Programme Specialist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-UN) - An intergovernmental organization, FAO has 194 Member Nations, two associate members and one member organization, the European Union. Its employees come from various cultural backgrounds and are experts in the multiple fields of activity FAO engages in. FAO’s staff capacity allows it to support improved governance inter alia, generate, develop and adapt existing tools and guidelines and provide targeted governance support as a resource to country and regional level FAO offices. Headquartered in Rome, Italy, FAO is present in over 130 countries.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Programme Specialist (FISH4ACP project)

Job ID:  2202224
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Organizational Unit: FRNIR
Duration: 12 months
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition: NPP (National Project Personnel)

Organizational Setting

• The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through FAO's Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, for better production (BP), better nutrition (BN), a better environment (BE), and a better life (BL), leaving no one behind.
• The Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI) is responsible for the economic, social, institutional, governance and policy aspects of FAO's activities related to fisheries and aquaculture and their development, with particular emphasis on human well-being, food security and poverty reduction; post-harvest utilization, marketing and trade with due regard to the protection of the environment, food security and the well-being of fishery communities; collection, compilation, validation, trend analysis and dissemination of the best available and up-to-date fishery statistics and for the syndication of the FAO information on all aspects of world fisheries and aquaculture.
• The Division is also responsible for FAO's activities related to the management and conservation of the living aquatic resources used by fisheries and aquaculture, including the biodiversity and ecosystem maintenance, with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable and threatened species and habitats; management of responsible fisheries and aquaculture in accordance with management standards and best practices; development of fisheries technology, with due regard to the protection of the environment, food security and the well-being of fishing communities, including the safety of fishers and fishing vessels.
• The FISH4ACP project (“Sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture value chains in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries”) is a five-year project led by the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
• FISH4ACP aims at improving the sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture value chains through five main components / specific objectives: i) Robust fisheries and aquaculture improvement strategies are developed and agreed with stakeholders; ii) Economic performance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in selected value chains is improved; iii) Inclusiveness and the social sustainability of selected value chains are improved; iv) The environmental sustainability of selected value chains is enhanced; and v) MSMEs in selected value chains have access to additional sources of finance and investment.

Reporting Lines

• Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative, the direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR (Programme), in close collaboration with the FISH4ACP-National Project Officer, the FISH4ACP Project Management Unit (PMU) country coordinator and other national and international consultants in the project team, the country programme team, the incumbent will perform following duties and responsibilities;

Technical Focus

• Contribute to the project implementation, technical and strategic assistance, coordination, outreach and reporting to partners based on knowledge of the local socio-cultural context and industry landscape.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative, the direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR (Programme), in close collaboration with the FISH4ACP-National Project Officer, the FISH4ACP Project Management Unit (PMU) country coordinator and other national and international consultants in the project team, the country programme team, the incumbent will perform following duties and responsibilities;
• Contribute project management and economic, social and/or environmental-specific expertise to the work planning and implementation of the farmed catfish value chain upgrading strategy in Nigeria in liaison with the national team, partners, and complementing the inputs of various specialists, and other team members;
• Assist the NPO in implementation and monitoring the value chain development activities of the project, facilitating linkages between stakeholders, including the formation of the value chain task forces, and the organization of value chain stakeholder workshops; 
• Contribute to the development of the FISH4ACP annual country level work plan and budget; 
• In liaison with the NPO and PMU, support consultants (national and international) responsible for value chain development activities, thereby ensuring the implementation of a sustainable systems-based value chain approach;
• Build, maintain and strengthen partnerships with country and regional stakeholders who can contribute to achieving FISH4ACP value chain objectives; 
• Contribute to the development and implementation of the FISH4ACP communication strategy at country level; 
• Support the regular monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the programme at country level, as well as the regular reporting of progress to the FAOR, Assistant FAOR (Programme), and within annual reports to FISH4ACP project partners; 
• Support learning across the programme by exchanging information with related FISH4ACP value chains, share lessons learned and best practices to improve the methodology, and its application for potential fisheries and aquaculture projects going forward;
• Maintain and strengthens relationships with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the European and German (BMZ) representation in Nigeria;
• Coordinates, collates and analyses quarterly value chain progress reports from the value chain task forces to gauge the impact of FISH4ACP interventions;
• Coordinates the knowledge sharing emerging from the value chain to ensure information is widely disseminated within the FISH4ACP project and externally;
• Supports and monitors the value chain development activities, facilitating linkages between stakeholders, including the formation of the value chain task force, and the organization of value chain task force meetings;
• Participates (or represent the NPO) in regular, technical and thematic working groups meetings for the purpose of coordination, knowledge sharing and other relevant objectives;
• Assist in facilitating capacity development activities planned under the FISH4ACP project country workplan; 
• Contribute to the development of a knowledge base on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture value chain development;  
• Acts as the Assistant Secretary to the FISH4ACP Value Chain Task Force (VC-TF) and organizes meetings and plans agendas.
• Prepares in liaison with the NPO a quarterly reports for submission to the Project Management Unit (PMU), which will include information on results achieved, constraints and possible solutions, impact evaluation, as well as administrative and financial updates;
• Assist in monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the programme, at country level, throughout the project duration, including the selection of value chain-specific indicators, as well as the regular reporting of progress to the PMU; and
• Performs other duties as required.

Candidates Will be Assessed Against the Following
Minimum Requirements:

• Master’s Degree with at least 5 years of experience or Bachelor’s Degree in agricultural sciences and/or other related field of study is preferable with 7 years of experience.
• Working knowledge of English (level C);
• National of Nigeria

FAO Core Competencies:

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

Technical / Functional Skills:

• Additional qualifications and experience in climate smart agriculture and sustainable energy will be an added advantage
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in aquaculture, is desirable
• Extent and relevance of experience in practical sustainable value chain development, technical cooperation-related activities, policy advice and analysis relating to food and nutrition security, fisheries and aquaculture, agriculture and rural development, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes and/or providing technical support and advice on institutional capacity building processes;
• Depth of familiarity with fisheries and aquaculture sector in developing countries, and extent and relevance of experience in programme /project management, value chain analysis, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture management;
• Extent and relevance of experience in project coordination and an understanding of the purpose and functions of technical programmes, operational guidelines and programme/project management procedures, preferably those adopted by the United Nations or FAO would be considered an asset;
• Extent and relevance of experience in editing and publishing communication products related to fisheries and/or value chain activities.
• Extent and relevance of experience in establishing and maintaining partnerships with UN agencies, NGOs as well as donors, private sector, universities, research institutions and government institutions and agencies;

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Application Instruction and Notice

• All candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
• To apply click on the link above and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/ 
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services.
• You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application.
• You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact: [email protected]
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications. 
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances

Application Deadline  10:59 PM; 24th August, 2022.