Project Field Assistant

Organizational Setting:

For more than four decades, FAO has been working with the Government of the Philippines, civil society, community-based organizations and the private sector to address challenges in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector. Joint efforts have included increasing sustainability in agricultural production, promoting value-adding practices, improving post-harvest management, enhancing productivity and increasing the resilience of agriculture-based livelihoods to natural disasters, climatic hazards and armed conflict.

Reporting Lines:

The Farming Systems Specialist will be under the overall guidance of the Deputy FAO Representative in the Philippines ad interim, the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative for Programme. He/she will also collaborate with Mindanao, Emergency Response and Preparedness Group (MERG), receive day-to-day guidance from the National Emergency Coordinator.

Technical Focus:

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in the Philippines, has joined the humanitarian community in responding to the needs of those severely affected in the recent aftermath of tropical cyclone Ulysses damaging agriculture and fishing livelihoods in North Luzon with the Region II being the hardest hit.

FAO has partnered with WFP to provide agriculture and fisheries inputs and cash-based interventions as part of early response in order to hasten the transition back to normalcy. The provision of agriculture and fisheries inputs will enable farmers and fishers to resume agricultural and fisheries livelihoods while waiting for the corn harvest season next year. On the other hand, the use of unconditional cash transfers, cash plus and cash for work schemes are widely used in emergency, resilience and development projects globally. This is based among other issues on the growing evidence that affected populations in the aftermath of a disaster need cash and cash, combined with livelihood support to rebuild sources of income, diversify food options, increase access to on-food basic items and ultimately and reduce reliance from emergency relief. Commonly used to address food insecurity and nutrition in emergencies, cash can also be seen as means of facilitating access to health care, and veterinary services. In addition, the influx of financial support also fuels the rehabilitation of local economies that are essential to rebuilding livelihoods.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Project Field Assistant in close coordination with the Department of Agriculture Region Field Office II (DA-RFOII), World Food Programme (WFP), and local government units (LGUs) will carry out the following tasks:

1. Assist in the coordination work with DA Regional Field Office 2, World Food Programme (WFP), Local Government Units (provincial and municipal levels) and other partners and stakeholders;

2. Assist in the conduct of coordination meetings, trainings and distribution of project inputs, monitoring and assessment of initial results of intervention and report writing;

3. Provide feedback to relevant officers and managers on progress of project implementation;

4. Anticipate potential programme issues and identify issues that require immediate attention, and providing suggested alternatives to relevant colleagues;

5. Contribute in the preparation of accomplishment reports, qualifying the information by project/donor;

6. Liaise closely with relevant provincial and municipal partners in the conduct and implementation of programme interventions;

7. Assist in maintaining an up-to-date database information system covering technical and administrative operations of the programme; and

8. Carry out other relevant duties within his/her technical competence as requested by FAO.

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in agriculture and other related fields with complementary knowledge in agricultural development planning or emergency management related disciplines
• At least two (2) years relevant and progressive experience assisting in project implementation at the field level.
• A national of the Philippines

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Must be familiar with the local rural setting in Region II areas;
• Language requirement: Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Tagalog; and
• General knowledge and skills in the use of standard office software, such as MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: [email protected]
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/