Technical Adviser (Water and Agriculture)

Overview

Lead technical support for climate-resilient agriculture in Southern Iraq.

You have:

• Advanced university degree in agricultural economics, development economics, rural sociology, food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture (including livestock, forestry and fisheries), or related field.
• Seven years of relevant experience in technical cooperation-related activities, policy advice and analysis relating to food and nutrition security, agriculture and rural development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes.
• Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Organizational Setting The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

In its effort to support the Government of Iraq with respect to climate change adaptation and mitigation, FAO has been working towards climate-resilient and low-emission agrifood systems while taking into consideration all agricultural sectors, related value chains and ecosystems in a holistic way and recognizing the importance of a balance between the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

Within this context, FAO is implementing projects in Iraq to enhance the climate resilience of farming communities in the South of Iraq by increasing and stabilizing water availability at the farm gate; optimizing agriculture and water productivity; and reducing the adaptation deficit of farming communities via specific and tailored trainings and capacity development processes aimed at transferring more resilient practices and technologies into local production systems.

The position is located in the FAO Field Office in Basra, Iraq.

Reporting Lines The Technical Adviser (Water and Agriculture) reports to the FAO Representative in Iraq and will be working closely with the Iraq management team, under technical guidance of the respective Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and close collaboration with all FAO staff in Iraq, as well as with concerned stakeholders, and will liaise with relevant technical and programme staff at the FAO Regional Office and headquarters.

Technical Focus The incumbent will lead the technical support to the implementation of the project Enhance climate resilience of vulnerable agriculture households in Southern Iraq through the promotion of climate smart water management and good agriculture practices in selected value chains, including the coordination with relevant technical officers of FAO in headquarters and the Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE) in Cairo, Egypt.

Key Results Comprehensive technical and policy expertise to support technical cooperation-related programmes, projects, products and services in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions • Leads the development, implementation and evaluation of assigned technical cooperation-related programmes/projects; reviews relevant documents and reports; identifies priorities, liaises with relevant parties; identifies follow-up actions. • Coordinates technical cooperation activities and programme-related activities and reviews the assessments of issues and trends for their implementation and leads the preparation of impact evaluation or equivalent studies. • Supervises preparation of various written outputs, e.g. background papers, analyses, substantial sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications. • Contributes to consultative and other meetings, conferences, including proposals for agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations. • Participates in activities such as structuring of training workshops, seminars; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities. • Leads field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties. • Provides advice regarding the development of policies and strategies related to technical cooperation, as well as regional, sub regional and national protocols and guidelines for projects with specific domains related to FAO's work.

Specific Functions Plans, leads and coordinates the agriculture and water activities under the project Enhance climate resilience of vulnerable agriculture households in Southern Iraq through the promotion of climate smart water management and good agriculture practices in selected value chains. This includes:  providing technical guidance over the development of project implementation plan/action plan, ensuring buy-in from all relevant stakeholders;  providing technical guidance and coordination of technical multi-disciplinary teams of national and international experts for the implementation of this plan (Climate Resilience Agriculture, Farmer Field School, water efficiency, Climate Wise Women, value chain development);  developing and delivering training materials and technical reports required for the implementation of the Programme, particularly on climate adaptive and water efficiency farming practices through Farmer Field schools and Climate Wise Women programmes;  provision of technical guidance over the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of project activities (through quarterly project progress reports, mission report, financial reports and other documentation) and propose adjustments to project activities as necessary;  liaising with the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and other FAO technical officers in headquarters and RNE to obtain technical inputs and technical clearances on technical reports and presentations;  supporting and builds capacity for the rest of the FAO project team to ensure timely technical support and capacity building provided to relevant stakeholders and project partners during the implementation of the Project's work plan. This includes training, coaching and mentoring;  coordinating policy advocacy through the development of action plans regulating water supply for irrigation, but also through policy notes, meetings, and submission of content to the right coordination mechanisms for the sectors of environment, agriculture and water that FAO is co-leading;  responding to requests from the donor, and liaise with the national counterparts: Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Environment and provides technical advice and support;  promoting linkages, dialogues and technical cooperation with all relevant stakeholders in Southern Iraq, including Government institutions, donors, private-sector companies and Civil Society organizations, and participates in technical platforms and coordination fora, meetings and conferences for the benefit of the Programme's targeted population.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________ CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements • Advanced university degree in agricultural economics, development economics, rural sociology, food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture (including livestock, forestry and fisheries), or related field • Seven years of relevant experience in technical cooperation-related activities, policy advice and analysis relating to food and nutrition security, agriculture and rural development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes. • Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Competencies • Results Focus • Team Work • 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. • Relevance and extent of experience in technical cooperation-related activities, policy advice and analysis relating to food and nutrition security, agriculture and rural development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes. • Relevance and extent of experience in working with inter-governmental bodies and multidisciplinary teams.

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Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: fao.org