Technical Field Coordination Specialist

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.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and malnutrition. 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.

Under the SIFAZ (GCP/ZAM/080/EC) project, FAO in Zambia has collaborated with the European Union, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) to implement a 7.5-year program on Sustainable Intensification of Smallholder Farming Systems in Zambia (SIFAZ). The project focuses on scaling up of sustainable food production and building resilience of food systems by smallholder farmers with an additional focus on climate change mitigation measures through building demonstrable synergies between research and promotion of appropriate sustainable agriculture intensification practices.

• As part of the activities for the SIFAZ project, adaptive research, agribusiness, and agronomy strategies are put in place to establish economically viable, cost effective and cooperative based business models and transfer knowledge and skills on SIPs to sustainably allow smallholder farmers adoption and continued practicing of the SIPs. Specifically, the research, agribusiness, and agronomy strategies of the SIFAZ project will achieve the following: • To facilitate organization of smallholder farmers into baby and mother farm level trails for testing socio-economic and agronomic performance of sustainable intensification practices technology packages. • To facilitate organization of smallholder farmers into effective groups that can effectively participate in selected farming value chains for selected crops and agriculturally based enterprises. • To facilitate smallholder farmer and community level availability and access to critical inputs for ensuring farmer practice of recommended SIP packages, reduction of yield gaps and climate change mitigation. • To facilitate effective partnerships between smallholder farmer groups and small to medium enterprises that undertake mechanization equipment and services input and output marketing for selected crops and services by smallholder farmers. • To facilitate smallholder farmers adoption of SIPs for sustainable intensification of crop production whilst at the same time improve and preserve the natural resource base.

Reporting lines

Technical Field Coordination Expert will work under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Zambia and directly reports to the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA). The incumbent will work in close collaboration with implementing partners from Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), CIMMYT, NGOs, private sector, and relevant FAO technical units in headquarters, at regional level (RAF) and sub-regional level (Sub regional Office for Southern Africa (SFS) and in close collaboration with Administrative and technical units in FAO Zambia.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will provide day to day technical backstopping to the agronomy, agricultural extension and agribusiness activities of the project and ensure that there is synergy and integration of the three components within the project implementation. In addition, the incumbent will also provide day to day follow-up on project work plan activities and maintain routine contact with province and district MoA personnel under the project.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

The incumbent will in particular perform the following tasks:

• Support the technical and operational coordination; planning and implementation of agronomy, agribusiness, and extension strategies of the project alongside specialized and multi-disciplinary teams of FAO program implementation personnel and operational partners from CGIAR, NGO and GRZ • Contribute to analysis of the project’s specific requirements and relevant technical issues requiring critical technical and administrative guidance for its implementation and execution. • Support management and maintenance of positive partnerships with project implementation partners and the relevant GRZ line ministries and institutions • Contribute to the preparation of project progress reports, review, and monitoring of field activities against agreed work plans, and to identify constraints and issues that require timely resolution and corrective actions. • Participate in preparation of various written outputs, e.g. background papers, data analysis, substantial sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications; • Facilitate organization and implementation of project progress review workshops, and other meetings, conferences, including proposed agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations. • In consultation with all relevant program specialists, support development of detailed program implementation plans indicating the activities to be implemented, modality of implementation and funds required for such plans; manage operations and planned activities and amend these plans as deemed necessary. • Contribute to the provision of all FAO inputs, including provision of technical specifications; manage the process for the purchase of equipment and supplies and their maintenance under the program. • Contribute to the identification and implementation of strategic partnerships with relevant stakeholders to the implementation of the program, advocate best practices and increased policy dialogue with key stakeholders. • Perform any other related duties, as required.

Minimum Requirements

Candidates should meet the following:

• Advanced university degree agricultural economics, agricultural extension, agribusiness, or a related field • At least 5 years of relevant experience in implementation and field coordination of donor-funded projects promoting agronomy, • agribusiness, and/or agricultural extension activities. • Working knowledge of English

FAO Core Competencies

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

Selection Criteria

Please note that all candidates should possess computer/word-processing skills and should be capable of working with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

• Extent and relevance of experience in implementing projects in one or more of the following fields: farmer-driven extension systems, access to rural finance and establishment of market linkages following a value chain approach and support to agribusinesses; conservation agriculture; and linking evidence with policy and decision processes • Extent and relevance of experience in Southern Africa with national and local governments, donors, NGOs, academic and research institutions, including the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), is considered a strong asset. • Demonstrated ability to engage, network and build partnerships with project implementing partners, including government institutions and development partners. • Excellent level of communication skills, writing skills including ability to write concise technical reports in English. • Familiarity with FAO and UN (in general) administrative, operational, and financial procedures is an asset. • Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is essential. • Work experience in Zambia is considered an asset.