National Project Coordinator (Agri-food Systems)

Organizational Setting

The FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) was established in 1996 in Samoa to coordinate the FAO work in 13
member countries in the Pacific subregion - Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic
of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and one Associate Member, Tokelau. SAP is responsible
for developing, implementing and overseeing programmes and projects to address food security, nutrition, agriculture, and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion wide institutions and entities. The Subregional Office is a
subsidiary of FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok.

About the Sustainable transformation of domestic agrifood systems project in Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands (STODAS)

STODAS is a new project, funded by the Delegation of the European Union (EUD) to the Pacific for a duration of three years and it aims to foster resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands by enhancing domestic crops and livestock production. The project is working towards the following three outputs\:

Output 1\: Strengthened policy and institutional environment in support of national agrifood systems transformation agenda
Output 2\: Strengthened sustainable and community-based production systems
Output 3\: Strengthened capacities for sustainable agrifood systems

FAO SAP is inviting applications from highly qualified and motivated candidates for the role of National Project Coordinator (Agri-food Systems). This is an opportunity for a motivated agri-development professional to significantly shape and contribute to the agrifood system development in the country. Three National Project Coordinators will be recruited through this process and one will be based in each of the three project countries - Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands. The National Project Coordinator (Agri-food Systems) - Fiji will be based in Suva and will lead the project implementation in Fiji while working as a team for promoting overall regional development.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance of the FAO Sub-regional Coordinator (SRC), the National Project Coordinator (Agri-food Systems) will directly report to the Technical Adviser (Agri-food Systems), who is the project leader based in Fiji and the Lead Technical Officer who is based in Samoa.

Technical Focus

• Strengthening of national agricultural policy and institutional ecosystem to enable agrifood system transformation
• Sustainable enhancement of crop and livestock production in the Pacific region
• Establishment of agribusiness incubator in the country
• Enhancing capacities of the civil society organisations, farmers groups, intermediaries and other stakeholders for enhanced domestic agricultural production and productivity, value addition and healthy food consumption
• Effective knowledge sharing

Tasks and responsibilities

• Under the guidance of the Technical Adviser/LTO, provide effective leadership for the in-country project implementation, ensuring the achievement of project objectives within the allocated budget and timeline.
• Diligently work towards successful implementation of the project in the country by studying and internalising the project background, its objectives as they align with the dynamic national agrifood systems goals and stakeholder aspirations, and through collaborative team effort.
• Lead the formulation, implementation and review of the annual workplans for Fiji in consultation with the Technical Adviser, Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and the key national stakeholders and support the Technical Adviser in obtaining the Project Steering Committee (PSC) approval of the same.
• Take full ownership for the delivery of the project Output 1 in the country and oversee the delivery of Outputs 2 and 3 by organizing and managing agreements with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other collaborators.
• Coordinate, monitor and periodically report on project implementation from technical, administrative and financial perspectives in the country.
• Facilitate quarterly meetings of the National Task Force, assist in the planning and organization of half-yearly Project Steering Committee meetings and the Annual Review and Planning Meetings (ARPMs) to facilitate review of in-country project activities, formulation of subsequent annual work plans, and wide knowledge sharing.
• Proactively respond to the evolving policy needs in the country. Build national capacities to develop and maintain an enabling policy environment for agrifood system evolution.
• Work effectively with the FAO SAP operations and administration teams and take ownership of drafting the agreements, selecting the service providers, signing and executing Letters of Agreement (LoA) with relevant project partners and ensuring effective implementation of the agreements.
• Work with the agribusiness incubator and other stakeholders to help develop the agribusiness ecosystem in the country and the region.
• Proactively plan and follow through on all project procurement-related matters in a timely manner.
• Work closely with government ministries and other value chain actors to enhance domestic food production, value addition, improve trade and marketing ecosystems to promote affordable and nutritious food consumption.
• Facilitate technical coordination and collaboration among government counterparts, national technical officers, international consultants, and project partners.
• Provide in-country technical backstopping and ensure the quality and effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge-sharing activities. Assist in organizing periodic project meetings.
• Assist in developing and implementing an effective communication and knowledge-sharing strategy for the project.
• Assist in the development and timely submission of quarterly, annual, and final reports (both technical and financial).
• Support the organization of project evaluation in consultation with the FAO Evaluation Office, Project Task Force (PTF), and PSC, ensuring effectiveness and timeliness.
• Work closely and effectively with the NPCs in Fiji and Solomon Islands and strive to leverage any other FAO projects in the region for greater impact.
• Be action oriented and get things done on the ground.
• Perform any other duties deemed necessary by the project management team for the successful execution of the project.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in agriculture - Specialization in agricultural economics, agribusiness management, agronomy, policy, rural development or related field is an advantage.
• Five years of relevant experience in agriculture project management roles.
• Working knowledge of English and local language.
• National of Fiji

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Demonstrated record of accomplishment in agriculture policy support, agrifood system development, or agribusiness development is essential
• Attention to details and ability to draft terms of references, work agreements with partners and ability to build partnerships.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION