Organizational Setting

The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Country Office, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

The EU-funded programme entitled “Support to Rural Entrepreneurship, Investment and Trade in Papua New Guinea” (EU-STREIT PNG) is implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as the United Nations Joint Programme (UNJP), in collaboration with the Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and other partner agencies such as ILO, UNCDF, UNDP and ITU. The programme aims to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development, with a particular emphasis on improving the living conditions of rural communities, with a great emphasis on gender equality and youth inclusion.

Reporting Lines

The National IT Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the Programme Coordinator, and direct supervision of Operations Officer in consultation with the subject experts of the FAO Regional Office for the Asia Pacific (RAP) and supporting technical divisions at FAO headquarters and in close collaboration with the and Project Implementation Management Unit (PIMU).

This Position is based in Wewak, ESP of Papua New Guinea.

Technical Focus

The National IT Specialist will be responsible to ensure technical soundness and timeliness of activities in the design, planning, supervision of the implementation and monitoring of IT and ICT related activities in support of the project team and its outreach to beneficiary communities of EU-STREIT Programme.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Provide experienced and specialized support to EU-STREIT Programme information systems and/ or self-managed servers, including version management, data recovery and user access; perform ongoing reviews with users and developers and respond to users’ requests; provide technical support and training to users when necessary;
•    Receive and log all requests from users relating to IT Services in the Service Desk System; provide support to EU-STREIT Programme users to resolve issues regarding the full range of computer applications as well as standard and non-standard hardware, software and peripherals (CD-writers, scanners, USB-drives, etc.); act as liaison between users and the IT Division for resolution of complex or persistent issues that cannot be solved directly; monitor progress and ensure problem resolution;
•    Support all aspects of IT support required within EU-STREIT Programme including but not limited to: recommending acquisition of hardware, software, devices, tools; complex software and hardware troubleshooting; maintaining inventories; desktop and laptop deployment and configuration; simple user account administration; website development and updates; configuration and testing of hardware and software; assistance in testing and evaluation of new products and technologies; information systems monitoring and support; and, maintaining information systems such as databases.
•    Support M&E team in implementation and maintenance of data collection equipment/tools for M&E needs, harmonization of data, including but not limited to communication hardware and equipment.
•    Assist in the planning and procurement of IT equipment and software, based on established equipment life cycle processes: provide specifications for the purchase of hardware, software and peripherals and assist users in the preparation of IT-related POs and LO’s, technically clearing PR’s, LVO’s and LO’s in Oracle for hardware, software and peripherals; liaise with the IT Division for clearance of non-standard equipment and software;
•    Ensure all IT/ICT solutions and equipment of the STREIT programme, including field offices are in working conditions, maintained and protected from physical damage and/or digital security breach.
•    Manage the EU-STREIT Programme pool of IT equipment and local stock of IT supplies and materials: maintain the inventory and assets in the Service Desk System and GRMS fixed assets; ensure that software licenses are legally acquired and formally recorded;
•    Process separation clearance as per established procedures;
•    Provide hands-on assistance to users in organizing presentations and setting up audio-visual equipment;
•    Draft technical documentation and reports;
•    Provide user guidance and training on IT equipment and services; contribute to the IT knowledge base, and train other Information Technology Assistants and other employees if required;
•    Keep abreast of developments in technology and in close consultation with Operations Officer work with the IT Division to recommend improvements to hard- and software;
•    In close coordination of Int. and national staff, improve the data collection system and categorization of data collected into the databases;
•    Maintain all internal servers to ensure proper permissions, security and access to appropriate information resources and services;
•    In close coordination with International Operations Officer, design and implement programme filing system for archivation of programme documents.
•    Perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements  

•    At least High School Graduation Certificate ( 12);
•    At least two (2) years of experience in the performance of the tasks described above or a related field,
•    Practical knowledge of server (e.g. Microsoft/Linus), Firewall, mail server, recover site set up and maintenance;
•    National of Papua New Guinea
•    Working Knowledge of English and Tok Pisin.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    University studies in Information Technologies or other relevant field are preferable.
•    Certification or knowledge of networking (e.g. CCNA, MCSE) is preferable.
•    Working experience with UN and other international organizations is preferred.
•    Very good organization and communication skills.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION