Chief Technical Adviser (CTA) GCP/GUY/003/GRI

The main aim of the country offices of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, that are headed by a FAO Representative, is to assist the Government 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.  A long history of collaboration between Guyana and FAO has served to promote sustainable agricultural systems and contribute to hunger and poverty alleviation in the country. Cooperation has increased since the reopening of FAO's country office in 2009, with a growing emphasis on technical and policy assistance as well as capacity building, advocacy and knowledge exchange. In 2016 the Government of Guyana requested FAO to provide technical assistance to GCP/GUY/003/GRI Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Development and Management (4 years), focusing on land administration, governance of tenure and sustainable land management as a basis for resilient land use/agricultural systems. 

The CTA will be supported by a team of FAO consultants and will work side-by-side with national staff to o implement and monitor activities and results, and enhance knowledge, skills and experience sharing.

Reporting Lines

The Chief Technical Adviser (CTA) project coordinator reports to the FAO Representative in Guyana and the Lead Technical Officer in FAO Regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

He/She will be responsible for the overall planning, daily management, leadership and technical support and coordination of all activities of the Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Development and Management project (GCP/GUY/003/GRI) in close consultation with the national project coordinator, designated by the Government and guided by the Guyana Land and Survey Commission (GLSC), so as to achieve timely delivery of all project outputs /results, guided by a national Project Steering Committee. The CTA will be supported by FAO Country Representation and a cross-disciplinary Project Task Force comprising experts from FAO Regional and Sub-regional offices and HQ.

• Plan, execute and monitor implementation of all project activities based on the signed project document and results framework, through close consultation with the national project coordinator and supported by a team of consultants and FAO task force members in regional offices and HQ;
• Develop the annual work plan and budget of the project with the national team and FAO task force members to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery of expected outputs, that is duly endorsed on an annual basis by the project steering committee;
• Review relevant documents, supervise consultants and monitors progress in implementing the project workplan, identifying problems and issues to be addressed and initiating corrective actions, in close liaison with the national project coordinator and relevant parties (stakeholders, partners);
• Organize regular and scheduled meetings of the Project Steering Committee and the follow up and implementation of its recommendations and decisions, as well as ad hoc meetings between FAO Representative/Budget Holder, the GLSC Commissioner and the LTO as needed to address issues arising ;
• Share project progress reports and plans and facilitates workshops with policy and technical staff of GLSC and partner agencies at national and decentralized levels, supported by FAO consultants/experts, and, as required, organizes other interactive sessions (webinars, seminars, training) to support project implementation with stakeholders;
• Organize meetings during technical missions of FAO task force members and/or VC/skype discussions with GLSC staff and national institutional focal points as required to support project implementation and take stock of progress ;
• Participate in meetings of FAO-Guyana and GLSC for information exchange and synergies across projects and programmes; 
• Provide substantive backstopping to the project in his/her area of expertise including supporting technical and policy consultations, training sessions with partners, etc., (agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of technical documents and presentations, development and follow up of recommendations; 
• Develop the annual project implementation report to report on progress and results in implementing project activities including problems arising and how they are being addressed, backed up by consultants’ reports, products such as manuals, guidelines and research and analysis of information gathered from relevant sources;
• Coordinate policy development, including the review and analysis of policies and their application, identification of entry points, development of legislation and/or local regulations for promoting SLDM; 
• Support the organization and conduct of field missions by consultants and FAO staff members, together with government officials and other parties, providing technical supervision/guidance and facilitating execution of training workshops, seminars, backed up by task force members;
• Manage the project on a daily basis with the national project coordinator through the development of partnerships inter-institutional coordination, development and monitoring of Letters of agreement with contracted parties and planning and execution of surveys and analysis of findings, as appropriate;
• Oversee the development of outreach and communication activities, to ensure visibility of the project and promote sharing of project reports and results  and lessons learned in consultation with stakeholders;
• Ensure continuous project monitoring and reporting in line with FAO procedures, development of the participatory M&E plan and process with stakeholders including periodic visits to project sites, advise to partner agencies to mitigate risks, and the conduct of mid-term and final evaluation missions;
• Coordinate activities related to project budget management, project revisions and financial analysis and reporting including through annual progress reports and financial statements for clearance through the FAO Representative for submission to the World Bank using agreed reporting formats; 
• Performs other duties as required.

• Advanced university degree in land administration, governance of tenure, land/ agricultural planning and/or natural resources management; 
• At least twelve years of relevant professional experience in project management/operations and support preferably in one or more of the above technical fields;
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of Spanish or French;
• Thorough knowledge and experience in similar projects and or in the Caribbean/ Guyana Context will be an asset.

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

• Work experience in project management /coordination, particularly in field positions including results-based management, elaboration and execution of workplans and budgets, preparation of technical reports, monitoring and evaluation of activities, and 
• Relevant experience in public or business administration, finance, accounting, economics, social sciences or other fields related to the FAO mandate;
• Extent and relevance of technical experience in land administration, governance of tenure, land/ agricultural planning, natural resources management and/or mapping and geospatial tools including technical and financial supervision of complex, multi-stakeholder projects is desirable; Familiarity with FAO or other UN agency policies, administrative and financial procedures is considered a strong asset;
• Confirmed experience of partnership with government agencies and other stakeholders/actors at national and local levels;   

•  Availability to work in Georgetown, full time and to travel in Guyana and eventually to relevant meetings in the region for information exchange
• Limited knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese is an asset for exchange of lessons and experiences in the region.