Economist (Policy for Investment)

Organizational Setting

The FAO Investment Centre (CFI) provides investment and finance solutions that lead to more efficient, sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems. Working in over 120 countries, the FAO Investment Centre provides a full suite of investment and finance support to FAO Members. It partners with governments, international and national financing institutions, the private sector and farmers, research institutions and academia to improve the quality and quantity of agrifood investment. The Centre’s four main areas of work include support to strategic investment planning and policy, public investment, private investment, and innovative finance. These are complemented by the knowledge for investment and capacity development for investment programmes that serve to share knowledge, learn and build capacities at country level. For additional information on the FAO Investment Centre, its activities, partners and the organizational structure please visit the following link.

The post is located in the Near East and North Africa, and Europe and Central Asia Service (CFIC) of the FAO Investment Centre (CFI) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Economist (Policy for Investment) reports to the Chief, Near East and North Africa, and Europe and Central Asia Service (CFIC).

Technical Focus
Provide analytical, strategic and technical contributions on economic and financial themes regarding agricultural and food systems-related policies, public sector strategies and plans, as well as individual public and private investment operations and programmes. This includes the formulation, implementation and evaluation of investment policies, strategies, programmes and projects in food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing.

Key Results
Delivering investment and finance support solutions through the provisions of technical expertise/assistance and support to capacity development, in collaboration with country stakeholders and cooperating partners, to achieve impact at scale in the transformation of agrifood systems in the scope of the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions
• Participates in, and eventually leads multidisciplinary teams to assist governments in the identification and preparation of investment and finance support initiatives in the fields of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing; participates in pre-appraisal and appraisal missions.
• Participates in, and eventually leads multidisciplinary teams for the implementation support and the preparation of final evaluation of investment operations.
• Provides technical expertise for the preparation of food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing studies and strategies in the formulation of national sector and/or sub-sector investment plans and programmes.
• Supports the development of inclusive and sustainable food systems involving producers, their organizations, other private sector actors, and civil society organizations and governments.
• Formulates and delivers capacity development initiatives in the areas of food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment support to government staff, non-state actors and private sector organizations.
• Prepares reports in accordance with governments and financing partners’ requirements.
• Provides support in task organization, selection of consultants, preparation of terms of reference and in ensuring the quality of outputs.
• Promotes international cooperation and collaboration leading to new investment opportunities and cooperative agreements, advocates best practices and effective policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international meetings.
• Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate Strategy.
• Provides guidance and advice to junior staff.

Specific Functions
• Participates and/or provides substantial contributions to the design of sovereign lending operations financed by partner financial institutions in close collaboration with local public institutions, including investment and finance support projects and programmes in agricultural and rural development topics.
• Assesses the feasibility and viability of different public investment options both from an economic perspective and in terms of institutional capacity and their suitability to be implemented at local level.
• Participates in the review of the performance of sovereign lending projects or programmes financed by partner financial institutions during implementation, making recommendations for their enhancement and assessing their impact after completion, in order to inform the design of future operations.
• Conducts policy analysis (including potentially public expenditure reviews and market price support analysis) to identify opportunities to improve public investment and promote more and better private investment for agrifood systems transformation towards greater sustainability.
• Participates in the preparation of public investment plans, strategies and other guiding public documents in agriculture and rural development or specific sub-sector.
• Participates in studies which support the identification of investments and improve sectoral policies.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in economics, agricultural economics, natural resources economics, agribusiness management or a closely related field.
• Seven years of relevant experience in the practical application of economic analysis to development issues, value chain analysis and development, agribusiness and market development, including analytical studies, and/or in the formulation and implementation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment operations in developing countries and/or countries in transition.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

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 essential.
• Extent and relevance of public and private sector professional experience in areas, such as policy, agriculture, agribusiness, natural resource management and greening of agrifood systems.
• Extent and relevance of experience in leading/preparing analytical and feasibility studies on topics related to agrifood sector investments.
• Extent and relevance of experience in leading/or contributing significantly to policy work related to agrifood sector investment (analytics and policy processes). Sound knowledge of policy analytical tools, such as public expenditure reviews, market price incentives analysis and the methodologies applied by the international organizations and financing institutions, is an advantage.
• Extent and relevance of experience in leading or participating in the preparation of strategies and investment plans and other pre-investment work related to agrifood sector.
• Extent and relevance of experience in the formulation, implementation support and evaluation of investment operations related topics, such as food security, agriculture, agribusiness, rural development, natural resource management and finance.
• Knowledge of investment criteria and procedures of international development finance institutions is an asset.
• Extent and relevance of experience in leading or participating in multidisciplinary teams.
• Knowledge of the context, as well as partners and institutions in the Near East and North Africa, and Europe and Central Asia would be an asset.
• Extent and relevance of experience in dealing with public and/or private sector stakeholders, such as senior government officials, as well as development partners and other country stakeholders.
•  Demonstrated capacity to write quality technical reports in English.