Land and Water Officer (Knowledge Management)

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The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments

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• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Organizational Setting

FAO’s Land and Water Division (NSL) foresees a future whereby governments, development partners, civil society, academic institutions, the private sector, and farmers, all work together to ensure that land, soil, and water resources are wisely used, conserved, and restored for sustainable and resilient agrifood systems that support food security, nutrition, and human wellbeing. NSL provides policy guidance, technical and financial assistance to Members in developing policies, programmes, best practices and management tools for ensuring productive and efficient use of land, soil and water resources to meet present and future demands for agricultural products, while ensuring the long-term sustainability of these resources. It promotes equitable access to and sustainable management of these natural resources with a view to enhancing productivity, livelihoods, equity, health and ecosystem services.

Under the new FAO Conceptual Framework for integrated land and water resources management Strategy, NSL will work towards a core set of five integrated and strategic Objectives and Action Areas that have been elaborated to cut across the thematic areas of land, water, soils, and geospatial areas of work of the Division: (1) Good Governance; (2) Wise use and restoration; (3) Mitigation and resilience; (4) Integrated solutions; (5) Data, digitalization, technology and innovation.

This position is based within the Land and Water Division (NSL) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Land and Water Officer (Knowledge Management) reports to the Senior Land and Water Officer (NSL).

Technical Focus
Support the production of knowledge-related products and the dissemination of information to enhance the visibility of the Land and Water Division’s work and activities among FAO Members, partners, donors, experts and the general public in line with the divisional mandate, policies and priorities.

Key Results
Collection and analysis of information, data, statistics and project/meeting services to support programme projects, products and services.

Key Functions
• Collects and analyses relevant technical, social, economic, environmental, institutional and technology related information, data and/or statistics to support the delivery of programme projects, products and services.
• Undertakes analysis, provides technical input for plans and reports and edits/revises technical/scientific documents.
• Participates in the development of improved work methods, tools and systems.
• Updates databases and web pages.
• Participates in multidisciplinary project/work teams.
• Collaborates in the development of training tools and materials and the organization of workshops/seminars, etc.
• Participates in the organization, conduct and follow-up of meetings, consultations and conferences, the development/production of required materials and the provision of information and assistance to partners.

Specific Functions
• Contributes to the formulation and implementation of specialized knowledge management and outreach strategies to strengthen the understanding and visibility of data and knowledge products, soil information systems, knowledge platforms and decision support tools introduced by the SoilFER (Soil mapping for resilient agrifood systems in Central America and sub-Saharan Africa) projects among internal and external audiences in beneficiary countries.
• Collaborates with technical teams to identify and develop information products that effectively communicate soil health, sustainable soil management and importance of data-driven decision making, ensuring quality, consistency with FAO standards, and alignment with the unique environmental and agricultural conditions of beneficiary countries.
• Engages in soil communication research and analysis, providing key insights into technical and policy dimensions of soil health, sustainable soil, and land management, supporting the outreach and knowledge sharing objectives of SoilFER Projects.
• With the guidance of the Office of Communications (OCC), prepares the content drafting and participates in the development of soil-specific communication materials (e.g. websites, newsletters, videos, infographics) that are aligned with FAO policies and standards, and effectively showcase the successes and learning experiences from the related projects.
• Facilitates the sharing of project achievements and lessons learned with a broader audience, including donors and partners, leveraging social media and other digital platforms (in accordance with OCC publication, video, web and social media guidelines) to highlight the proactive steps taken towards sustainable soil management in beneficiary countries.
• Coordinates project-specific events, including inception workshops, launch events and project-specific workshops.
• Maintains a project-specific repository of the project documents, photos and videos.
• Produces and coordinates project-specific content, including articles, reports and multimedia materials; facilitates social media appearance on dedicated platforms to sharing project-specific updates and achievements.
• Utilizes various communication channels to deliver project-specific key messages and encourage participation in SoilFER activities.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in communication, business administration, marketing, political science or a related field.
• Three years of relevant experience in knowledge management and/or outreach, with a particular focus on sustainable soil management in international organizations, or in the private sector.
• 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.
• Extent and relevance of experience in the formulation and implementation of advocacy and outreach plans specifically tailored to soils for UN organizations and/or initiatives, with a focus on achieving international visibility and support for sustainable soil management.
• Proven track record in organizing high-level international events, exhibitions, and UN campaigns focused on soils, as well as in overseeing the production process and dissemination of key technical publications and content related to soil health and sustainable soil management for internal and external audiences (including UN agencies, national governments, private sector partners, and other public stakeholders), especially in areas relevant to FAO’s mandate.
• Ability to analyse complex soil, land, and water management content and translate them into more accessible and understandable content for a wider audience, thereby promoting the importance of soil health and sustainable soil and land management.
• Deep understanding of FAO policies, programmes, projects, and procedures, with a particular emphasis on those relating to awareness raising for soils, soil health, sustainable soil management, soil information and data is considered a strong asset.
• Experience with the coordination of advocacy and information activities for international events related to soil, land, and water is highly valued, demonstrating the ability to engage and mobilize international and local communities towards soils.
• Extent and relevance of experience in building webpages and websites using Sitefinity and Typo3 or similar content management systems, with a focus on developing platforms that effectively communicate issues and advancements in soil health, soil information and data, and sustainable soil management to a broad audience.

Liaison with the Office of Communication (OCC) will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with FAO standards, appropriate review and clearance processes.

All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:

• FAOSTYLE (English: https://openknowledge.fao.org/items/f72a5741-af74-401c-a4a7-70f41ca1bb4a)

• FAO terminology http://www.fao.org/faoterm;

• FAO Names of Countries https://www.fao.org/nocs/en;

• Story guidelines and template, Web policy, Social media guidelines, Publications strategy and guidance, UN map standards, FAO branding and Logo guidelines, and Photo and Video guidelines (all available internally),.

Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.