Organizational Setting

The key mission of the FAO Representation in Somalia, which is led by an FAO Representative (FAOR), is to assist and support the national government to develop policies, strategies and programmes aimed at accelerating the implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the area of FAO’s global mandate and Strategic Objectives. More specifically, FAO’s response aims to address national needs and priorities in achieving food security, reducing hunger and malnutrition, developing agricultural, fishery and forestry sectors, and ensuring the sustainable use of environmental and natural resources and respond to recurrent emergencies. The current portfolio of activities of the FAO Representation in Somalia includes a wide scope of technical support interventions ranging from policy support through fisheries, livestock and crop production, to natural resource management, nutrition, value chain, food security analysis and water and land information management. FAO is also implementing several emergency, resilience-building and development interventions, with the support of its five field offices and in partnership with the Federal and State line ministries.
The position is located in the FAO Representation in Mogadishu, Somalia and is part of the Jowhar Offstream Storage Programme (JOSP).

Reporting Lines
The Technical Adviser reports to the Senior Agricultural Officer (Agriculture and Rural Development) under the overall guidance of the Senior Programme Officer (Head of Programme) and the FAO Representative (FAOR) in Somalia and under the technical guidance of relevant technical centres/divisions/offices at FAO headquarters and Decentralized Offices.

Technical Focus
The incumbent will provide high level technical guidance and technical team leadership to the Jowhar Offstream Storage Programme (JOSP) to reduce flood risks and increase irrigation water access for riverine agricultural farming areas of the Middle and Lower Shabelle regions of Somalia. The incumbent will ensure the successful delivery of the programme and the specific projects within the programme with strong functional link with the FAO Somalia (FAOSO) Resilience Coordinator and the Lead Technical Officer for infrastructure at the Subregional Office for Eastern Africa (SFE). The incumbent will also consultate closely with other FAO technical experts in agro-ecology, climate-smart agriculture, natural resource management, conflict sensitivity, water governance and land tenure on specific programme elements.

Key Results
Comprehensive technical and policy expertise to support technical cooperation-related programmes, projects, products and services in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions
•    Leads the development, implementation and evaluation of assigned technical cooperation-related programmes/projects; reviews relevant documents and reports; identifies priorities, liaises with relevant parties; identifies follow-up actions.
•    Coordinates technical cooperation activities and programme-related activities, reviews the assessments of issues and trends for their implementation and leads 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 regarding the development of policies and strategies related to technical cooperation, as well as regional, subregional and national protocols and guidelines for projects with specific domains related to FAO’s work.

Specific Functions
•    Provides technical guidance in the development of irrigation and flood programming standards to be applied within the JOSP programme, considering the principles of the common vision on sustainable, climate-smart agriculture, agro-ecology and natural based solutions.
•    Analyses Middle Shabelle and Jowhar specific irrigation and flood management requirements and relevant technical standards to provide critical technical input into the JOSP Programme of Work, project work plans and the supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies.
•    Liaises with government focal points within federal Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MoAI), Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MoEWR) and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) to ensure JOSP programme alignment to relevant ministry strategic objectives and that modalities for government capacity building are within the JOSP programming approach.
•    Coordinates a team of technical experts in irrigation, natural resource management, disaster risk reduction, conflict mitigation and water governance, to design and plan the JOSP programme of works and projects within it.
•    Implements and monitors programme and projects work involving the development of the approach, evidence-based strategies and related tools, methodologies and the supporting systems, monitoring and reporting frameworks.
•    Conducts, designs and oversees assessment, analysis and design activities to support the development and implement technical standards in irrigation and flood management for the JOSP project, with reference to international instruments, innovation, technical best practice development as well as the provision of technical advisory services from the JOSP Programme Implementation Unit to the Ministry of Agriculture – Irrigation, Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, and Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
•    Provides technical and policy advice to Ministries (MoAI, MoEWR – MoECC) and technical support in the development and implementation of their JOSP programme outcomes relevant to each Ministry.
•    Leads and/or collaborates in, provides technical backstopping to and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge sharing activities within the JOSP programme outcome and linkages to Ministry capacity building in policy support, organizational development and learning events/products.
•    Leads and/or participates in resource mobilization activities in close collaboration with FAOSO Strategy Resource Mobilization Unit for JOSP programming in accordance with the FAOSO strategy.
•    Coordinates and plans the timely delivery of programme inputs to be prepared by different JOSP partners and project managers.
•    Supports budget holder in providing the necessary information and checks to proceed with operational and financial closure of the projects within the programme.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
•    Advanced university degree in water resources management, agricultural sciences, agro(hydrology), irrigation, programme management or closely related field.
•    Seven years of relevant experience in programme on water resources management related to agriculture, with proven record of organizing and managing consortiums, programmes and projects on rural infrastructure.
•    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
•    Team Work
•    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 providing technical guidance in the context of water resource management, agricultural productivity and/or sustainable agriculture and rural development programmes.
•    Extent and relevance of experience in planning and implementation of programmes related to water resources assessments and agricultural productivity and the development of government capacity.
•    Demonstrated ability to mobilize resources for major projects.
•    Relevance of experience in managing donor funded projects.