Country Coordinators and Advisors - Sustainable Business through training for Veterinary Paraprofessionals

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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

To support the critical role played by Veterinary Paraprofessionals (VPPs) in delivering essential animal health services and improve their requisite technical and business skills in key geographies of Africa and Asia, enabling business environments are needed for the provision of these services, supplies, and knowledge for smallholder farmers (SHFs). The European Commission for the Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (EuFMD), in collaboration with the project partners World Veterinary Association (WVA) and HealthforAnimals (HFA), has secured a specific investment to reinforce veterinary service provision systems through improved capacity of VPPs to deliver animal health services. This project will deliver and evaluate a model for sustainable VPPs in which competency acquisition is a gateway to recognition and increases access to new business opportunities in the “last mile” delivery of quality-assured animal health services. This will be accomplished by a competency-based training system, in line with OIE Guidelines, allied to a digital engagement strategy supporting recognition and business development in the animal health care services marketplace.
The project is to be implemented until December 2023. The assignment could be up to 11 month period, with a full-time (five days per week) or a part-time (circa 3 days per week) agreement, with possibility of extension until the end date of the project and subject to satisfactory performance.
The purpose of this call is to attract talents to populate a roster for the positions of Country Coordinator and Senior Advisor in the two countries of project implementation: South Africa and Nigeria.

Main positions are:

• Senior Advisor to the VPP project in South Africa;
• Country Coordinator of the VPP project in South Africa;
• Senior Advisor to the VPP project in Nigeria;
• Country Coordinator of the VPP project in Nigeria;

Reporting Lines

The incumbent reports directly to the Deputy Executive Secretary, EuFMD. The incumbent will work under the technical guidance of the Project Lead Technical Officer and Project Coordinator as well as the ECTAD County Team Lead/Office of the FAO Representative.

Technical Focus

Coordinate or support, at country level, the implementation of the project “Sustainable Business through training for Veterinary Paraprofessionals” to address gaps and deficiencies in national animal health service delivery by developing, implementing and monitoring a training program to equip VPPs with the necessary skills, competencies, networks and resources to enhance animal, especially preventative healthcare and enabling them to be part of a sustainable and economically viable solution.
The three key project outcomes are:
• National recognition of trained individuals and their new competencies, by national bodies, and provision of the tools to maintain the recognition (certification) system for VPPs by the Veterinary Statutory Body or other national/statutory body;
• Supportive business environment, digital engagement and allied information systems that increase community awareness, engagement and “brand recognition” by small holder farmers or public service employers for those VPPs completing the training programme, and
• Increased opportunities of trained VPPs for employment and business opportunities to access distribution channels for veterinary vaccines and other veterinary medical products (VP) from quality producers.
Tasks and responsibilities
According to the specific role assigned and described in the Terms of Reference (ToR), the incumbent will perform the following duties:
• Coordinate the planning, implementation and monitoring of project activities at national level of the Project “Sustainable Business through Training for Veterinary Paraprofessionals”;
• Develop country workplan for the duration of the project, and a detailed yearly workplan with the engagement of relevant key stakeholders, and a regular six-month project reporting mechanism;
• Support the establishment of a National Steering/Advisory Committee, and the organization and reporting of steering committee meetings validating country workplan and implementation modalities;
• Facilitate, in collaboration with International Experts and with the EuFMD Training Management System (TMS) Expert, the development with relevant national stakeholders and experts (VSB etc.) of a country level competency framework for VPPs in alignment with international (OIE) standards and with national priorities and identified needs;
• Conduct, in collaboration with the project team at global level, a training needs assessment and identification of suitable training institutions for the implementation of a training program;
• Support the adaptation and development of training resources and quality assurance and training of the selected training partners;
• Coordinate the implementation of a VPP continuous professional development training program with associated training institutions and monitor the outcomes for trained VPPs;
• Engage with the identified key stakeholders, in coordination with national level partners, for the establishment of national VPP “public private partnership or multistakeholder platform” for improving quality of VPP service delivery, ensuring their integration in the animal health service deliver for business sustainability of trained/upskilled VPPs;
• Manage the development and operationalization of country-level competency-based VPP business support system for animal health service delivery in coordination with the established national “public private partnership or multistakeholder platforms” and in alignment with the specific national policy environment;
• Coordinate baseline assessment and ongoing monitoring and evaluation of project indicators and outputs;
• Support project communication and visibility activities at the national level including the online presence of the project in alignment with guidelines of the resource partner;
• Exchange lessons-learned and insights with project coordinator and 2 other national coordinators;
• Facilitate gender equitable project implementation at country level including the implementation of specific activities in order to target outreach of VPP services to female smallholder farmers;
• Prepare in a timely manner technical and regular country project reports in line with funding partner requirements and FAO rules and procedures, and in alignment with monitoring mechanisms and performance indicators;
• Prepare, facilitate and participate where appropriate, in country missions with project partners;
• Undertake other relevant tasks mutually agreed and deemed necessary by the Secretariat.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements for Consultants:

• University degree in a discipline relevant to the duties listed, including technical field disciplines;
• At least four years of relevant post graduate experience in the field of project management, livestock production and animal health management, multi-stakeholder partnerships and women’s empowerment in agriculture/livestock;
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English and limited knowledge (Level B) of one of FAO’s Official languages: French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian. Good knowledge of local languages would be preferable.
Minimum Requirements for PSAs:
• Technical specialization or equivalent in a discipline relevant to the duties listed and the topic areas covered by the VPP project.
• At least one year of relevant post graduate experience in the field of project management, livestock production and animal health management, multi-stakeholder partnerships and women’s empowerment in agriculture/livestock;
• Working knowledge (Level C) of English and good knowledge of local languages would be preferable

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FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience in managing projects, including designing project activities, monitoring timelines and milestones, coordinating with external partners, and using participatory and inclusive approaches;
• Good knowledge of veterinary services legal framework and key stakeholders involved in animal health service regulation, training and provision;
• Experience in workshop and training organization and delivery;
• Experience in gender sensitive and transformational approaches;
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
Selection Criteria
• Post-graduate qualification (Master degree, honours or equivalent, PhD) in veterinary science, animal production, animal health, policy development, international relations, gender and development, or other related fields for the position is preferable;
• Experience in managing capacity building projects (training, mentoring etc.) in the livestock sector;
• Knowledge and experience in assessment of different animal health delivery models including those involving veterinary paraprofessionals;
• Knowledge of the OIE veterinary paraprofessional competency framework will be considered an asset;
• Experience in strengthening animal health service delivery for smallholder farmers will be considered an asset;
• Experience in managing public - private partnerships or platforms is preferable. Specific experience managing these partnerships in the livestock sector will be considered an asset;
• Familiar with Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) approaches including logical frameworks and results-based models;
• Experience in using gender sensitive approaches in project planning and implementation is preferable;
• Very good communication and English language skills;
• Ability to work independently with a number of remote team members.
Please make sure you include the below in your application as an attachment.
Describe your professional experience in the following areas (one slide per topic if Power Point, or half a page if word document):
• Managing or implementing capacity building projects in the livestock sector;
• Strengthening animal health service delivery;
• Managing public private partnerships or multi-stakeholder platforms;
• Gender sensitive project implementation.

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