Natural Resource Management Extension Assistant

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FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
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Qualified female applicants and qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member countries are encouraged to apply.

Persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
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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.

The FAO Representation in South Sudan is organizes in five units: emergency and resilience, natural resources and sustainable production, economic and social development, partnership and outreach and corporate and operational support unit. 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, and development funding.

The working experiences in the Building Resilience Through Asset Creation and Enhancement II (BRACE I) project, create the opportunity to enhance the availability and communication of weather-related information. Access to information about weather events and seasonal performance is crucial in addressing the vulnerability of farming communities and in enhancing the capacity of communities to manage weather and climate related events and hazards. Access to weather information allows communities to enhance their decision-making process, including with regard to the prepositioning of the type and timing of inputs. FAO intended to spread the lesson learnt of BRACE-1 phase through its second phase.

Reporting Lines

The NRM Assistant will operationally report to the Head of Field Office and technically to the Head of NRM unit in Juba.

The incumbent will work in close collaboration and under the instructions of the respective technical leads dealing with the different components of his assignment on natural resources and climate.

Technical Focus

• Identify and customize corporate tools and methods for climate change impact tracking, Natural Resource mapping as well as resource based conflict analysis and mapping for use by different stakeholder at state level.

• Provide technical support to FAO Field Office, state Government and NGO implementing partners on natural resource management including communicating climate information with all related stakeholders

Tasks and responsibilities

The incumbent is responsible for supporting the implementation of components under the BRACE II programme, which includes enhancing and communicating the availability of weather-related information. The main tasks include – NRM, Climate information and communication:

Natural Resource Management (NRM) :

• Promote demand-led, pluralistic, decentralized and participatory extension approaches that meet the diverse natural resource management (NRM) needs of smallholders and rural people now and in the future;
• Prepare NRM training modules and material and support conduct of TOTs;
• Conduct awareness building actions among local journalists to implement FAO programming;
• Organize and facilitate monitoring and evaluation sessions with beneficiaries;
• Participate in distribution plans, including training facilitators and beneficiaries on how to get weather related information by using radio;
• Prepare reports on programme activities;
• Ensure the quality and standards of the training provided under FAO programs are met;
• Monitor implementation of NRM activities in the state;
• Lead direct implementation of NRM activities within the respective state.
• Collaborate with FAO’s implementing partners for various projects, to identify interviewees with appropriate expertise;
• Organize weekly meetings between different stakeholders such as agronomists, farmers, meteorologists and traditional forecasters to develop weather related guidance. The guidance aims at supporting communities in their decision-making process with regard to livestock and agriculture, including with regard to the prepositioning of the type and timing of inputs.
• In collaboration with IPs, Facilitate the identification of weather monitors for each rain gauge and organize training for them; Share the weather-related information to NRM unit.
• Follow up on the monitoring and communication of rainfall data
• Facilitate the identification of safe compounds in NBeG for installation of rain gauges in collaboration with Implementing Partners (IPs);
• Performing other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• A minimum of bachelor degree in environmental science, forestry, natural resource management, climate change or any other related social science field ;
• Minimum five (5) years of field experience in implementation of NRM related programming, including peace building activities with farming or agro-pastoral communities;
• At least, two (2) years of professional experience in coordinating technical assistance and programming interventions in South Sudan;
• At least, two (2) years of professional experience in organizing events and coordinating between different stakeholder groups;
• Working knowledge of English, and limited knowledge of one of the other FAO language (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian)
• National of South Sudan.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• A broad understanding of community-based approaches and weather data analysis;
• Good judgment, initiative, high sense of responsibility, organization and analytical skills;
• Capacity to work independently and establish good relationships with staff and external partners;
• Excellent communication, writing and presentation skills in English
• Creativity and problem solving skills;
• Flexibility and ability to work under stress;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;

Selection Criteria

• Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by a competency-based interview.
• Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognised by the UN.

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