National Agricultural Statistics 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 United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and malnutrition. The main aim of the FAO country office in Zambia, which is headed by the FAO Representative, is to assist the Government to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Background

The 50x2030 Initiative to Close the Agricultural Data Gap is a joint initiative between the World Bank, FAO, and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) that aims to increase the capacity of low and lower middle-income countries to produce, analyze, interpret, and apply data to decisions in the agricultural sector that support rural development and food security. Within the framework of this initiative,  the Survey Team of FAO Statistics Division (ESS) is coordinating the implementation of the Data Production component, which aims at supporting national statistical Offices (NSOs) and Ministries of Agriculture (MoA) to accelerate production and dissemination of high quality and timely statistics on the agricultural and rural sector, integrating production data with data on the technical, economic, environmental and social aspects of the agricultural holdings.

The Data Production component includes providing technical assistance to the Government of Zambia to implement the annual agricultural survey programme and produce quality agricultural data improving the availability, timeliness, and accessibility of agricultural data in Zambia and to strengthen the country’s agricultural statistics system. The technical assistance started with the preparation and implementation of the Integrated Agricultural Survey (IAS) 2024 which corresponds to the CORE module of the Initiative 50x2030 and continues in 2025 with the preparation and implementation of the Crop Forecast Survey (CFS 2025) and Post-Harvest Survey (PHS 2025) which will include the Income and Labour Productivity (ILP) module of the Initiative.

Reporting lines:

Under the general supervision of the FAO Representative in Zambia and the direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR Programmes (AFAOR-P) and the Coordinator of the Surveys team of the FAO Statistical Division in Rome, the incumbent will work i) as a focal point for the implementation of the 50x2030 Initiative activities in Zambia with the support of the Survey Team of FAO Statistical Division and ii) as support for the operations unit in areas linked to monitoring the tools used and operational planning, answering the assigned tasks within the 50x2030 and within the Operations Unit of the FAO Representation in Zambia. 
The incumbent will work in close collaboration with the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MFL) and the FAO Survey Team towards the implementation of the work plans jointly identified by the three institutions.

Technical Focus

Support to the implementation of the 50x2030 Initiative in Zambia, coordination of agricultural survey activities, technical assistance for the improvement of agricultural statistics and operational planning, liaising with national institutions and FAO teams.

Tasks and responsibilities:

Output 1: 50x2030 (IAS2024, CFS2025 and PHS2025) (80%):

•     Follow the instructions from the focal point of the project implementation team in Rome HQ, coordinating at national level the technical and operational planning of the project, in dialogue with national institutions and in alignment with the CPF, namely
•     Support in the organization and logistics of meetings, preparation of agendas, preparation of informative notes, ensuring the participation of interested parties in online and in-person meetings
•     Support in the preparation and conduct of international expert missions within the 50 x 2030 Initiative
•     Participate in all technical and coordination meetings of the 50 x 2030 Initiative in Zambia and prepare summary notes
•     Support the harmonization of survey tools and instruments, ensuring consistency between the IAS, CFS, and PHS and alignment with international statistical standards and the 50x2030 methodology.
•     Monitor the progress of field data collection and provide technical backstopping, including troubleshooting operational challenges and ensuring timely submission and quality of data from field teams.

Output 2: Provide technical assistance to Regular Programmes (20%): 
•     Support in organizing regular project coordination meetings and other engagements, manage invitations, mobilize participants and support preparation of meeting notes and ensure follow up on required action points.
•     Advise the FAO Representation on matters relating agricultural, food security data, statistics and contribute to preparation of technical elements for briefs, reports, FAOR speaking points, concept motes and other relevant documents from time to time, liaise with other projects in the domain of agricultural development.
•     Represent FAO Country office in relevant coordination platforms and technical working groups at country level.
•     Identify the critical technical limitations of ZamStats, MoA and MFL related to agricultural statistics for planning future technical assistance.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING:

Minimum Requirements:

•     Advanced degree in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Social Sciences, or related fields with strong background in Statistics
•     At least five years of relevant experience in agricultural statistics, impact evaluations or large sample-based surveys.
•     National of Zambia

Technical/Functional Skills:

•     Experience working with government institutions, especially in agricultural data collection and analysis.
•     Proven coordination skills and experience managing technical projects.
•     Familiarity with national agricultural survey systems, especially the Integrated Agricultural Survey, Crop Forecast, and Post-Harvest Surveys.
•     Excellent organizational and communication skills.
•     Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

FAO Core Competencies

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION