Farmer Field School Specialist

Organizational Setting

The position is located in the FAO office in Hyderabad. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Pakistan focuses its efforts on poverty reduction, food security, sustainable livelihoods and rural development. FAO has partnered with the Government of Pakistan on research and development, training, extension services and strengthening of the staff capacity in planning and policy making. FAO has supported improvements in agricultural policy analysis, strengthened institutions. Enhanced integrated area development and expanded participation of marginalized and vulnerable communities in sustainable development.

The position is envisioned under GCF funded “Transforming Indus Basin with Climate Resilient Agriculture and Water Management” project on SB 3 SC 7 level.

Modelling of climate change scenarios for Pakistan shows that if agriculture and water management in the Indus River Basin continue along a ‘business as usual’ pathway, increasing temperatures and changes in precipitation will pose serious threats to the future livelihoods of farmers and to the Pakistani agricultural sector. In response to this challenge, the GCF funded project, “Transforming Indus Basin with Climate Resilient Agriculture and Water Management”, will help shift Pakistan and Indus Basin agriculture from its current situation of high vulnerability toward an alternative paradigm wherein better information and farming practices will significantly increase resilience to climate change. To do this, the project will develop the country’s capacity to get and use the information it needs to cope with the impacts of climate change on agriculture and water management by putting in place state-of-the art technology (Component 1); building farmers resilience to climate change through skills, knowledge and technology (Component 2), and creating a wider enabling environment for continuous adaptation and expanded sustainable uptake of climate-resilient approaches (Component 3).

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Pakistan, the direct supervision of Assistant FAO Representative (Program), Technical Advisor, and in close coordination with International Officers in Hyderabad, the Farmer Field School Specialist will undertake the following activities;

Technical Focus

Develop, implement, provide training/capacity building and Monitoring and Evaluation of Farmer Field School (FFS), Livestock FFS (LFFS), Farmer Business School (FBS) as key mechanisms to deliver the project’s capacity building and services for beneficiary farmers.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Develop, maintain and update database/record of FFS, LFFS and FBS established in the project areas • Conduct evaluation (baseline, midterm and final) of various schools under the domain of the capacity development. • Compilation and consolidation of the agency wise monthly sessional progress reports of the FFS, LFFS and FBS activities. • Monitor the quality and assess the impact of the schools in consultation with the project team • Assist in development and review of TOT curriculum and train FFS, LFFS and FBS facilitators. • Conduct training need assessment and design refreshers to improve the knowledge of local agriculture department staff • Establish and maintain close coordination with all Green sector line departments of Sindh to prepare comprehensive capacity development plan for farmers • Join in regular field visit, oversee the progress of FFS, LFFS, FBS, identify their strength and weakness and provide necessary suggestions and feedback to the facilitators and improve the quality of the schools. • Design, develop, and introduce an effective methodology for participatory M&E and assessing the impacts of the schools, in consultation with the project team, particularly M&E Specialist, FFS facilitators and Technical Advisor; • Keep close coordination with other project staff, contribute to the preparation of annual work plan based on the needs and priorities of the project, and report the progress on regular basis. • Ensure participation of women and youth in training programme and develop a cadre of community based trainers to facilitate learning opportunities • Assist the National Agronomist in preparation and delivery of training programme on Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), Conservation Agriculture and other relevant approaches; • Play a lead role on dissemination of CSA good practices, development of IEC material and roll out of context specific CSA practices and technologies; • Facilitate other specialists within the project team • Carry out other duties as requested by supervisors

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree in Agriculture with specialization in Horticulture, Agriculture Economics, Agronomy, plant pathology and Agriculture Extension; • Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in designing and implementing FFS and farmers capacity development program; • Good knowledge of Urdu and Sindhi, and a good working knowledge of English. • National of Pakistan.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Track record experience in developing manuals, curriculums and IEC materials for Farmers Field Schools approach • Experience in multi-stakeholders coordination, communication and collaboration • Ability and experience in farmers’ field demonstration on improved agriculture practices/Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) and on farm technologies with preference for CSA. • Skills in report writing, trainings and compilation of reports • Proficient in planning and conducting ToTs • Understanding of the purpose and functions of technical programmes, operational guidelines and programme/project management procedures, preferably those adopted by the United Nations or FAO would be considered an added asset • Ability to work in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams is essential.

Selection Criteria

Candidates will be assessed against the requirements listed above.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: [email protected]
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.