Technical Specialist

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 20230 Agenda through 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’s Food and Nutrition Division (ESN) assists Members to improve diets and raise levels of nutrition and provides support with appropriate policies, strategies and methodologies for improving the efficiency and inclusiveness of their agriculture and food systems. As a knowledge leader, areas addressed include dietary assessment, support on nutrition-sensitive food and agriculture policies and programmes, effective nutrition promotion programmes, food value chains, market linkages, post-harvest handling, food loss and waste reduction and nutrition-sensitive agro-processing.  FAO is committed to support Members in their efforts to improve nutritional outcomes as stated in the Rome Declaration on Nutrition (November 2014) and to mainstream nutrition across all of the work of the Organization.

Reporting Lines

• The Consultant/ PSA works under the overall guidance of the Director, Food and Nutrition Division and direct  supervision of a Senior Officer.

Technical Focus 

• The technical focus of the work is on technical, economic and policy analysis of agrifood systems and value chains development for improving sustainable food production and consumption for healthy diets. More specifically, Sustainable Public Food Procurement (SPP) is recognized as an instrument to drive more inclusive and sustainable afro-food systems and healthy diets. SPFP is one of the key components of FAO School Food and Nutrition Strategy and of the Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) approach. FAO activities in this area of work include: (i) technical assistance and capacity building (ii) evidence generation and (iii) policy support.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Undertake desk-review, data collection and information gathering of relevant evidence, lessons, and good practices on sustainable public food procurement and its contributions to sustainable development;
• Assist member countries with policy, economic and technical analysis of national and subnational sustainable public food procurement policies, regulations and practices, for identifying entry points for increasing their sustainability, efficiency and     inclusiveness
• Perform and support activities of capacity development (e.g. organizing trainings, workshops, field missions, facilitating technical networks), project formulation and implementation (e.g. supporting work planning, providing inputs for reporting, etc.) and project cycle management;
• Develop and disseminate knowledge and best practices by writing contents and by ensuring publication process for articles, guidelines or books
• Assist in supporting resource mobilization for country, regional and global level work;
• Design policy recommendations and briefs;
• Support the coordination of multistakeholders processes;
• Perform other duties as required

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (for Consultants) / University degree (only for PSA) in law, economics, political sciences  development and social sciences or related fields;
• A minimum of one year (Category C), five years (Category B) or 10 years (Category A) of relevant work experience in research, policy analysis, and/or project implementation on sustainable public procurement, preferably on sustainable public food procurement;
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or  Russian (for PSA only one language may be required).

Source: https://jobs.fao.org/careersection/fao_external/jobdetail.ftl?job=2402484