Organizational Setting

The key mission of the FAO Representation in Somalia, which is led by FAO Representative (FAOR), is to assist and support the national government to develop policies, strategies and programme 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 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 close to 400 staff in partnership with the Federal and State line ministries.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Somalia and the direct supervision of Resilience Coordinator.

Technical Focus

The post holder shall be field based international specialist, a senior Project Officer in Resilience Unit who will support and lead project implementation under the guidance and leadership of Resilience Coordinator.

Tasks and responsibilities

Support the Resilience Coordinator and Resilience Unit in the following program management tasks:

•    Manage project performance metric tracking to ensure projects delivery on target, one time and on budget.
•    Support the development of resilience project documents in close consultation with FAO Somalia’s technical teams and SMRU.
•    Distil and share key program information to contribute to briefs and other strategic information products with a focus on FAO Somalia’s resilience programme
•    Support formation and implementation of resilience program framework for all projects
•    Ensure the alignment of projects to CPF and reporting to Information Management on indicators.
•    Ensure alignment of projects to UNCF & MAF and reporting on these indicators to UN SRSG & FGS
•    Follow up with ROs/PMs on performance and resourcing issues to ensure project and program delivery.
•    Collaborate with operations, procurement, finance and human resources to ensure enabling environment for delivery.
•    Proactively engage with FAO s and Emergency units to layer activities for increased resilience program impact
•    Carry out duty travel to Somalia, with likely extended periods of stay in Somalia as needed.
•    Perform other program management duties as assigned.

Effective management of mitigation efforts to Drought, Floods and Conflicts

•    Develop appropriate measures and actions aimed at reducing the vulnerability to drought, floods, conflicts and reducing their impacts.
•    Develop drought / flood / conflict mitigation, preparedness, and response strategies for implementing partners, government ministries and community organizations.
•    Determine appropriate mitigation and response actions aimed at drought, flood and conflict risk reduction.
•    Identify appropriate triggers to phase in and phase out mitigation actions, particularly short-term actions, during drought, flood and conflicts onset and termination.
•    Identify agencies or ministries or organizations to develop and implement drought, flood and conflict mitigation actions.
•    Ensure mainstreaming of conflict sensitivity and do no harm approach in resilience building programs.

Resilience Project Cycle Management Support

Ensure that resilience projects follow the FAO project cycle phases and critical deliverables in each phase as follows:

1.Project identification
•    Support Resilience Coordinator and other team members to identify and develop projects aligned to CPF framework, resilience program framework & UNCF
•    Support in the development of  CN and budgets for projects in collaboration with SRMU & FAO sectors
2. Project Formulation:
•    Support and collaborate with SMRU, Operations & M&E on development of proposal documents
•    Facilitate internal and external  technical and program clearance for proposal and budget
3. Project implementation:
•    Facilitate kick-off meeting for inception phase with all FAO stakeholders.
•    Staffing  & procurement planning with  for project (s) assigned to them
•    Support on LoU & LoA development, implementation & tracking under the assigned projects
•    Project performance tracking and follow up on performance and resourcing issues
•    Collaboration with  SMRU  on project reporting and communications  to represent the project progress and success to internal & external stakeholders
4. Project Evaluation:
•    Collaborate with M&E Unit on the formulation of evaluation scope
•    Collaborate with M&E Unit on the validation and finalization of evaluation findings.
5. Project Closure:
•    Work on closure of LoAs & LoU for the projects under his/her management
•    Facilitate project hand over to government and/or community of project
•    Collaborate with other team members, Operations and Finance to ensure financial closure and assets
•    Collaborate with other team members & SMRU to ensure final reporting is complete

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements  

•    University degree (Bachelor) in Agriculture, Forestry, Veterinary, Disaster Risk Management, Climate Change Adaptation or any other field related to the work of the organization.
•     At least five (5) years of relevant work experience in large and complex projects that combines emergency response, disaster risk reduction, project formulation and implementation.
•    Working knowledge (level C) of English and limited knowledge (level B) of French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian.  For PSAs working knowledge (Level C) of English.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Familiarity with relevant UN and other international organizations active in Somalia and the sector.

Selection Criteria 

•    Working knowledge of the local language(s) is required.