Agricultural Socioeconomic and Policy Specialist

Organizational Setting

For more than four decades, FAO has been working with the Government of the Philippines, civil society, community-based organizations and the private sector to address challenges in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector. Joint efforts have included increasing sustainability in agricultural production, promoting value-adding practices, improving post-harvest management, enhancing productivity and increasing the resilience of agriculture-based livelihoods to natural disasters, climatic hazards and armed conflict.

Reporting Lines

The Agricultural Socioeconomic and Policy Specialist reports to the Assistant FAO Representative for Programme.

Technical Focus

To assess the advancement of farm mechanization in the country and its contribution to the growth of the agricultural sector, it is important to establish an indicator that captures the physical, technical, cultural and operational efficiencies in an area. Such indicator should be periodically monitored to determine the appropriate mechanization technologies to be acquired. It can thus be used by policy makers and planners to rationalize the acquisition, distribution, and utilization of mechanization technologies for better use of resources.

Presently, the level of mechanization with an index of hp/ha is considered as the standard parameter. The protocol in the calculation of which however varies and has not yet been standardized. A project proposal is therefore being submitted to standardize the procedure, which will be used to determine the level of mechanization at the national, regional, and local levels. Note that such data can be very useful at the local level considering the greater role of the Local Government Units in the implementation of devolved mechanization initiatives.

Notwithstanding the need to establish a uniform procedure of determining the level of mechanization, a management information system has been developed to serve as repository of mechanization interventions. It also houses the on-going census of machinery, which covers both public and private-led procurement and will be used to facilitate the determination of the level of mechanization. It is expected that the analysis of such inventory can provide insights on the needs and future direction of mechanization in the country. Relatedly, building capacities at the regional and local levels to adopt the harmonized mechanization index (HMI) methodology will help in better understanding the current context and situation, including the gaps.

This will then support the DA, through the FAO project team, in formulating and implementing policies that will improve the planning and programming of needed investments that would lead to an improvement in the level of mechanization in the country.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Agricultural Socioeconomic and Policy Specialist shall perform the following responsibilities:

• Support the implementation of activities related to the adoption of the HMI methodology, particularly from the socio-economic and policy perspectives • Contribute to the development and maintenance of the management information system, including socio-economic information for mechanization interventions. • Assist in gathering of pertinent socioeconomic data that will be used in the computation of rice and corn MI • Assist in socio-economic data analysis, and reporting on the current state of rice and corn mechanization in the country. • Contribute to policy formulation and analysis activities, linking the results of HMI assessment to broader sectoral frameworks and programs. • Collaborate with regional and local stakeholders to support their capacity building efforts. • Carry out any other relevant duties within his/her technical competence as may be requested by FAO.

Minimum Requirements

• At least Bachelor’s (Master’s preferred) degree in agricultural economics, social science or related fields • With at least five (5) years of work experience in agricultural economics and social science related projects • Experience in population/demographic assessment and analysis, public policy research, business market research, econometric modelling, and forecasting • Working knowledge of English and Tagalog • A national of Philippines or a legal resident in the country

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Strong knowledge of mechanization technologies and their applications in agriculture • Work experience with econometric and business market data analysis using computer-based packages such as STATA and more generalized packages such as SPSS and SAS • Good communication and interpersonal skills • Ability to work effectively in a team and collaborate with diverse stakeholders • Analytical and problem-solving abilities • Demonstrated organizational and time management skills