Agriculture and Food Security Specialist – Food Security Assessment and Coordination

Organizational Setting

The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO representatives, is to assistant governments 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 to ensure zero hunger in the country. FAO provides support in three priority areas: sustainable increase in production and productivity, agriculture-based economic growth, and increased resilience of livelihoods to threats and crisis.

The current portfolio of projects in South Sudan includes activities related to agriculture (crop), livestock, Fisheries, Natural Resource management, food information systems is implemented with humanitarian, transitional and development funding. The incumbent will contribute to the country’s programme and portfolio as foreseen in the project he/she will coordinate and be assigned.

Reporting Lines

The Agriculture and Food Security Specialist - Food Security Assessments and Coordination will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative for South Sudan, the direct supervision of the Senior Project Officer, the technical support of the FAO Team, including relevant technical divisions in Headquarters

Technical Focus

• Develop Strategies for sustainable and resilient agriculture and food systems, with special focus on establishment of food security and nutrition monitoring system (FSNMS).
• Ensure full compliance with FAO partnerships approach at different levels.
• Extent and depth of knowledge of, and experience in food security information systems, including the implementation of a variety of methodologies / techniques – e.g. household surveys, market and climate monitoring, emergency/rapid food security assessments etc.;
• Demonstrated liaise and develop partnerships with the Government, UN and NGOs.

Tasks and responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for supporting the efforts to expand the current network of GRSS and non-government partners involved in the FSNMS and ad hoc field assessments. The consultant shall also be responsible for organizing the IPC analysis workshops.

Considering the decision making requirements to address widespread food insecurity and the prevailing constraints in terms of institutional context and technical capacity, the consultant will undertake:

• Mapping data gaps
  • Identifying areas of food security concern or food insecurity hot spots on a regular basis.
  • Ensuring FSNMS or ad hoc food security assessments are planned in all food insecurity hot spots prior to any major IPC analysis.
  • Facilitating the data collection processes by ensuring that assessment tools are available, field movement plans and budgets are prepared in time, and relevant trainings are conducted.
• Capacity building for food security and nutrition monitoring systems (FSNMS) and other ad hoc assessments

• • Ensure all counties have adequate relevant data from the field prior to IPC analysis sessions. This will entail following up with partners to ensure data is reported from all counties and at the very least from the areas mapped as food security hot spots within any given time.
  • Lead the process of capacity development through identifying new partners as well as maintaining and supporting existing partners. Strategies will include training, field supervision and reporting.
  • Data processing and management including data entry, cleaning, and regular follow-up with partners
  • Support through training, coordination and joining field teams for data collection during regular and ad hoc agriculture and food security assessments.
  • Develop training material, and design training courses, curriculum, and related training material for national Technician (NGOs government producer organization), beneficiaries.
  • Undertake directly and coordinate the training in the field.
  • Ensure the quality and standards of the training provided under FAO programs are met.
• Expansion of the FSNMS partnerships within the context of the Food Security and Livelihoods Cluster (FSL-C)
  • Expanding the network of partners involved in the FSNMS across the country.
  • Identification of partners and implementation of functional mechanisms for working with these partners.
• Supervision, quality control, analysis and dissemination
  • Regular analysis and dissemination including presentation to management and network partners on key outcomes.
  • Strengthening of the FSNMS including through regular meetings with partners.
  • Updating information and promotion of the use Food security and nutrition of Crop and Livestock Market Information Systems (CLiMIS) to access and disseminate relevant food security and nutrition information.
• Perform other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in Agriculture Science, Agronomy, Nutrition science, Food security and management or related degree.
• Fluency in English and Arabic. Candidates with knowledge of other local languages spoken in the region will get preference.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in developing best practices for innovative agriculture and food security system, training facilitation skill in field and familiar on developing training material, design training courses, curriculum, and related training material for national Technician (NGOs government producer organization), beneficiaries.
• South Sudan National.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building effective relationships
• Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Good interpersonal, communications and facilitation skills;
• Sound knowledge and experience in writing reports;
• Demonstrate capacity to coordinate, lead and advise on training process on food security information;
• Strong computer, word processing, and statistical skills. Ability to use software and other information systems and databases to insert data, make enquiries, retrieve/define ad hoc reports and analyses and edit results in appropriate format.
• Good knowledge of the UN system, procedures and operational activities would be an advantage.
• Ability to organize and implement directly project activities (workshop, mission, assessment, etc.), work in hardship context and guide implementing partners and beneficiaries organizations.
• Ability to operate effectively in a team, contributing positively to team operations and working relationships
• Understand and adhere to FAO goals and principle and the FAO South Sudan strategy and objectives.