National Legal and Policy Expert

Organizational Setting

Under the Technical Cooperation Project (TCP) “Digital Technologies in support of Agriculture Value Chains and Rural Development”, FAO will support the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia in designing, building, and launching a Vineyard Register System (VRS). The purpose of a Vineyard Register System is to provide the Ministry of Economy the needed tools to carry out informed policy-making, while supporting farmers in improving vineyard management and enabling quality assurance in the wine making process. 

The Ministry of Economy has purchased a GIS-based system that will function as the public Vineyard Register System (VRS). As part of the TCP, this system must be configured, and possibly customised, to fulfil the functions envisioned for the VRS. To deploy and operate the VRS, FAO will support the Ministry of Economy in development and implementation of a training, communication and change management plan; technical support for system setup and data migration; development of the appropriate documentation and policy framework; and the provision of support for the piloting of the system in the regions with subsequent monitoring. Finally, FAO will support the requirement gathering for a mobile application to enhance access to digital services for farmers in the grape value chain and to facilitate reporting and updates on the data that feeds into the VRS.

Reporting Lines

The National Legal and Policy Expert reports to the FAO Representative for Armenia and works under the technical guidance of the Lead Technical Officer and in close coordination with the project team and the designated Legal Officer.

Technical Focus 

The National Legal and Policy Expert will be responsible for reviewing national laws and policies while developing amendment proposals to relevant legal draft(s) in support of the VRS requirements and the business flows. In close cooperation with the project technical team, the National Legal and Policy Expert will examine the necessary legal framework features for the successful operation of VRS and will develop amendment proposals to the legal draft(s). The National Legal and Policy Expert will work on the amendment proposals to the legal draft(s), and if necessary, will produce new legal drafts for approval.

Tasks and responsibilities

The National Legal and Policy Expert will support the implementation of the TCP/ARM/3903 “Digital Technologies in support of Agriculture Value Chains and Rural Development” Project by carrying out the following main activities:
•    Review existing national laws, regulations and policies relevant to the VRS and its operation, taking into account both the Law of Armenia on farmers’ data collection and grape provision, as well as other best practices.
•    Identify gaps and produce an assessment report, which will include recommendations and amendment proposals on legal draft(s) and other relevant changes to the legal and policy frameworks, as well as assessing the possible impact and risks of the legal changes to be implemented;
•    Deliver presentation to the Ministry of Economy and other stakeholders on the proposed legal and policy changes, and collect comments for consideration;
•    Develop proposals for amendment to the relevant legal draft(s) (or produce new legal drafts, if necessary), with consideration of the lessons learnt from the VRS pilot exercise (planned in 2025). 

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    University degree in Law
•    Minimum 5 years of progressive professional experience in policy development, law drafting, law enforcement, justice sector or other relevant public administration area, preferably in agriculture and rural development;
•    Working knowledge (Proficient, Level C) of English and Armenian.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written;
•    Ability to communicate with technical and non-technical people;
•    Excellent knowledge of relevant laws in Armenia.
•    Extent and relevance of experience in:
o    Conducting Policy Assessments; 
o    Policy development and amendments to legal drafts;
o    Working with public sector’s stakeholders.
•    Experience in the following areas is a strong asset:
o    Policies related to IT systems.

Selection Criteria

•    Advanced university degree in Law, Public Policy, or related field  will be an asset.
•    Advocate license will be an asset.
•    Proficiency in using MS Office suite, namely Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
•    Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. 
•    Strong problem-solving skills. Strong time-management skills. 
•    Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
•    Ability to collaborate effectively with team members and external stakeholders.
•    Strong attention to detail.
•    Ability to work independently.