Programme Officer (Investment Grants)

Programme & Policy

Overview

Lead the development and evaluation of projects focused on beneficiary grants.

You have:

• Advanced university degree in agriculture, political science, development cooperation, economics, international relations, business or public administration, project management, finance or another relevant field within FAO's mandate.
• Five years of relevant experience in programme and project management and implementation in the areas of international development, rural business development, rural livelihoods, agricultural value chain investments or another relevant field within FAO's mandate.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of one of the other official FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Organizational Setting

The Programme Support Division (PSS) coordinates FAO's efforts towards fulfilment of its Strategic Objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) via its projects and field programme. The Director, PSS, leads the Organization's work in oversight and monitoring of projects; project cycle management; management of the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP); due diligence research and risk assessment review of partnerships with non-state actors; and the development and support to new operational modalities.

The PSS New Operational Modalities Team (PSSN) facilitates the efficient and effective delivery of the FAO field programme through new working methodologies such as Cash Transfers, Vouchers and Grants to beneficiaries, as well as project delivery through in-country partners, via the Operational Partnership Implementation Modality (OPIM). The work of PSSN is strongly field-focused, seeking to provide policies, procedures, training and tools that increase the effectiveness of FAO offices implementing projects, in a broad variety of contexts.

The position is located in PSSN at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines The Programme Officer reports to a senior Programme Officer in the New Operational Modalities Team under the overall supervision of the Senior Programme Officer and Director, PSS.

Technical Focus Direct grants to beneficiaries, fund management, project cycle, operational modalities, Results-Based Management, quality control and compliance, monitoring, results reporting, capacity development and support to field offices and project teams.

Key Results Develop, implement, monitor and evaluate assigned programme/projects.

Key Functions • Participates in the development, implementation and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects, etc.; monitors and analyses programme/project development and implementation; • Reviews relevant documents and reports; identifies problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; identifies and tracks follow-up actions; • Assists in policy development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, preparation of impact evaluation or equivalent studies, etc.; • Prepares various written outputs, e.g. drafts background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.; • Undertakes outreach activities; conducts training workshops, seminars, etc.; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities; • Coordinates activities related to budget and funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and prepares related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget, etc.).

Specific Functions • Contributes to the development of corporate policies and procedures governing the Beneficiary Grants modality, with a focus on efficiency, effectiveness and risk management in project implementation. • Monitors compliance of Beneficiary Grants Projects with these corporate policies and procedures, globally, escalating any issues to senior management proposing remedies where appropriate. • Analyses performance of Beneficiary Grants Projects, globally, proposing and drafting amendments to corporate policies and procedures where appropriate. • Monitors the corporate General Ledger account lines dedicated to the modality, ensuring that financial commitments, expenditures and other processes are reflected appropriately at the corporate level. • Supports Country Offices in developing Grants Operational Manuals, reviews these Manuals for quality and policy compliance and coordinates clearance by PSS. • Manages the quality assurance review and clearance of Beneficiary Grant projects or activities, prior to approval by the appropriate Authorized Official in Headquarters and subsequent Delegation of Authority to decentralized offices. • Contributes to quality assurance and operational review of any Deviation Requests relating to Beneficiary Grants policy. • Provides operational guidance to FAO offices implementing Beneficiary Grants Projects, in coordination with technical units and other internal stakeholders and duty-bearers. • Contributes to operational capacity building products relating to the Beneficiary Grants modality, including: FAO Handbook pages; eLearning; webinars or video series; and guidance notes. • Contributes to and delivers operational trainings for FAO offices on the Beneficiary Grants modality, both remotely and in-person. • Contributes to the development and maintenance operational tools for implementation of the Beneficiary Grants modality. • Performs other related duties as required. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements • Advanced university degree in agriculture, political science, development cooperation, economics, international relations, business or public administration, project management, finance or another relevant field within FAO's mandate. • Five years of relevant experience in programme and project management and implementation in the areas of international development, rural business development, rural livelihoods, agricultural value chain investments or another relevant field within FAO's mandate. • Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of one of the other official FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies • Results Focus • Team Work • Communication • Building effective relationships • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills • Work experience in the implementation of projects involving a direct-to-beneficiary grants modality or similar financial instrument is considered an asset. • Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions. • Extent and relevance of experience in project formulation and implementation, including at the country level. • Extent and relevance of experience in operational management, including process and workflow analysis. • Extent and relevance of experience in programme or project monitoring and reporting. • Extent and relevance of experience in direct-to-beneficiary grants or similar programming. • Extent of experience in providing advice and client support. • Demonstrated ability to write reports in English. • Prior experience with working in the UN system is considered an asset. • Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of another FAO official language is considered an asset.

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Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: fao.org