Strategic Specialist (Country Programming Framework)

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FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• 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 person 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.

Organizational Setting

For more than four decades, FAO Representation in the Philippines has been working with the Government, civil society, community-based organizations and the private sector to address challenges in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector. Joint efforts have included increasing sustainability in agricultural production, promoting value-adding practices, improving post-harvest management, enhancing productivity and increasing the resilience of agriculture-based livelihoods to natural disasters, climatic hazards and armed conflict.

Reporting Lines

The Lead Strategic Consultant will be under the direct supervision of the FAO Representative in the Philippines.

Technical Focus

The work of FAO in the Philippines is steered by its Country Programming Framework (CPF), which aids the government in tackling key challenges to bolster food security and nutrition, boost agricultural production and efficiency, manage natural resources sustainably, and enhance resilience to climate change and disaster risks.

After a 2022 midterm evaluation, the current CPF, initiated in 2018, is set to conclude in 2024, necessitating the formulation of a subsequent CPF for 2025-2028. The development of this new CPF is informed by a comprehensive review led by FAO’s Office of Evaluation (OED), providing essential insights for strategic planning.

This forthcoming CPF will align with the new governmental objectives and strategies for the agricultural sector as outlined in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 and harmonize with the UN Philippines Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for 2024-2028.

Tasks and responsibilities

The incumbent will carry out the following tasks to develop the CPF with a matrix/logical framework linking government and UN priorities, FAO priority areas and potential actions, based on the results of review and consultation meetings:
• Collect and review the existing papers and other relevant information, including national development plans, various agricultural, forestry, fisheries, rural development, environment, peace process and emergency response policy and strategy documents, SDG reports and UN Strategic Documents.
• Together with FAO Representation staff, work with OED team and review the past and on-going government development programmes and technical assistance of FAO and other development partners, and identify their relevance and gaps to national priorities and UN frameworks, particularly agriculture and fisheries, environment and natural resources sectors, and also those related to the peace process and emergency response.
• Review the delivery against the logframe and provide support in improving the targets, and indicators. Provide suggestions for effective monitoring of the CPF at outcome level.
• In light of the information and updates in relevant recent guiding documents, provide suggestions and introduce revisions of the CPF where necessary.
• Review the performance of the current CPF as regards partnerships, innovations and gender mainstreaming and identify emerging opportunities for improved FAO strategies in this regard.
• Ensure that gender-related outputs, activities, and indicators in the results framework are integrated in the CPF through conduct of gender analysis.
• Ensure alignment of the CPF with the objectives of the Summit of the Future and provide recommendations for more inclusive and programmatic strategies that will strengthen FAO’s commitment to SDGs.
• With support from the Representation Office, support consultations with government, civil society organizations, UN representatives and other development partners to identify specific gaps which FAO/UN could complement the current efforts and review the draft CPF.
• Document the consultation meetings, showing the highlights and recommendations, among others.
• Develop and write the new CPF.
• Perform any other duties related to the development of CPF as deemed necessary by the FAO Representative.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• The candidate must have an Advanced University Degree in Agriculture Economics, Rural Development, Economics or related fields
• The candidate should have at least 10 years practical experience in strategic planning, programming, or results review/monitoring and evaluation related to Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition, Natural Resources Management, Peace and Development
• A national of the Philippines or resident in the country with a regular work permit.
• Working knowledge of English and Tagalog

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Good knowledge of the socio-economic and agricultural situation in the Philippines
• General knowledge and skills in the use of standard office software, such as MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point).

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

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