Irrigation and Water Resources Management (WRM) Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members - 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 articulates FAO’s vision of a sustainable and food secure world for all, in the context of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31 seeks to support the 2030 Agenda through the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) provides support to its member countries to access resources from various donors and partners through project identification, proposal development and implementation to meet its overall global strategic vision. Working closely with its member countries, RAP ensures multidisciplinary support to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the region and, in collaboration with the Offices, Centres and Divisions at headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO's strategic response to country and regional priorities.

Water programming and resource mobilization for work on water at RAP is expanding rapidly – including the Asia-Pacific Water Scarcity Programme and a suite of new projects under the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the World Bank. As such, FAO is developing a roster of skilled and experienced professionals to provide technical expertise required to fully support all irrigation and WRM aspects of the water portfolio.

Reporting Lines

The irrigation and WRM specialists, will work under the overall technical supervision of the RAP Water Management Officer, and in close coordination with all relevant FAO colleagues and in collaboration with national agencies and other stakeholders.

Technical Focus

The overall technical focus of the role is to enhance the capacity of FAO with specialized expertise in irrigation and WRM. The specialist will provide technical advice to support FAO’s project design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation efforts.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Provide technical support to new project design, particularly in terms of irrigation and WRM in the context of climate change and sustainable water use, • Provide the necessary technical clearances and suggested improvements to enhance the existing field programme, • Lead the necessary technical backstopping to the FAO’s ongoing water and irrigation projects in the region including the water and climate components of new GEF and GCF projects and an extensive field programme in Afghanistan (participate in field missions where required), • Develop relevant tools and strategies in the areas of irrigation modernization, water accounting and water allocation for their wider application, demonstration and expansion in the region, • Provide ongoing support and improvement for relevant aspects of the Asia Pacific Water Scarcity Programme, • Provide support to capacity-building activities, including delivering training sessions where required, • Identify opportunities for collaboration with other external agencies as well as other divisions in FAO to enhance effectiveness of the RAP portfolio, • Support knowledge management, capacity building and strategic planning, • Other related tasks as assigned.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in water resources management for agriculture, in particular irrigation engineering, water modelling and accounting, river basin management including allocation. • At least 5 years relevant experience working in water resources management including in developing country contexts and/or countries in transition. • Working knowledge (level C) of English

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Extent and relevance of experience in working with FAO • Extent and relevance of experience in the formulation of FAO style in drafting documentation, without the need for continuous correction and oversight • Extent and relevance of experience with FAO corporate communications policy and operational guidelines to ensure mandatory coherence in all outputs • Extent and relevance of experience in the formulation, implementation support or evaluation of water resources management and/or irrigation projects • Extent and relevance of experience in due diligence of programmes/projects in water resources management and irrigation modernisation but not limited to environmental and social safeguards, gender equality and Indigenous People • Extent and relevance of experience in the development of technical knowledge products • Demonstrated experience in dealing with government officials, development partners, the private sector and other country level stakeholders. • Demonstrated experience of working on projects at the field level in Asia and the Pacific is an advantage.

Selection Criteria

• Relevant experience and knowledge in collecting, managing, and analysing technical information and data, especially for sustainable agricultural water resources management. • Relevant experience in working successfully in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, particularly in multilateral organizations. • Proven ability to deliver quality outputs working under tight deadlines.