Back NATIONAL EMERGENCY AND RESILIENCE COORDINATOR

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the 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 is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

FAO Country Offices, working under overall corporate guidance and in line with the Strategic Framework, offer policy advice and support to countries in the mandated areas of FAO, facilitated through partnerships, resources and an active country programme to provide technical assistance, develop capacities and deliver core services while fully observing international standards of accountability to establish leadership and strengthen impact at the country level. 

The offices deliver on the programmatic priorities of each country as agreed in their respective Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and ensure effective and efficient operations with adequate human and financial resources. 

Specifically, FAO Country Offices: 
(i)        advocate, inform and support policies and investments in the areas of FAO’s mandate;
(ii)       provide technical assistance and deliver core services; 
(iii)      assist and catalyse partnership and resource mobilization activities to support agrifood systems transformation; 
(iv)      position FAO as the specialized/authoritative technical agency in food and agriculture and agrifood systems transformation; and 
(v)       ensure risk-smart and accountable operations and management.  

For more than four decades, FAO has been working with the Government of the Philippines, civil society, community-based organizations, the academe and the private sector to address challenges in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector. Joint efforts have included increasing sustainability in agricultural production, promoting value-adding practices, mechanization and modernization through improving post-harvest management, enhancing productivity and increasing the resilience of agriculture-based livelihoods to natural disasters, climatic hazards and armed conflict. 

The main purpose of this Call for Expressions of Interest is to look for a National Emergency and Resilience Coordinator to be assigned in the FAO Country Office in the Philippines.

Reporting Lines

The National Emergency and Resilience Coordinator will report to the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme), in close coordination with the Emergency and Resilience team of FAO.

Technical Focus 

The Philippines is the most disaster-prone country in the world, ranked first by the 2023 World Risk Report. It is the 4th most affected country by climatic hazards in 2000-2019. The country is exposed to a wide range of hazards, with typhoons (more than 20 per year) and floods as the most severe ones.. The agriculture and fisheries sectors in the Philippines indeed are impacted by back-to-back crises: conflict, natural hazards and by short term stresses (African Swine Fever, avian influenza and fall armyworm). As such, the role of the National Emergency and Resilience Coordinator is crucial in the Organization’s goal of responding to emergencies and crises that affect agrifood systems and related livelihoods of the most vulnerable while working towards more integration between development and humanitarian activities particularly the linkage between emergency response, rehabilitation, development and investment assistance for agricultural livelihoods resilience building.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Leads efforts in the country office, in collaboration with other Disaster Risk Reduction, emergency and anticipatory action project teams, in preparing for and effectively responding to food and agricultural threats and crises, especially natural and climatic hazards, and protracted crisis;
•    Leads the development of Country Emergency and Resilience Strategy;
•    Promotes FAO’s emergency and resilience agenda with government parties, UN Agencies, Regional Organizations, NGOs and donors;
•    Assists in policy development by contributing to the review and analysis of issues and trends and supporting the preparation of briefing materials or reports.
•    Assists in the planning, strategy development, including project design (concept notes and proposal) for follow-up/upscaling of the project, and resource mobilization work including dialogue with donor institutions and development partners as well as with other UN agencies;
•    Promotes best practices and provides technical support/services to the country office to facilitate emergency and resilience programming, resource mobilization and integration of a humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach, in collaboration with the FAO Regional Office for Asia Pacific (RAP) and Office of Emergencies and Resilience (OER) at Headquarters;
•    Prepares various written outputs such as situation reports, drafts background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, among others;
•    Ensures regular coordination with the Field Programs Operational Planning Division of the Department of Agriculture for DRR and emergency-related efforts and monitoring;
•    Undertakes outreach activities such as conduct of training workshops, seminars, and presentations on assigned topics/activities;
•    Coordinates the development of FAO’s contribution to inter-agency calls for proposal or joint programming, Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) and Flash Appeals and the preparation of project profiles and full-fledged project documents for donor funding;
•    Ensures FAO’s active participation in all humanitarian coordination mechanisms (including clusters and/or sectors), with local government authorities, other UN agencies, donors and other partners;
•    Represents FAO in co-leading the food security and agriculture cluster together with WFP;
•    Sets up emergency assessment and response teams immediately to address new emergencies;
•    Coordinates FAO’s contribution to inter-agency Post Disaster Needs Assessments and Post Conflict Needs Assessments;
•    Represents FAO in humanitarian meetings and programming exercises including preparedness, anticipatory action and response.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•    University degree in a relevant field such as Disaster Risk Reduction, Agriculture, Development Studies, or a related discipline.
•    At least ten years of relevant experience in disaster risk reduction, emergency response, resilience programming, or related fields
•    Full working knowledge (level C) in English.
•    Must be a national of the Philippines.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Familiarity with the work of international organizations and governments.
•    In-depth knowledge of project management, strategic planning, and financial reporting.
•    Strong leadership and communication skills.
•    Ability to promote efficiency and apply best business practices.
•    Proficiency in MS Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Selection Criteria

•    Experience with legal and policy issues related to veterinary, agriculture, environment, and health sectors is advantageous.
•    Proven experience in drafting legal instruments and managing national projects is an asset.
•    Knowledge of emergency coordination mechanisms and humanitarian programming.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION