Pacific Aquaculture and Proposal Development Expert

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) advances the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation toward more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. This effort promotes better production, improved nutrition, a healthier environment, and enhanced livelihoods, ensuring no one is left behind.

The Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing, and implementing strategies and projects that drive the transformation of food, agriculture, and rural development. It also fosters and maintains relationships with subregional institutions.

The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP).

In the Pacific region, seaweed culture is at different stages of production. Seaweed culture is considered to be a climate-resilient option for aquatic food systems. The Pacific Regional Aquaculture Strategy (2025) notes that “Although only a limited number of species are currently cultured throughout the Pacific Islands region, seaweed production has potential to increase significantly and form part of an integrated aquaculture production system”. This Technical Cooperation Programme-facility (TCPf) is focused on the culture of seaweed to complement FAO-SAP’s three active (2025-2027) aquaculture TCPs for other commodities. This TCPf will update assessments of the current state of seaweed culture in the project countries, identify enabling conditions (at national and regional level) for current and future viability as a commercial commodity and identify entry points for sustainable and equitable growth of the industry. A funding proposal is to be prepared for an initiative that benefits the five countries that have requested support and ensures regional support on seaweed culture is accessible to interested countries in the future. A connected approach is needed to address the existential threats facing coastal fisheries and aquaculture from climate change in the Pacific region. Consultation with SPC is required to ensure alignment with regional aquaculture priorities, identify gaps and establish areas of collaboration, to leverage the relative strengths and opportunities of FAO and SPC.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance of the FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific and the direct supervision of the International Fisheries and Aquaculture Specialist, Lead Technical Officer of project TCP/SAP/4009 (TA), the Pacific Aquaculture and Proposal Development Expert will perform following tasks.

Tasks and responsibilities

1. Document the current state of seaweed culture in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, and Solomon Islands identifying enabling conditions (at national and regional level) for current and future viability as a commercial commodity and identify entry points for sustainable and equitable growth of the industry by:
1.1 Conducting a desktop review to identify and document national and regional status of development of seaweed culture with particular attention to the following areas:
•     Governance
•     Current regulatory frameworks including laws and policies
•     directly and indirectly related to seaweed farming
•     Updates, development or reform of existing regulatory tools
•     Enforcement of key regulatory tools
•     Environmental management
•     Water quality monitoring and management.
•     Social equity considerations
•     Capacity and technology needs
•     Access to inputs
•     Suitability of species
•     Infrastructure assessment and needs
•     Value adding and domestic/export marketing
•     Future proofing investments for climate change resilience
1.2 With a gender and social inclusion lens, conducting online consultations and one in country mission to each country to validate and update desktop data, including identified gaps.
1.3 Conduct donor and partnership mapping to identify a target funding source for a proposal
1.4 Consult with SPC to ensure alignment with regional aquaculture priorities, identify gaps and establish areas of collaboration.
2. Develop one detailed funding proposal in consultation with partners including well defined activities and estimated costs. 
2.1 Based on the gap analysis and recommendations from 1 develop a draft funding proposal for SAP review with specific activities identified using the format of an identified funding source.
2.2 Submit a final, detailed funding proposal with specific activities and estimated costs.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•     Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in Aquaculture, Mariculture or equivalent required, Consultants with bachelor`s degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience
•     At least five years' experience working as a consultant in a related field
•     Working Knowledge (level C) of English

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Efficiency, competence and integrity as well as negotiating skills, tact and diplomacy are essential.
•     Able to work with multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural project partners at regional and international level
•     Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, with experience liaising between diverse project stakeholders
•     Demonstrated effective writing and critical analysis skills

Selection Criteria

•     Demonstrated practical experience in regional mariculture activities
•     Knowledge of the international donor landscape
•     Proven ability to write quality reports and project proposals 
•     Established relationships with relevant institutions in one or more of the project countries/regions
•     Proven experience in adopting gender and socially inclusive approach to analysis
•     Practical experience in mariculture in the Pacific context.