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FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
- FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
- Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
- Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
- FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
- All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
- All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
- FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.
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) Country Offices, led by FAO Representatives, implement the corporate Strategic Framework at the country level. They provide policy advice and technical assistance to support the development of policies, programmes, and projects aimed at achieving food security, reducing hunger and malnutrition, and promoting sustainable agricultural development to ensure zero hunger.
In Bangladesh, the FAO Representation (FAOBD) manages several corporate initiatives, national, regional and global projects and programmes under the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), Trust Fund (TF) and Regular Programme (RP) budgets. These projects and programmes respond to priority needs identified by the Government and stakeholders and focus on strengthening capacities, introducing innovative technologies, and enhancing policy frameworks to drive sustainable transformation of agrifood systems.
The objectives of these initiatives include\:
• Promoting coordination among government ministries, development partners, and private sector actors to harmonize subsidy delivery and improve policy coherence.
• Facilitating the integration of subsidy reforms within broader agricultural and rural development strategies, including climate-smart agriculture and value chain development.
• Supporting the transition towards digital and data-driven subsidy management systems that improve accountability and reduce leakage.
• Enhancing transparency, targeting, and efficiency of agricultural input subsidy programmes to maximize benefits for smallholder farmers.
• Strengthening national and institutional capacities for evidence-based agricultural subsidy planning, implementation, and monitoring.
The Agricultural Economist (Subsidy Management) will support the delivery of the ‘E-Voucher Feasibility and CSA with Sustainable Food Systems’ package of the ‘Technical Assistance for Repurposing of Agricultural Public Support Towards a Sustainable Food System Transformation in Bangladesh’ (TARAPS) project aimed to assess the feasibility of introducing fertilizer along with other input subsidy e-voucher system in 15 pilot upazilas and provide actionable recommendations for aligning the system with Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices in Bangladesh. The incumbent will provide technical and analytical support to the TARAPS project team in implementing the assignment. The role will contribute to the design of survey and study instruments, undertake desk reviews of existing agricultural subsidy mechanisms, support the assessment of CSA integration within subsidy systems, and contribute to the preparation of analytical outputs and reports as requested by the TARAPS Project Implementation Unit (PIU). The incumbent will also perform any additional assignment-related duties as may be delegated by their supervisors.
Reporting Lines
The Agricultural Economist (Subsidy Management) is a SC 10 position. Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Bangladesh, and direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme), the incumbent will closely collaborate with the National Senior Precision Agriculture and Technical Specialist and Programme Team of FAO Bangladesh. .
Technical Focus
The incumbent will provide technical inputs to the feasibility assessment through analytical review, data interpretation and contribution to study design and reporting processes. They will focus on collaboratively designing the study instruments to undertake the feasibility assessment, followed by review and analysis of existing agricultural subsidies and incentives in Bangladesh, as well as best practices globally to assess their effectiveness. Based on on-field data from household surveys, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), the incumbent, in collaboration with the project team, will work towards assessing, evaluating, and recommending appropriate e-Voucher approaches that integrate CSA practices.
Tasks and responsibilities
In-Country Analysis of the Agricultural and Food System Context
• Conduct a comprehensive review of existing agricultural subsidy mechanisms (including fertilizer and other inputs) and incentive distribution frameworks, supply-chain management, and payment mechanisms, and identify good practices and inefficiencies.
• Conduct a thorough review of relevant national policies, rules, acts, strategies, assessments, research reports, and data related to agriculture, food security, social protection, digital finance, CSA, and sustainable agricultural development in Bangladesh.
• Evaluate regional and international best practices in e-Voucher and digital subsidies and incentive delivery systems, highlighting policy requirements, data collection and/or digital profiling approaches, application of e-Voucher in subsidy mechanisms, financial impact on value chain actors, challenges of adoption in Bangladesh, impact, and lessons on leakages, exclusion, and scalability.
• Analyze existing programmes that provide support to the agricultural sector and vulnerable farming communities, including their delivery mechanisms and effectiveness.
• Contribute to the preparation and documentation of FGDs and KIIs conducted with relevant stakeholders in the pre-selected 15 pilot upazilas.
• Analyze the barriers and enabling factors for the wider adoption of digital subsidy mechanisms.
Feasibility Assessment of e-Voucher Implementation
• Support the National Senior Precision Agriculture and Technical Specialist in the assessment of the feasibility of the recommended three alternative e-Voucher approaches, considering technical, institutional, economic, financial, legal, political, social, and sustainability issues, with the recommendation of other alternative approaches as deemed feasible.
• Conduct a preliminary cost-benefit analysis of potential e-Voucher models.
• Contribute to the development of an analytical framework and technical inputs for the proposed e-Voucher implementation roadmap, including stakeholder roles, training, risk management, MIS linkages, escalation protocols, and data privacy compliance.
• Provide analytical inputs to support stakeholder engagement strategies proposed by the project team to enhance the sustainability of the proposed e-Voucher approach.
• Provide analytical inputs on institutional arrangements relevant to the proposed e-Voucher system.
• Identify potential partners for e-Voucher distribution and redemption, assess their capacity and willingness to participate, and identify potential risks with proposed mitigation strategies.
Integration of e-Vouchers with CSA Practices and Sustainable Food Systems
• Support the integration of e-Vouchers with CSA practices, including the exploration of linkages and synergies, assessment of potential impact on sustainable food system outcomes, with appropriate gender and social inclusion.
Overall
• Contribute technical inputs to validation sessions and support preparation of documentation and analytical outputs.
• Undertake any additional tasks assigned by the FAO Representative, the Deputy FAO Representative and/or the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme).
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree (Master’s or PhD) in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Agricultural Science, Development Studies or a related field.
• At least 10 (ten) years of professional experience in agricultural policy analysis, particularly in subsidy and incentive design and reform.
• At least 5 (five) successful project completion experiences in the related field.
• Working knowledge of English (level C).
• National of Bangladesh or resident of the country with a valid work permit.
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Proven experience in economic development, strategic planning, and undertaking feasibility assessments.
• Experience in designing and evaluating digital subsidy delivery mechanisms, particularly for fertilizers.
• Proven expertise in economic modelling, with the ability to analyze complex economic data and provide actionable insights.
• Strong leadership and project management skills.
• Strong analytical, communication, and report-writing skills in English.
• Agricultural economics and policy analysis, particularly related to subsidies and incentives
• Public expenditure analysis and fiscal modelling in the agriculture sector
• Understanding of LDC graduation impacts on trade and subsidy frameworks
• Quantitative and qualitative impact assessment of agricultural programs
• Digital agriculture solutions, such as e-Vouchers, MIS, and blockchain for transparency
• Climate-smart agriculture and designing incentive structures for resilience
• Equity and inclusion analysis, especially gender and smallholder-focused
• Familiarity with international case studies on subsidy reform
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http\://www.whed.net/
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website\: http\://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
HOW TO APPLY
• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp
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