National Project Personnel - Early Warning and Anticipatory Action Specialist
Provide early warning and anticipatory actions for agriculture and food security.
Overview
Provide early warning and anticipatory actions for agriculture and food security.
You have:
- Advanced university degree in development studies, Agricultural Economics, Project Management or related discipline
- 7 years of relevant experience in project coordination and support
- Working knowledge (Level C) of English
- National of Zimbabwe
Organizational Setting
The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative (FAOR) , 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. For the period 2022-2026, the FAO Office in Zimbabwe is supporting Government efforts through the Country Programme Framework (CPF) which is based on three pillars: (i) Promotion of inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems to address food security and nutrition (ii) Building resilience to climate change, agricultural threats and crisis; (iii) Sustainable management of natural resources and environmental protection
The position is located in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Reporting Lines
The Early Warning and Anticipatory Action Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Zimbabwe, and direct supervision of the AFAOR-Programme and the International Resilience Specialist. Supervision received is focused on the quality of the work performed and provides for on-the-job learning.
Technical Focus
• Programme quality assurance and monitoring • Information management, analysis, report writing • Knowledge sharing
Tasks and responsibilities
● Analyze existing vulnerability and disaster risk information to identify risks to agriculture and food security, priority areas and livelihoods • Consolidate early warning information on the priority risks and support the strengthening of EW within the MoA Establish early warning triggers, i.e. the risk level thresholds beyond which financial resources should be rapidly allocated to prevent and mitigate the impact of a forecast hazard on agriculture and food security; ● Formulate crisis timelines overlaying seasonality, livelihood impacts information to identify timings for early warning and anticipatory action; ● Define protocols and standard operating procedures for linking early warning to anticipatory ction, including precise roles and responsibilities for risk monitoring and early action implementation; ● Support the operational and timely implementation of anticipatory action at country level by conducting field missions, advising on appropriate actions and operational arrangements as well as accessing the Early Action Fund; ● Strengthen partnerships and inter-agency efforts on EWEA at country level. This includes fostering collaboration on early warning (e.g. common triggers, joint alerts and appeals) as well as coordinated anticipatory action implementation on the ground; ● Support efforts to institutionalize EWEA with key government partners; ● Support capacity building activities at country level, including the delivery of FAO-EWEA’s learning programme; ● Externally represent and advocate EWEA with donors, technical partners and UN Agencies; ● Support communication efforts through tailored products and different means including web, photo/video, social media, press releases and other; ● Support the impact assessments including Return on Investment (ROI) of Anticipatory Action. • Perform other duties as required
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in development studies/ Agricultural Economics, Project Management or related discipline • 7 years of relevant experience in project coordination and support • Working knowledge (Level C) of English, • National of Zimbabwe
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus • Teamwork • Communication • Building Effective Relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical Skills
• Good knowledge of corporate information systems • Good analytical and writing skills • Good knowledge of communication and documentation standards
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.
Potential interview questions
| Can you describe a situation where you utilized data analysis to inform decision-making? | This question assesses your analytical skills and ability to apply data in a practical context. | Provide a clear example, focusing on your role, the data you analyzed, and the impact of your decisions. |
| Tell me about a time you faced a significant challenge in project coordination. How did you handle it? | The interviewer wants to understand your problem-solving and project management skills. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How do you prioritize tasks when managing multiple projects? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Describe a situation where you had to engage with stakeholders to achieve a project goal. | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What strategies would you use to build capacity among local partners? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |