Specialist on Youth and Rural Development

Organizational Setting

The Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) is responsible for leading FAO’s response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO’s priority activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region and, in collaboration with departments and divisions at Headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO's strategic response to regional priorities.  

REU supports regional policy dialogue on food security, agriculture and rural development issues, facilitates the emergence of regional partnerships, and supports capacity development and resource mobilization for food security, agriculture and rural development in the region.

REU and the offices in the Region are implementing their programs under the programmatic umbrella of three Regional Priority Programmes. The Regional Priority Programmes are supported by a multidisciplinary team of technical experts assigned to the relevant technical results and supporting the country offices in providing technical support to facilitate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in close collaboration with FAO HQ technical experts.

In its Strategic Framework 2022–2031, FAO has identified “youth” as an important group whose needs must be addressed across all of FAO’s programmatic work areas so to promote a more systematic mainstreaming and operationalization of these issues across all of FAO’s work. This advertised position will support the country and regional level activities related to rural youth, including further mainstreaming this cross-cutting theme in the FAO work programme and specifically focusing on supporting rural youth in the region

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Regional Programme Leader, REU, the Specialist on Youth and Rural Development will report to the REU Regional Priority Programme Coordinator for Smallholders/Land Tenure Officer. The specialist will collaborate with other FAO consultants, professionals and administrative staff in REU Office and FAO Headquarters, as well as FAO staff in country offices of the region.

Technical Focus

The Consultant will work as part of a closely collaborating team to provide policy advice and technical assistance, including capacity development activities that support rural youth empowerment in the REU region. This will include youth mainstreaming as well as youth specific interventions in the context of agriculture and rural development in the region, which will all contribute to the implementation of the FAO Rural Youth Action Plan (2021 – 2025) and the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (2019 – 2028). More specifically the Consultant will contribute to project formulation and implementation in European and Central Asian countries, reporting, capacity development, preparation of technical papers, guidelines and policy recommendations under the regional and country level work programme in the field of youth and rural development.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Consultant will work closely with FAO staff to: 
•     Conduct research, analysis and contribute to the normative work of the Regional Office related to rural development, rural youth as well as youth in agriculture and rural development, and specifically in family farming and related policy issues to support the delivery of programmes, projects, products and services in the region;
•     Provide technical guidance, support assessments, studies and initiatives and provide technical backstopping to field projects;
•     Contribute to appraisal and provide technical leadership in awareness raising and capacity development of the Ministries and other relevant national/local stakeholders related to rural development, youth empowerment and youth mainstreaming in agriculture and rural development policy in the programme countries, including preparation of training materials and information materials;
•     Contribute to regional dialogue on rural youth, agriculture and rural development, to ensure integration of youth related concerns in policies and practices of the member states;
•     Formulate concept notes and projects related to rural development, youth empowerment and their engagement in agriculture and rural development;
•     Support youth mainstreaming based on the FAO Strategic Framework in the region with an emphasis on the Regional Priority Programmes, by providing technical guidance and support to technical and programme staff in the Regional, Subregional and Country Offices
•     Raise awareness and conduct capacity development on youth mainstreaming for FAO staff and specifically for Youth Focal Points at regional, sub-regional and country level;
•     Maintain and strengthen regional partnerships, collaborate with the UN agencies, academia, research and training institutions as well as participate, when necessary, to the regional inter-agency working groups in respective technical areas; and
•     Contribute to and support the aspirations of the World Food Forum (WFF), which is an independent global network of partners, created for and led by youth. This includes support WFF-related activities at country, regional, and global levels, including the establishment of WFF National Youth Chapters, participation in WFF Youth Focal Point meetings, and contribution to the WFF flagship event.

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 social sciences, economy, rural development, international relations, international development or related fields; Consultants with bachelor`s degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
•     5 years of relevant experience in policy assistance and/or programme development and management and research in the field of youth related issues in the context of agriculture and rural development and/or poverty reduction and/or rural employment, agriculture including generational sustainability of family farming and/or social inclusion;
•     Working knowledge of English (level C);

FAO Core Competencies

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

Selection Criteria

•     Relevance of academic qualifications
•     Extent of knowledge and experience related to in policy assistance and/or programme development and management and research in the field of youth-related issues in the context of rural development and/or poverty reduction and/or rural employment and/or agriculture including generational sustainability of family farming and/or social inclusion;
•     Report and academic writing skills and analytical skills; 
•     Extent and relevance of experience in project / programme design and management; 
•     Excellent command of written and spoken English;
•     Working knowledge of Russian is an asset;
•     Work experience in UN/international organisations and;
•     Work experience in the Europe and Central Asia region.