Technical Adviser (Water and Agriculture)

Organizational Setting The main aim of the FAO Country Offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments in developing policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and 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 Adapting rural households in Southern Iraq to water scarcity induced by climate change by empowering women as agents for transformation and addressing the food-energy-water nexus through the promotion of climate smart water management and good agriculture practices in selected value chains, while engaging women farmers as change agents for climate smart agriculture, in coordination with relevant technical officers of FAO in headquarters and the Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE) in Cairo, Egypt. The incumbent will work closely with project partners and stakeholders to ensure that project activities are implemented effectively and efficiently.

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 theirimplementation 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, subregional 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 Adapting rural households in Southern Iraq to water scarcity induced by climate change by empowering women as agents for transformation and addressing the food-energy-water nexus through the introduction of different innovative approaches and technologies to promote among others Climate-Smart Agriculture in the frame of Farmer Fields Schools and Solar Energy as an instrument for enhancing agricultural value chain efficiency and rural electrification while addressing women's strategic interests and practical gender needs. This includes: o providing technical guidance over the development of the project implementation plan or action plan, ensuring buy-in from all relevant stakeholders; o providing technical guidance and coordination of technical multidisciplinary 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); o developing and delivering training materials and technical reports required for the implementation of the Programme, particularly on Climate-Wise Women, climate adaptive and Water Efficiency farming practices through Farmer Field schools; o providing women with knowledge and skills to become agents of change leaders, practitioners, educators and influencers in climate change adaptation and mitigation; o providing technical guidance over the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of project activities (through quarterly project progress reports, mission reports, financial reports and other documentation) and proposing adjustments to project activities as necessary; o 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; o supporting and building capacity for the rest of the FAO project team to ensure timely technical support and capacity building are provided to relevant stakeholders and project partners during the implementation of the Project's work plan. This includes training, coaching and mentoring; o coordinating the development and delivery of training materials for project partners and stakeholders, with a focus on empowering women farmers as change agents for climate-smart agriculture; o 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 proper coordination mechanisms for the sectors of environment, agriculture, and water that FAO is co-leading; o responding to requests from the donor, and liaising with the national counterparts: Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Environment, and providing technical advice and support; o 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 participating in technical platforms and coordination forums, 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 official FAO 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. • Strong technical knowledge and experience in climate-smart agriculture and water management. • Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with project partners and stakeholders.