Back Technical Officer (Rural Development)

Organizational Setting

FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Colombia, promotes, develops, implements and supervises strategies aimed at fulfilling the priorities defined in the Country Programming Framework (CPF), accompanies the formulation and implementation of public policies for the transformation of agrifood systems, rural development and the social and economic inclusion of family farming, these actions require the articulation of high-level agendas with the national government, at ministerial and territorial level, the private sector, civil society and international cooperation.

This position is located in FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Bogota, Colombia.

Reporting Lines

The Technical Officer (Rural Development) reports to the FAO Representative (FAOR) in Colombia and will work in close collaboration with the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) and the different units of the FAO Office in Colombia, in consultation with the relevant technical units of the Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (RLC) and headquarters.

Technical Focus

Provides technical leadership, guidance and operational support for results-based policy assistance in the FAO work for sustainable and inclusive rural development in Colombia.

Key Results

Comprehensive technical and policy expertise and advice to support the planning, development and implementation of programmes, projects, products and services.

Key Functions

• Provides policy expertise and advice to support the planning, development and implementation of divisional programmes, projects, products and services.
• Provides technical and programmatic support on the development, implementation and evaluation of assigned programmes/projects; identifies priorities, liaises with relevant parties.
• Coordinates and reviews impact evaluation analyses and equivalent studies on the implementation of programmes and projects to identify key operational issues, and trends. Leads the preparation of various written outputs, e.g. background papers, analyses, substantial sections of reports and other inputs to publications.
• Contributes to the preparation of meetings and conferences, including proposals for agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations.
• Participates and/or leads training workshops and seminars; makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
• Provides guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties.
• Provides advice on the development of policies and strategies, as well as national protocols and guidelines for projects with specific domains related to FAO's work.

   

  Specific Functions

  • Coordinates the technical area of Rural Development and Family Farming in FAO Colombia, maintaining the dialogue of public policies according to national priorities, reviews and ensures that programmes and projects in rural development comply with the Country Programming Framework (CPF) and the strategic framework of FAO.
  • Supports the FAO resource mobilization strategy in Colombia for the expansion of the field programme in the areas of rural development and family farming.
  • Develops and promotes approaches, methodologies and guidelines for inclusive and resilient rural development, providing expertise in sustainable agrifood systems, with particular attention to marketing strategies, associativity, inclusive value chains, digital agriculture, among other approaches.
  • Leads the development and supervision of teams and actions for technical support in the formulation and implementation of programmes, projects and field work in the areas of rural development, family farming and agrifood systems.
  • Promotes dialogue with the private sector for the transformation of agrifood systems, generating partnerships and actions for sustainable rural development and technological innovation.
  • Provides technical support for the development of the FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative in the country and other FAO's corporate initiatives when required.
  • Provides technical support as LTO (Lead Technical Officer) to the projects assigned and developed in FAO Colombia, related to rural development and agrifood systems, when requested by FAO RLC and other FAO's Divisions.
  • Participates in integration with the other technical areas of FAO and with technical divisions of FAO RLC and FAO headquarters, to advance the development of systemic approaches to agrifood systems.
  • Represents FAO in high-level institutional and inter-sectoral forums on rural development, family farming policies and agrifood systems.
  • Coordinates the organization of and participates in national and international events such as seminars, conferences, forums, etc.
  • Supervises and monitors the performance of assigned staff and supports the capacity development of the team.
  • Undertakes official missions on behalf of the organization, as required by FAOR.

     

    CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

     

    Minimum Requirements

    • Advanced university degree in agriculture, business administration, economics, agricultural economics, development studies or related field.
    • Seven years of relevant experience in programme and project management, policy and technical advice and analysis, monitoring and evaluation in areas related to the activities of FAO.
    • Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

       

      Competencies

      • Results Focus
      • Teamwork
      • Communication
      • Building effective relationships
      • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

         

        Technical/Functional Skills

        • Work experience in more than one location or area of work related to rural development in Latin America is desirable.
        • Relevance and extent of experience in policy advice and analysis, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes.
        • Relevance and extent of experience in working with inter-governmental bodies and multidisciplinary teams.
        • Relevance and extent of experience in operations, coordination, human resources, budget and financial management.
        • Relevance and extent of experience in project/programme formulation, analysis, planning and implementation.
        • Relevance and extent of experience in resource mobilization for rural development programmes and projects with the public sector and international cooperation.
        • Relevance and extent of experience in the formulation of public policies and family farming projects
        • Relevance and extent of experience in the formation of partnerships with the public and private sectors.
        • Relevance and extent of experience in the supervision and technical assistance of rural development programmes and projects and in the coordination of technical teams.
        • Relevance and extent of experience in high level negotiation and dialogue skills.
        • Relevance and extent of postgraduate studies in rural development or related areas.
        • Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of Spanish is a strong asset.