Technical Adviser

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The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments

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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 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 Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) is responsible for FAO's response in developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies to address subregional food, agriculture and rural development priorities. The Subregional Office is based in Samoa, and is a subsidiary of FAO's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP). SAP is an important FAO technical hub in direct support of 14 countries.

The Technical Adviser post is located in Kiribati (Tarawa) and funded under the FAO Global Environment Facility (GEF) Project "Resilient Islands, Resilient Communities - GCP/KIR/009/GFF". The Project aims to improve biodiversity conservation and land/seascape level management to enhance socio-ecological resilience to climate variability and change in Kiribati.

Reporting Lines
The Technical Adviser reports to the Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands, under the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO). He/she will work in collaboration with a national project team, relevant government institutions, FAO technical and support staff, consultants and partners.

Technical Focus
Overall project management and reporting; lead coordination of all technical aspects of the project, with particular emphasis/focus on mitigating impacts associated with unsustainable land and natural resources management practices, and; the rapid loss of critical forest ecosystems.

Key Results
Research, technical analysis, and project related services to support the delivery of programme projects, products and services.

Key Functions
• Researches and analyses technical-related issues on the development, the implementation and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects; assists to the review of relevant documents and reports;
• Produces a variety of technical information, data, statistics and documents as well as technical input for reports and web pages;
• Provides technical support/analysis to various assessments, studies and projects and provides technical backstopping to field projects;
• Collaborates in the development of improved/updated tools, systems, processes and databases;
• Oversees the updating of databases and web pages;
• Participates on multidisciplinary teams, and/or leads working groups/teams collaborates with other divisions and agencies on work groups and committees and promotes best practices;
• Collaborates in, provides technical backstopping to and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development activities within Members such as policy support, organizational development and individual learning events, including preparation of related information, learning materials and online tools;
• Promotes knowledge sharing and best practices at international meetings and conferences and guides partners in stakeholder consultations;
• Performs other duties as required.

Specific Functions
• Leads the Project Management Unit (PMU), directing the execution of the project's technical and administrative activities, with support from the National Project Coordinator (NPC);
• Organizes and serves as Secretary to the Project Steering Committee and Liaison Committees;
• Liaises closely with the LTO on all technical aspects of project activities and assists in the organization and implementation of workshops, training courses and studies in order to facilitate coordination across the project components;
• Prepares annual work plans and budget, and project monitoring reports in coordination with the project team, and assists in organizing project mid-term evaluation, ensuring clear indicators and technical compliance with project objective, outcomes and outputs, and the Monitoring and Evaluation (M-E) plan;
• Reviews and ensures the approval of the Terms of Reference (TOR) and technical specifications of international and national experts/consultants; coordinates and monitors their work plans;
• Prepares Letters of Agreements (LoAs) and contracts, and monitors the agreements/contracts to ensure achievement of planned project outputs;
• Reviews procurement and subcontracting material and documentation of processes and obtains internal approvals;
• Coordinates the implementation of the project's communication strategy and institutional strengthening activities.
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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in political sciences, agricultural economics, development economics, rural sociology, food security, nutrition, sustainable agriculture (including livestock, forestry and fisheries), or related field;
• Five years of relevant experience in technical cooperation related activities, policy advice and analysis relating to food and nutrition security, agriculture and rural development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes;
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

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

Technical/Functional Skills
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions;
• Relevance and extent of experience in technical cooperation related activities, policy advice and analysis relating to food and nutrition security, agriculture and rural development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes;
• Relevance and extent of experience in working with inter-governmental bodies and multi-disciplinary teams.