Project Officer (Regional Coordinator)

Organizational Setting
FAO’s Subregional Office for Southern Africa (SFS) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing agreed strategies for addressing subregional food, agriculture and rural development priorities. It develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs). The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO’s Regional Office for Africa (RAF).

The position is located in the FAO Subregional Office for Southern Africa but stationed at the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) headquarters in Gaborone, Botswana. The position will provide the overall delivery of the FAO/SADC project results/outputs, the day- to-day management, organization and coordination of all project activities at regional and national levels in close consultation with SADC Secretariat and the respective partners in the relevant ministries.

Reporting Lines
The Project Officer (Regional Coordinator) reports to FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for Southern Africa, under the guidance of the Director of the Food Agriculture and Natural Resources Directorate at SADC Secretariat, and technical supervision of the FAO Lead Technical Officer.

Technical Focus
Management and coordination of the project ‘Support Towards the Operationalization of the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy (RAP)’. This will mainly involve policy support to enhance food and nutrition security in the region with emphasis on addressing plant and animal health issues for better market access and the establishment of and agricultural information management system.
The incumbent will provide leadership on the four components of the project namely:

Component 1: Enhanced information and knowledge on sustainable and competitive agri-production allowing evidence-based decision-making, providing standardized data for analysis and research and facilitating intra-regional trade.
Component 2: Improved access to markets through domestication of regional plant and animal pest and diseases strategies developed during the Support Towards Operationalization of the SADC Regional Agricultural Policy Project I (STOSAR I)  and implementation at country level, including enhanced capacities to address Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) requirements for international trade.
Component 3: Strengthened regional monitoring and implementation capacity of the SADC Food and Nutrition Security Strategy implementation.
Component 4: Increased operational capacity of regional and national producers’ organizations and agricultural industrial associations in selected inclusive value chains based on sustainable innovations and agro-ecological principles.

Key Results
Comprehensive technical and policy expertise to support the planning, development and implementation of projects, products and services.

Key Functions
•    Provides technical leadership assistance on the development, implementation and evaluation of assigned projects; assists in the review of relevant documents and reports; identifies priorities, liaises with relevant parties.
•    Coordinates of projects and reviews the assessments of issues and trends for the implementation of projects and the preparation of impact evaluation or equivalent studies.
•    Supervises preparation of various written outputs, e.g. background papers, analyses, substantial sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications.
•    Contributes to consultative and other meetings, conferences, including proposals for agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations.
•    Participates in activities, such as structuring of training workshops, seminars; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
•    Leads field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties.
•    Provides advice on the development of policies and strategies, as well as national protocols and guidelines for projects with specific domains related to FAO’s work.

Specific Functions
•    Ensures smooth organization, coordination, implementation and control of project activities by following up closely both at regional level and in all the participating countries in accordance with project goals, objectives and results framework, ensuring all national projects are implemented on time, within the pre-agreed scope and the pre-allocated budget.
•    Ensures and maintains close dialogue, coordination, collaboration and partnerships between the project and the stakeholders [Member State Governments, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and affiliated institutions], partners and service providers, including independent research and academic institutions, the private sector and civil society organizations.
•    Ensures project budgetary provisions at regional and national levels are effectively managed and used efficiently in consultation with the FAO Subregional Office and Country Offices and in collaboration with SADC Secretariat.
•    Coordinates the development, implementation, review and regular updates of each regional and national annual work plans, budgets and reports in collaboration with the Project Advisory Committee, National Coordinators and National Steering Committees.
•    Assists in identifying and recruiting project staff and international/regional consultants and collaborating partners in consultation and collaboration with the Regional Project Steering Committee, FAO and SADC Technical Experts.
•    Provides requisite assistance to consultants as necessary with collaboration from the FAO and SADC Technical Experts.
•    Identifies key stakeholders, target beneficiaries for the project, coordinates and communicates clear roles for the stakeholders in the project including holding consultative regional workshops and seminars in consultation with the project steering committee (PSC) and the FAO and SADC Technical experts.
•    In consultation with the project advisory committee (PAC), FAO and SADC Technical Experts and SADC Technical Committees, facilitates the development and implementation of harmonized regional control strategies for major trans-boundary quarantine plant pests and animal diseases that are aligned with regional strategies, guidelines, and standards, with support from the key project stakeholders and target beneficiaries.
•    Supervises and supports the delivery of project components aimed at strengthening of plant pests and animal disease management, including surveillance and early warning capacities for the priority animal diseases and plant pests at both national and regional levels.
•    Supervises and supports the delivery of project components aimed at the development and promotion of innovative approaches to risk management of trade related diseases.
•    Supervises and supports nutrition activities to ensure delivery of agreed parameters.
•    Supervises and supports agri-business activities to ensure delivery of agreed parameters.
•    Supervises and supports the delivery of project components aimed at the creation of a common information, data management, analysis and knowledge sharing platform for agriculture in the region including the establishment of institutional coordination mechanisms at regional level by linking country databases into the regional database.
•    Institutes and supports the operationalization of the above platform to become an effective SADC Agricultural Information Management System (AIMS).
•    Facilitates the development and implementation of a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework for the project with support from the key project stakeholders and target beneficiaries, including ensuring timely reports production and clearance.
•    Coordinates the procurement of project services, equipment and materials at regional and national levels.
•    Performs the role of Secretary to the Project Technical Advisory Committee and Project Steering Committee.
•    Prepares timely, high quality progress reports – quarterly, semi-annual, annual and ad-hoc, when required.
•    Reviews and updates work plans, budgets, communications, and visibility plans in close coordination with SADC Secretariat and the FAO.
•    Liaises with the European Union (EU) Delegation on the overall implementation of the project.
•    Supervises the work and performance of the project staff deployed at SADC Secretariat.
•    Monitors potential risks that could constrain project implementation and takes timely mitigating action.
•    Performs any other related duties.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
•    Advanced university degree in agriculture, crop science, veterinary medicine, animal science, agriculture economics, agriculture statistics, or related fields with experience in agriculture information systems and sanitary and phytosanitary implementation at a regional level.
•    Seven years of relevant experience in working with international and regional institutions and implementing development projects of a regional nature, including managing large multi-donor funded project aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity, food, nutrition and income security.
•    Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of one of the other FAO official languages (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 desirable.
•    A programme/project management qualification such as Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) and/or Prince 2 is an asset.
•    Good report writing skills.
•    Demonstrated ability to provide team leadership in project management.
•    Extent and relevance of experience in programme/project formulation, analysis, planning and implementation.
•    Extent of knowledge of planning and budgetary processes and associated tools, monitoring and/or evaluation of development projects, as well as on issues related to regional economic integration.
•    Understanding of FAO policies and programmes is considered a strong asset.
•    Experience in Africa preferably Southern Africa is an asset.