Closing date for applications: 23rd of January, 2015 or until a suitable candidate is identified.
The complex, dynamic relationships among climate change, agriculture and the food security of poor households necessitate urgent transformation of food systems – major changes in farming practices and localities, landscape management, food storage and distribution, and consumption choices.
We are seeking a qualified candidate who will play a crucial role in strengthening partnerships and developing synergies between CCAFS’ Climate Smart Agricultural Practices Flagship and the World Bank’s work in this area. The scope of work to be delivered by the WB-CCAFS liaison person will contribute to achieveing a goal of “millions farmers, including women and marginalised groups that are resilient and food secure despite a variable and changing climate, through wide scale adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture options”.
He/she will also contribute to facilitate appropriate operational linkages and contribute to the implementation of the third of these key products:
- Improved technologies, practices and portfolios for climate-smart agriculture that meet the needs of farmers;
- Methods and approaches for equitable local adaptation planning and governance, including transformative options;
- Innovative incentives (including finance) and mechanisms for scaling up and out that address the needs of farmers, including women and marginalised groups
The flagship work will include a focus on “climate-smart villages” where integrated approaches to climate variability and change are tested in a participatory manner. Over 30 have been established in CCAFS phase 1, but additional sites are envisaged, especially where connected to major development initiatives. All learning sites are linked to strategies for scaling up and out.
Key objectives for the position
- Provide an operational link between CCAFS and the WorldBank team, and ensure coordination on work related to Climate Smart Agriculture
- Explore opportunities to robustly test innovative finance mechanisms for incentivizing CSA activities on the ground
Key duties and accountability
- Promote use of CCAFS research in World Bank operations
- Identify and promote opportunities for CCAFS to engage further with the World Bank and contribute to CSA related initiatives of the WorldBank in CCAFS regions
- Identify a range of innovative finance options for incentivizing CSA, and match to opportunities for robust testing and evaluation within WorldBank initiatives, or within context of CCAFS Climate Smart Villages
- Liaise between CCAFS researchers and relevant CSA stakeholders to foster outcomes and impact from CCAFS research
- Develop policy briefs and synergy reports on innovative finance instruments for incentivizing CSA adoption
The candidate shall have the following competencies, skills and experience
- At least 3 years relevant experience, preferably with Masters level studies in finance, economics international development or related field
- Knowledge of climate related issues and agricultural challenges
- Solid technical knowledge of financial instruments in the development sector
- Experience in research design, write-up and synergizing results
- Excellent networking skills, ability to engage with broad range of stakeholders and strong communications capacity
Terms of employment
The position is globally recruited and will be based at the Work Bank Headquarters in Washington D.C. Contractually the position will be managed by CIAT. The contract will be for an initial 2 year period, subject to a probation period of six (6) months, renewable depending on performance and funding. The candidate will report jointly to Marc Sadler (World Bank Advisor) and Andy Jarvis (Flagship leader of Climate Smart Agriculture for CCAFS). CIAT offers a multicultural, collegial research environment with competitive salary and excellent benefits; we believe that the diversity of staff contributes to excellence.
Applications
Applicants are invited to send a CV and cover letter illustrating their suitability for the above position against the listed qualifications, competencies, skills together with a detailed curriculum vitae, including names and addresses of three referees knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience. All correspondence should be addressed to the CIAT Talent Management Division to Andrea Linares (z.a.linares@cgiar.org). Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Background
The International Center for Tropical Agriculture – CIAT, is one of the 15 not-for-profit Centers funded by various countries, private foundations, international and regional organizations that make up the CGIAR global partnership. The CGIAR Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), is a strategic research partnership between CGIAR and Future Earth, the global environmental change community. The goal of the program is to promote a food-secure world through the provision of science-based efforts that support sustainable agriculture and enhance livelihoods while adapting to climate change and conserving natural resources and environmental services. Led by CIAT, CCAFS is a unique partnership involving the 15 CGIAR centres and research, government, academic, civil society and private sector actors, and uses science and action to test and model solutions to agricultural challenges in a context of climate variability and uncertainty. It currently works in 5 target regions: East and West Africa, South Asia, South East Asia and Latin America. For more information visitwww.ccafs.cgiar.org
CCAFS’s theory of change involves work with partners on three inter-dependent areas: Generating evidence from action research, (b) effecting policy and institutional change to support Climate- smart Agriculture (CSA), and (c) rolling out CSA. The programme is currently planning its second implementation phase which involves a significant shift towards a Results-Based Management system that focuses on the achievement of development outcomes. It will generate equitable and gender-sensitive technologies, practices, and institutional and policy options related, from 2015 on, to four Flagships: FS1: Climate‐smart agricultural practices; FS2: Climate information services and climate-informed safety nets; FS3: Low‐emissions agricultural development and FS 4: Policies and institutions for climate-resilient food systems.