Project Team Leader

FAO’s approach to development assistance in Mindanao focuses on supporting the rehabilitation of agriculture and fisheries-based livelihoods, accelerating agriculture-based enterprises and increasing access to sustainable energy, and resilience to risk in municipalities affected by natural disasters and conflict. FAO interventions will include, among others\:

1. Introduction of various productivity enhancing technologies to improve household incomes and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

1. Technical assistance to government in reviewing existing policies that promote equitable agribusiness venture arrangements between farmers and agribusiness firms and capacity building activities for farmers that are anchored on the value chain approach.

1. Capacity building on enterprise development and agribusiness that will allow farmers, fisherfolk and local government units to maximize potential market opportunities.

1. Restoring and increasing the productivity of agriculture and fisheries-based livelihoods of smallholder farmers and marginalized fishers, decommissioned Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants and their families

Enhancing the competitiveness of farm households, particularly women, to establish and manage microenterprises

1. Facilitating the establishment of agribusiness enterprises with production-market contract agreements or similar arrangements

The Project Team Leader will be under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative, supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme), and day-to-day guidance of the National Mindanao and Emergency Preparedness and Response Group (natural and human-induced) Leader.

FAO has been implementing various projects in Mindanao which are guided by the FAO Mindanao Strategic Programme for Agriculture/Agribusiness and an emergency/rehabilitation project for Marawi City and other affected municipalities. In Marawi, The emergency and recovery assistance being currently provided by FAO is a bridge mechanism to jumpstart the restoration of farming activities of Internally Displaced People (IDPs), and ensure food availability and incomes. A short to medium-term recovery and rehabilitation is imperative to push for the momentum of providing livelihood opportunities of the IDPs and restoring the food supply chain and eventually the whole agribusiness value chain.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Project Team Leader shall perform the following responsibilities\:

1. Ensure external representation of FAO in relevant sectors where it has comparative advantage through establishing close coordination with the relevant government entities, other UN agencies, regional and local officials of line agencies directly concerned with development and peace building effort in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM);
2. Participate in technical and sectoral meetings and working groups involving non-government organizations (NGOs) and all inter-governmental institutions, in particular, in the peace building and livelihoods working groups/clusters;
3. Represent FAO and participate in the Mindanao Humanitarian Team meetings and related activities, including coordination mechanisms established by the Government;
4. Submit regular updates on humanitarian, development and peace building preparedness and response activities in conflict-affected areas in BARMM;
5. Prepare a detailed project work plan, in line with the cropping season and within the framework of improving farming and rural livelihoods of target beneficiaries; provide overall strategic direction to project staff to ensure work is aligned with the target work plan;
6. Formulate detailed criteria for selection of beneficiaries and priority project areas;
7. Lead the team in providing technical support to beneficiary community-based organizations in implementing their agri-based enterprises with links to the market;
8. In collaboration with the project team, prepare the technical specifications of inputs for clearance by relevant technical officers, through the lead technical officer, and ensure the technical quality of the inputs to be distributed;
9. In close collaboration with the National Project Coordinator (NPC) and Local Government Units (LGUs), prepare a detailed distribution plan and establish input delivery centers; oversee the timely distribution of the required agricultural supplies and inputs; and monitor the distribution and proper use of the inputs;
10. In collaboration with other relevant project technical staff, lead the preparation of Letter-of-Agreement/s (LoAs), oversee its review/approval, and monitor its execution;
11. Serve as resource person during the conduct of training of trainers on resilient farming systems and specific crop production technologies;
12. Provide technical guidance and support to relevant BARMM agencies such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform, Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Social Services and others, based on technical expertise;
13. Prepare and submit progress reports mentioning activities undertaken, problems encountered if any, and other documents that may be required periodically; and
14. Carry out any other relevant duties within his/her technical competence as may be requested by the FAO Representative.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.