Local Seed Specialist

Overview

Provide technical support for local seed management

You have:

• Advanced university degree/university degree/technical diploma/high school diploma in agronomic or genetic engineering
• At least 3 years of experience in management, recovery, and multiplication of local seeds in southwestern Angola
• Working knowledge of English or Spanish Language
• National of Angola

Organizational Setting

FAO's work in Angola is focused on three medium-term priority areas for technical support: - strengthening smallholder production and productivity to improve food security and nutrition; - enabling farmers to apply improved production techniques through Farmer Field Schools; enhancing family farming capacity for commercialization and value chain approach, strengthening sustainable management of natural resources; - increasing resilience of rural livelihoods to climatic shock and climate change, through the development and application of an integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan.

In the context of the activities implemented with Farmer Field Schools (FFS), the FAO experience in Angola started in 2005 with FAO’s Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS). The positive SPFS impact led the FFS approach to be recognized by the MINAGRIF as the preferred capacity-building methodology for family farmers. FAO is currently the agency of reference in rural development and FFS is recognized by public institutions, development partners, and civil society organizations.

The FFS approach has been scaled up by several Projects such as: the IFAD-funded Market-Oriented Smallholder Agriculture Project (MOSAP I); the United States-funded Disaster risk reduction/management to support agro-pastoral communities affected by recurrent droughts and other natural disasters in southern Angola and northern Namibia (PIRAN) and the GEF-funded Land Rehabilitation and Rangelands Management in Small Holders Agro-pastoral Production Systems in Southwestern Angola (RETESA). Those projects better defined FFS in the context of southern Angola, incorporating livestock-related issues (pastures management, animal health, herbs management, etc.) as a key resilience-enabling factor for communities.

Currently, an increasing number of projects are going to be included in the portfolio of the country. The main objective of these projects is to strengthen and to consolidate the FFS long-term interventions, which have been developed in Angola in the last years.

Reporting Lines

Under the general supervision of the SPAA-FRESAN Head of Mission, the candidate will provide technical support in his/her area of expertise for the proper execution of the SPAA mission and deliver all the respective reports and inputs according to the work plan.

Technical Focus

The candidate will provide technical assistance and raise awareness to local producers and FRESAN project technicians on the use, recovery, and revaluation of local seeds, to contribute to the autonomy of producers in the management of germplasm, recovering their knowledge. He/she will also provide technical assistance and training on the best techniques of conservation and storage of local seeds with effective natural methods, recovering traditional spaces, with improved technology adapted to the context.

Tasks and responsibilities

In collaboration with the SPAA-FRESAN Head of Mission and a multidisciplinary team, the specialist will support with the following activities:

• Provide the best natural techniques for storage, conservation, and multiplication of local seeds, appropriate to the local context of southern Angola. • Participate in field data collection on the difficulties and potentialities in terms of access, management, multiplication, conservation, storage, and exchange of local seeds. • Provide training to local project technicians on local seed management and the best seed conservation and storage techniques. • Participate in the planning and execution of Participatory Surveys with an Agroecological Approach in 6 FFS of the project. • Provide technical advice to producers of 6 FFS for good local seed management.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree/ University degree/technical diploma/high school diploma in agronomic or genetic engineering; • At least 3 years of experience in management, recovery, and multiplication of local seeds in southwestern Angola; • Working knowledge of English or Spanish Language. • National of Angola.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Field work experience in southwestern Angola • Experience in working with local communities promoting collective seed management. • Familiarity with climate-resilient sustainable agriculture and/or sustainable forest management. • Familiarity with the FFS methodology.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: [email protected]
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

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Potential interview questions

Added 2 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: fao.org