Programme Officer (Liaison)

Organizational Setting Launched at the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit by the European Union, the Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) is a growing alliance of humanitarian and development actors united by the commitment to tackle the root causes of food crises and promote sustainable solutions through shared analysis and knowledge, strengthened coordination in evidence-based responses and collective efforts across the Humanitarian, Development and Peace (HDP) nexus.

The aim of the initiative is to generate and disseminate the evidence required to support better-targeted coordinated responses to food crises through: (i) increasing the level of coordination and the global governance around food security analyses with tools such as the Global Report on Food Crises; (ii) promoting a more systematic use of such analyses for strategic planning and coordination of sustainable solutions to food crises; and (iii) enhancing the use of analyses within existing high-level initiatives/bodies to facilitate more coordinated and effective global responses to food crises. The initiative prioritizes response to demands in focus countries concentrated in four regions: Sahel, Horn of Africa, the Near East and Latin America, with the provision of technical leadership and coordination, through FAO’s Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER) and dedicated capacity in three analytical hubs (Horn of Africa; Sahel; and the Near East), to approximately forty countries in addition to specific country-level investments in over ten countries.

The Programme Officer (Liaison) will support the Global Network efforts with respect to coordination, dialogue, advocacy and country-level investments.

The post is located in FAO’s Liaison Office with the European Union and Belgium.

Reporting Lines The Programme Officer reports to the Director, Liaison Office, and works in close collaboration with the Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER) at headquarters.

Technical Focus Research, technical analysis, and project related services to support the delivery of programme projects, products, and services.

Key Results Develops, implements, evaluates, effective leadership and management of major projects and teams.

Key Functions • Develops, implements and evaluates 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 initiates corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; ensures follow-up actions; • 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, etc.; • Generates survey initiatives; reviews, analyses and interprets responses, identify problems/issues and prepares conclusions; • Organizes and prepares written outputs, e.g. draft background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.; • Provides substantive backstopping to consultative and other meetings, conferences, etc., to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc.; • Initiates and coordinates outreach activities; conducts training workshops, seminars, etc.; 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, etc.; • Coordinates activities related to budget funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and prepares related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget, etc.).

Specific Functions • Supports the operationalization of multipartnership initiatives (e.g. GNAFC) through mobilization of capacities to support joint planning processes and relevant country priorities; • Facilitates advocacy efforts, including the identification, sharing and dissemination in global, regional, and country fora, of evidence-based good practices and challenges in improving food security data quality, availability and utilization, including its use in strengthening anticipatory actions; • Supports the activation and mobilization of financing of strategic interventions design to address key gaps and upscale existing efforts including knowledge generation and exchange.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements • Advanced university degree in business administration or public administration, social science, political science or a related field; • Seven years of relevant experience in development work and /or designing and managing projects, interacting with social partners and with governments, international organisations, research institutions, civil society and the private sector; • 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 a field relevant to the work of the Organization and development work and/or designing and managing projects, interacting with social partners and with governments, international organisations, research institutions, civil society and the private sector; • Depth of knowledge of FAO’s programmes and priorities is considered a strong asset; • Extent and relevance of experience in policy development, policy coordination and project planning; • Working knowledge of French is considered a strong asset.