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Programme Assistant

Rome

  • Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
  • Location: Rome
  • Grade: Administrative support - GS-5, General Service - No need for Higher Education - Locally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Administrative support
    • Project and Programme Management
  • Closing Date: Closed

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Staff in the General Service category are recruited locally from the Primary Location area, which is where the office is located.

• 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 persons 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.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Organizational Setting

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) is responsible for the economic, social, institutional, governance and policy aspects of FAO's activities related to fisheries and aquaculture and their development, with particular emphasis on human well-being, food security and poverty reduction; post-harvest utilization, marketing and trade with due regard to the protection of the environment, food security and the well-being of fishery communities; collection, compilation, validation, trend analysis and dissemination of the best available and up-to-date fishery statistics and for the syndication of the FAO information on all aspects of world fisheries and aquaculture. The Division executes also fisheries development projects in support to Member States.
The Division is also responsible for FAO's activities related to the management and conservation of the living aquatic resources used by fisheries and aquaculture, including the biodiversity and ecosystem maintenance, with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable and threatened species and habitats; management of responsible fisheries and aquaculture in accordance with management standards and best practices; development of fisheries technology, with due regard to the protection of the environment, food security and the well-being of fishing communities, including the safety of fishers and fishing vessels.
The post is located at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, in the Assessment and Management Team (NFIFM) as part of the EAF-Nansen Programme. NFIFM is responsible for all the aspects related to Fisheries Management, including Assessment of Fisheries and Fish Stocks, development and provision of evidence-based advice, management interventions and management processes, all in the framework of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF).
The EAF-Nansen Programme “Support to the implementation of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management considering climate and pollution impacts” became operational in May 2017 with the overall objective of improved food and nutrition security for people in partner countries through sustainable fisheries. The current phase of the Programme is ending in December 2023 and the donor has explicitly expressed its willingness to continue the project for an additional 5 years. The Nansen Programme supports 27 countries in Africa and five countries in the Bay of Bengal. To achieve its objective, the Programme works toward three outcomes: Fishery research institutions provide relevant and timely scientific advice for management (Outcome 1), Fisheries management institutions manage fisheries according to the EAF principles (Outcome 2), and Fisheries research and management institutions have appropriate human and organizational capacity to manage fisheries sustainably (Outcome 3). The Nansen Programme runs a research vessel (Dr Fridtjof Nansen) to conduct scientific surveys in the marine waters of partner countries and in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Main Purpose

The Programme Assistant is responsible for the coordination of specialized and complex processes and activities in support of the delivery of the Nansen Programme’s work plan, planning and budgeting activities. He/she provides procedural guidance to managers and staff in the division.

Supervision Received/Exercised

The Programme Assistant works under the general supervision of one or more professional staff and receives guidance from the Nansen Programme Coordinator.

Working Relationships

The Programme Assistant works closely with a wide range of colleagues in the division and with client departments/offices, ensuring the consistency and quality of Programme support services provided by the division.

Key Functions/Results

• Monitor Programme’s budgets ensuring that funds are properly allocated and reported upon and take corrective action if required; inform management of any budget issues that may require attention;
• Provide support to budget holders in the preparation of the Periodic Budgetary Reports (PBR), and related work plans for the division as needed;
• Prepare projects' budget revisions in consultation with budget holders;
• Respond to a variety of routine queries and provide clarifications on Programme matters; inform management and team members of processes, procedures and timeframes to secure administrative services needed for Programme execution; initiate correspondence to verify data, obtain additional information on transactions and budgetary matters;
• Review data quality and maintain office records and reference files on various subjects; compile and synthesize data from various sources to support financial analyses on Programme; generate periodic or ad-hoc management reports;
• Coordinate the full array of administrative and financial actions related to staff management, non-staff support, travel, payments, and procurement;
• Provide procedural guidance to Programme Assistants (G-4 level) and other staff in the work unit;
• Review and make recommendations to improve current programme administration procedures and processes;
• Perform other functions as required.

Impact of Work

The incumbent's work impacts directly on the smooth operations and performance of the Programme’s activities. He/she plays a lead role in the provision of Programme support services for successful achievement of the organizational unit's mandate.


CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

Education: Secondary School Education.
Experience: Four years of relevant experience in the provision of programme/projects support services.
Languages: Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
IT Skills: Good knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment.

Residency: General Service Staff are recruited locally. To be eligible for this position, candidates must be nationals of the country of the duty station or possess an existing visa/work permit, and reside within commuting distance of the duty station at the time of the application. "Commuting distance" means the distance within which staff members can travel daily between their place of work and their residence.

Competencies

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

Technical Skills

• Very good knowledge of corporate information systems.
• Very good knowledge of programme and budget processes and procedures.
• Very good knowledge of common administrative and financial rules and regulations.
• Very good knowledge of communication and documentation standards.

Desirable Qualifications and Skills

• Working knowledge (proficient - level C) of French.
• Ability to plan, organize work and establish priorities.
• Maturity and ability to analyze difficult situations, work under pressure, capacity to provide guidance to other Programme GS staff.
• Good knowledge and experience in research, compilation and organization of information and reference materials from various sources for reports, mailing lists and other uses of data, using spreadsheets and dedicated database management tools and applications, to develop and maintain an organized and easily used archive.
• Very good knowledge of the use of the Publications Workflow System (PWS).
• Good knowledge of and experience using MS-Teams, SharePoint, Zoom, Skype and other teleconferencing platforms, and organizing meetings using the same.
• Experience in the organization of meetings and workshops at headquarters and in the field, with knowledge of the related procedures and workflow for clearances, authorizations, organization and actual implementation.
• Good knowledge of procedures, requirements and workflow for the procurement of services and goods.
• Good knowledge and experience with the procedures and tools for the recruitment of affiliate workforce.
• Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of the procedures and tools for organising and administratively manage travel of staff and affiliate workforce.
• Good knowledge and experience in drafting correspondence and proof-reading (FAO House Style and terminology, correct spelling, grammar, punctuation and syntax), formatting documents using the full capabilities of word processing and/or desktop publishing and page layout designing software.

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FAO staff are expected to adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO,

Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

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This vacancy is now closed.
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