NATIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR (CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION SPECIALIST)

Organizational Setting

For more than four decades, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been working with the Government of the Philippines, civil society, community-based organizations and the private sector to address challenges in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector. Joint efforts have included increasing sustainability in agricultural production, promoting value-adding practices, improving post-harvest management, enhancing productivity and increasing the resilience of agriculture-based livelihoods to natural disasters, climatic hazards and armed conflict.

Reporting Lines

The National Technical Assistance Coordinator (Climate Change Adaptation Specialist) reports to the Assistant FAO Representative for Programme and will work under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative of the Philippines

Technical Focus

FAO in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) will be implementing a seven-year Green Climate Fund (GCF) project entitled “Adapting Philippine Agriculture to Climate Change” (APA project). APA aims to increase the resilience of rural men and women who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods in areas vulnerable to climate change while transforming the country agriculture toward climate resilience. This will be achieved through improved capacity of farmers to develop Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) enterprises and adopt financially and economically viable CRA practices, and of the government & private sectors to build supporting systems for scaling up. The project aims to directly benefit 1.25 million farmers and indirectly reach another 5.0 million people across 9 provinces in 5 regions in the Philippines.

The project will be executed by DA and PAGASA through FAO Operational Partners Implementation Modality (OPIM) and FAO Philippines providing technical assistance to achieve its objective and expected outcomes.

Tasks and responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative Programme, the National Technical Assistance Coordinator (Climate Change Adaptation Specialist) will lead the implementation of FAO’s technical assistance for the APA project. She/he will undertake the following tasks and duties:

• Coordinate with government entities to align project activities with national and local policies and plans.
• Ensure effective communication and collaboration between FAO, government entities and other relevant stakeholders for effective implementation of project activities.
• Represent the organization in meetings and discussions with government entities and other stakeholders on issues related to the project.
• Support the effective function of the project governance and management mechanisms, including but not limited to, the Project Steering Committee (PSC), Project Management Unit (PMU), and Provincial Project Coordination Office (PPCO).
• In close collaboration with the National Project Coordinators at DA and PAGASA, ensure that the project overall annual workplan and budget are developed in a coherent manner and aligned to achieving the project outputs and outcomes.
• Ensure that project activities across components are implemented in a manner that is sensitive to the needs and concerns of local communities and stakeholders.
• Ensure the coherence and interlinkages of project activities and components to optimize results and resources.
• Provide technical guidance to the project technical assistance team members, ensure that the FAO technical assistance is delivered and the team work effectively with DA and PAGASA project teams and other partners. .
• Liaise with technical officers from the FAO regional office and headquarters to obtain timely technical support and oversight and alignment of project activities with the organizational priorities and strategies.
• Facilitate the implementation of the project Environmental and Social Management Framework and Gender Action Plan.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of project activities in achieving objectives including but not limited the design and implementation of the project baseline, mid and end-line surveys.
• Continuously assess and manage risks associated with project implementation.
• Prepare reports and presentations on project progress and achievements.
• Identify opportunities for scaling up successful project activities to achieve greater impact.
• Prepare presentation materials for meetings, as needed;
• Carry out any other relevant duties within his/her technical competence as may be requested by FAO.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in agriculture, climate change, environmental management business administration, development studies, or other relevant degrees
• At least twelve (12) years of work experience in managing development projects related to environment, climate change, or agriculture.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• A national of the Philippines

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• General knowledge and skills in the use of standard office software, such as MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point).
• Familiarity with FAO operational procedures is an advantage
• In line with FAO policy, commitment to placing accountability to people affected by disaster framework at the core of FAO’s emergency policy and practice, from preparedness up to the onset of an emergency in all phases of the programme cycle

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION