About ITC:

The International Trade Centre (ITC) is a joint agency of the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, focusing in particular on developing the export capabilities of small and medium-sized businesses in developing and transition economies. ITC is 100% "Aid for Trade", supporting trade that delivers inclusive and sustainable development results. ITC’s mandate covers all developing countries and transition economies with special emphasis on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDs) Fragile States and Sub-Saharan Africa. ITC Headquarters is located in Geneva, Switzerland. ITC projects and programmes contribute to the global efforts to achieve UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development and the Aid for Trade agenda. ITC works at three levels:

• Strengthening the integration of the business sector of developing countries and economies in transition into the global economy,


• Improving the performance of trade and investment support institutions for the benefit of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), and enhancing the abilities of trade support institutions to better support them,


• Improving the international competitiveness of SMEs.

About the GRASP Project:

The Growth for Rural Advancement and Sustainable Progress (GRASP) is a 66 month project that will contribute to the reduction of poverty through development of rural SMEs in selected districts within two provinces of Pakistan: Balochistan and Sindh. GRASP will focus on selected product lines within livestock and horticulture.

GRASP will take a holistic approach to building SME competitiveness in agribusiness value chains starting from a deep understanding of markets and working back through the value chain to enable SMEs and ultimately producers to create and capture additional value. To do this, GRASP will intervene in three outputs:

Improving the eco-system for rural SME development through building institutional capacity and improving the business environmentBuilding production and quality of primary products through support to SME agribusiness service providers and business intermediary organizations in rural areasIncreasing added-value and marketed volumes through developing value chains and supporting SMEs to improve management, increase access to finance, apply sustainable technology to add value and improve quality and reduce waste throughout the system

At the impact level, GRASP will create employment and income opportunities in rural areas of Sindh and Balochistan. Outcome and outputs of GRASP include measurable improvement in the business environment for SMEs, improved agricultural productivity in selected areas, better access for farmers to market information and agricultural services, increase in revenue and financing for selected SMEs and increased value added and adoption of environmental sustainable technology. GRASP has a very strong focus on women's economic empowerment.

GRASP has a budget of €48.5m funded by the European Union and ITC. ITC will implement GRASP through three Pakistan based teams and a wide network of Pakistani and international partner organizations. This challenging project will involve managing many concurrent inter-linked activities from the market to the production level and innovative tools such as matching grants.

Output 1 of GRASP “Institutional capacity strengthened and business environment improved for rural SME development” has a policy focus: it will complement ongoing efforts in the areas of business governance and provide support to the dialogue between the public and authorities at the federal and provincial level, creating a conducive environment for private sector through strategy, policy and regulatory formulation and implementation. It is expected that this output of GRASP will focus on (i) the design and implementation of rural SMEs strategies; (ii) the establishment of technical working groups for policy and regulatory formulation relating to livestock and horticulture sectors;  (iii) developing simplified and conducive domestic SMEs registration and compliance rules and procedures as well as supporting institutions; and (iv) strengthening the sanitary and phyto-sanitary legal and institutional framework, at Federal,  provincial and district levels.   

Output 1 of GRASP is implemented under the direct technical guidance of the Output  1 Lead in consultation with the Project Coordinator.

ITC seeks to hire the services of a seasoned professional to work as Policy Specialist. The main role of the Policy Specialist will be to oversee the strategic direction of Output 1 of GRASP, ensure quality control and maintain relationships with key counterparts.

The specific outputs expected from the Policy Specialist are:

• Ensure the strategic direction relating to Output 1 of GRASP


• Oversee, contribute to and ensure quality control of the delivery of Output 1 activities of GRASP, including of Policy Officers work in GRASP Provinces


• Represent ITC and maintain relationships with key counterparts for Output 1 of GRASP at federal, provincial and district level

Coordination of Output 1 project activities:

• Manage relationships and engage regularly with counterparts (policy makers, regulators, governmental/administrative agencies/departments, private sector representatives/experts/implementing agencies/service providers, etc.) relevant to Output 1 of GRASP at federal, provincial and district levels to share and collect information and obtain support for Output 1 related activities;


• Contribute in the preparation of and participate in project steering committee meetings (federal and provincial levels) related to Output 1;


• Contribute to project wide communication and outreach initiatives with the objective to ensure Output 1 visibility at federal, provincial and district levels: e.g. drafting short articles, press releases, social media inputs and delivering media interviews in relation to Output 1;


• Undertake any other tasks agreed with the Output 1 Lead in consultation with the Project Coordinator aimed at ensuring efficient coordination of the project/Output 1.

Technical support: 

• Coordinate technical delivery of Output 1 related activities at federal, provincial and district level with project technical leads,  project staff and project partners, including GRASP Policy Officers in each province;


• Carry out and/or coordinate policy related research/analysis/gap assessment of relevance for Output 1 related activities;


• Produce and/or coordinate the production of briefs/technical reports/presentations/speaking notes required for Output 1 related activities in coordination with Output 1 technical teams  based in Geneva;


• Organize, coordinate and participate in high level/technical meetings; workshops; public private consultations to deliver or/and ensure delivery of technical information about  Output 1 related activities at federal, provincial and district level;   


• Review quality of Output 1 related outputs and ensure compliance with ITC standards;


• Monitor progress, collect any evidence/means of verification through desk research, interviews, and questionnaires and produce monitoring reports required to assess Output 1 outcomes/impact in line with the requirements set by the donor;


• Coordinate and contribute to the development and implementation of Output 1 related work plans and budget forecasts, in coordination with the Output 1 technical team in Geneva, and identify and ensure linkages and synergies across project activities and implementing partners;


• Keep abreast with developments at federal, provincial and district levels of relevance to Output 1 related activities;


• Undertake any other tasks agreed with the Output 1 Lead in support of efficient implementation of Output 1 in coordination with the Output 1 technical team in Geneva, and in consultation with the Project Coordinator.

Key Results Expected:

• Activities related to Output 1 of GRASP are strategically designed and efficiently implemented as per work plan under the direct technical guidance of Output 1 Lead in Geneva and in coordination with the Project Coordinator;


• Key counterparts for Output 1 of GRASP at federal, provincial and district level are kept well informed.


• Monitoring and reporting data are gathered and elaborated for reporting in line with donor requirements.

Impact of Results: 

• Achievement of delivery targets and results as outlined in the project work plans for Output 1


• Strong partnerships with national stakeholders and relevant government agencies and private sector


• Good communication and positive image of Output 1/the project in Pakistan

ITC’S VALUES are: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

ITC’S CORE COMPETENCIES are: Communication, Teamwork, Planning & Organizing, Accountability, Creativity, Client Orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Technological awareness.

ITC’S MANAGERIAL COMPETENCIES are: Vision, Leadership, Empowering Others, Managing Performance, Building Trust, and Judgment/Decision making.For further information on competency-based interview please visit: www.intracen.org.

Functional Competencies: 

• Excellent interpersonal and advocacy skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships


• Proven ability to lead and work collaboratively in teams, with colleagues and encourage  sharing of knowledge to achieve organizational goals


• Strong problem solving and analytical skills


• Ability to identify priority activities and assignments; adjust priorities as required


• Ability to work with accuracy under time constraints and pressure in a stressful environment; with patience, tactfulness, maintain confidentiality, take initiative and exercise good judgment


• Ability to plan own work and use time efficiently, manage conflicting priorities and work under pressure of tight and conflicting deadlines

Technical Competencies: 

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in working on issues related to the policy formulation on economic, trade, rural development matters in Pakistan (federal and provincial levels);


• Experience with conducting research and report writing in the above-mentioned fields;


• Very good understanding of policy formulation processes and institutions (e.g. mandates, SOPs) in Pakistan (Federal and provincial level);


• Experience in working with government and private sector counterparts;


• Demonstrated knowledge of result-based management concepts.

Education and Work experience:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Economics, International Trade, Policy, Business Administration, Agriculture, Development Studies or related field with a minimum of 7 years of experience in trade development and/or trade/economic/rural development policy, agricultural value chain development, institutional capacity building

OR

• A Bachelor’s degree in Economics, International Trade, Business Administration, Agriculture, Development Studies or related field with 9 years of experience in trade development, and/or trade/economic/rural development policy, agricultural value chain development, institutional capacity building 

Language Requirements:  

• Advanced English with strong written and oral communication skills is essential


• Knowledge of local languages is an asset

Required knowledge and skills: 

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in working on issues related to the policy formulation on economic, trade, rural development matters in Pakistan (Federal and Provincial levels)


• Experience with conducting research and report writing in the above-mentioned fields


• Very good understanding of policy formulation processes and institutions (e.g. mandates, SOPs) in Pakistan (Federal and provincial level)


• Experience in working with government and private sector counterparts


• Knowledge of result-based management concepts

Desirable knowledge and skills:

• Knowledge of the UN system and procedures and/or experience of EU-funded development projects would be an asset.

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

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