Back Programme Support and Partnership Strengthening Specialist

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

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative, the direct leadership of the Chief Technical Advisor, the Progamme & Partnership Support Specialist will provide support as follows:

Technical Focus

Support and coordination of day-to-day programme and partnership-related activities, including identification, interaction with partners, monitoring of workplans while ensuring consistency, timeliness and conformity with relevant policies.     

Task and Responsibilities

•    Support the CTA in managing and monitoring the Programme workplan, budget and overseeing all partnerships building initiatives. 
•    Support the reviews and assessment of issues and trends for the implementation of the programme as well as the preparation of impact evaluation or equivalent studies.
•    Support with the provision of technical and/or policy advisory services to the GoL and EUD in the development and implementation of related programmes specifically those geared toward strengthening the overall framework/system on SFM. 
•    Provide technical backstopping to the CTA in ensuring the effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge sharing activities.
•    Lead FAO’s engagements with actors on advocacy for best practices and increased policy dialogue and contributes to developing and negotiating effective working relationships/consensus and agreements with national and local stakeholders.
•    Backstop the CTA at relevant meetings and conferences and/or provides substantive direction to the organization of consultative meetings and conferences, including JICs, LICs, NMSMCs and any other structures or platforms that strengthens forest governance development.
•    Backstop the process of conducting annual evaluations/reviews, including collaborative processes of stocktaking on the Forward Planner or any other progress tracking tool, institutional capacity development plans and packages, and annual revenue budget and initiates follow-up actions.
•    Contribute to the preparation of various written outputs, including background papers, analysis, substantial sections of reports as well as studies, and inputs to publications.
•    Backstop the management of awareness creation and outreach activities, consistent with the compliance roadmap, designs and assist to conducts training workshops and seminars, and makes presentations as may be required. 
•    Participate in field missions, including provision of guidance to government officials and other actors as and when required.
•    Backstop processes of identifying and implementing strategic partnerships and participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate strategy.
•    Provide substantive backstopping to the CTA on consultative and other meetings and conferences to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparing documents and presentations, making technical presentations, and facilitating discussions.
•    Assist CTA in the design and the implementation of initiatives to develop the technical and institutional capacity of government agencies to coordinate and implement the forest governance framework, including VPA, and provide support towards the overall strengthening of SFM system.
•    Backstop the CTA in providing demand-driven technical assistance to improved forest governance, law enforcement and the trade of legal and sustainable timber and timber products and services.
•    Support the preparation of periodic progress and terminal reports for review by relevant (technical, financial, and operational) internal units with submission to the Programme Task Force (PTF), Programme Steering Committee (PSC) meetings for consideration and subsequent sharing with the EU, as appropriate. 
•    Assists in the development, implementation and M&E and reporting of activities and facilitates programme evaluations. 
•    Provide technical advice, as required, to the CTA and team members. 
•    Anchor FAO’s efforts aimed at enhancing intragovernmental and intersectoral partnerships between national and local stakeholders towards the achievement of programme results, specifically as regards improved transparency and effective governance in the forest sector including measures that strengthen trade relations.
•    Support the management of the sharing of knowledge emerging from the programme to ensure information is widely disseminated within FAO, the government, EU, the implementing community involved in the promotion of sustainable forest management and improved forest governance and the wider external community.
•    Backstop the CTA in overseeing awareness development and implementation of the forest governance-related communication strategy.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Advanced university/master’s degree in forestry, Natural Resources Management, Public Policy, Law   
•    Five years of programme and partnership-building experience including within relevant international organisations, particularly related to forest governance, law enforcement and trade and EU forest policies
•    Working knowledge of English 

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building effective relationships, diplomacy skills
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Work experience with more than one international organization.
•    Extent of knowledge of forest governance, law enforcement and trade and relevant EU policy frameworks.
•    Extent and relevance of experience in working within public policy, community-based structures, CSOs and international organizations.
•    Extent and relevance of experience in programme/project formulation, analysis, planning, and implementation
•    Understanding of FAO policies and programmes is considered a strong asset.
•    Ability to provide competent advice regarding financial actions, human resource processing, procurement, project cycle management and provide innovative solutions to complex operational problems.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION