Project Operations Assistant

Overview

Support day-to-day activities of project operations and coordination tasks.

You have:

• University degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Management, Finance, Accounting, Economics, Commerce, or other related disciplines;
• At least four (4) years of relevant and progressively responsible experience in project operations, with demonstrated familiarity with the operational context of Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
• National of the Philippines
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and Filipino

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.

FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

FAO Country Offices, working under overall corporate guidance and in line with the Strategic Framework, offer policy advice and support to countries in the mandated areas of FAO, facilitated through partnerships, resources and an active country programme to provide technical assistance, develop capacities and deliver core services while fully observing international standards of accountability to establish leadership and strengthen impact at the country level.

The offices deliver on the programmatic priorities of each country as agreed in their respective Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and ensure effective and efficient operations with adequate human and financial resources.

Specifically, FAO Country Offices:

i. advocate, inform and support policies and investments in the areas of FAO’s mandate; ii. provide technical assistance and deliver core services; iii. assist and catalyse partnership and resource mobilization activities to support agrifood systems transformation; iv. position FAO as the specialized/authoritative technical agency in food and agriculture and agrifood systems transformation; and v. ensure risk-smart and accountable operations and management.

For more than four decades, FAO has been working with the Government of the Philippines, civil society, community-based organizations, the academe 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, mechanization and modernization through improving post-harvest management, enhancing productivity and increasing the resilience of agriculture-based livelihoods to natural disasters, climatic hazards and armed conflict.

The position is located in Davao City, Philippines.

The position is funded under the "European Union Support for Resilient Mindanao" (EU4Mindanao) Action which is part of the European Union’s long-term support to building lasting peace and promoting inclusive development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and Mindanao as a whole.

With the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) as the Overall Government Partner, EU4Mindanao is jointly implemented by the United Nations Development Organization (UNIDO), as lead agency and Administrative Agent, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The Action focuses on localizing a quadruple humanitarian, peace, climate and development (HPCD) nexus approach in communities that face multi-faceted and interlocking vulnerabilities. These communities are composed of Indigenous Peoples (IPs), Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and those at risk of displacement, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), women and girls, and youth in Mindanao, particularly in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) and in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Despite recent efforts to address persistent challenges in GIDAs and to advance the Bangsamoro peace process, these groups have not fully benefited from the resulting peace dividend due to persistent conflict, exposure to multiple hazards, longstanding discrimination, shortcomings in legal frameworks, and other sources of instability.

The impact (overall objective) of the Action is to foster an enabling environment for sustainable peace and development in Mindanao. Two Specific Objectives/Outcomes have been formulated:

Outcome 1: Local communities' resiliency is increased. Outcome 2: Local value chains and value addition, fair production and economic opportunities for target communities are strengthened.

While both Outcomes aim to increase local productive capacities, they will respectively focus on agriculture (Outcome 1, FAO) and processing/agro-industry (Outcome 2, UNIDO). To operationalize the HPCD nexus, the human security approach and conflict-sensitive programming will be applied across both Outcomes, ensuring programmatic coherence and cost-effectiveness that maximize lasting impact. The Action is aligned with the 2024-2028 United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), the EU Multi-annual Indicative Programme (MIP) for the Philippines (2021-2027), and the Mindanao Agenda 2023-2028 of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

Reporting Lines

The Project Operations Assistant will report to the Assistant FAO Representative for Programme.

Technical Focus

The Operations Assistant performs a wide range of administrative, logistical, and operational tasks in order to support the day-to-day activities of the Project.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Participate in the development of project work plans and subsequent activities’ implementation in consultation with relevant FAO personnel, partners, and stakeholders, including government counterparts. • Assist the team in the timely delivery of operations in line with project work plans and provide suggestions to overcome any potential bottlenecks. • Liaise with the Project Team, the Administrative Unit, and support the Programme Unit of the FAO Office in the Philippines on relevant issues related to programme implementation (e.g., budget preparation, financial control, , logistics, missions, procurement, and operational field support). • With support from the Administrative Assistant, coordinate and support missions from the FAO Offices, donors, governments, and other partners. • Provide support to the monitoring, evaluation, and learning of the programme. • Participate in project monitoring by maintaining current registers and control tools on the status of projects at various stages. • Assist in preparing minutes of meetings, presentation materials, and project reports. • Prepare HR plans based on existing and forthcoming project documents and monitor relevant resource allocations and expenditures. • Provide assistance in the use of relevant FAO systems-based tools in project management, including the generation of Transaction Listings and Financial Statements in collaboration with the Administrative Assistant. • Ensure quality review of the Purchase Requisitions prepared by the Administrative Assistant (including project code used and specifications). • Maintain close coordination with the FAOPH Procurement Unit to monitor progress and ensure prompt delivery of procurement transactions. • Carry out any other relevant duties within his/her technical competence as may be requested by the FAO Representative. • Ensure compliance with donor visibility requirements and proper implementation of the project’s communication and visibility activities across teams and actions, including in line with the European Commission’s “Use of the EU emblem in the context of EU programmes 2021–2027” and “Communicating and raising EU visibility – Guidance for external actions” (July 2022). Ensures that all teams, consultants, grantees and implementing partners comply with relevant visibility requirements.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Management, Finance, Accounting, Economics, Commerce, or other related disciplines; • At least four (4) years of relevant and progressively responsible experience in project operations, with demonstrated familiarity with the operational context of Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). • National of the Philippines • Working knowledge (level C) of English and Filipino

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Project implementation support, including coordination of work planning and activities, facilitation of administrative, financial, procurement, and logistics processes, monitoring and reporting, and ensuring compliance with FAO systems and donor requirements for the efficient and timely delivery of project activities. • Use of monitoring and tracking tools for oversight. • Ability to work under pressure and adapt to an evolving and complex humanitarian context and within multidisciplinary and different cultural background teams

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• 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.

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Potential interview questions

Added 6 days ago - Updated 4 hours ago - Source: fao.org