Programme Officer (IPC Programme)

Overview

Manage and support IPC Programme for food security initiatives.

You have:

• Advanced university degree in business administration or public administration or a related field.
• Seven years of relevant experience in project or programme management, administration or related area.
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of another FAO official language.

Organizational Setting

The Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA) conducts economic research and policy analysis related to all five of the Organization’s strategic objectives (food security, sustainable agriculture, poverty reduction, inclusive food systems and resilient livelihoods); ESA provides evidence-based analytical support to national, regional and global policy processes and initiatives related to food security and sustainable agriculture; and leads the production of three FAO flagship publications: The State of Food and Agriculture, The State of Food Insecurity in the World. ESA also leads large programmes at country level on the right to food, agricultural policy monitoring, climate smart agriculture, social protection, and food security information and analysis in support of national policies.

The integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is a global, multi-partner innovative initiative to facilitate decision-making with improved food security analysis, through a set of tools and protocols for classifying the severity and nature of food insecurity and implications for response. IPC incorporates a meta-analysis approach drawing on evidence-based analysis of food security, nutrition and livelihood information through a consensus approach that includes a broad range of stakeholders.

This global initiative is governed and strategically guided by an IPC Global Steering Committee (GSC), consisting of fifteen major UN agencies, international NGOs and Regional Inter-governmental body agencies, including: Action Against Hunger, Care International, Comité Permanent Inter-Etats de Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS), Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Union, Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), FAO, Food Security Cluster, Global Nutrition Cluster, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Oxfam, Southern African Development Community (SADC), Save the Children, Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana (SICA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) , and the World Food Programme (WFP).

The IPC works:

1) At the global level, through the IPC Global Steering Committee, (responsible for the strategic vision and oversight of IPC global standards worldwide), the IPC Technical Advisory Committee (TAG) (responsible for IPC technical normative developments) and the IPC Global Support Unit (GSU) hosted within ESA, (responsible for the coordination of IPC normative developments, IPC global standards on quality and compliance, and the global coordination of capacity building support to IPC activities worldwide);

2) At the regional level, through GSU Certified Training Units (provides IPC Certified Training and Technical Assistance to countries in the region) and through Regional IPC Steering/Technical Working Groups that are integrated within existing regional platforms (responsible for regional overviews of IPC country analysis and the provision of partner support to IPC in countries in the region); and

3) At country level, where inter-ministerial and multi-agency working groups support the introduction and implementation of the IPC by Country IPC Technical Working Groups, which are linked and institutionalized within existing government and partner food security and nutrition platforms.

Reporting Lines

The Programme Officer (IPC Programme) reports to the Senior Economist – IPC Global Programme Manager under the overall joint guidance of the ESA and Office of Emergency and Resilience (OER).

Technical Focus

Implementation and monitoring of the IPC.

Key Results

Develop, implement, evaluate and ensure effective leadership and management of major projects and teams in accordance with FAO objectives

Key Functions

• Develops, implements and evaluates assigned programmes/projects; monitors and analyses programme/project development and implementation; reviews relevant documents and reports; identifies problems and issues to be addressed and initiates corrective action; liaises with relevant parties; ensures follow-up action;

• Performs consulting assignments, in collaboration with the client, by planning facilitating workshops, through other interactive sessions and assisting in developing the action plan the client will use to manage the change;

• Researches, analyses and presents information gathered from diverse sources;

• Coordinates policy development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, preparation of impact evaluation or equivalent studies;

• Generates survey initiatives; reviews, analyses and interprets responses, identifies problems/issues and prepares conclusions;

• Organizes and prepares written outputs, e.g. background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, and inputs to publications;

• Provides substantive backstopping to consultative and other meetings and conferences to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations;

• Initiates and coordinates outreach activities; conducts training workshops and seminars; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities;

• Leads and/or participates in large, complex field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties and drafting mission summaries;

• Coordinates activities related to budget funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports and financial statements) and prepares related documents/reports (pledging, work programme and programme budget).

Specific Functions

• Manages the IPC Programme budget including performing budget holder functions, overseeing financial transactions (including monitoring of approved field expenditures in liaison with regional and country counterparts) and liaising closely with all relevant internal and external stakeholders, ensuring compliance with FAO corporate policies as well as donor requirements and regulations;

• Ensures the sound operational and financial management of programme activities, providing oversight over administrative staff, and oversees the operation of the Global IPC Programme;

• Supports the functioning of the IPC Steering Committee, including acting as secretary and supporting the translation of the Committee's guidance into actionable plans;

• Actively participates in the formulation and implementation of fund-raising strategies at the global level as well as in the provision of guidance to IPC Regional Coordinators for fund-raising at the regional level if/as needed;

• Coordinates all IPC programme delivery, including monitoring progress, alerting on eventual gaps and delays, and providing advice on corrective actions when/as needed.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in business administration or public administration or a related field;

• Seven years of relevant experience in project or programme management, administration or related area;

• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies

• Results Focus

• Teamwork

• Communication

• Building Effective Relationships

• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable;

• Extent and relevance of experience in the field of administration, human resources, finance and management;

• Extent and relevance of experience in programme/project formulation, analysis, planning and implementation;

• Extent of knowledge of planning and budgetary processes and associated tools;

• Understanding of FAO policies and programmes is considered a strong asset.

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Potential interview questions

Added 5 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: fao.org