NATIONAL SPECIALIST ON CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT AND AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION (AKIS)

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

TCP/UZB/3808: Preparing the grounds for digital transformation of agriculture

Agriculture is an important sector of Uzbekistan’s economy with about 27 percent of the country’s labour force employed in agriculture, contributing 28 percent to GDP. The importance of digital transformation of the sector is emphasized in the national agricultural priorities, Presidential Decrees on Digital Uzbekistan and Agriculture Innovation Systems signed in 2020-2021, as well as outlined as one of the priority cooperation areas in the recently signed FAO–Uzbekistan CPF for 2021–2025. A range of digitalization projects focused on digital transformation of agriculture sector were launched by the Government of Uzbekistan with support of several international partners (such as UN agencies, European Union, WB), enabling the required preconditions for rapid and successful transformation of agriculture. The lack of decentralized knowledge exchange mechanisms available to farmers and agrobusiness entrepreneurs is a considerable obstacle towards successful rural transformation and extension services. The stakeholders include public and private sectors, smallholder and family farmers, academia, civil society. In view of these challenges, there is a need for: 1) Assessing the enabling environment for digital transformation of agriculture in Uzbekistan with a special focus on small farmers’ and rural development needs and 2) Developing capacities on innovation and knowledge sharing with smallholders and family farmers at decentralized level.
FAO has the expertise, methodologies that can address the above challenges such as the guide on e-agriculture strategy, Virtual Extension Research Communication Network (VERCON) conceptual framework, Technologies and Practices for Small Agricultural Producers (TECA), and Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation systems (AKIS).
The outcome of the project will address the national and decentralized levels by developing a national programme of action on the digital transformation of agriculture developed and piloting at decentralized level with smallholder and family farmers.
The first output can be achieved relying on both the outcomes of the relevant completed and ongoing projects (e.g. EUAsk) and FAO’s own methodologies and expertise.
The second output related to AKIS requires detailed stakeholder analysis of existing knowledge exchange system accessible to smallholder and family farmers and developing capacities matching the identified gaps and needs. The mechanism will be shaped following the analysis during the first stage of the project, but it will 1) follow the FAO’s vision of multi-stakeholder decentralized approach; 2) spread across public, private and other relevant sectors; 3) focus on all types of agriculture related innovations and knowledge (including, but not limited to digital). This assignment related to the second output of the project, being closely interrelated with the first output.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Uzbekistan and direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR Programme, and technical guidance of the Lead Technical Officer, in collaboration with the FAO Uzbekistan team and national and international experts

Technical Focus

Analysis on the need for agricultural innovations, information and knowledge, based on the results of the mapping

Tasks and responsibilities

The National Specialist will undertake the following duties:

• In cooperation with the national on digital agriculture and international consultants on digital agriculture and knowledge management develop a detailed work plan and follow its implementation in a timely manner
• With support of the project team members assist in conducting stakeholders’ analysis on the need for agricultural innovations, information and knowledge, based on the results of the mapping (activity 1.1) and complementing it with regional context. The series of assessments will include:
- A stakeholders’ analysis on the need for and access to agricultural innovation, information and knowledge at decentralized level (in pilot areas, potentially in Fergana region)
- An analysis of the capacity needs of the stakeholders to access, create, use, share and partner for agricultural information and innovations at decentralized level
- Preferred communication channels, content, knowledge/information products, trusted source of information and rural communication and advisory services needed
- Appropriate communication channels and products for innovation and knowledge sharing (platforms, websites, groups, etc.), corresponding rural communication services for successful knowledge sharing in the required areas and validating content from both FAO and external sources for their adaptation to Uzbek context and languages
- Rural communication services needed at decentralized level and process to keep these services maintained and updated.
- Identify potential topics for at least three topics for innovation living labs (the term refers to forms of interactive innovation, or networks that are not online but could and should be supported by online platform), form groups, identify group facilitators, help develop work plan, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and provide mentoring to the platforms, including by identifying additional expertise needed on a case-by-case basis, identify knowledge content to assist the work of the platform in collaboration with local knowledge actors, including research and extension, and provide support for the business planning and communication of the innovations
• Develop the capacity of the stakeholders in knowledge sharing and learning through the living labs
- Identify and organize capacity development workshops (e.g. capacity needs assessments and training on knowledge sharing, digital tools and services);
- Based on the capacity needs assessments, conduct Farmer Field schools/ innovation living labs, organize field demonstrations of agricultural innovations

• Support the organization of a final event on the lessons learned and recommendations from the decentralized level on knowledge sharing with smallholders and family farmers.
• Perform other relevant tasks

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in agriculture, rural development, economics, and/or related fields.
• At least 5 years of experience in the area of extension, interactive innovation, ICTs. Expertise in the Uzbek agricultural sector including participation in international donor financed projects will be considered as an asset.
• Working knowledge/ excellent command of English, including excellent reporting skills. The working and reporting language for the assignment is Uzbek and English.
• National of Uzbekistan or a resident with a valid work permit.

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.