Investment Officer (Digital Agriculture)

The Investment Centre Division (DPI) promotes investment in food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing in developing countries and countries in transition, assisting governments and country stakeholders, main development partners, in particular international financing institutions with the strategic planning and implementation of their investments to achieve food security and nutrition, make agriculture, forestry and fisheries more sustainable and productive, reduce rural poverty, make food value chains more efficient and inclusive and promote climate change adaptation and/or mitigation.

DPI is a multidisciplinary division composed of three regionally focused services, namely Africa Service, Asia and the Pacific Service, and Europe, Central Asia, Near East, North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean Service.

The post is located in the Africa Service (DPIA).

The Investment Officer (Digital Agriculture) reports to the Chief, Africa Service.

Design, implementation support and evaluation of investment operations (projects and programmes) in food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing, as well as strategic and policy work, with a focus on promoting digital technologies mainly for food system development, natural resource management and climate resilience.

Provision of technical expertise/assistance and support the capacity development for (i) the design of investment operations, in collaboration with country stakeholders and cooperating partners, to mobilize resources for food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing; and (ii) implementation support and evaluation of investment operations, in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

• Participates in multidisciplinary teams for the identification and preparation of investment operations in the fields of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing, and participate in pre-appraisal and appraisal missions.

• Supports the implementation of investment operations and the preparation of final evaluation.

• Participates in the preparation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing studies and strategies, in the formulation of national sector and/or subsector investment plans and programmes.

• Supports the development of inclusive and sustainable food systems involving producers, their organizations, other private sector actors, civil society organizations and governments.

• Contributes to capacity development activities in the areas of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment support to government staff, non-state actors and private sector organizations.

• Prepares reports in accordance with governments and financing partners' requirements.

• Promotes knowledge sharing and best practices at international meetings and conferences, and interacts with international and national partners.

• Establishes, promotes and maintains relationships with relevant Strategic Programmes, FAO Technical Units and Decentralized Offices in order to ensure best synergies between investment, policy and innovation work in support to Members.

• Supports resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate strategy.

• Collects relevant data on digital technologies related to the agricultural sectors and produce assessments of readiness/maturity of these sectors for digital transformation

• Proposes relevant activities centred around digital technologies for the development of food systems, improved use of natural resources and climate-smart agriculture as part of the design, implementation support and evaluation of agriculture development projects,

• Supports the reviews of reports and in FAO activities concerned with digital technologies as applied to agriculture projects, studies, policy reviews and planning.

• Supports the review of implications of the use of digital technologies on food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing policies, national plans and programmes including, poverty alleviation, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Advance university degree in economics, agricultural economics, natural resources economics, agribusiness management, communication or a closely related field

• Five years of relevant experience in in the practical application of digital solutions for development issues, including analytical studies, and/or in the formulation and implementation of digital agriculture strategies in developing countries and/or countries in transition

• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish)

.

• Results Focus

• Teamwork

• Communication

• Building effective relationships

• Knowledge sharing and continuous Improvement

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable

• Extent and relevance of experience in digital technologies as applied to food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing analytical studies and programme evaluation

• Extent and relevance of experience in participating in multidisciplinary teams for the preparation of strategies and sector studies as well as formulation, implementation support or evaluation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment operations, with focus on digital technologies for agriculture

• Relevance of experience in elaborating digital agriculture strategies and advising on the use of digital technologies for agriculture development.

• Extent and relevance of experience in investment design, implementation support and evaluation procedures of FAO's main development partners, in particular the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is considered a strong asset

• Working knowledge of French is considered a strong asset.