National Project Personnel - Agri Business Value Chain Facilitator

Organizational Setting

These positions are located in FAO district sub-offices in various locations in Balochistan province, Pakistan. 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.

The positions are required in in the following districts of Balochistan

• District Khuzdar (01 position - male) and
• District Lasbella and Musakhel (02 positions - female)

The position is at SB3 SC5 level

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Pakistan and in close coordination with the Provincial International Program Coordinator, these positions will directly be supervised by the Project Coordinator of the project.

Technical Focus

• Facilitate experimentation, participatory learning by doing and training on plants disease and insect pest management, integrated weed management, integrated soil fertility management, livestock health management, storage and processing, farm economics and financial literacy, produce marketing and business planning, and other issues that come up for individual groups.
• Establishment and facilitation of Farmer Field Schools (FFS), Farmer Business Schools (FBS) for participatory learning
• Trainings facilitated on specific crop or livestock-related issues pertaining to the commodity value chains under development
• Contribute to extension materials development.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Establishment and facilitation of Farmer Field Schools (FFS) or Farmer Business Schools (FBS) for participatory learning.
• Facilitate experimentation, participatory learning by doing and training on plants disease and insect pest management, integrated weed management, integrated soil fertility management, livestock health management, storage and processing, farm economics and financial literacy, and other issues that come up for individual groups.
• Trainings facilitated on specific crop or livestock-related issues pertaining to the commodity value chains under development
• Contribute to extension materials development
• Organize and mobilize male and/or female farmers into groups, and/or use existing Community Organizations for this purpose, for establishment of FFS/FBS for participatory learning and trainings on specific crop or livestock production and quality related issues.
• Provide support and facilitate farmer groups in introduction and establishment of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and improved (post) harvest handling and marketing of high value horticultural and/or livestock products;
• Field based FFS, FBS actions plans developed.
• Contribute to FFS/FBS extension and training materials development
• Develop and organize crop based and livestock based FFS/FBS and implement all stages and components with regular field follow-up and interaction with participants;
• The FFS/FBS facilitator works directly with farmers, and help them discover important concepts/ issues in crop, horticulture or livestock farming through practical learning.
• Conduct awareness-raising meetings to introduce the FFS/FBS concept, identify the farmers and learning site/ sites;
• Contribute to the development of training curricula and facilitate training of farmers through season long FFS.
• Assist in establishment of demonstration/learning sites to run FFS/FBS, arrange for Farmer Field days, exposure/ exchange visits.
• Report progress of the FFS/FBS and demonstrations plots activities;
• Follow up and coordinate with stakeholders including Government line agencies (Agriculture, Supply & Prices and Livestock& Fisheries Departments) and other NGOs and Development Agencies working in the districts for their contribution to the FFS/FBS sessions.
• Organize capacity development / training initiatives and other field-based activities i.e. farmer consultative meetings, gender sensitive trainings, workshops, nutrition awareness, (market) exposure visits, monitoring visits and field days;
• Prepare and submit monthly work plan and progress reports;
• Perform any other associated duties as required by the Project Coordinator.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Graduate in Agriculture, Agriculture Economics, Livestock Production, value chain development
• 3 to 5 Years relevant field experience, particularly in Livelihoods, Food Security and agricultural development projects.
• Practical knowledge of Community Mobilization skills and management of FFS/FBS/LFFS
• Experience in communication and diffusion strategies and techniques, reporting, documentation
• Understanding of and competencies in participatory extension methods, training need assessments and development of capacity development plan
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English and fluency and knowledge of local languages used in Balochistan province is essential.
• National of Pakistan

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Remain open to change and ability to manage complexity.
• Ability to work and act under pressure and with discretion in multicultural environment.
• Demonstrate capacity to plan, prioritize and deliver tasks on time to meet goals in a high-pressure environment.
• Familiar with FAO procedures, and administrative protocols used in the United Nations system
• Possess strong supervisory, communication, team building and computing skills (word processing, spreadsheets and data-bases).

Selection Criteria

Candidates will be assessed against the requirements listed above. Preference should be given to local candidates.

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. Subject to certain exemptions, vaccination against COVID-19 will in principle be required. Vaccination status will be verified as part of the medical clearance process.