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- FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background, and culture
- Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member nations, and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
- Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct and to uphold our values. FAO has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and FAO, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination
- All selected candidates, therefore, will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
- All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
- The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization
Organizational Setting
The Joint FAO/WHO Centre - Zoonotic Diseases (CJWZ) and the Animal Production and Health Division (NSA) manage the multidisciplinary funding project “Delivering capacity building and country support in the context of COVID-19 crisis using regional Virtual Learning Centers” (MDF project) in close collaboration with Forestry Division (NFO), Fishery Division (NFI) and the regional FAO offices in Africa (RAF), Near East and North Africa (RNE), Eastern Europe and Central Asia (REU) and the Asia and the Pacific region (RAP).
The project aims to provide support for country needs in line with the FAO Strategic Objectives and UN SDGs, in particular for unforeseen requirements arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, through access to virtual learning and has the following objectives:
(1) To establish one Virtual Learning Center (VLC) in each of the five FAO regions;
(2) To support the development and delivery of virtual training programmes;
(3) To enhance the capacities of various national stakeholders from the animal health, animal production, food and feed safety and quality, aquaculture and environment and natural resources sectors;
(4) To establish mechanisms to ensure the VLC’s sustainability.
The MDF VLC Project manages capacity-building activities in FAO which blends face to face and virtual training courses and events. A global audience is registered with the VLC e-learning environment, which hosts a range of virtual courses.
VLCs have been established in partnership with the FAO regional offices of several regions and sub-regions across the world in order to tailor the online training activities to the regions’ needs.
The purpose of this call is to attract talents to populate rosters for VLC Instructional Design Specialists for the following profiles:
- Instructional Design Specialist
It is expected that these specialists will work in support of the core MDF VLC programme and with the FAO regional partners within the VLC initiatives.
Reporting Lines
The Specialists, under the overall policy and technical supervision of the MDF Manager, report directly to the Leading Technical Officer of the MDF , supporting the fulfilment of the MDF project objectives, and works in close consultation and co-ordination with the MDF experts, education Specialists and FAO Officers in Headquarters and the decentralized offices.
Technical Focus
Development of innovative online training courses and resources in support of the FAO Virtual Learning Centres.
Tasks and responsibilities
The consultant/PSA will provide support to the implementation of the MDF VLC project at global, regional, sub-regional and country level.
Following are the generic functions for which candidates are sought. Specific tasks and responsibilities will be defined in Terms of Reference prepared for different assignments, according to:
i) the profile orientation required and
ii) the selected candidates’ experience, qualifications and expertise.
Instructional design specialist:
• Work alongside subject matter experts to develop online courses and resources according to best practices in adult distance education;
• Develop interactive and engaging virtual learning content using authoring tools including the Articulate 360 suite;
• Review and edit written content to ensure learning materials are clearly and engaging written, in line with FAO language style guidelines;
• Guide colleagues on instructional design best practices;
• Provide training and mentorship on the development of virtual training to subject matter experts and operational specialists;
• Project manage the development of online courses and resources, meeting deadlines and re-prioritizing tasks as needed to complete the timely delivery of design projects;
• Support the improvement of existing online training tools, particularly developing innovative solutions to support virtual training delivery in low resource settings, including mobile technologies;
• Serve as backup administrator for the Moodle Learning Management System as needed;
• Perform other duties, if required.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
Depending on the Profile and orientation:
• For Consultants:
o University degree in a discipline relevant to the duties listed or otherwise related to FAO’s Programme of Work;
o At least one year of relevant work experience in education, instructional design, learning technology, management of learning management system(s) or project management for technical training programs;
o Working knowledge (Level C) of English and limited knowledge (Level B) of one of FAO’s Official languages: French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian.
• For PSAs:
o University degree, technical specialization or equivalent in a discipline relevant to the duties listed or otherwise related to FAO’s Programme of Work;
o At least one year of relevant work experience in education, instructional design, learning technology, management of learning management system(s) or project management for technical training programs;
o Working knowledge (Level C) of English is required.
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Evidence of the ability to create engaging and interactive virtual learning courses;
• Demonstrated proficiency with virtual learning authoring tool Articulate 360 suite;
• Demonstrated proficiency of management of virtual learning environments, including Moodle;
• Prior experience of development of virtual learning for international and/or adult audiences;
• Communication skills (verbal & written) in English;
• Ability to work accurately under pressure paying attention to details and design best practices;
• Independent and capacity to prioritize requested actions in order to meet all the deadlines;
• Experience with audio and video editing software.
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency