Risk Monitoring Specialist

Organizational Setting

FAO supports governments and regional bodies to address their needs and priorities in achieving food security, reducing hunger and malnutrition, developing agricultural, fishery and forestry sectors, and ensuring the sustainable use of environmental and natural resources. The FAO Sub-regional Resilience Team for southern Africa (SFS-REOSA) based in Johannesburg, South Africa, leads FAO’s work to reduce vulnerability and risks of food and nutrition insecurity by strengthening the productive capacity and livelihoods of vulnerable groups in southern Africa. SFS-REOSA provides support to regional bodies, governments and FAO country offices in the design and implementation of emergency and resilience-building initiatives for the agriculture, food and nutrition security sector in southern Africa.

In contribution to FAO’s Strategic Framework, SFS-REOSA seeks to establish a subregional agricultural risk monitoring system for preparedness and resilience building. The overall objective of this system ıs to increase the availability, access and quality of data, information, knowledge and technology on agricultural risks and threats for stakeholders implementing programmes/projects that contribute to resilient, inclusive and sustainable agrifood systems in southern Africa.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the SFS Subregional Coordinator, the direct supervision of the Resilience Team Leader, and the guidance of the Lead Technical Officers and relevant FAO technical units in SFS, RAF and Headquarters, the Risk Monitoring Specialist will lead the development of a digital system for monitoring agricultural risks and threats in southern Africa:

Technical Focus

• Agricultural risk analysis • Information management, analysis, report writing • Knowledge sharing

Tasks and Responsibilities

The Agriculture Risk Monitoring Specialist will undertake the following duties:

- Data and information analysis

• Evaluate the existing information/documents/risk profiles on agricultural risks and threats on all the 16 SADC countries. • Analyse secondary data to identify the existing risks and threats to agrifood systems. • Organize consultation meetings/workshop to identify/validate/update risks and threats at the subregional level • Identify and collate shocks and their effects on agricultural livelihoods across the multiple disciplines of crops, livestock, forestry & natural resources, and fisheries & aquaculture in the most at-risk countries in southern Africa • Compile a list of priority indicators that measure the impact of the key risks and threats to agrifood system transformation under each subsector: crops, livestock, fisheries, natural resources, and forestry, fisheries & aquaculture. • Conduct field assessments in each country in collaboration with SADC.

- Data and information management

• Conduct agricultural risk information systems stakeholders mapping. • Evaluate project forecasted socio-economic impact of the identified risks and threats. • Provide innovation towards the enhancement of risk profiling and alignment to the existing systems • Produce country specific risk communication products including high quality maps, online services and operational zones. • Produce and update information products such as reports, charts and infographics to convey messages and storylines. • Develop advocacy materials, including posters, presentations, and other visual materials.

- Coordination

• Collaborate with SADC secretariat (DRR) unit in the development of the agricultural risk monitoring system. • Collaborate with country counterparts in the National Vulnerability Assessment Committees (NVACs) • Facilitate information sharing and extension of successful practices between countries, and across regions. • Participate in the periodic meetings of the SFS Technical Coordination Unit for Emergency and Resilience (CUERE). • Participate in the Regional Interagency Standing Committee (RIASCO) and the Food and Nutrition Security Working Group (FNSWG) meetings. • Develop training materials and lead the country capacity enhancement with respect to risk and threat monitoring for the transformation of the agrifood system. • Organize a subregional lesson-learning workshop on agricultural risk and threat monitoring • Perform any other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced University degree in Agricultural Economics, Statistics, Rural Development, Social Sciences, Business Administration or any other relevant disciplines. • Five years of relevant experience in the provision of programme/projects support services. • Working knowledge (Level C) of English and limited knowledge (Level B) of one of the other FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish). For PSA, working knowledge of English.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Good knowledge of corporate information systems • Good analytical and writing skills • Good knowledge of communication and documentation standards