Office/Unit/Project Description

More than half of all livelihoods in India is primarily dependent on agriculture. A massive 54.6% of the total workforce is engaged in agricultural and allied sector activities and 57% of the rural households are directly dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods. However, the agricultural sector is facing various challenges like small landholding, declining productivity, rising input costs, declining farm income, the adverse impact of climate change, and decline in the percentage share of workers engaged in the agriculture sector. Agricultural production shocks have huge social and financial repercussions, impacting rural income levels, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and poverty rates.

The Government of India’s flagship schemes Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana(PMFBY) and KCC/MISS have become important tools to strengthen the resilience of Indian farmers. The schemes ensure maximum benefits for the farmers by providing financial risk protection against natural calamities and catastrophic events including pests, climate uncertainties and environmental shocks. Apart from providing comprehensive risk coverage for the entire crop cycle, PMFBY also enables direct claim transfer into farmers’ accounts through e-remittance. Additionally, to address agrarian distress, Kisan Credit Card/ Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) was introduced by the Government of India to provide cheap and hassle-free credit for millions of farmers and to ensure continued investment into agriculture to bring in mechanization, modernize agriculture practices and eventually enhance productivity.

UNDP’s Country Programme Document (2023-2027) intended outcome 2 states that “By 2027, people will benefit from and contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth through higher productivity, competitiveness and diversification in economic activities that create decent work, livelihoods, and income particularly for youth and women”. UNDP leverages its expertise in systems strengthening to support the Ministry of Agriculture through setting up of Central Program Management Unit (CPMU)for the implementation of PMFBY and KCC to improve institutional and programme responsiveness, increase coverage and better access among marginalized and excluded farm households, offering innovative measures and support mechanisms for Agri-value chain financing, risk management and reduced crop loss for the rural population in India. The PMU will also focus on providing Capacity Building and Training support to participating state-level government departments involved in PMFBY and KCC and advancing the scheme among new states for improved uptake.

Scope of work

Main Purpose:

The Agri-Economics Analyst- Technical Support Unit will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the National Programme Director-TSU. S/He will ensure engagement of all direct stakeholders and delivery of project objectives, in coordination with the Joint Secretary & CEO, DoA & FW, MoA & FW when needed.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Should be able to understand broad macro-economic environment of the country and rural economy, provide inputs for agri policymaking in consonance to prevailing economic scenario;
Should have deep understanding of monetary policy, fiscal policy, GDP, international economy, rural economy and be able to give inputs in the light of the same for the benefit of agriculture economics of the country;
Should be able to understand impact of market forces like demand and supply, its impact on prices of the agriculture produce of the country;
To review current crop patterns of different agri clusters of the country and provide inputs for diversification of the crops to manage supply and prices of certain agri produces;
Provide inputs for designing of location specific Crop Specific financing solutions;
Conduct research on agriculture economic issues affecting agri finance and credit schemes;
Work closely with Senior Agri Finance & R&D Specialist to design and develop new products and schemes;
Provide support in analysis of major service delivery aspects of the Scheme;
Perform any other tasks consistent with the level of the post and/ or assigned by the NPD – TSU.
Institutional Arrangements

Direct Reporting To: Agri Finance and R&D Specialist

Overall Reporting To: National Programme Director

Reportees to this position (if applicable): N.A

Core Competencies

Achieve Result: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline;
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements;
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback;
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible;
Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident;
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships;
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

General (across the functions)

Event planning and executionAbility to plan, manage and execute of public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify
individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP’s overall brand and mandate.

Partnership Management

Emerging partnerships

Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships.

Finance

Financial reporting and analysisUnderstands changes in regulatory, legal and ethical frameworks and standards for financial reporting in the public sector. Ability to extract, evaluate financial data, derive relevant findings and present them in a meaningful and coherent manner to facilitate effective decision making and performance monitoring;
Understands the benefits of integrated reporting, including non-financial resources such as human, social and intellectual capital, and environmental and governance performance.

Technology and data in Finance

Ability to understand developments, opportunities and challenges in technology relating to public finance.

Commercial understanding within the public sector

Understands the role, importance and accounting practices for commercial activities;
Understands income generation options and related risk and reward;
Understands the importance of commercial suppliers to the public sector and evaluating their financial resilience;
Is adept with private sector accounts and their use within commercial offshoots and subsidiaries;
Possesses influence and negotiation skills and can facilitate and engage with ‘productive competitive dialogue’;
Understands the procurement cycle and the scope and features of good contract management.

Business Acumen

Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.

System Thinking

Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall processor system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Requirements:

Minimum education requirements:

Bachelor’s OR Masters’ Degree with specialization in Agricultural Economics or Agronomy or closely related field will be given due consideration.
Minimum years of relevant work experience:
Minimum 2 (Bachelor’ Degree) or 0 years (Master’s Degree) of demonstrable experience related to Agricultural Economics in national/international projects;
Additional years professional relevant experience in national/ international projects;
Relevant Experience at the national level working with Governments and private entities in the insurance sector;
Have working experience with any of financial industry regulator of the country, i.e., RBI, SEBI, NABARD etc;
Relevant Experience at the national level working with Governments and private entities in the banking/finance sector;
Research in the field of economics in any reputed institution or recognized university.

Required Skills:

Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the organization;
Broad based knowledge current rural insurance and finance;
Demonstrates substantive and technical knowledge to meet responsibilities and requirements of the post with excellence;
Possesses the capacity for strategic planning, result – based management and reporting.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section: