Programme Coordinator (Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition)

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• 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 Members 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 FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development proposes a global rethink on how to eradicate poverty and hunger, and draws a line in the sand: poverty and hunger should end within 15 years. What makes this call to action unique is that it urges every country, whether rich or poor, to work together through partnerships to transform the lives of the most vulnerable people.

In today’s world, eradicating hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition calls not only for reduced rural poverty and improved resilience of the most vulnerable people, but also for efficient food systems which are able to deliver sufficient and nutritious food for everyone. However, to make this happen, strong political commitment at global, regional and especially national levels is necessary.

As a policy and knowledge organization with a mandate to help countries eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, FAO is a natural convener for countries aiming to implement the 2030 Agenda, and remains committed to assist them translate their political commitment into concrete action. FAO aims at supporting translating such political commitment into real impact, ensuring that policy actions at all levels are targeted at achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, while promoting sustainable agriculture. FAO works with governments to identify their priorities and needs and provide the needed evidence base and analysis for decisions. Drawing on FAO’s expertise and experiences across its network of member states, FAO is able to support decision-makers in transforming legal, policy and institutional frameworks while making them more conducive to food security and nutrition.

Following approval of FAO new Strategic Priorities in July 2019 and in response the emerging country needs for advisory and analytical support, FAO Country Programme in Sri Lanka and Maldives has transformed into 4 thematic Portfolios, namely Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Natural Resources Management and Environment Sustainability.

FAO is recruiting Programme Coordinator, to support the implementation and delivery of FAO’s Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security & Nutrition Thematic Programs in Sri Lanka and Maldives. The post is based in the FAO Representation in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Reporting Lines

As a core member of the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security & Nutrition Portfolios, the Programme Coordinator will directly report to the AFAO (Program) in Sri Lanka and Maldives and receive.

Technical Focus

• Implementation of projects in accordance with Project document and implementation plan.
• Effective support to Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition staff on project implementation.
• Visibility initiatives related to the field programme.
• Biweekly meeting with FAO Representative to discuss lessons learnt.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Acts as a focal point for all matters related to the daily operation of the Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition Portfolios.
• Supports the organization of project task force meeting, project steering committees, inception workshops and similar events.
• Contributes to the timely mobilization of inputs related to project operations such as personnel, technical support services, subcontracts, training, equipment/supplies and other needs, in line with the FAO procedures and manual sections.
• Participates in the preparation of project work plans, implementation plans, communications plans and budget revisions, and in the monitoring of progress, and draws attention to the need for corrective measures.
• Identifies opportunities for increasing the visibility of FAO’s field activities, and coordinates and facilitates the preparation of press releases, media events, visibility materials, etc.
• Contributes to the preparation of project reports.
• Assists the Programme Team with coordinating implementation of Emergency Projects.
• Undertakes any related tasks as requested by the FAO Representative and the AFAOR-Programme.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• A university degree in Development Economics, Agriculture Economics, International Economics, Economics International Relations, Management or related fields.
• 3 years of relevant experience in agriculture, food security and nutrition, project management/ coordination.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and working knowledge of Sinhala/Tamil.
• National or resident of Sri Lanka.

FAO Core Competencies

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

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