Project Field Coordinator

Organizational Setting

FAO is a key player pushing for interventions that bridge the continuum between humanitarian support and development interventions in the food and agriculture sector, covering rural and peri-urban areas. Assisting in preventing disaster-related emergencies, providing early warning for food emergencies, and helping in rehabilitation of food production systems are amongst FAO’s predominant roles. The main forms of FAO’s interventions include, but are not limited to, needs assessments, the provision of essential agricultural inputs and technical assistance in planning and management for sustainable recovery and resilience in rural production systems.

The incumbent will largely support one of FAO’s largest projects in Iraq, entitled: “Restoration and Strengthening the Resilience of Agri-food Systems in Southern Iraq”. FAO supports about 23,000 smallholder households as they rebuild their agricultural livelihoods to diversify their income and achieve food security. The project focuses on three value chains, buffalo/ dairy, dates and tomatoes.

The project supports smallholder farmers and landless rural households in Basrah, Missan and Thi-Qar Governorates to improve their agricultural productivity and income generation in priority value chains of vegetables, buffalo and dates while enhancing land and water resources and bio-diversity. Interventions are closely coordinated with local authorities, private sector This project is part of a larger Agri-food Business Development Program with several international partners such as GIZ, ILO, IOM, ITC, and UNESCO that call for coordination (thematically and geographically), and where possible undertake activities together, in order to maximize results on the value chain development and positive impact on the external environment services and jobs created. Coordination and communication between stakeholders is an important part of a recipe for success.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of FAO Representative in Iraq, and in close consultation with relevant operations/programme and technical officers at FAO Iraq technical and administrative staff, the Project Field Coordinator for the south will be responsible for the coordination of the project team with local stakeholders in the Governorates of Basra, Missan and Thi-Qar under the EU-funded project entitled: “Restoration and Strengthening the Resilience of Agri-Food Systems in Southern Iraq.” The responsibility covers all three project components that cover value chains of buffalo/ dairy, dates and tomatoes. S/he may also do the same for other projects in the same area.

Technical Focus

The main responsibility of the national project field coordinator is to support effective relationship management between FAO and local authorities.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Coordinate the work of the project team – consisting of project manager, technical and support team in Basra and the FAO-team in Baghdad - with local authorities, starting with the Governor’s Office, relevant technical Directorates such as Agriculture, Water, and Environment, as well as academic institutions and private sector to support the implementation and delivery of the projects/programme.
• Ensure effective liaison and maintain good communication between FAO, UN agencies in Basra (e.g. ILO, IOM, ITC, UNAMI, UNICEF) and local partners;
• Coordinate field missions and visits of the team as well as representatives from the government counterparts, donors, FAO and other UN agencies;
• Assist with organization/ invitations of annual Project Steering Committee meeting in Basra to review the progress of the Project’s implementation and its strategic direction;
• Assist with the organization of consultations with government counterparts and other relevant stakeholders and in particular invitations for events such as launching events, training workshops, job fairs, etc. and assist with short summaries
• Work closely with project manager and the relevant technical officers for the monitoring of project activities in the field, and provide technical advice in areas of personal technical competence;
• Assist with contacts for local media to facilitate effective external communication of FAO key messages;
• Help coordinate the conduct of local assessments with local authorities and partners, explain its objectives and obtain their approval,
• Facilitate the HR assistant with local recruitment according to clear criteria of competence;
• Maintain records on official communication, by email or otherwise, of all meetings held, their outcomes recommendations; as well as minutes, decisions and recommendations of meetings and workshops for support and guidance of FAO;
• Perform any related duties as requested by FAO.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in a field related to agronomy and horticulture sciences, rural development, food sciences, and other related areas;
• At least five years in agricultural development of Tomato – in areas as research on seedling production, water management, integrated pest management, post-harvest management, etc.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and Arabic language.
• Iraqi National.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Expertise in liaising with government counterparts, local authorities, maintaining an excellent local network of contacts
• Expertise in any of the three value chains of livestock, dates and/or vegetables (tomatoes)
• Academic and practical experience in agriculture;
• Solid analytical and conceptual skills and the ability to think creatively.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Experience or knowledge of running small businesses is an added advantage.
• Good reporting skills.

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
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. Subject to certain exemptions, vaccination against COVID-19 will in principle be required. Vaccination status will be verified as part of the medical clearance process.