Food Economy Livelihoods Specialist

Organizational Setting

FAO's office for Yemen is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing, and implementing strategies for addressing countrywide food, agriculture, and rural development, and effectively increasing resilience of livelihoods to respond to food and agricultural threats and crises. Through the World Bank funded Food Security Response and Resilience Project (FSRRP) and the EU funded Food Security and Nutrition Information Systems (FSNIS), FAO Yemen will conduct livelihoods analysis and profiling to improve the understanding of livelihood assets, strategies, and vulnerabilities. The analysis will also provide information on climate related or human induced hazards to agricultural production and the impact on livelihoods to be monitored.

In doing so, FAO will support in defining medium to longer term interventions aimed at improving household resilience. The information will also strengthen Yemen’s national capacity in evidence-based decision making by providing livelihood-specific evidence to support evidence-based programming. Acting early, before a disaster has happened, or reached its peak is critical. It can save lives and protect livelihoods from the immediate shocks while increasing the resilience of local communities over time.

Reporting Lines

The Food Economy Livelihoods Specialist will work under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Yemen and the direct supervision by the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA). The Food Economy Livelihoods Specialist will lead the Livelihoods unit working in close collaboration with the other technical unit leads/specialists.

Technical Focus

Technical and strategic leadership of the Livelihoods Unit to update the livelihood baselines of Yemen using, but not limited to, the household economy analysis (HEA) methodology, and develop profiles for each livelihood with evidence including, but not limited to, livelihood assets, strategies, and vulnerabilities, as well as climate related or human induced hazards. Research lead for livelihoods studies.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Design livelihood baseline analysis and profiling priorities and activities for conducting/updating existing livelihood baselines and profiles, and provide technical guidance and coordination for implementing and backstopping livelihood-related analysis and activities
• Conduct desk review of existing livelihoods assessments and analysis, other relevant livelihood-related study reports with the aim of contributing to the development and update of livelihood context analysis (zone maps, descriptions, and profiles)
• Design and develop data collection methods and tools (both quantitative and qualitative), along with approach and methodology that is in line with food economy analysis including sample frame, pre-testing, ground-truthing, etc.
• Design baseline livelihood analysis and profiling methodology contextualized for Yemen that includes quantifiable dimensions of resilience (assets, incomes, and capabilities) as well as nutrition and gender
• Identify and propose innovative initiatives and tools that will contribute to livelihood baseline analysis and provide guidance on the development and refinement of a context specific approach to livelihoods analysis in Yemen
• Assess and identify capacities of various stakeholders to collaborate with in support of a participatory approach in updating existing livelihood baselines
• Develop and implement training material, guidance, and plans to build the capacity of technical staff in conducting livelihoods assessments and collecting data using a livelihood-based food economy analysis approach, and in using livelihood information in analysis, including for Outcome analysis
• Conduct livelihoods baseline assessments (rural and urban), needs assessments and other baseline studies in target areas using appropriate food economy approach and methodologies
• Lead and facilitate livelihoods analysis workshops (zoning, ground-truthing, mapping, profiling, etc) with identified stakeholders
• Conduct data analysis including livelihood Outcome analysis using appropriate tools and methodologies that are in line with food economy analysis
• Produce a comprehensive livelihoods baseline report and final livelihoods profiles with respective livelihood parameters (i.e., wealth categories, sources of food and incomes, expenditure patterns, livelihoods assets and strategies, and other economic parameters and livelihood capitals), including other quantifiable dimensions of resilience (assets, incomes, and capabilities) as well as nutrition and gender
• Produce food security indicators for use in IPC analysis such as the HEA direct indicator as per the reference table
• Provide livelihood specific information that will support contextualization of the livelihood coping strategy index (LCS) indicator
• Pilot the herd dynamics model for Yemen
• Provide other livelihood-related information and analysis to inform humanitarian and/or development programming
• Lead and coordinate the implementation of specific studies related to better understanding of households and food economies in Yemen in relation to the drivers of food insecurity, knowledge and practices, and underlying causes
• Perform any other related duties as assigned by the supervisor.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in economics, anthropology, social sciences, or related fields.
• At least 5 years of experience in designing and conducting livelihoods Outcome analysis, baseline analysis and profiling
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and limited knowledge (level B) of another FAO official language for COF.REG. For PSA.SBS, knowledge of one FAO language level C is required.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• In-depth understanding of household food security concepts, terms, and analytical approaches and a strong interest in multi-sectoral, integrated analysis
• Knowledge of rapid rural appraisal techniques
• Depth of knowledge of climatic hazards to agriculture.
• Ability to operate effectively in a team, contributing positively to team operations and working relationships.
• Previous experience with FAO or UN agency would be an advantage
• Understanding of the household food economy approach, including livelihood baseline creation in the field and Outcome analysis
• Working experience in HEA, LIAS and Outcome analysis
• Practical knowledge and understanding of the herd dynamics model
• Understanding of Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) with at least IPC Level 2 certification
• Strong presentation and representation skills, written and spoken fluency in English
• Demonstrable skills in brokering, negotiating, networking, and coordinating with various stakeholders
• Experience in training and building capacity of partners and staff members