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, better environment, and better life, leaving no one behind.
Organizational Setting
The Memorandum of Understanding of the Technical Cooperation Programme between the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MoEWA) on Behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and FAO aims at supporting the Ministry in achieving its strategic objectives related to: (a) conservation and sustainable management of the natural resources and the environment; (b) achievement of water security; (c) contribution to sustainable food security; (d) sustainable development for the sectors with comparative advantages; (e) attainment of sustainable and high-quality services and products; and (f) operationalization of private sector involvement and the role of cooperatives and non-profit organizations.
Led by a Programme Coordinator, the Programme Management Unit of the FAO-KSA Technical Cooperation Programme is responsible for the overall management of the Programme including the management, oversight, and technical guidance for all projects under the Technical Cooperation Programme.
Reporting Lines
Under the overall guidance of the Programme Director and in close collaboration with the Chief Technical Advisors and technical teams, the Economist will work under the direct supervision of the Technical Adviser (Economist).
Technical Focusย
Technical advice, policy, and programmatic support to all projects under the FAO-KSA Technical Programme with particular focus on data management including collection, verification, analysis, reporting, storage and security regarding economic, social, and financial aspects.ย
Tasks and responsibilities
โข ย ย Contribute to the preparation of impact evaluation or equivalent studies, including written outputs, data collection and analyses, and inputs to publications.
โข ย ย Design and manage consultative and other meetings, conferences, including proposals for agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations.
โข ย ย Draft proposals for structuring of training workshops, seminars; and make presentations on assigned topics/activities, and field missions.
โข ย ย Contribute to the development of policies and strategies related to technical cooperation, as well as national protocols and guidelines for projects with specific domains related to FAO's work.
โข ย ย Contribute to evidence-based policy advice on the economic aspects related to sustainable rural development, sustainable management of natural resources, food security and nutrition, among others.
โข ย ย Prepare concept notes and contribute to the assessment of the social, economic, environmental and financial feasibility of key interventions through studying economic and social dimensions, market prospects, prices, costs and risks.
โข ย ย Contribute to relevant thematic studies and assessments across all projects under the FAO-KSA Technical Cooperation Programme.
โข ย ย Contribute to the evaluation of the performance of investment interventions during implementation and their impact after completion and makes recommendations for enhancing design of future operations.
โข ย ย Carry out other relevant duties within his/her technical competence.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
โข ย ย Advanced university degree in economics, development economics, agricultural economics, natural resources economics, international development, agricultural extension, statistics, or other related disciplines relevant to the assignment.
โข ย ย At least 1 year (category C) and 5 years (category B) of relevant experience
โข ย ย Working knowledge of English (C1)
FAO Core Competencies
โข ย ย Results Focus
โข ย ย Teamwork
โข ย ย Communication
โข ย ย Building Effective Relationships
โข ย ย Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
โข ย ย Work experience in more than one location or area of workย
โข ย ย Extent and relevance of experience in participating in multidisciplinary teams for the preparation of strategies and sector studies.
โข ย ย Extent and relevant experience in analytical and statistical software (e.g. R, SPSS, STATA, etc.).
โข ย ย Extent and relevance of experience in contributing to social and economic studies and provision of evidence-based policy support in areas related to food security, sustainable rural agriculture development, sustainable management of natural resources.
โข ย ย Relevance of experience in capacity development for the design and implementation of socio-economic studies including quantitative and qualitive data collection and analyses.
โข ย ย Extent of experience in financial and economic cost-benefit analysis, cost effectiveness analysis and risk assessment to inform policy and investment decisions.
โข ย ย Extent of experience in assessing the investment climate, identifying potential investment opportunities, and understanding the risks and returns associated with different types of agricultural and rural development projects.
โข ย ย Extent and relevance of experience in the agrifood systems of Saudi Arabia or similar countries.
โข ย ย Extent and relevance of experience in dealing with senior government officials, development partners and other country level stakeholders.
โข ย ย Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in English and/or Arabic.
โข ย ย A PhD in a field relevant to the assignment can be a strong asset.
โข ย ย Working level of Arabic is a strong asset.