National Facilitator – Forest and Farm Facility (FFF)

Organizational Setting

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.
FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO’s goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.
FAO Country Offices, working under overall corporate guidance and in line with the Strategic Framework, offer policy advice and support to countries in the mandated areas of FAO, facilitated through partnerships, resources and an active country programme to provide technical assistance, develop capacities and deliver core services while fully observing international standards of accountability to establish leadership and strengthen impact at the country level.
The offices deliver on the programmatic priorities of each country as agreed in their respective Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and ensure effective and efficient operations with adequate human and financial resources.
Specifically, FAO Country Offices:
(i) advocate, inform and support policies and investments in the areas of FAO’s mandate;
(ii) provide technical assistance and deliver core services;
(iii) assist and catalyse partnership and resource mobilization activities to support agrifood systems transformation;
(iv) position FAO as the specialized/authoritative technical agency in food and agriculture and agrifood systems transformation; and
(v) ensure risk-smart and accountable operations and management.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance of the FAOR and the direct supervision and technical backstopping from the FFF Manager a.i. through the Country coach and FAO/FFF Forestry Officer, the FFF facilitator will be expected to coordinate the FFF programme implementation in Ghana in close collaboration with Government and other Forest and Farm Producer Organizations as well as other country partners. In particular, the National FFF facilitator will be expected to undertake the following activities:

Technical Focus

• Participatory processes with smallholder forest and farm producers and their organizations (FFPOs)
• Strengthening internal governance and climate resilience of FFPOs
• Sustainable forest management
• Business incubation and access to finance

Tasks and responsibilities

• Facilitate the FFF national programme management in coordination with key implementing partners
• Facilitate the development of in-country programme framework and annual work plans with the direct FFF partners in particular FAO, IUCN, IIED and AgriCord (main FFF partners) and relevant government institutions, and in consultation with FAOR and the FFF management team;
• In coordination with country partners, country coach and FAOR, facilitate the effective participation of the FFF country advisory committee and core partners in FFF activities;
• Prepare and monitor the FFF country budget in line with the annual work plan and with support of the relevant in-country FAO officers;
• Prepare, contribute and oversee the country regular assessment of FFPOs for the implementation of the FFF in the country.
• Monitor FFF baseline studies for all implementing partners in the country;
• Foster linkages, networks partnerships and synergies with ongoing national and regional programmes from FAO and other core FFF partners (IIED, IUCN, AgriCord), as well as with other partners related to producer organizations, support to improving livelihoods of rural people, climate resilient landscape management and natural resource management with a special focus on the important role of women. These synergies will be clearly showed in the FFF work plan;
• Plan and facilitate exchange visits for experience and knowledge sharing among producer associations in- and outside the county;
• Act as a support channel for contacts between FFF and local/national and international partners, including communication, visits;
• Support the FFF management in ensuring gender mainstreaming throughout the implementation in Ghana, based on the gender strategy and relevant tools prepared by the FFF gender team;
• Prepare monthly and annual reports (including images – with captions and photo credits, press releases, radio programmes and other coms activities) to the FFF management team and national stakeholders on implementation progress, monitoring and learning experience;
• In consultation with key stakeholders, prepare Terms of Reference and provide technical backstopping to national consultants whenever required;
• In consultation with key stakeholders, identify potential implementation partners and prepare in-country Letter of Agreements (LoAs) and Direct Beneficiary Grants (DBGs) and follow up on implementation and monitoring, using the FFF-LoA package based on FAO standards;
• Comply with the administrative procedures of FFF, including those related to updating its monitoring system FORIS with all country LoAs/DBGs, their progress on reporting and payments, the latter in close collaboration with the Country Coach.
• Participate actively in national, regional and global FFF events and other policy platforms relevant to FFF implementation;
• Enhance Resource Mobilization efforts at national level in support of the FFPOs;
• Facilitate basic FFF tools to partner FFPOs, such as the FFPO self-assessment tool, proposal writing workshops, risk management, etc.
• Ensure that the FFF programme is implemented by partners is in line with FAO regulations and standards;
• Provide supervision and/or technical backstopping to potential new initiatives and projects in synergy with the FFF Ghana and FAORAF programme.

Follow up on selection and implementation of Small grants
• In consultation with key stakeholders prepare FFF small grants guidelines adapted for Ghana using the standard format;
• Facilitate call for proposals, selection, preparation of LoAs/DBGs and monitor the implementation, using FORIS;
• Ensuring compliance of FAO guidelines for procurement of goods and services;
• Ensure documentation of lessons learned from the implementation of the small grants and feed into monitoring and learning framework

Enhance the development and implementation of the Communication strategy
• Facilitate development of FFF communication and visibility materials for awareness raising in the country (Brochures, posters, videos etc) around the 4 outcomes;
• Facilitate communication of FFF objectives and activities in national and sub-national media platforms, including newspapers, bulletins, radio shows and television;
• Facilitate producer organisations to develop their own communication strategy;
• Share FFF’s vision and the country’s local voices in global, regional , national cross-sector platforms and forums;

Support the Monitoring and Learning in the country
• Support the development of a participatory monitoring and learning framework for FFF in Ghana and facilitate its implementation;
• Insert qualitative and quantitative information to update progress of the M&L country-indicators in FFF’s FORIS system;
• Prepare and submit monthly and annual reports to the FFF management team on progress on country outputs and inform on new trends/initiatives;
• Keep track of country targets/indicators and make suggestions for corrections in case of missing targets;
• Ensuring the M&L reports feed into the decision making process;
• Keep a record of all decisions taken on the country level, in terms of monitoring and learning;
• Conduct an annual country multi-stakeholder workshop to review programme performance, Monitoring and Learning as well as forward planning;
• Prepare country synthesis report based on FFF stakeholder workshop and M&L system
• Facilitate and provide technical direction in coordination with the FC, other related government agencies and partners, for the implementation of other synergistic-FFF collaboration to support FFPOs

FAO Standards and guidelines:

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

All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: https://www.fao.org/strategic-framework/en
FAO social media policy and guidelines: https://www.fao.org/2/social media
Social Media Branding Guidelines: https://open knowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb5044en
FAOSTYLE: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb8081en
FAO terminology: http://www.fao.org/faoterm
FAO Names Of Countries: https://www.fao.org/nocs/en    
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff). 

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

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced University Degree in forestry, natural resources management, social and/or political science, international relations, or other relevant field to the Terms-of-Reference;
• Minimum of seven years of responsible professional experience, including development, management and / or evaluation of field projects relating to socio-economic forestry;
• Full proficiency in English (writing and speaking);
• National of Ghana.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Selection Criteria

• Working knowledge of other languages commonly used in countries of the region is a plus.
• Experience in administrative and financial management of field projects and its monitoring processes;
• Experience in multi-stakeholder consultation and decision making processes;
• Experience with producer organizations, business development and/or private sector is a plus;
• Experience in providing technical advice and support on social forest and producer organizations issues;
• Experience in working with international organisations;
• Experience in conducting gender analyses, advocating and mainstreaming gender equality
• Good writing, presentation and communication skills;

Women are strongly encouraged to apply. FAO is an equal opportunity employer and the successful candidate will be selected based on merit.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION