Farmer Field School 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:

(i)    advocate, inform and support policies and investments in the areas of FAO’s mandate.
(ii)    provide technical assistance and deliver core services. 
(iii)    assist and catalyse partnership and resource mobilization activities to support agrifood systems transformation. 
(iv)    position FAO as the specialized/authoritative technical agency in food and agriculture and agrifood systems transformation. 
(v)    ensure risk-smart and accountable operations and management.

Given the socio-economic vulnerabilities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, and climate-related stresses in the target area, the “Improved Food and Nutrition Security through Diversified Income Generation and Empowerment” project emphasizes inclusive, climate-resilient agricultural practices, community-led nutrition interventions, and institutional strengthening of Producer Organizations (POs). The project targets 8,593 households in Badhaiyatal Rural Municipality, Bansgadhi Municipality, and Barbardiya Municipality. As the project areas have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and food price inflation, this project aims to enhance food and nutrition security and increase the income for vulnerable groups, scale up climate-resilient sustainable agricultural practices, and provide agricultural inputs and services for the 8593 project beneficiaries by placing strong emphasis on supporting female farmers (target beneficiaries are 75 percent women and around 55 percent from the indigenous Tharu communities). The project targets to increase household income by 25% (farm and off-farm), improve the Food Consumption Score (FCS) of the direct beneficiaries (gender disaggregated) by 45%, and improve dietary intake for pregnant, nursing women and children (6-24 months age) by 35%, compared to the baseline.

One of the key components of the project is the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices through Farmers Field Schools (FFS). The FFS approach serves as a participatory, community-led learning platform that strengthens farmers’ technical knowledge and decision-making capacity, focusing on agroecology, climate-smart practices, gender equality, and inclusion of marginalized groups.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of FAOR and the direct supervision of AFAOR (Programme) and technical supervision of the FAO designated technical officer in the FAO Regional Office in Bangkok or FAO HQ, close consultation and coordination FAO Nepal Programme and Admin team, and in coordination with the NACCFL designated project Coordinator and FAO Technical Assistance (TA) team, the National Consultant will have the overall responsibility of supporting and supervising the planning, implementation and management of activities related to adoption of climate resilient livestock and crop production technologies and  agriculture production interventions, contributing to the outputs of all project components. He/she will supervise the activities and provide technical support to POs as per necessary.

Technical Focus

The Farmer Field School (FFS) Specialist will support the Programme team in planning, implementation, and quality assurance of FFS interventions in alignment with FAO Nepal’s Country Programming Framework (2023–2027). The position will strengthen agroecology, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, climate adaptation, and community resilience through farmer-led learning and innovation.
He/she will lead the development and refinement of FFS curricula, strategies, and implementation plans, integrating climate-resilient and nutrition-sensitive practices. A core responsibility is capacity building of local resource persons, field coordinators, agriculture technicians, municipal staff, and partner organizations through Training of Facilitators, mentoring, and technical backstopping during FFS cycles.

The Specialist will ensure quality and consistency of FFS sessions, training materials, and facilitation methods, while promoting climate-smart and eco-friendly practices, including mustard-based farming systems. He/she will conduct cost–benefit analysis of local versus improved practices and generate evidence to inform decision-making and scaling.
Monitoring and documentation will include tools to track FFS progress, lessons learned, and success stories to support adaptive management. The Specialist will coordinate with government counterparts, civil society, and partner organizations, ensuring inclusivity, gender sensitivity, youth participation, and women’s empowerment remain central to all interventions.

Tasks and responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Nepal and close coordination with Programme team of the FAO Representation in Nepal, the Farmer Field School Specialist will perform following tasks:

• Support the team to develop and refine the project’s FFS curriculum, strategy and implementation plan, including integration of agroecology, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, climate adaptation, and gender equality as per local context.
• Support to identify priority crops for mustard-based farming systems, themes, and community needs through participatory assessments.
• Support in the design/refinement and facilitation of Training of Facilitators (ToF) for local resource persons, field coordinators, and agriculture technicians, staff of municipalities, partner organization and Govt organizations of the Bardiya district. 
• Support to provide technical backstopping and mentoring support to FFS facilitators during FFS cycle implementation.
• Provide support/oversee in establishing FFS and assist for their smooth operation in coordination with NACCFL and relevant stakeholders at local and province level. 
• Support to ensure technical consistency and quality of the FFS sessions, curricula, and facilitation methods across project sites.
• Support in review and standardize FFS training materials, IEC materials, guides, and modules based on national priorities and FAO standards.
• Support to introduce climate change friendly technologies and ecofriendly pest management technologies and evaluate the local practice over the climate resilient practice with cost benefit analysis.
• Support to develop and apply practical tools for monitoring FFS implementation, including progress tracking and outcome mapping.
• Ensure that FFS activities are inclusive, gender-sensitive, and promote women’s empowerment, nutrition awareness, and youth participation.
• Perform any other duties as assigned

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements  
 
•     Advanced university degree in Agriculture, Climate Resilient Agriculture, Extension Education, or related field.
•     Minimum of 5 years of proven working experience in FFS implementation, training, and facilitation at the community level.
•     Working knowledge of English and Nepali (Knowledge of Tharu language is an asset.)
•     National of Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal or with valid work permit

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

Competency and Experience in:

•     Proven experience in designing and delivering ToF programs and mentoring field facilitators.
•     Demonstrated understanding of agroecology, climate-resilient agriculture, and inclusive rural development.
•     Familiarity with FAO’s FFS approach and training materials is a strong asset.

Selection Criteria

•     Experience in designing and/or implementing Farmer Nutrition Schools (FNS), or similar participatory approaches.
•     Strong facilitation, mentoring, and adaptive learning skills.
•     Demonstrated commitment to community empowerment with particular focus on women, youth, and marginalized groups.
•     Willingness and ability to travel frequently to remote project sites for field implementation and backstopping.
•     Proven track record of documenting success stories, case studies, and lessons learned.
•     Ability to work independently as well as within a multidisciplinary and multicultural team, with strong organizational and result-oriented approach.