National Rural Advisory Service (RAS)/ Gender Specialist

Organizational Setting

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.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the general and operational supervision of the FAO Representative in Albania, the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative in Albania and the technical guidance of the REU Gender and Social Protection Specialist, as well as in close liaison and consultation with the Project Coordinator/Gender Specialist

Technical Focus

Responsible for the implementation of the project outputs related to gender-responsive services for rural tourism, agri-business and value chain development under the UNJP/ALB/015/UNJ "Gender Rural Equality and Tourism" (GREAT) Project

Tasks and responsibilities

• • In close collaboration with the Project Coordinator/Gender Specialist, contribute actively to the formulation of annual project work-plans within the area of responsibility;
  • Conducts assessments of existing bottlenecks for gender-responsive rural advisory services using the FAO GRAST and assesses possible nudges for behavioural change in pilot municipalities;
  • Provide recommendations to policy-makers and municipalities for moving towards gender-responsive services related to value-chain, tourism, etc.;
  • In cooperation with the Value Chain Specialist, assess opportunities for income generation and women’s economic empowerment, guided by the principle of “leaving no one behind”;
  • Provide inputs to a short strategic plan for the development of incubators by incorporating identified needs and interests of women within selected agri-business value chains, rural tourism, etc in the target municipalities;
  • Assess knowledge, plans a training plan, and prepare the syllabuses for capacity-building sessions to be offered for rural advisory services, ATTCs, municipal authorities and related institutions for gender-responsive services related to value-chains, agri-business, tourism;
  • Based on the assessment of women’s interests and priorities provide inputs to the development and investment plans for the value chain/incubators;
  • In close coordination with the project team, provides inputs to the recommendations for women’s economic empowerment to policy-makers and municipalities relevant for 1) how to improve horizontal and vertical coordination, and 2) how to move towards a one-stop-shop approach;
  • Contribute to the design of a monitoring system and prepares a monitoring baseline report with the inputs for the enhancement of baseline and target indicators related to women’s economic empowerment and inclusion within value chain/incubators component in the GREAT project’s FAO component;
  • Provide inputs to the FAO Quarterly Monitoring Reports and other reports (progress against planned activities, outputs, and immediate outcomes) and assist the management staff for the preparation of SC meetings;
  • Undertake two monitoring missions in the three designated areas to ensure project’s timely delivery and quality of results and prepare specific reports these missions findings;
  • Participate and contribute to important meetings with stakeholders and project partners;
  • Collaborate closely with the Value Chain Specialist on overlapping analysis and activities, particularly during the first phase of the project.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in agricultural economics, agriculture, sociology, social anthropology, gender or other relevant sciences
• At least three years of relevant experience in knowledge generation, evaluation, policy formulation, capacity building in relation to gender equality, value chains and rural advisory services, preferably in an international development context
• Working knowledge of English.
• National of Albania 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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Demonstrated experience in mainstreaming gender issues or research in agriculture, agribusiness, and rural development.
• Familiarity with rural advisory services analysis and evaluation, such as FAO GRAST tool
• Analytical and research skills with focus on gender inequalities
• Prior relevant working experience in Albania