National Agriculture 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. The FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) was established in 1996 in Samoa to coordinate the FAO work in the Pacific and covers 14 - Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Tokelau (one Associate Member). SAP is responsible for developing, implementing and overseeing programmes and projects to address food security, nutrition, agriculture, natural resources management, and rural development priorities, in which gender, climate change adaption, and anticipatory action are important cross-cutting issues. SAP develops and maintains relations with subregion wide institutions and entities. The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP).

The Sustainable Transformation of Domestic Agrifood Systems in Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands (STODAS) project is funded by the European Union for implementation over 2023-2026 and is implemented by FAO in partnership with the Fiji Ministry of Agriculture & Waterways, Samoa Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Solomon Islands Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The majority of the project interventions are implemented through specific agreements with ministries, civil society organizations (CSOs) and research institutions, and are aimed at a sustainable, resilient transformation of agricultural production and consumption led by local actors and stakeholders.

In this context, the National Agriculture Specialist will provide subject matter expertise at a national level to assist in the technically effective and timely implementation of the STODAS project, as it pertains to Fiji, Samoa and/or Solomon Islands. The National Agriculture Specialist will receive necessary guidance from the project’s International Agriculture Expert(s) and the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) to ensure productive liaison between FAO and the agriculture ministry on technical aspects of the agriculture and livestock production interventions.

The STODAS project is seeking to fill three National Agriculture Specialist positions, based in Fiji, Samoa and the Solomon Islands. The positions will have a focus on the project’s production-related activities, which are:
o    Activity 2.1: Enhance domestic crop production, productivity and value addition; and 
o    Activity 2.2: Promote enhanced domestic livestock production
 

Reporting Lines

The Specialist will be under the overall supervision of the FAO Subregional Coordinator (SRC) for the Pacific and will report directly to the Technical Adviser (Agrifood Systems). He/she will also liaise and work closely with the National Project Coordinator (Agrifood Systems), and the STODAS Focal Point within the government agriculture ministry, FAO technical staff, and the Project Team.

Technical Focus

Provide national-level technical support to assist in the identification, implementation, and monitoring of STODAS agrifood system interventions in Fiji, Samoa, and/or the Solomon Islands. The Specialist will contribute to data collection, analysis, capacity building, and stakeholder coordination, ensuring activities are carried out in line with approved project plans and country strategies.

Tasks and responsibilities

The National Agriculture Expert will undertake the following tasks:
•     In consultation with the government  Focal Point and technical staff in agriculture ministries, identify community-based production systems and target provinces/divisions in the project countries that can benefit from the project and which align with the scope and purpose of the project, assessing their vegetable, fruit and crop production systems, poultry and other livestock production systems, and their specific needs, gaps, challenges, opportunities, training required, and market connections. Provide this information to assist the project team and government in scoping out the detailed concepts for approved interventions so that they are well-matched to country agrifood transformation strategies.
•     Support the NPC’s efforts to identify local agrifood actors, CSOs, farmer groups, associations, processors, traders and potential agribusiness incubatees and assess their technical capacity to become Service Providers and implement approved interventions of the project.
•     Acquire a good understanding of the STODAS project mission, and FAO policies and documentation requirements for Letters of Agreements and procurements and commit to working closely with the backend team in the Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands to provide required information efficiently and smoothly.
•     Based on the Specialist’s understanding of technically competent potential Service Providers, collect information to assist liaison between FAO and these organizations to ensure they register as bidders for competitively advertised country-level interventions for the STODAS project and are aware of the requirements for submission of technical proposals to the United Nations General Marketplace (UNGM) platform.
•     Conduct monitoring and evaluation tasks on the activities and distribution of FAO-procured goods by Service Providers, as per the country-level workplan of the STODAS project and agreed contracts in place, and provide updates to the NPC, the M&E Specialist and the Technical Adviser.
•     Support capacity and provide training to Service Providers on beneficiary selection criteria and how to provide quality means of verification for the agreed technical outputs, timelines, required reports and other deliverables so that their contractual obligations can be met, payments received in a timely way, and contract extensions avoided.
•     Utilise his/her areas of specialist expertise to conduct training workshops and consultations on specific areas of the agrifood system as suggested and organized by the NPC and assist in other activities under the project as required, including launch events and STODAS National Taskforce meetings.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•     A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in agriculture (including crops, soils, livestock, fisheries, forestry), Agronomy, Horticulture, Veterinary Science or a related science or technology-based field.  
•     At least 5 years of relevant experience in development project implementation, field data collection, agricultural and/or livestock value chain assessment, monitoring and evaluation methods, and results-based project management reporting.
•     National or Resident of Samoa, Fiji, Solomon Islands
•     Working Knowledge of English.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Proven ability to write reports and analyse data, utilising relevant software to support the implementation of the STODAS activities and preparation of knowledge products and sustainability plans.
•     Knowledge of the agrifood system in Fiji, Samoa and/or Solomon Islands and/or other Pacific nations as well as recent innovations and new technologies that are applicable and useful.
•     Knowledge and experience in community liaison, development communication and capacity-building methods that are effective in the Pacific.
•     Fluency in at least one national and at least one community-level language used in Pacific countries is an asset.
•     Experience working with a cross-section of stakeholders, including senior government officials in small and vulnerable states, especially SIDS and LDCs.
•     Strong writing skills and language proficiency.
•     Work experience in more than one location or area of work
 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION