Regional Coordinator

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through 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: 
•    advocate, inform and support policies and investments in the areas of FAO’s mandate.
•    provide technical assistance and deliver core services. 
•    assist and catalyse partnership and resource mobilization activities to support agrifood systems transformation. 
•    position FAO as the specialized/authoritative technical agency in food and agriculture and agrifood systems transformation; and 
•    ensure risk-smart and accountable operations and management.   

The \"Transforming Livelihoods through Climate Resilient, Low Carbon, Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains in the Lake Region Economic Bloc\" project (GCP/KEN/116/GCF) aims to revitalize six critical value chains: dairy, poultry, coffee, tea, fruit trees, and African leafy vegetables. The initiative seeks to enhance food security, boost climate resilience, and promote profitable, climate-smart enterprises. Its specific objectives include:
•    Facilitating the transfer and scaling up of climate-resilient, low-emission technologies throughout all production stages, from farming to consumption.
•    Directly assisting over 63,000 smallholder farmers through FAO-led farmer field schools, with an additional 80,000 benefiting via cooperatives, incorporating gender-sensitive support.
•    Creating replicable models for other regions to ensure lasting impact beyond the duration of the project.

The position is located in the FAO Country Office in Kenya. More specifically in Homabay and Kapsabet.

The grade of the position is SC8.

Reporting Lines

The Regional Coordinator will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Kenya, the direct supervision of the Program Coordinator of the project and the technical guidance of the Lead Technical Officers from the Sub-regional office of Eastern Africa.

Technical Focus

The Regional Coordinator will ensure the effective implementation of the “Transforming Livelihoods through Climate Resilient, Low Carbon, Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains in the Lake Region Economic Bloc” “GCP/KEN/116/GCF” accordance with project document, Project Implementation Manual (PIM), implementation plan, optimizing the use of project resources and inputs to achieve project objectives. The Regional Coordinator will collaborate with other national and international consultants on project implementation. A strong understanding of climate-smart agriculture, value chain development, agroforestry production system and gender-sensitive approaches in the Lake Region Economic Bloc is required.

Tasks and responsibilities

Overall Project Management Unit (PMU) Supports:

•    Manage and supervise day-to-day operational tasks in the assigned counties to support the program coordinator’s PMU management.
•    Develop the county-level annual, quarterly, monthly, and bi-weekly work plans with support from the CTA, Program Coordinator, and project technical personnel.
•    Ensure the implementation of assigned tasks (including the Workplans and Budgets (AWPBs), procurement plans, and field visits) follows the Project Implementation Manual (PIM).

Project Operations:

•    Lead the implementation of the approved Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB) to achieve county-level key milestones, deliverables, and KPIs; ensure adherence to the AWPB and PIM in line with FAO and GCF guidelines.
•    Ensure effective allocation and management of GCF and co-financier resources, coordinating closely with the PMU Financial Manager and promptly informing the CTA and Program Coordinator of any delays or issues.
•    Coordinate with field staff from Operation Partners, other Executing Entities, service providers, and contractors to align with project agreements, outcomes, and FAO/GCF requirements.
•    Work with farmer field school (FFS) service providers, master trainers, and partners to deliver the FFS to targeted participants under the supervision of the CTA and Program Coordinator, including developing FFS curriculums, establishing monitoring systems, protocols for demo-plots, and facilitating exchange visits.
•    Monitor the progress of the Operational Partner Agreement (OPA) under the guidance of the CTA and Program Coordinator.
•    Support the Program Coordinator in developing the Procurement Plan (PP) and financial plan, promptly reporting to the CTA and Program Coordinator on the allocation of produced goods and services during project implementation.
•    Participate in field missions to monitor activity-based progress in targeted areas.
•    Facilitate missions of FAO representatives and consultants, including agenda preparation, travel logistics, and other arrangements.
•    Prepare for the project closure phase.

 Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Reporting:

•    Monitor and report regularly to the Program Coordinator on project progress based on the Project M&E manual, including information from implementation partners, consultants, service providers (NGOs, academia, consulting firms), suppliers, and government staff.
•    Support M&E officers in field monitoring activities such as data collection and quality assurance, ensuring coherence with project component requirements, including co-financed activities.
•    Organize Operational Partners Implementation Modality (OPIM) quality assurance activities (spot checks and audits) in collaboration with FAO project supervision.
•    Assist in FAO project supervision, interim independent evaluations, and final independent evaluations in close coordination with the FAO Country Office and the FAO Independent Office of Evaluation (OED).
•    Support knowledge management and dissemination of project outputs.
•    Develop project documentation, including meeting minutes, workshop proceedings, communication materials such as briefing notes, project summaries, and newsletters.

 Communication, Dissemination, and Partnership:

•    Support the Program Coordinator and the Communication Officer in implementing the Project Communication Strategy.
•    Responsible for disseminating project progress, success stories, and best practices to county-level partners and farmers.

 Other Duties:

•    Perform other relevant tasks as assigned by the FAO Representative in Kenya

FAO Standards and guidelines:

•    Liaison with OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, aligned messaging, and appropriate review and clearance processes.
•    All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: https://www.fao.org/strategic-framework/en  
FAO social media policy and guidelines: https://www.fao.org/2/socialmedia   
Social Media Branding Guidelines: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb5044en 
FAOSTYLE https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb8081en 
FAO terminology http://www.fao.org/faoterm 
FAO Names of Countries https://www.fao.org/nocs/en    
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff). 
•    Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•    Advanced university degree in agriculture, rural development, project management, or a related field
•    At least 4 years of relevant experience in managing development projects, preferably with experience in climate-smart agriculture and/or value chain development in Kenya.
•    Working knowledge of English and Kiswahili
•    National of Kenya

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Proven experience in project management including monitoring/evaluation/reporting, coordination with various stakeholders and partnership development 
•    Excellent communication, interpersonal, and report-writing skills.

Selection Criteria 

•    Experience working with international organizations (such as FAO and/or GCF) will be an added advantage

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION