Logistics Assistant

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting 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.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and malnutrition. The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Under the SIFAZ (GCP/ZAM/080/EC) project, FAO in Zambia has collaborated with the European Union, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) to implement a 7.5-year program on Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia (SIFAZ). The project focuses on scaling up of sustainable food production and building resilience of food systems by smallholder farmers with an additional focus on climate change mitigation measures through building demonstrable synergies between research and promotion of appropriate sustainable agriculture intensification practices.

As part of the activities for the SIFAZ project, adaptive research, agribusiness, and agronomy strategies are put in place to establish economically viable, cost effective and cooperative based business models and transfer knowledge and skills on SIPs to sustainably allow smallholder farmers adoption and continued practicing of the SIPs. Specifically, the research, agribusiness, and agronomy strategies of the SIFAZ project will achieve the following:

• To facilitate organization of smallholder farmers into baby and mother farm level trails for testing socio-economic and agronomic performance of sustainable intensification practices technology packages.

• To facilitate organization of smallholder farmers into effective groups that can effectively participate in selected farming value chains for selected crops and agriculturally based enterprises.

• To facilitate smallholder farmer and community level availability and access to critical inputs for ensuring farmer practice of recommended SIP packages, reduction of yield gaps and climate change mitigation.

• To facilitate effective partnerships between smallholder farmer groups and small to medium enterprises that undertake mechanization equipment and services input and output marketing for selected crops and services by smallholder farmers.

• To facilitate smallholder farmers adoption of SIPs for sustainable intensification of crop production whilst at the same time improve and preserve the natural resource base.

Reporting Lines

The Logistics Assistant will work under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Zambia and the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) for the SIFAZ Project. They will directly report to Operations and Administration Specialist

The incumbent will work in close collaboration with implementing partners from Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), NGOs, private sector, and relevant FAO technical units in FAO Zambia.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will support support activities related to project budget management, OPIM contract management, management of implementing partners Letters of Agreement and processing of the procurement requests and inventory management of the project.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Logistics Assistant will support provision of operation services to the SIFAZ project implementation. Specifically, the incumbent will undertake the following activities:

• Support organizing and handling of day-to-day operational activities of the SIFAZ programme and acts, in consultation with the supervisors, on problems which arise during the execution period.

• Support the preparation of periodic financial reports and briefs for internal use and for submission to resource partners. This includes support the formulation of interim financial report, project budgets and work plans and financial forecasts according to FAO's procedures and prepares all necessary financial documents for technical clearance and final approval.

• Supports accounts management and payments under the program. This involves: Verifying invoices and delivery notes against goods and services received; preparing payment requests ensuring appropriate FAO accounting and resource partner budget codes; performing periodic bank and petty cash reconciliations; updating records such as advances, expenditure, and acquittals; generating financial status reports, financial statements and expenditure transaction listing and project from the corporate systems.

• Support activities aimed at the day-to-day coordination between operations and administration teams at FAO and support the coordination; planning and implementation of financial, procurement, travel and human resource recruitments plans and requirements of the SIFAZ project.

• Supports financial and budget monitoring of FAO’s component of assigned projects using the FAO Corporate systems and tools, such as GRMS, the FPMIS Budget Module and the Transaction mapping tool.

• Supports up-to-date maintenance of FPMIS with relevant information (inserting/uploading reports, budget, budget revisions, extensions);

• Contributes to the preparation of technical specifications and Terms of References (recruitments, workshops, LOAs).

• Contributes to the preparation of briefs, progress reports and comprehensive reports for internal use as well for submission to donors.

• Contributes to budgetary monitoring involving: maintain records of the programme financial transactions, including field budget allocation, expenditure, advances, and acquittals; regularly tracking expenditure on the programme and ensure that expenditure is within allocated budgets; following up of on Letter of Agreements issued locally with implementing partners.

• Perform any other related duties, as required for successful operations and the execution of SIFAZ activities.

Minimum Requirements

Candidates should meet the following:

• University degree in Communication, Business Administration, Agricultural Sciences, Accountancy or any other relevant qualification related to the FAO mandate.

• At least 2 years of relevant experience in supporting operational matters during implementation of complex, multi-stakeholder projects.

• Working knowledge of English and possession of relevant should possess computer/word-processing skills.

• Should be a Zambian national.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus

• Teamwork

• Communication

• Building Effective Relationships

• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Selection Criteria

Please note that all candidates should possess computer/word-processing skills and should be capable of working with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

• Extent and relevance of experience in supporting operational matters during implementation of complex, multi-stakeholder project.

• Extent and relevance of experience working with private sector, NGOs, academic and government institutions in project operations and/or administration.

• Level of communication skills, good writing skills including ability to write concise technical reports in English is a strong asset.

• Familiarity with FAO and UN (in general) administrative, operational, and financial procedures is an asset.

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.