National Coordinator for Producer Groups

Organizational Setting

FAO mandate in Georgia is to support national efforts to promote food security and sustainable development of agricultural sector. FAO priorities in Georgia reflect the objectives and priorities of the Government set in the strategy papers related to agricultural development. In essence FAO assists the Government in creating and implementing an institutional, legal and regulatory environment. At the same time, FAO supports individuals working in agriculture – farmers, cooperatives, companies etc. by providing technical and financial assistance.

Reporting Lines

The National Coordinator for Producer Groups shall operate under the overall guidance and responsibility of the FAO Representative in Georgia and direct supervision of the National Project Manager, in collaboration with international and national consultants of GCP/GEO/012/AUS project.

Technical Focus

FAO with the financial support of the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) is implementing the project titled “Strengthening capacities of stakeholders for the implementation of the Strategy for Agricultural Development in Georgia 2015-2020 and the Rural Development Strategy of Georgia 2017-2020”. The duration of the project is 4 years (2018-2022) and it primarily comprises the provision of technical assistance by national and international experts. Throughout the project implementation, the approach adopted is one of inclusive participation, engagement and ownership.

The main project stakeholders are:

• At national level - the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture (MEPA) and agencies under the MEPA auspices;
• At local level - local authorities, local education institutions, local health care providers, agricultural service providers and vocational education centres, farmers, farmers’ organizations, rural families and other private sector stakeholders.

The project aims to contribute to increased competitiveness of the agricultural sector, increased food production and reduction of rural poverty with a specific focus on reduction of inequalities.

At outcome level, the project will contribute to increased competitiveness of agriculture and rural development by supporting the implementation of the Strategy for Agricultural Development in Georgia 2015-2020 and the Strategy for Rural Development 2017-2022 through policy support and small-scale investment measures.

The expected outputs of the project are:

• Capacity of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture and other relevant staff related to gender-sensitive and socially inclusive rural development policy and community development planning improved.
• Agricultural extension services improved through enhanced capacity of central and decentralized Information and Consultation Centres to provide community needs-based services and brokerage in an inclusive and participatory manner.
• Policies and practices related to environmentally friendly agriculture and sustainable ecosystems in rural areas developed based on promotion of Good Agricultural Practices, new environmentally friendly practices as well as establishment of demonstration plots.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Support the National Rural Development Consultant and the Project Field Activity Coordinator in organization and facilitate discussions with LIGs and local population on optimal structure of producer groups;
• Support discussions in producer groups on creation of vision and common benefit support measures for respective product production/development, as per respective CDPs;
• Organize and facilitate regular meetings of producer groups;
• Support producer groups in identification of main constraints for their product production;
• Support the National Consultant on Gender and Social Inclusiveness in mainstreaming of gender in producer groups and its activities;

• Support the National Rural Development Consultant and international consultants in capacity building activities of the producer group members in identification of training needs and planning the training activities;

• Provide support in organization of relevant trainings, presentations, facilitation meetings and other respective activities per project Work Plan;

• Support implementation of information campaigns on the project activities;
• Support maintenance and update of database on project activities;
• Assist the project team members in project related activities;
• Perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• A university degree in Agriculture, Business Administration, or other related fields;
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience at the national level;
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in community mobilization;
• Fluency in Georgian; knowledge of English and Russian languages would be an asset;
• National of Georgia

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical / Functional Skills

• Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Self-motivated and ability to work under pressure and to meet strict and competing deadlines
• Availability to work overtime when required

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/