WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status, physical or mental disability.
The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.
WFP Tajikistan’s five-year Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2019 – 2024 focuses on supporting national social protection and safety nets, nutrition, resilience-building and disaster risk reduction, aligning WFP’s support to national priorities and in synergy with the action of other partners. By means of the CSP, WFP is undertaking a strategic shift from direct implementation to enabling and strengthening capacities of national and sub-national institutions to deliver on their food security and nutrition priorities. WFP activities support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The geographic scope of WFP Tajikistan operations encompasses the entirety of the country. In addition to the country office in Dushanbe, WFP has field offices located in Bokhtar, Gharm, Khorog, and Khujand to oversee operations in those specific regions. While the CSP has five Strategic Outcomes (SO), two outcomes are linked to development of food systems.
Under SO3, WFP strengthens rural communities’ resilience to recurring shocks and rehabilitating community assets and contributes to alleviating and mitigating environmental degradation and its consequences through climate change adaptation activities in support of rural communities that are dependent on land for their livelihood and food.
The main project within SO3 is the Green Climate Fund (GCF) supported 4-year project titled “Building climate resilience of vulnerable and food insecure communities through capacity strengthening and livelihood diversification in mountainous regions of Tajikistan”. The project takes a transformative approach to ensure food security and support communities to adapt to climate change through capacity strengthening and awareness raising of food insecure climate vulnerable communities and national actors for enhanced rural resilience and food security, and resilience building at household and community level through diversification of livelihoods and improved market access.
In the first year of GCF project implementation (2021/2022), the following outputs will be ensured: Greenhouse’s installation, Drip Irrigation Systems installation and provide detailed technical guidance on physical installation of greenhouses suited to different agricultural zones and contribute to the efficient delivery and quality outputs of Greenhouses under the framework of the Green Climate Fund. This role requires extensive travelling across regions of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous (GBAO), District of Republic Subordination (DRS) and Khatlon region.
Under SO4, WFP works to build the capacity of central and subnational government structures through provision of technical support in a range of activities that build upon innovative approaches to enhancing food security and nutrition. A major platform within SO4 is the nationalization of school feeding, under which schools are being empowered to seek resources that support provision of diversified daily nutritious meals to schoolchildren. WFP therefore assists schools in creating greenhouses and fruit orchards, yields from which could directly support the meals or provide income to purchase other foods and supplies.
To provide detailed technical specifications, engineering expertise and contribute to the efficient delivery and quality outputs of irrigation systems linked to greenhouses and fruit orchards under the WFP Tajikistan CSP. While the current focus is on drip irrigation systems, the Irrigation Expert is expected to provide best solutions as relates to all suitable small- and medium-scale irrigation technologies.
Working within the Climate Change and Resilience Building (CCARB) team and reporting directly to the CCARB Coordinator / SO3 Activity Manager, the incumbent is expected to perform the following duties:
Experience:
• At least five (5) years of progressive experience in designing and installation of drip irrigation system, greenhouses and other relevant climate change adaptation, resilience, or livelihoods measures.
• Has managed or contributed to the management of a small to medium scale irrigation projects or water management projects, taking responsibility for decision-making.
• Has demonstrated experience in planning and organizing; managing work programs and objectives, staff and budgets, and liaison with stakeholders/donors.
• Has conducted research on and has sound working knowledge on soil drainage and conservation of water resources.
• Has conducted scientific studies of water sheds and river systems to determine the amount and quality of water that can be diverted for agriculture, estimating the potential damage to the water resources and the potential food production from the diverted water.
• Has developed strong knowledge in engineering specialisations (e.g., greenhouses, environmental, drip irrigation system).
• Experience with community-based participatory planning approaches;
• Behavioural competencies such as action management, client orientation, cognitive capacity, innovation, partnering and teamwork.
Education: Advanced University degree in Irrigation Engineering, Agricultural or Civil Engineering or related discipline, or First University degree with relevant additional years or experience and/or advanced training/courses.
Language:
• Required fluency (level C) in English (oral and written).
• Required fluency in Tajik and Russian (oral and written).
Contract Type: Special Services Agreement
Contract Duration: 6 months
Duty Station: Dushanbe, Tajikistan
28 January 2022
All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.
This vacancy is archived.