International Analyst in Sustainable Rural Development

Description of the Office/Unit/Project

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in approximately 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve poverty eradication, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. Anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and committed to the principles of universality, equality and leaving no one behind, UNDP supports country efforts to strengthen frameworks for development, disaster risk reduction and climate change. In Colombia, UNDP is active in 28 departments and in 319 municipalities.

From the area of Sustainable Development, UNDP Colombia focuses its actions to contribute to the economic and social development of the country to be environmentally sustainable and improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable and excluded population, promoting the development of the 2030 Agenda and the objectives of sustainable development at local, regional and national level with an environmental view of the territory, from 5 lines of work: reduction of vulnerability to climate change, improvement of the environmental sustainability of productive processes, increase of environmental governance in natural resource management, promotion of the sustainable use of biodiversity and territorial peace with environmental sustainability.

The project "Income increase for small rural farmers, through value chain strengthening in two PDET regions: Montes de María and South of Córdoba – Cosechando igualdad y sostenibilidad" is a partnership between the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Colombia, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with the objective of increasing the income of small-scale producer’s families in the PDET regions of Montes de María and Sur de Córdoba. To achieve this objective, the prioritized value chains (cacao, corn, yam, cassava and plantain) will be strengthened, improving the productive, climate change adaptation, commercial and organizational capacities of at least 40 organizations and 2,400 families of small-scale rural producers, mainstreaming the gender approach throughout all stages of the project.

In this context, the project is seeking an International Analyst in Sustainable Rural Development, who will play a key role in fostering strong relationships with relevant Korean institutions to ensure the sustainability of the project. This Analyst will contribute to structuring new initiatives for scaling up results, strengthening the technical development of the project’s cross-cutting approaches, and advising on the management, analysis, and quality assurance of project data. Given the need for effective collaboration with Korean institutions, excellent communication skills, a solid understanding of Korean culture and institutional dynamics, and proficiency in the Korean language are essential. The Analyst will work closely with UNDP technical leaders and other relevant partners to achieve these goals.

Scope of work 

Summary of key functions

The International Analyst in Sustainable Rural Development is expected to perform the following key tasks:

A. Support for the management, coordination and implementation of projects.

1. Support the management of collaboration with Korean international cooperation institutions to enhance the long-term sustainability of the project “Income increase for small rural farmers, through value chain strengthening in two PDET regions: Montes de María and South of Córdoba. – Cosechando igualdad y sostenibilidad”, ensuring expertise, and strategic support to strengthen its outcomes.
2. Manage new alliances for the sustainability and continuity of the project.
3. Advise on the structuring of sustainability strategies to scale project results.
4. Proactively provide technical input to the implementation of project activities.
5. Support in the structuring of new projects to promote the expansion of results.
6. Draft technical documents and provide input for the design of communication materials, press briefings, social media coverage, blogs, videos, webinars, and other products that contribute to the dissemination of project results.

B. Technical development of the project's cross-cutting approaches

1. Manage technical cooperation with Korean institutions to strengthen the project's cross-cutting approaches (climate change, gender and sustainable commercialization).
2. Strengthen the project's technical assistance by developing and implementing innovative digital and technological solutions, drawing on successful case studies from developed countries. These solutions will be adapted to align with the project's objectives, enhancing the delivery of technical support.
3. Identify opportunities in export markets and manage potential international buyers of agricultural products related to the project.

C. Quality assurance, project monitoring and evaluation

1. Contribute to the management and analysis of information gathered during project implementation to facilitate informed decision making that will improve performance in achieving results.

D. Perform other activities related to the achievement of project results and the field of sustainable rural development.

Institutional arrangement

The day-to-day work of the International Analyst on Sustainable Rural Development will be guided in general by the UNDP Resident Representative and jointly supervised by the National Sustainable Development Manager and the Chief Project Analyst. The outputs arising from the functions of the International Analyst on Sustainable Rural Development may be considered in consultation with relevant partners such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development-MADR, the Rural Development Agency-ADR and other relevant UNDP technical staff. This work will be carried out in close cooperation with KOICA. The core activities outlined in this document have been structured based on the approved project document.

The evaluation of the International Analyst on Sustainable Rural Development will be managed by the National Sustainable Development Manager and the Resident Representative (RR).

Competencies

Core

Cross-functional and technical competencies

Minimum requirements of the approved IPSA

Minimum education requirements    

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Rural Development, International Cooperation or Sustainable development is required or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor´s degree) in International Cooperation, Sustainable Development, Rural Development, Economics or Engineering in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of master´s degree.

Minimum years of relevant work experience             

• A minimum of 2 years (with master's degree) or 4 years (with Professional Degree) of relevant experience in Rural Development, International cooperation or Sustainable development is required.   

Skills required              

• Proven experience in management, capacity building and development.
• Experience working in Rural Development, Agriculture or related programs (Sustainable and Resilient Rural Development programs) in developing countries, preferably in Latin America and with Korean government funding.

Skills desired in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section               

• Field experience (ability to work directly with farmers in the communities, especially with vulnerable populations; understanding and ability to present issues/problems on behalf of the population; ability to analyze the effectiveness, social and environmental impact of the project, etc.) with progressive responsibilities.
• Experience in managing rural development projects funded by the Korean government.
• Previous experience working with the implementation of sustainable and resilient agriculture and rural development programs; 
• Previous work experience with UNDP, KOICA or other international partners.
• Demonstrated experience of good analytical, conceptual and communication skills to create and implement advocacy strategies that lead to impactful positive change. 
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of UNDP and UN system policy, programming and operational issues, as well as UNDP and UN experience.
• Prior experience and good knowledge of UNDP's Gender Equality Seal initiative, women's economic empowerment and civil society participation.
• Demonstrated experience and ability to relate to a wide range of public and private partners, build, maintain and/or strengthen working relationships, trust and mutual understanding.
• Previous experience and the ability to capture and maintain the attention, interest and agreement of influential, high-level decision-makers and policy-makers and to gain their buy-in to the vision and high-level objectives. 

Required language(s)               

• Fluency in Korean and Spanish is required.
• Knowledge of English is an advantage.