Programme Officer - Food and Agriculture Organization

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The Regional Office for RAF is responsible for leading FAO's response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO's priority activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region and, in collaboration with departments and divisions at Headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO's strategic response to regional priorities.

RAF also advises on the incorporation of regional priorities into the Organization's Programme of Work and Budget and implements approved programmes and projects in the region, monitors the level of programme implementation and draws attention to problems and deficiencies. RAF develops and maintains relations with region-wide institutions including the Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs).

The Regional Office supports regional policy dialogue on food security, agriculture and rural development issues, facilitates the emergence of regional partnerships, and supports capacity development and resource mobilization for food security, agriculture and rural development in the region.

The post is located in the Regional Office for Africa (RAF) in Accra, Ghana.

Reporting Lines

The Programme Officer ( TCP) reports to the Senior Field Programme Officer in the RAF and works in close functional contact with the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) unit of the Project Support Division (PSS) at FAO headquarters.

Technical Focus

Support to the overall field programme with timely approval and maximum delivery of the TCP regional allocation for demand-driven, strategic and catalytic high-quality technical assistance interventions. The incumbent will support implementation and monitoring of the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) in RAF region in support of maximising resource mobilisation and partnership for implementation of Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs), subregional and regional priority frameworks and the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Results

Comprehensive technical, statistical, analytical and/or policy analysis services and the development of specialised tools, methodologies, systems and/or databases to support the planning, implementation/delivery and monitoring of the programme of work and related products, projects, publications and services.

Key Functions

• Acts as focal point for requests from decentralized offices for information or guidance related to the specific approval criteria, standards and policies governing the TCP.
• Monitors the effective commitment of the regional allocation, alerts the Assistant Director-General Regional Representative (ADG/RR) to any risks of over- or under-commitment or of unbalanced allocations between countries or subregions or between national projects and (sub)regional projects, and proposes corrective measures and possible methodologies for managing the allocation, as required.
• Manages and monitors the TCP pipeline for the countries of the region.
• Prepares regular and ad hoc reports on the commitment of the regional TCP allocation and on any problems encountered.
• Keeps FAO Representatives and Subregional Coordinators regularly informed of the state of country and subregional pipelines and of the possibilities for further TCP funding.
• Receives requests for TCP assistance from FAO Representatives, Subregional Coordinators and the Regional Office, analyses the number of approved projects and the state of the pipeline to ascertain the possibility for accommodating the request and informs the concerned office of any problems in this regard.
• Analyses and process requests for budget revisions.
• Oversees the information management related to the TCP and, in particular, supervises and guides the staff responsible for entry of TCP data into the Field Programme Management Information System (FPMIS).
• Contributes to the corporate monitoring of the effective implementation of TCP projects, with particular focus on the respect for the TCP standards and policies and on the achievement of stated results, and prepares regular and ad hoc reports.
• Contributes to the preparation and revision of TCP guidelines, policies and procedures.
• Liaises with the Senior TCP Officer, Technical Cooperation for Support (TCS), on day-to-day operational matters requiring a standardized approach across regions and to fulfil corporate reporting and monitoring requirements.
• Acts as Secretary for the regional TCP Peer Review Committee.
• As requested by the ADG/Regional Representative, participates in and provides support to the process of prioritization and formulation of regional projects or other TCP projects being formulated at the level of the Regional Office.

Specific Functions

• Manages regional TCP resources in an efficient and effective manner as per the above key functions.
• Ensures that all TCP proposals adhere to the TCP criteria, including their strategic use and contribution to regional priorities.
• Supports formulators with quality assurance of proposals and adherence to relevant policies and procedures, and the submission for allocation of resources by the ADG.
• Advises TCP formulators facilitating strong catalytic effects and potential for upscaling.
• Leads the TCP outreach activities to showcase the TCP results as a tool for Resource Mobilization.
• Contributes to development and implementation of resource mobilization strategies, taking into consideration the catalytic effects of TCPs.
• Promotes strategic partnerships with relevant and potential resource partners and contributes to exploring funding opportunities as follow-up to the TCP results.
• Facilitates capacity development efforts in support of staff in all locations with regard to TCPs.
• Collaborates closely with the Project Support Services Division (PSS) in TCP corporate operational or policy related matters, and other relevant headquarters divisions and offices.
• Provides quarterly regional reports on TCP projects in need of management action and liaise with the Field Programme Unit to support Budget Holders on actions required.
• Contributes to the design and delivery of training workshops on project management, monitoring and reporting of TCPs, and other areas that support the management of projects in the region as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in economics, social sciences or other fields related to the mandate of the Organization.
• Seven years of relevant experience in project and programme management, and in one or more of the following: formulation, appraisal, implementation and/or monitoring of field projects in developing countries.
• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency- level B) of another official FAO language (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.
• Extent and relevance of experience and skills in project identification, formulation and analysis.
• Extent and relevance of experience in programme/project implementation in developing countries in the Region.
• Extent of experience of project or programme operational and results monitoring.
• Ability to write clear and concise analytical reports for management.
• Extent and relevance of experience with using Excel and corporate databases; knowledge of the FAO Field Programme Management Information System would be an advantage.
• Ability to provide guidance and advice with a client-oriented approach.
• Project management certification is considered a strong asset.
• Intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - Level B) of French is desirable.

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