Agricultural Project management specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. The organization supports countries, farmers’ organizations, Regional Economics Communities (RECs) towards this objective. 
Within the strategic priority “Promoting inclusive, competitive, sustainable and nutrition-sensitive food systems”, the subregional office for West Africa (SFW), through various projects, programmes and initiatives, is working on the transition to sustainable crop production systems, increasing of agricultural productivity and resource use efficiency, promoting integrated pest management, conservation and management of the continuum soil-plant-atmosphere, enhancing resilience to climate change and improvement of livelihoods and governance.
The Project Management Specialist will support the planning, coordination, monitoring, and reporting of projects, programmes, and initiatives of the SFW Agricultural Unit. The specialist will ensure compliance with FAO rules and donor requirements, facilitate budget and workplan monitoring, coordinate with technical officers and country offices, and provide support in procurement, recruitment, and administrative processes to enable timely and effective project delivery
Reporting Lines

The Agricultural project management specialist reports to the SFW Agricultural Officer, under the overall guidance of the FAO Sub Regional Coordinator for West Africa

Technical Focus

Supports the Lead Technical Officers and is responsible for the day-to-day coordination and management of the assigned projects implementation. He/she ensures effective utilization of resources, timely delivery of the work plan, adherence to budgets, management of risks, and problem solving for achievement of project results, within delegated authority and in accordance with project/donor agreements and FAO rules and procedures.

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Lead the day-to-day implementation of the assigned projects portfolio
•     Ensure the preparation, monitoring and updating of project plans, with particular emphasis on budget management (in accordance with existing rules and regulations) and work plan as well as application of corporate recommended tools.
•     Ensure the Logical Framework Matrix (LFM) is complete and up-to-date, and that relevant data is collected for regular monitoring of project results.
•     Liaise, and maintain positive working relations with stakeholders, through the agreed office channels.
•     Liaise with, provide reports to and receive guidance from, governance mechanisms. 
•     Identify, mitigate and manage potential risks, report and escalate issues when necessary.
•     Ensure communications and visibility, in line with project plans. 
•     Ensure reports are prepared and submitted. 
•     Ensure all deliverables are completed, project documentation is in order, evaluation is supported as needed, and preparations for project closure are set up.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•     Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in public or business administration, finance, accounting, economics, social sciences or another field related to the FAO mandate
•     Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in project management/operations and support. 
•     Working knowledge (level C) of French or English

FAO Core 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 is desirable.
•     Extent and relevance of experience at international level in project implementation and managing operations.
•     Extent and relevance of experience in supporting the implementation of complex multi-stakeholder projects.
•     Experience in managing projects through external partners and with relevant modalities such as FAO’s Operational Partners Implementation Modality (OPIM) or the UN's Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) is considered an asset.
•     Ability to develop and manage plans for project implementation and coordination of operations.
•     Familiarity with UN administrative, operational and financial procedures and understanding of FAO policies and programmes is considered a strong asset.