Anticipatory Action Specialist

Organizational Setting

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. FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.
FAO Country Offices, working under overall corporate guidance and in line with the Strategic Framework, offer policy advice and support to countries in the mandated areas of FAO, facilitated through partnerships, resources and an active country programme to provide technical assistance, develop capacities and deliver core services while fully observing international standards of accountability to establish leadership and strengthen impact at the country  level. The offices deliver on the programmatic priorities of each country as agreed in their respective Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and ensure effective and efficient operations with adequate human and financial resources. Specifically, FAO Country Offices: 
•    advocate, inform and support policies and investments in the areas of FAO’s mandate;
•    provide technical assistance and deliver core services; 
•    assist and catalyse partnership and resource mobilization activities to support agrifood systems transformation; 
•    position FAO as the specialized/authoritative technical agency in food and agriculture and agrifood systems transformation; and 
•    ensure risk-smart and accountable operations and management.  
The position is located in the FAO Country Office in Baghdad, Iraq. The FAO’s Anticipatory Action (AA) translates warnings into anticipatory – or early – actions to reduce the impact of disasters on vulnerable and food insecure communities. Acting early, before a disaster has actually happened, or reached its peak is critical: it can save lives and protect livelihoods from the immediate shocks and increasing the resilience of local communities over time. FAO’s approach translates early warning triggers into short-term AA aimed at reducing the impact of forecast hazards and crises on vulnerable and food insecure communities. 
FAO’s AA work is focused on supporting high-risk countries with setting up AA systems to anticipate and prevent/mitigate shocks to agriculture and food security. It focuses on capacity development, technical and operational support for risk factor monitoring; setting of triggers for the activation of AA funds; AA programming; AA implementation; and the mainstreaming of an anticipatory approach into national disaster risk management frameworks. FAO’s AA programme is carried out in coordination with a growing number of organisations implementing anticipatory approaches to crises worldwide, as well as inter-agency AA programmes. 

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative and the direct supervision and technical guidance of International Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and with remote technical support and backstopping of the team of the Regional Priority on Building Resilience. 

Technical Focus

Building Resilience, Anticipatory Action, Disaster Risk Reduction. 

Tasks and responsibilities

Develop Anticipatory Action Trigger and Protocols for priority hazard (drought) at national/sub-national level

•    Review existing early warning (national, regional and global) and agricultural risk information systems to identify early warning indicators, including forecasting indicators, seasonal observation indicators and vulnerability indicators for the development of anticipatory action triggers. 
•    Design a clear, easy-to-use tool, or endorse existing tool, to regularly monitor early warning indicators (e.g., rainfall forecasts, soil moisture data), including the overall trigger score, for the priority hazard (drought).
•    Review existing triggers, if any. 
•    Support International Monitoring and Evaluation Officer in consultations with relevant stakeholders, and developing or refining (if already exist) robust and practical triggers, thresholds, and possible anticipatory actions to be implemented within each threshold. 
•    Refine the proposed triggers, thresholds and possible anticipatory actions.
•    In-line with the finally agreed triggers and threshold, develop clear and practical protocols including roles and responsibilities of various relevant stakeholders, timeframes, etc, noting that the final protocols will act as “Standard Operating Procedures”. 
•    Develop a National Roadmap for Anticipatory Action in the Country
•    Support International Monitoring and Evaluation Officer in engaging with national stakeholders through consultation meetings/workshops to map out key pillars and priority activities for scaling up anticipatory action.
•    Draft, finalize and support the publication of a National Roadmap for Anticipatory Action, ensuring alignment with national policies and frameworks. 

Coordinate a national training on anticipatory action 

•    Develop plans for 2 – 3 training sessions on AA targeting certain stakeholders in-line with the generic FAO technical training content (to be provide by provided by RP4)
•    Facilitate training sessions as per the agreed training plans.

Strengthen AA coordination platforms 

•    Support and inform FAO engagement in relevant AA platforms in the country.
•    Support and inform FAO partnership with other stakeholders on matters related to AA.

•    Liaison with OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, aligned messaging, and appropriate review and clearance processes.

•    All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: https://www.fao.org/strategic-framework/en 
FAO social media policy and guidelines: https://www.fao.org/2/socialmedia  
Social Media Branding Guidelines: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb5044en
FAOSTYLE: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb8081en
FAO terminology http://www.fao.org/faoterm
FAO Names Of Countries https://www.fao.org/nocs/en  
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff). 
•    Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•    University degree in Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Sciences, Rural Agricultural Development, Natural Resources Management, or related field.
•    At least five years of relevant experience in disaster risk reduction and anticipatory action policy making and implementation, as well as thematic assessments and studies.
•    Working knowledge (level C) of English and Arabic (oral and written) is required.
•    Iraqi Nationality.

FAO Core Competencies

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