund Council and its Chair in the conduct of the Council’s business, including organizing Fund Council meetings, drafting background notes and papers, mobilizing resources for the CGIAR, managing relations with Fund Donors, and following-up the implementation of Fund Council decisions; (2) providing support to the Funders Forum and its Chair in organizing and backstopping the Funders Forum; (3) serving as the key Fund Council liaison with the Trustee, the Consortium, the Independent Science and Partnership Council, the Independent Evaluation Arrangement and other CGIAR units; and (4) serving as the focal contact of the Fund Council on a day to day basis and coordinating the communications of the CGIAR Fund.
The Fund Office deliverables are achieved through activities designed to support two major work-streams – simply defined as; a) Ensuring stable, predictable income and growth of the Fund (coordinated by the Senior Partnership Officer, SPO) and b) Ensuring an effective and timely out-flow of funds to the CGIAR Consortium under the governance and decisions of the Fund Council (coordinated by the Senior Governance Adviser, SGA). All staff, to greater or lesser degrees, contribute to work activities relevant to both work-streams using a matrix pooled staffing structure under overall management of the Head of Office.
DUTIES
The Senior Partnerships Officer (SPO) forms part of the Fund Office Matrix Leadership Team (MLT) along with the Senior Governance Adviser and Head of Office to whom the SPO reports directly.
Specific duties and responsibilities include:
Ensure effective management of investor relations in the Fund Office:
•Ensure donor experience with the fund is positive by establishing responsive processing times for Contribution Agreements between FO and Trustee.
•Monitor internal and external risks to the Fund, donors and other stakeholders and implement measures to mitigate risks.
•Develop and maintain a database containing profiles of each investor and monitor changes while keeping the pulse of investor perceptions of the CGIAR, Fund and Fund Office.
•Develop, plan and implement effective segmentation of investors, establishing appropriate value propositions for each segment with the CGIAR.
•Take advantage of opportunities to increase the global footprint of the CGIAR in international processes and as for example G-20, G-8, Rio +20, etc.
Achieve alignment between CGIAR funding needs and resource mobilization in the CGIAR Fund:
•Execute the resource mobilization strategy for predictable, multiyear, and increasing funding.
•Design and develop effective value propositions for traditional investors to maintain and increase unrestricted contributions to the Fund.
•Draft a business plan for capturing new sources of finance for the Fund, including innovative approaches, resource and staff needs.
•Plan and execute fund raising missions to donors and investors involving Fund Council Chair, Executive Secretary and Senior Consortium staff (Board Chair, CEO, Board Members and Center DGs) where appropriate.
•Target full funding of Fund Component of CRPs from CGIAR Fund in 2013.
•Target 65% of all funding from donors to go through the Fund in 2012.
Working with the Senior Governance Adviser ensure that key FO-led activities and events (principally Fund Council meetings, Funders Forum and the biennial Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development) meet the needs and expectations of donors, investors and the CGIAR system at large:
•Support the finalization of additional chapters of the COF.
•Assist in the design of the 2012-2015 FC composition and transition from the inaugural Fund Council
•Provide analysis and inputs to reviews/evaluations CGIAR from a finance perspective (role and function of the Fund Window 3 (2013); system-wide review (2013).
•Provide appropriate briefing material as needed to senior management.
In collaboration with Head of Office and Communications Officer help to ensure FO communications link strategically with CGIAR corporate communications regarding resource mobilization messaging:
•Identify opportunities for appropriate communication with all stakeholders especially donors and investors, traditional and new
•Provide strategic guidance to strengthen communications between the FO and other CGIAR system entities on matters pertaining to resource mobilization.
•Based on donor feedback identify needs for appropriate impact stories to support resource mobilization efforts.
As member of the Matrix Leadership Team contribute to effective and efficient management of the CGIAR Fund Office:
•Effective management of staff working on investor relations and resource mobilization deliverable by providing opportunities for professional growth and development, and mentoring to junior staff
•Develop effective working relationships with Consortium staff
•Manage donor intelligence database to ensure up to date continuity of donor knowledge in the Fund Office and prepare briefings for head of Office and FC Chair.
•Develop effective transition plan on staffing to ensure appropriate skills mix and coverage in office at all times.
REQUIREMENTS
n advanced degree (Masters and or PhD with 8 years of relevant experience) in agriculture/natural resources, social sciences, international development, finance or economics.
•Prior international work experience in achieving results on the ground (preferably in more than one world region including both pre-Bank and Bank experience).
•Demonstrated leadership and experience in design and hands-on delivery of interventions for development outcomes, particularly agriculture, agricultural research for development and/or rural development.
•Demonstrated political judgment and ability to influence strategic partnerships, align goals, and promote collaborative action.
•Experience in leading operational work, including major projects in the agriculture/rural sector, convening donor groups, ability to facilitate meetings/workshops and working in multi-sectoral teams desirable.
•Proven experience of fund raising in public, private or civil society context would be an advantage.
COMPETENCIES
Client Orientation – Translates insight into practice across disciplines, hierarchies, geographies and organizational units in service of clients.
Drive for Results – Ensures successful implementation and delivery of key programs and projects, ensuring that outputs positively impact results.
Teamwork (Collaboration) and Inclusion – Creates a team climate of practical and innovative action, facilitating collaboration between competing interests and stakeholders.
Knowledge, Learning and Communication – Demonstrates command of all forms of communication and presents in a clear, objective and engaging manner in high-level settings; ensures knowledge is captured and shared in a variety of ways.
Business Judgment and Analytical Decision Making – Serves as a trusted advisor to others on their decisions, ensuring alignment across units and optimal impact on the organization as a whole.
Knowledge and Experience in Development Arena – Influences the design and execution of major policy and/or research initiatives; conceives and promotes innovations in development policies, project design, organization and management to improve operational and sector work.
Policy Dialogue Skills – Track record of conducting effective policy dialogue with country counterparts; communicates and defends difficult issues and positions to senior bank management and government officials.
Integrative Skills – In depth understanding of Bank services in all areas of work in the network, and proven fungibility.
Corporate Policies and IDA/Trust Fund & Lending Operations: Demonstrates working knowledge of IDA/trust fund operations and can advise on strategy development and management decisions with minimal supervision. Can interact with private or public stakeholders and partners with minimal supervision. Is able to evaluate and ensure the consistency of policies and procedures with the entity’s stated mission, strategies and corporate culture. Identifies and analyzes policies and procedures that are not functioning as intended, and inform the appropriate channels to review and take corrective action.
The World Bank Group is committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality, culture and educational background. Individuals with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
How to Apply
CLICK HERE TO APPLY ONLINE
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