National Specialist on Agribusiness Development

Organizational Setting

The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist Governments for developing 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 National Specialist on Agribusiness Development will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in the Republic of Tajikistan, the direct technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) of the project and close cooperation with the National Project Coordinator, with the day-to-day coordination of the FAO Representation in Tajikistan. The National Specialist on Agribusiness Development will also work under the technical guidance of the international consultant of the project and in close cooperation with the national project consultants.

Technical Focus

The National Specialist on Agribusiness Development will be responsible to implement, facilitate and monitor the implementation of project activities related to the cooperatives improvements in Tajikistan.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Analyse in detail the selected cooperatives with a focus on identifying gaps, including production data, supply chains, constraints and opportunities to increase production and service; • Based on the analyses provide practical consulting to the cooperatives to improve their performance; • Identify relevant rural institutions to be supported by the project and conduct training needs assessment of the management and members of the selected cooperatives and identified rural institutions; • Develop and deliver relevant capacity building sessions for the management and members of the selected cooperatives and rural institutions, including the customization of training materials to the local context and audience; • Support the management of the cooperatives participating in the training sessions to update their business plans and develop a one-year action plan; • Liaise with the MoA and in cooperation with the National Specialist on Cooperatives design a database of the current cooperatives in Tajikistan, including development of questionnaires to support data collection for the database; transfer the database to the MoA; • In cooperation with the National Specialist on Cooperative Development organize a national forum of cooperatives; • Support the International Consultant on Cooperative Development to establish links between the local cooperatives and cooperative platform/union/organizations in CIS countries; • Prepare a back-to-office report (BTOR) in the relevant format after each mission; • Perform any other related duties and activities upon instructions received from FAO, including ensuring and monitoring women’s participation.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in Agriculture Economics, Economics, Marketing, Social Research, Development Studies or other related field; • At least three years of experience in agriculture or rural development projects/ programmes; • Fluency in oral and written Russian and Tajik; • Good written and oral communication skills in English is an asset. • National of Tajikistan or a resident in the country with a valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Computer literacy with spread sheets, databases and electronic programmes is required; • Quality of both oral and written communication skills; • Excellent communication abilities (oral and written); • Excellent computer skills including Windows, Microsoft Office, Internet, etc; • Experience in working for or with international development organizations or United Nations agencies; • Experience in a general administration with international organization will be an asset; • Proven experience in developing business plans; • Proven knowledge and experience in designing and delivering capacity building sessions for farmers; • Work experience with agricultural cooperatives or other farmer organizations in Tajikistan will be considered as an asset; • Knowledge of data management and experience in developing databases will be considered as an asset; • Excellent communication skills, including sound writing skills; • Understanding of gender issues in the field of agriculture; • Excellent computer skills, including command of MS Word and Excel and familiarity with databases; • Excellent research and analytical skills, including the ability to obtain data from local to national levels.