Senior Policy Officer

1H1H

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Organizational Setting

FAO's Sub-regional Office for Western Africa is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional food, agriculture and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs). It assists the FAO Representations (FAORs) in the subregion with addressing subregional food security, agriculture and rural development issues at country level. The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO's Regional Office for Africa.

• Manages or leads highly specialized or multi-disciplinary teams, and provides technical leadership in high-level policy analysis missions or projects, policy networks and/or international policy setting bodies;
• Leads the work carried out by technical or policy officers from HQ or out-posted staff in the Decentralized Offices in relation to policy and governance work under FAO's strategic framework;
• Advocates strategic partnerships, best practices, and policy dialogue in support of enhanced policies and governance for food and nutrition security, sustainable agriculture and food systems;
• Interacts with UN Regional and Country teams to improve cross-sectoral policies and strategies concerning agriculture, food, and nutrition security and sustainable development;
• Analyzes regional and country-level issues to provide input into the identification of country and regional priorities and requirements;
• Designs, implements and monitors regional and sub-regional policy work programmes and the supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies;
• Plans, organizes and participates in capacity development activities involving the provision of technical advice and assistance, and oversees the development of related materials, on-line tools and information kits;
• Represents the Organization at international/inter-governmental meetings and conferences.

• Leads the Sub Region's work on Regional Initiatives;
• Manages and leads the Sub Region's programme and provides technical and policy advice to sub-regional office and to country offices on Sub-regional Initiatives;
• Supports country-level actions guided by FAO's Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs), sub-regional and regional priority frameworks, regional initiatives and higher-level strategic frameworks of the Organization in order to transform FAO's knowledge products into country-level results and impacts;
• Coordinates the identification, development, mainstreaming and implementation of FAO regional initiatives and programmes/projects on environmental management, sustainable development and climate change, drawing on relevant corporate approaches and frameworks in liaison with relevant units, Headquarters, Regional office for Africa, Sub Regional Office for Western Africa and countries offices;
• Develops effective working relationships and negotiates partnerships with international and national governmental and non-governmental partners, with a view to contributing to an enhanced governance of food and nutrition security, sustainable agriculture and food systems;
• Promotes the implementation and monitoring at sub-regional and country levels of the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in interaction with relevant partners;
• Advises member countries and regional economic organizations in the sub region in the analysis and formulation of policies, strategies and programmes for sustainable agriculture, rural development and transformation and food security, as well as regional policies, strategies and programmes aimed at enhanced cooperation and integration in the agricultural sector;
• Monitors key developments in the sub region, prepares sub-regional economic and agricultural sector profiles, and oversees up-to date information for use in country briefs and analytical work;
• Leads policy reviews of the food and agricultural sectors at sub-regional and country level, and supports monitoring and reporting on policies, action plans, initiatives and investments;
• Supports multi-disciplinary project development and implementation related to governance of food and nutrition security, sustainable agriculture and food systems at sub-regional and country levels;
• Leads FAO's contribution to UN common planning and programming frameworks (i.e. United Nations Development Assistance Framework, Consolidated Appeals Process, Humanitarian Action Plans, Flash Appeals, etc.).

• Advanced university degree in agriculture, agricultural economics, political sciences or related field
• Ten years of experience in policy advice and analysis relating to food and nutrition security, agriculture and rural development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes
• Working knowledge of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge of one of the other two or Arabic, Chinese or Russian

• Results Focus
• Leading, Engaging and Empowering
• Communication
• Partnering and Advocating
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
• Strategic Thinking

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is essential;
• Extent and relevance of experience in complex policy analysis and advice relating to food and nutrition security, sustainable agriculture, and rural development;
• Extent and relevance of knowledge and experience in working with inter-governmental bodies and multi-disciplinary teams;
• Extent and relevance of experience in the African Region and with FAO is considered an asset.