National Monitoring Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) is responsible for leading FAO's response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region and, in collaboration with departments and divisions at Headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO's strategic response to regional priorities. REU also advises on the incorporation of regional priorities into the Organization's Programme of Work and Budget and implements approved programmes and projects in the region, monitors the level of programme implementation and draws attention to problems and deficiencies. The Regional Office supports regional policy dialogue on food security, agriculture and rural development issues, facilitates the emergence of regional partnerships, and supports capacity development and resource mobilization for food security, agriculture and rural development in the region.

Reporting Lines

A person for this function will be recruited under the project, based on FAO HR rules. Under the direct supervision of Programme/Operations Officer or BH and overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Armenia and under the technical guidance of the Lead Technical Office (LTO) of the project, as well as in close cooperation with the Government authorities, other national counterparts and the national/international consultants.

Technical Focus

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are jointly implementing “Local Empowerment of Actors for Development (LEAD) in Lori and Tavush regions” Project in Armenia. The Project is supported by the European Union (EU) and aims at bolstering the participation of a wide range of local stakeholders in sustainable and inclusive socioeconomic development of their communities through pilot implementation of the EU LEADER/Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) approaches in Lori and Tavush regions. The Monitoring Specialist will operate under the overall supervision of the Regional Programme Leader / FAO Representative in Armenia and direct supervision of Programme/Operations Officer and the Budget Holder (BH), under the guidance of the National Project Manager, and under the technical guidance of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) of the project, as well as in close cooperation with the UNDP Armenia, national/international consultants.

Tasks and responsibilities

The monitoring consultant will develop a monitoring strategy for the FAO-led part of the LEAD project, as well as will conduct regular monitoring of the progress achieved by FAO in relation to the approved work-plan and the project milestones/deliverables. Specific responsibilities include:

• Based on the project document, develop a monitoring strategy for the FAO-led part of the LEAD project, including monitoring plan and relevant monitoring indicators, tools, databases, methods and frequency for data collection and responsible team members, as well as reporting mechanisms; • Monitor and evaluate all project activities and progress towards achieving the FAO specific project output and outcome indicators; • Recommend further improvement of the work-plan; • Provide feedback to the Project Manager on project progress based on the monitoring report outcomes; • Provide recommendations to the Project Management for improving the project delivery; • Prepare quarterly, semiannual and annual project monitoring reports to the Project Manager and the LTO; • Provide inputs, information and statistics for quarterly, annual and other reports to Project Manager, based on preliminary agreed schedule; • Participate in project reviews and planning workshops and assist the Project Manager in preparing relevant reports; • Have fieldtrips and participate in data collection; • Regularly update and clean project databases; • Perform other related duties when and as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

- Advanced university degree in statistics or a closely related field - Three years of relevant experience and strong analytics, research skills - Fluency in Armenian and English. Knowledge of Russian is an asset. - Good communication skills - National of Armenia or resident in the country with a regular work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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