International Consultant - Project Coordinator ad interim

Organizational Setting

The cooperation between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Ukraine has been designed to reinforce national capacities and to contribute to a broader development of agriculture, sustainable management of forests and fisheries, and animal and plant disease control. FAO is providing technical support for climate change adaptation, as well as working with civil society to mitigate soil erosion and degradation. FAO is also contributing to building resilience and boosting development in conflict-affected regions by supporting the economic recovery of farmers and rural communities. FAO’s presence in Ukraine has upscaled and is distributed by offices in Kyiv, Kramatorsk, Mariupol, Zaporizhzhia, and Lviv under the overall responsibility of the Deputy Regional Representative – Programme - in the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and managed by the Head of the FAO Office in Ukraine.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Regional Representative and of the de-facto Head of the Office/Budget Holder, the direct supervision of the Head of Office/Programme Officer in Ukraine, the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officers and in close collaboration with other staff and other projects, the Monitoring and Evaluation / Reporting will be responsible for the provision of support to Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation of FAO portfolio in Ukraine. Technical Focus Under the overall administrative leadership and supervision of the FAO Representative to Ukraine at the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in Budapest (FAO REU; the direct supervision of the Head of FAO Office in Ukraine (FAOUA); and with the technical guidance of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) at FAO REU; the International Consultant – Project Coordinator a.i. will be responsible for the overall, day-to-day management and implementation of the EU-funded Inclusive, competitive and sustainable value chain development in agriculture, fisheries and forestry in Ukraine Project (“the Project”) in order to ensure delivery of the Project outcomes, outputs and activities in a coordinated, timely, and cost-effective manner while reflecting quality standards consistent with international best practices and in accordance with FAO, the Government of Ukraine and EU norms. The IC – PC a.i. will work in close collaboration with the Project Budget Holder (BH); the Project Task Force (PTF) members; other relevant technical divisions at FAO Headquarters; and will manage all Project staff as well as international and national technical consultants of the Project.

Tasks and responsibilities

In this role, the IC – PC will act as Team Leader of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and will be responsible for managing the implementation of the Project; ensuring that its outputs and targets are met as per the project framework; that activities are carried out as planned, within budget and time schedule and that reporting, monitoring and evaluation functions are carried out as per project requirements. She/he will also plan and implement project activities in close collaboration with the Government of Ukraine and the European Union Delegation (EUD), and other relevant state and non-state stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of the project. In particular, the incumbent will perform the following tasks. Planning, implementation and management of Project activities: • Provide overall guidance to, and supervision of, the Project to identify, plan, design implement and monitor the progress of delivery of activities as itemized in the results-based work plan; • Provide day-to-day administrative and management inputs to the project team assuring smooth implementation of the project; • Help identify Technical Specialist/Consultant and work with the LTO/LTU, supporting Units in Kiev office and the BH to ensure their timely recruitment; • Maintain communication and coordinate with other institutions in order to identify and realize opportunities for complementarity and synergies, including monitoring and oversight of co-financing commitments; • Ensure a results-based approach to project implementation, including maintaining a focus on project results and impact as defined by the project results framework indicators • Regularly promote the project and its outputs and findings on a national, and where appropriate, regional stage • Lead interactions with stakeholders and liaise with government agencies and EUD and communicate, regularly advocate and engage in policy dialogue • Facilitate interdisciplinary inputs from partner institutions and agencies

Human and Material Resources Coordination: • Assist in the recruitment and coordination of the Project team (staff and consultants) ensuring the right skills and expertise to implement the project activities and achieve its outputs and outcomes • Provide administrative and coordination support to long- and short-term Technical Specialists/Consultants to ensure timely delivery and quality of tasks and outputs • Ensure that the project team follows up on the adoption/ implementation of the recommendations/inputs provided by Technical Consultants • Support the procurement process in accordance with FAO rules and procedures.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting: • Oversee preparation and implementation of project M&E plan, project communication and knowledge management plan • Hold periodic Project meetings and other events to ensure that project is on track • Act as the Secretary to the Project Steering Committee, organize and coordinate its meetings, the preparation of agendas and the drafting of minutes • Provide administrative and coordination support to FAO Project monitoring missions, donor missions and project evaluators • Prepare results based regular reports, annual reports, donor reports and briefs and be responsible for the elaboration of FAO purchase orders and Letters of Agreement • Facilitate the submission of timely project implementation reviews and progress reports (narrative and financial) to the FAO Country Offices against the Programme M&E framework • Facilitate and support the Mid-Term Review (MTR) and Project Terminal Evaluation (PTE) and conduct annual project reviews and annual audits (if any) • Undertake field visits to monitor Project activities • Facilitate effective communication of project progress to the Project Steering Committee related to the project.

Undertake any other tasks assigned or relevant in support of efficient implementation of the project: • Support the Budget Holder for the Project’s operations and management in the areas of finance, administration, budget monitoring, reporting and human resources • Provide support to the Budget Holder in overseeing the budget management of the Project, including proposed budget revisions and financial reporting, as well as the update of the Project ‘s information • In coordination with the project team, facilitates contacts with FAO technical units in both the Regional Office and Headquarters as required for the implementation of the project including the timely identification and deployment of expertise, and coordinates technical input of national and international consultants from different projects and finds synergies amongst the different projects under the FAO Project • Ensure the strategic fit of the FAO Project in the corporate FAO country plans, including the Country programming Framework (CPF), FAO strategic Programme and FAO REU Regional Initiatives, as well as supports resource mobilization, partnership and South South and triangular cooperation activities, as relevant for the scope of the Project • Coordinate and ensure proper functioning of Field Offices and field-based personnel Ensure communication of results and project visibility, as required

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in agricultural economics, development economics, rural sociology, food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture (including livestock, forestry and fisheries), or a related field; • Seven years of relevant experience in technical cooperation' s related activities, policy advice and analysis relating to food and nutrition security, agriculture and rural development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes; • Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable; • Extent and relevance of experience in technical cooperation related activities, policy advice and analysis relating to food • and nutrition security, agriculture and rural development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes; • Extent and relevance of experience in value chain finance, microfinance and policy dialogue; • Extent and relevance of experience in working with inter-governmental bodies and multidisciplinary teams • Working knowledge of Russian is considered an asset.