Back Project Management Specialist

Organizational Setting

The project “Immediate Support to smallholder Paddy Farmers in Response to the current Economic and Food Crisis in Sri Lanka” OSRO/SRL/205/USA is aimed at strengthening the production capacity and enhancing food security and nutrition needs of vulnerable Smallholder Farmers in Intermediate and Dry Zone of Sri Lanka. The specific objectives are. 

1.    Strengthening production capacities of smallholder paddy farmers through productivity and production increase
Providing smallholder paddy farmers having land holdings up of 0 to ½ acre (0 – 0.2 ha) with a 50 kg bag of urea and those with holding of ½ to 1 acre (0.2-0.4 ha) with 100 kg of urea, to enable them to cultivate successfully over the 2022/23 Maha and /or 2023 Yala cropping seasons. Starved of chemical fertilizers these farmers have suffered immensely due to a major crop failure over the previous two cropping seasons, impacting their income and their ability to provide for their essential needs, including food.

2.    Enhancing food and nutrition security of targeted smallholder paddy farmers through unconditional direct cash transfer
Providing a cash transfer to meet at least 50% of the cost of the minimum food basket for the identified smallholder paddy farmer (in 1 above) household of four over a period of 3 months to strengthen food and nutrition security of the family. Considering that the next paddy harvest would not come before March of 2023, the cash transfer to the same vulnerable smallholder farmers assisted with urea would help supplement the households’ food and nutritional requirement over the intervening lean period.
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Reporting Lines

He / She will be under the overall administrative leadership and supervision of the FAO Representative in Sri Lanka (FAOR) and the direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR (Programme). He / She is expected to function with the technical guidance of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) at the Headquarters in Rome and in collaboration with other relevant technical divisions at FAO Headquarters, and in close consultation with the Department of Agriculture and the Budget Holder (BH).

Technical Focus

The incumbent will provide technical orientation and backup in order to ensure the delivery of project outputs to a high standard, and in a cost-effective manner, taking into account national and international best practices and research results, and in accordance with FAO, Government and donor norms.
Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for ensuring that project outputs and targets are met as per project framework that activities are carried out as planned, within budget and time schedule and that reporting, monitoring and evaluation functions are carried out as per project requirements. She/he will also plan and implement project activities in close collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, and other relevant state and non-state stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of the project. In particular, the incumbent will perform the following tasks.

Tasks and responsibilities

1.    Planning, implementation and management of Project activities
•    Provide overall leadership and guidance to, and supervision of, the project identifies, plan, design implement and monitor the progress of delivery of activities as itemised in the results-based work plan;
•    Provide day-to-day administrative and management inputs to the project team assuring smooth implementation of the project;
•    Help identify Technical Specialist/Consultant candidates and work with the LTO and the BH to ensure their timely recruitment;
•    Coordinate with other institutions in order to identify and realise opportunities for complementarity and synergies, including monitoring and oversight of commitments; 
•    Ensure a results-based approach to project implementation, including maintaining a focus on project results and impact as defined by the project results framework indicators;
•    Regularly promote the project and its outputs and findings on a national, and where appropriate, regional stage;
•    Lead interactions with stakeholders and liaise with government agencies and communicate, regularly advocate and engage in policy dialogue on behalf of the project;
•    Facilitate interdisciplinary inputs from partner institutions and agencies; 
•    Advise and coordinate Project Specialists and other consultants for assuring smooth implementation of the project.

2.    Resources Management and Coordination 
•    Manage all other staff and consultants hired under the project ensuring they fully understand their role and tasks;
•    Provide administrative, management/supervisory and technical support to long and short term Technical Specialists/Consultants to ensure timely delivery; 
•    Create strategic partnerships related to the project and coordinate and network with various stakeholders to take forward the project;
•    Ensure that the project team follows up on the adoption/implementation of the recommendations/inputs provided by Technical Consultants;
•    Coordinate with the Government counterpart/s and various stakeholders for effective coordination and promote dialogue in the field of Agriculture;
•    Manage the procurement process in accordance with FAO rules and procedures.

3.    Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
•    Oversee preparation and implementation of project M&E plan, project communication and knowledge management plan;
•    Prepare results based regular reports, donor reports and briefs as required.
•    Facilitate the submission of timely project implementation reviews and progress reports (narrative and financial) to the FAO Country Office against the Programme M&E framework; 
•    Facilitate effective communication of project progress to the key stakeholders related to the project.

Undertake any other tasks assigned or relevant in support of efficient implementation of the project.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•    Advanced university degree in Agriculture, Social Sciences, and Economics, Public Administration or any other similar scope of study. 
•    At least 7 years of relevant experience in project management within the development sector. 
•    Working knowledge of English together with Sinhala / Tamil is required.  
•    A National of Sri Lanka.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Experience in Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
•    Experience in Resources Management and Coordination 
•    Experience in Project Planning and Implementation 
•    Experience in handlings major procurement assignments in emergency settings will be an added advantage 
•    Prior UN experience would be an added advantage. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION