National Professional Officer (Programme and Resilience)

About Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Job Summary

Position Title: National Professional Officer (Programme & Resilience) Grade Level: N-2
Duty Station: Afghanistan, Kabul
Organizational Unit: FAO Representation in Afghanistan, FAAFG Duration *: Fixed Term: one year (with a possibility of
extension)
Post Number: 2004138
CCOG Code: 1A02

Reporting Lines
The National Professional Officer (Programme and Resilience) reports to the FAO Representative and Assistant FAO
Representative (Programme). He/she works with independence and initiative and applies knowledge of local socio-economic
conditions, language, and institutions. He/she performs a range of normative and programming tasks in support of the activities of
the FAO Representation in the areas of agriculture, forestry and rural development with particular attention to Strategic Objective
Number 5 of the Organization (SO5) on resilience. The National Professional Officer (NPO) may be asked to represent FAO in
meetings, workshops, working groups and in other forums. He/she works in close collaboration with the Assistant FAOR
(Administration), the National Operations Officer, the Field Security Officer and the Chief Technical Advisers (CTAs) and project
teams in the country.
Technical Focus
Programme development, coordination and operational assistance based on the knowledge of the local conditions, culture,
language and institutions of the country of assignment. Design and implementation of a sound Monitoring and Evaluation (M-E)
system for major Programmes in Agriculture related to Emergencies and Resilience with focus on food security and nutrition,
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and agriculture data analysis.
Key Results
Effective and efficient coordination and provision of the technical and operational support of the programme and project activities of
the FAO Representation. Develop, implement, monitor and evaluate assigned programme/projects.

Duties & Responsibilities

Key Functions

Liaises and assists government authorities and local, national and international institutions in the areas of FAO's
activities in the country and with other UN agencies. He/she may represent FAO at inter-agency meetings as
required;

Promotes the image of FAO through advocacy of the Organization's mandate, programmes, national priorities and
activities including development and maintenance of communication tools such as website, press releases and
publications, and supports the implementation of FAO's regulatory framework (Codex Alimentarius, Code of
Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, Safe Use of Pesticides, etc.) in the country;

Coordinates the collection, consolidation and maintenance of country data on food, crops, livestock, forestry and
fisheries including information on external aid in FAO's corporate systems and monitors changes in national
policies affecting the agricultural sector;

Participates in producing technical, economic and policy studies as required and developing country level
development frameworks such as the Country Programming Framework (CPF) and the United Nations
Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAF);

Participates in the identification, formulation and preparation of programme and project proposals and monitors
and reviews the status of programme/project implementation to ensure that all operational activities are carried
out in line with the work plan and the project document; identifies inconsistencies and delays and, when necessary,
proposes corrective measures to overcome operational constraints;

Briefs, trains and supervises lower grade programme staff regarding all aspects of the job. Ensures adherence to
procedures and work requirements and accuracy and diligence of the work provided.
Specific Functions

Supports the development, identification, preparation and formulation of pipeline programs and projects proposals
particularly related to SO5, in liaison with Government services, UN Agencies, Multilateral/Bilateral Donors, and
FAO Technical and Operational Divisions and Services;

Contributes to need assessments especially collecting and analyzing the secondary data related to SO5;

Specifies quantities and determines technical specification of agricultural inputs, as well as timing of agricultural
inputs required as immediate assistance of emergencies/resilience activities;

Initiates emergency/resilience project implementation until the boarding of the project CTA/manager;

Monitors the resilience projects' implementation in order to ensure quality implementation on timely manner;

Liaises with FAO regional focal points to better coordinate and implement the resilience interventions;

Participates in project preparation in support of strengthening the SO5 component of the Country Program
Framework (CPF) and inserts newly prepared concept notes and project documents in FAO relevant systems for
approval processing;

Provides inputs for the FAO Representatives annual reports and participates in the preparation of reports on FAO
resilience program/emergencies project development, implementation and monitoring;

Promotes the image of FAO through advocacy of the Organization's mandates, programs and priorities and
national activities and assists government counterparts, NGOs, the private sector and others to understand how
to access FAO knowledge and resources.

Job Requirements

Minimum Requirements

National of Afghanistan;

Advanced university degree in agriculture, agricultural economics, forestry, fisheries, or any other field related to
the work of the Organization;

Two years of relevant experience in agricultural development and/or project implementation in an area of FAO's
activities in the country, that combines project planning and formulation, agriculture, food security and nutrition,
DRR, M-E, emergency response etc.;

Level C of the official communication language used for FAO communication with the country (English, French,
Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian);

Working knowledge of the local language (if not English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian or Chinese);

Limited knowledge (Level B) of English (if the main communication language is French, Spanish, Arabic, Russian
or Chinese).
Competencies

Results Focus;

Teamwork;

Communication;

Building Effective Relationships;

Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement;
Technical/Functional Skills

Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is desirable;

Extent and relevance of experience in emergency response, resource mobilization, agriculture and economic
development and project management;

Demonstrated understanding of the purpose and functions of the technical programme, operational guidelines
and project/programme management procedures, preferably those adopted by the United Nations or FAO;

Extent and relevance of experience in the field of policy analysis relating to food and nutrition security, agriculture
and rural development;

Extent and relevance of experience in the collection of country data on food, crops, livestock, forestry and
fisheries;

Extent and relevance of experience in the identification, formulation and preparation of programme and project
proposals as well as programme/project implementation, monitoring and review
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Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and
Transparency.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

All candidates should possess computer/word processing skills

Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your iRecruitment online profile (see “How to
Apply”). We strongly recommend that you ensure that the information is accurate and complete including employment
record, academic qualifications and language skills

Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution
recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list

Other similar positions at the same level may be filled from this vacancy notice and the endorsed candidates will be
considered for the Employment Roster for a period of two years

Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments
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REMUNERATION
A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, click on
the following link: http://www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/salaries_allowances/salary.htm

Submission Guideline

To apply, visit the iRecruitment website at http://www.fao.org/employment/irecruitment-access/en/ and complete your online
profile. Only applications received through iRecruitment will be considered.
Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile.
Vacancies will be removed from recruitment at 23:59 Central European Time (CET) on the deadline for applications date. We
encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help or have queries, please contact below email address:
FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT

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