Regional Environment Specialist for One Health and AMR

Organizational Setting

The FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific is responsible for leading FAO’s response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of focused, multi-disciplinary projects and programmes. It identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region, in collaboration with departments and divisions at Headquarters, and promotes the value and deliverables of the FAO’s New Strategic Framework within the context and outputs of work to help our Members achieve Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life for all – leaving no one behind.

The visibility of FAO’s successes in delivering its public good works within the framework of the abovementioned “Four Betters” is critical to the benefit of our Members and our resource partners. The Regional Office aims to raise visibility of its supporting role for regional policy dialogue on food security, agriculture and rural development issues and, through the development, facilitation and emergence of regional Partnerships, to support capacity development and resource mobilization for food security, agriculture and rural development across the region.

At the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, the Animal Health and Production Module is supporting delivery of the One Health Program Priority Area and the Regional Food Systems Transformation Initiative. Technical emphasis is placed on: 1) Improved Sustainable livestock production, good husbandry & farming practices including supporting the Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and Pacific (APHCA): 2) Improved risk management, prevention and control of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR); 3) Prevention and control of zoonotic diseases (emerging, endemic & food-borne) & transboundary animal diseases; and 4) Expanding One Health beyond animal and public health stakeholders, to be inclusive of the forestry, wildlife, natural resource management and environment sectors.

The post is home-based.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will deliver tasks and outputs under the overall direction of the Animal Health and Production Officer in the Animal Health and Production Module.

Technical Focus

Adopting One Health approaches to multi-sector health concerns, such as combatting AMR, has long been a priority for FAO and its partners (such as UNEP, WHO and WOAH) and the European Commission, and a high level of political commitment has been mobilised within the G7, G20, United Nations (UN) and international organisations. To promote political commitment, good governance, and assist with developing relevant capacities across sectors to support AMR mitigation and pandemic preparedness, FAO, in collaboration with its partners is implementing a European Commission funded project “Working together to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR)” (UNJP/RAS/399/EC) with nine Asian countries (China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam) focusing primarily on the environmental issues associated with AMR as they affect, and affect, the farm animal production environment.
Under the direct supervision and technical guidance of the Animal Health and Production Officer in FAO’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok and in close consultation with the UNJP/RAS/399/EC project team, including representatives from FAORAP, UNEP, WHO (SEARO and WPRO) and WOAH, the EU regional and country project focal points and communication officers, the incumbent will provide technical support to the “Working together to fight antimicrobial resistance (AMR)” project, the Animal Health and Production module and the One Health Regional Priority Program to perform the following tasks:

Tasks and responsibilities

•     For environment and AMR technical issues:
o    Lead the final expert consultation meeting for AMR surveillance guideline volume 4 – AMR monitoring and surveillance in the farm animal production environment and incorporate the group’s recommendations into the final version of the guideline. 
o    Support the final expert review and incorporate final recommendations into a final version of AMR surveillance guideline 2 Bacterial pathogens from diseased livestock and poultry.
o    Examine the value of spatial mapping of AMR emergence and transmission risk and prioritisation of interventions relating to the farm animal production environment.
o    Prepare a fact sheet/guidance for producers and farmers to create awareness and improved their understandings the importance of proper waste management and the risks association with farm effluent and waste from an AMR & health/disease standpoint.
o    Lead an activity, in consultation with UNEP, related to RENOFARM and its role at the interface between the wider environment and the farm animal environment.
o    Provide farm animal production environment perspectives to quadripartite and country counterpart roles relating to environment sector and AMR (roles and cooperation on environmental dimensions of AMR across the quadripartite and with counterpart government and non-government institutions), building on work originally done by the quadripartite at headquarters level.
o    Prepare a fact sheet on implications of antimicrobials in the environment on wildlife and biodiversity work with FAO’s Virtual Learning Centre (VLC) to build on the OpenWHO course on AMR and environment, particularly linked to Module 4: AMR in the environment in animal and plant production.
•     In collaboration with relevant RAP Regional AMR team members and the RAP Virtual Learning Centre, assist in the production and delivery of environment related training modules and related advocacy materials.
•     Provide agriculture and environment technical advice to FAO’s Decentralized Offices (sub-regional and country); and
•     Perform any other related duties as required.

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

•     For Consultants: Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in environmental or natural sciences or environment policy, agriculture, veterinary medicine, communicable diseases, public health, epidemiology; Consultants with bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
For PSAs: University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in environmental or natural sciences or environment policy, agriculture, veterinary medicine, communicable diseases, public health, epidemiology.
•     At least 5 years of relevant experience at national and international levels in environmental policy and/or management especially in relation to multi-sectoral engagement, zoonotic disease management or antimicrobial resistance.
•     Full proficiency/Working knowledge of English.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Microbiological/communicable disease/public health surveillance work experience in more than one country or region, and for more than one organization. 
•     Knowledge of tools and international programs for microbiological/communicable disease/public health surveillance.
•     Experience of knowledge of surveillance in different resource settings and technology contexts.
•     Collaboration expertise with different stakeholders (civil society, academia, government counterparts, private sector, general public) and ability to work with diverse staff in an international work environment.

Selection Criteria

•     Extent and relevance of AMR/microbiological/communicable disease/public health surveillance work experience.
•     Demonstrated experience of knowledge of surveillance in different resource settings from high to lower-middle income countries.
•     Ability to distil complex information into concise and easily understood information.
•     Ability to communicate verbally in a clear and concise manner and written English competency.
•     Demonstrated experience working well with a team of diverse professionals, diverse stakeholders and across multiple cultures.