Investment Support Officer (multiple specializations)

Organizational Setting

The Investment Centre (CFI) promotes investment in food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing in developing countries and countries in transition, assisting governments and country stakeholders, main development partners, in particular international financing institutions with the strategic planning and implementation of their investments to achieve food security and nutrition, make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more sustainable and productive, reduce rural poverty, make food value chains more efficient and inclusive and promote climate change adaptation and/or mitigation.

CFI is a multidisciplinary centre composed of four regionally focused services, namely Eastern, Central and Southern Africa Service, Asia and the Pacific Service, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean Service, and Near East, North Africa, and West Africa Service.

The posts are located in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa Service (CFIA), Asia and the Pacific Service (CFIB), Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean (CFIC) and Near East, North Africa, and West Africa Service (CFIE).

Requested Technical Profiles (or Job Titles):

• Economist;
• Rural Finance Officer;
• Agribusiness/Food Systems Officer;
• Rural Institutions Officer;
• Rural Sociologist;
• Land Tenure Officer;
• Irrigation and Rural Infrastructure Engineer;
• Agricultural Officer;
• Forestry Officer;
• Animal Production and Health Officer;
• Natural Resources Management/ Climate Change Officer.

Reporting lines

The Investment Support Officer reports to the Chief, Eastern, Central and Southern Africa Service (CFIA), or the Chief, Asia and the Pacific Service (CFIB), or the Chief, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean (CFIC), or the Chief, Near East, North Africa, and West Africa Service (CFIE).

Key Results

Provision of technical expertise/assistance and support to capacity development for (i) the design of investment operations, in collaboration with country stakeholders and cooperating partners, to mobilize resources for food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing; and (ii) implementation support and evaluation of investment operations, in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions

• Participates in, and eventually leads multidisciplinary teams to assist governments in the identification and preparation of investment operations in the fields of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing, and participates in pre-appraisal and appraisal missions.
• Participates in, and eventually leads multidisciplinary teams for the implementation support and the preparation of final evaluation of investment operations.
• Provides technical expertise for the preparation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing studies and strategies, in the formulation of national sector and/or sub-sector investment plans and programmes.
• Supports the development of inclusive and sustainable food systems involving producers, their organizations, other private sector actors, and civil society organizations and government.
• Formulates and delivers capacity development strategies and activities in the areas of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment support to government staff, and non-state actors and private sector organizations.
• Prepares reports in accordance with governments and financing partners’ requirements.
• Provides support in task organization, selection of consultants, preparation of terms of reference and in ensuring the quality of outputs.
• Promotes international cooperation and collaboration leading to new investment opportunities and cooperative agreements, advocates best practices and effective policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international meetings.
• Establishes, promotes and maintains relationships with relevant Strategic Programmes, FAO Technical Units and Decentralised Offices in order to ensure best synergies between investment, policy and innovation work in support to member countries.
• Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate strategy.

• Provides guidance and advice to junior staff.

  CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in economics, agricultural economics, agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, agribusiness management, natural resource management, irrigation and drainage engineering, rural infrastructure engineering, social sciences or a related field;
• Seven years of relevant experience in conducting agricultural/rural sector/subsector analytical studies, and/or in planning, design, supervision of agricultural and rural investment operations, including elaboration of feasibility studies and implementation of agricultural and rural investment operations in developing countries and/or countries in transition;
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish)

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 participating in multidisciplinary teams for the preparation of strategies and sector studies as well as formulation, implementation support or evaluation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment operations;
• Extent and relevance of experience in food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing analytical studies and programme evaluation;
• Extent and relevance of experience in investment design, implementation support and evaluation procedures of FAO’s main development partners, in particular the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the African Development Bank and/or other Regional or National Banks;
• Relevance of experience in capacity development for the design and implementation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investments;
• Demonstrated experience in dealing with government officials, development partners and other country stakeholders;
• Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in English;
• Working knowledge of French for CFIA, French or Arabic for CFIE, and Spanish or Russian for CFIC would be an asset.