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Chief Technical Advisor

Kabul

  • Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • Location: Kabul
  • Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Project and Programme Management
    • Managerial positions
    • FAO REPRESENTATION – AFGHANISTAN
  • Closing Date: Closed

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on your personal device's date and time settings.

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FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender and nationality.

Persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations

depending on the evolving needs of the Organization 

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Organizational Setting
The FAO in Afghanistan assists the Government to develop policies, programmes and projects to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition; to help the Government develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors and to use the environmental and natural resources in a suitable way. It participates in the development of FAO’s field projects in the country and implements it, including the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the damaged relevant sectors.
 
FAO works with three counterpart ministries – the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, the Ministry of Energy and Water and the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development. The FAO Representation is based in Kabul with regional offices in Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz and Provincial offices in Badakhshan, Bamyan, Kapisa and Parwan.
 
The post is located in the FAO project in Kabul Afghanistan and will have some travel in and outside Kabul as required subject to security permitting.
 
Project Background\:
The Project for Enhancing Rural Livelihoods through Improved Irrigation Facilities in Bamyan, Kabul and Kapisa Provinces. The project contributes towards improved and sustained water delivery services for agriculture production and other livelihood needs. Though it mainly canters on irrigation infrastructure, it looks water from multiple perspective, and incorporates various dimensions of the water delivery services to address multiple water needs of the communities. It also focuses on improved capacity of local institutions and farming communities in agriculture and in water management to enhance agricultural productivity.
 
Reporting Lines\:
Under the direct supervision of the FAO Representative in Afghanistan, the operational supervision of the Senior Projects Operations Officer (Head of Operations) and the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer at FAO RAP and in close collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) counterparts. The incumbent will be responsible for overall management and implementation of the project in line with FAO’s rules and procedures.
 
Technical Focus\:
The Consultant will work directly with the FOAR and LTO. He/she will be responsible for overall success of project implementation. Further to this, the consultant will also prepare the end of assignment report containing findings, conclusions and recommendations for the future
 
Tasks and responsibilities
  • Lead the management of the activities, including financial, budget and human resources, prepares detailed project annual work plans in collaboration with stakeholders and makes necessary arrangements for their successful implementation in a timely manner.
  • Plan, manage and lead highly specialized or multi-disciplinary teams, coordinate, and provide technical and managerial leadership to the staff assigned to the project ;
  • Ensure capacity development activities in support of government institutions and national organizations by providing advisory services on policies and enabling environments and capacity development of organizations, often including training and staff development and assist the MEW in preparation of necessary policy and strategic framework in irrigation and water sector in Afghanistan
  • Provide advice and assists the Government in mainstreaming cross-cutting themes relevant to the project (e.g. capacity development, environmental sustainability, gender equality, HRBA, disaster risk management).
  • Provide strategic and technical leadership for all aspects of project planning and implementation (mostly related to irrigation, micro hydro and other water works and livelihood activities), contributing to development of shared vision and effective teamwork among the project staff;
  • Prepare detailed plans for specific activities under the Project and ensure the quality and timeliness of output of development activities, including the conduct of the seminars, workshops, training courses, and other development activities to be conducted under the programme;
  • Provide high level technical support to MEW in areas of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), river basin management and in areas of water and climate change ;
  • Supervise, review and approve the technical survey, designs and drawings, and bills of quantities of the irrigation rehabilitation works ;
  • Ensure that the quality of the design and construction works are in accordance to the best engineering design and construction practices;
  • Be responsible for the overall contract management regarding the LOAs and contracts to be signed with the contractors for construction of irrigation and micro hydro works;
  • Represent the FAO at the meetings with central authorities and other UN Agencies whenever requested by the FAO Representative on irrigation and water issues and prepare minutes of the meetings;
  • Prepare and ensure necessary field documents, work plans,  semiannual progress reports and project Terminal Report to review and monitor the outputs and results of the project against agreed work pan, and to identify constraints and issues that require timely resolution and corrective actions;

 
 
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
 
Minimum Requirements
  • Advanced university degree in irrigation, water resource management or engineering, agriculture engineering or closely related field,
  • At least 15 years of relevant practical experience in performing the tasks described above in semi-arid regions and design and implementation of water resources and irrigation, water resources construction works projects, on the-job-training (OJT) and monitoring and evaluation of the construction works.
  • Working knowledge of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge of one of the other two or Arabic, Chinese, Russian.

 
FAO Core Competencies
  • Results Focus\: Take accountability for the delivery of agreed results in service of FAO’s strategic framework
  • Teamwork\: Work collaboratively in a team, support others and foster a positive team environment.
  • Communication\: Encourage and contribute to clear and open communication.
  • Building Effective Relationships\: Coordinate, direct, facilitate and recognize team efforts; create an enabling environment and assist others to realize and develop their potential.
  • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement\: Continually seek to improve the knowledge, skills and work processes of oneself and others.
 
Technical/Functional Skills
  • Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is desirable
  • Proven records of organizing and managing large-scale rehabilitation and recovery measures in various fields of water resources and irrigation project implementation, preferably in the Asia and/or Middle East
  • Work experience in dam safety issues is desirable
  • Previous working experience in the region and familiarity with the country situation will be highly desirable;
  • Strong knowledge and understanding of FAO projects;
  • Extent of experience in conducting participatory trainings and participatory project cycle management
  • Demonstrated ability to plan and organize strategically
  • Extent of experience and knowledge in relevant fields in developing countries especially in Asia
  • Familiarity with UN agencies administrative, finance and operations system is desirable.
  • Relevance of academic qualification 
  • Demonstrated ability to work and perform duties under security restricted conditions
  • Quality of both oral and written communication and presentation skills in English
  • Working experience in Afghanistan would be an asset
  • Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is essential
  • Familiarity with the UN Communications rules and procedures, experience in developing communications strategies for the UN is necessary.
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 Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO,

Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
  • FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing).
  • Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list.
  • Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
  • Candidates with acceptable language certificate/s should upload them when submitting their application. For details, visit http\://www.fao.org/3/I8446EN/i8446en.pdf
  • For other issues, visit the FAO employment website\: http\://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
  • For further information on categories, contract duration and honoraria, please refer to the Conditions page.
 
HOW TO APPLY
 
To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered.
 
Vacancies will be removed from the recruitment portal at 23\:59 Central European Time (CET) on the deadline for applications date. We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
 
If you need help, or have queries, please contact\: iRecruitment@fao.org
 

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT

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