Field Technical Specialist on Water Resources Management and Irrigation

Organizational Setting

FAO Ukraine is a project management Office headed by the Regional Programme Leader (RPL) under the operational responsibility of the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia. FAO Ukraine is contributing to the development of national policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Regional Programme Leader for Europe and Central Asia and the Budget Holder, the direct supervision of the Programme Coordinator and the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer and in close coordination with the International Project Coordinator, the Heads of Field Offices and the Field Technical Expert on Fruits and Vegetables Value Chain, the Field Technical Expert on Water Resources Management and Irrigation will be responsible for supporting development of irrigated agriculture in the Azov coast districts of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Tasks and responsibilities

Specifically, the Field Technical Expert on Water Resources Management and Irrigation will carry out the following tasks:

• Review the legal and institutional framework of the irrigation sector at national, regional and local levels;
• Analyze the climatic conditions and agro-ecological zones in project target regions;
• Map the water resources suitable for irrigation available by source and geography in project target regions;
• Map the soil resources suitable for irrigation by source and geography in project target regions;
• Map the district/community-based irrigation infrastructure available by source and geography in project target regions;
• Review the Ukrainian market for irrigation technologies and assess availability and cost of modern on-farm irrigation systems;
• Identify the factors driving and constraining growth of irrigation sector and provide recommendations for further development of irrigated agriculture in project target regions;
• Assess the on-farm irrigation practices and technologies used by agricultural MSMEs in project target regions;
• Identify the key market players and compile the list of local suppliers for on-farm irrigation equipment;
• Design small-scale on-farm irrigation systems, prepares technical specifications and supports procurement of irrigation equipment for agricultural MSMEs;
• Develop and conduct on-line and off-line trainings on irrigation practices and technologies for agricultural MSMEs;
• Provide individual advisory services on irrigation practices and technologies for agricultural MSMEs;
• Support the dissemination of information about the irrigation related activities and results achieved through regional and local administrations, agricultural advisory service organizations, web platform, etc. ;
• Provide day-to-day technical consultancy support and guidance to FAO Field Offices;
• Prepare monthly progress reports, including the work progress, problems, recommendations and solutions;
• Perform any other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced degree in economics, agriculture, irrigation/agriculture engineering, water resources management or another relevant field.
• At least 5 years of working experience in the field of irrigated agriculture development, training and demonstration of on-farm irrigation/water management practices and technologies.
• Working knowledge of English and/or Russian.
• National of Ukraine.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Strong knowledge of Ukraine’s socio-economic context and irrigation sector.
• Excellent communication skills.