The Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) is responsible for leading FAO’s response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of the Regional Initiatives based on the priorities as identified by the European Regional Conference (ERC). It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region and, in collaboration with departments and divisions at Headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO’s strategic response to regional priorities through the Regional Initiatives. REU also advises on the incorporation of regional priorities into the Organization’s Programme of Work and Budget and implements approved programmes and projects in the region, monitors the level of programme implementation and draws attention to problems and deficiencies.  REU develops and maintains relations with region-wide institutions including the Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs) as well as Civil Society Organizations and the Private Sector.

FAO’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) works with Member Governments and other partners for the eradication of food insecurity, malnutrition and rural poverty, and to ensure that agriculture contributes its full potential to each country’s national economy and well-being under 3 Regional Initiatives: Empowering Smallholders and Family Farms in Europe and Central Asia, Improving Agri-food Trade and Market Integration and Sustainable Natural Resource Management under a changing climate.

Since 2017, FAO is implementing in Ukraine a project funded by the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) entitled “Integrated Natural Resources Management in Degraded Landscapes in the Forest-Steppe and Steppe Zones of Ukraine”. The objective of the project is to promote restoration of degraded landscapes in the forest-steppe and steppe zones of Ukraine through upscaling of integrated natural resources management (INRM) practices. To remove barriers to scaling up, the project has been designed around three components that will: (i) create an enabling environment for INRM in Ukraine at national and sub-national level; (ii) restore the productivity and resilience of production landscapes through INRM; and (iii) ensure learning and sharing of lessons learned through effective project monitoring and evaluation and adaptive management.

Reporting Lines

The Consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Programme Coordinator, the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer and the operational and administrative supervision of the Budget Holder.

Technical Focus

The Project Coordinator will be responsible to ensure the technical quality of activities implemented under the project funded by the GEF as well as coordinating daily implementation of the project.

Provision of technical expertise to ensure quality of project activities and outputs implemented under the FAO GEF-funded project in accordance with project outcomes and its results framework.

Tasks and responsibilities

1. Research and analyse technical-related issues on the development, the implementation and evaluation of project GCP/UKR/004/GFF; assists to the review of relevant documents and reports for LTO clearance and produces a variety of technical information, data, statistics and documents as well as technical input for reports and web pages;
2. Provide technical support/analysis to assessments, studies and missions conducted in the framework of the project and conduct technical support missions to field activities;
3. Act as Secretary to the Project Steering Committee (PSC), facilitate and strengthen the collaboration between national project’s stakeholders and regional/international partners to ensure smooth implementation and delivery of project’s activities; coordinates project interventions with other ongoing activities, especially those of co-financers;
4. Ensure knowledge management to build the capacity and knowledge of national counterparts; promotes the identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned from the project for organizational sharing and learning as well as external information
5. Coordinate the preparation of project work plans and report, monitor progress and, where necessary, identifies corrective measures to overcome operational constraints in coordination with LTO and with the BH to ensure that the budget is properly monitored;
6. Supervise national project staff and consultants, ensure that they fully understand their roles and tasks and supports them in their work;
7. Support the establishment of the project as an umbrella for SLM/INRM in Ukraine and encourage regional/international partners to support this initiative;
8. Regularly promote the project and its outputs and findings on a national, and where appropriate, regional stage; coordinate and participate in technical and international meetings;
9. Perform other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in natural resources management, climate change, agriculture or related fields
• Minimum three years of relevant experience in the sustainable natural resources management under a changing climate in Ukraine.
• Working knowledge of English and Russian

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills  

• Extent and relevance of experience in project management and in running large-scale projects, preferably on sustainable natural resources management, climate change, and sustainable and resilient agriculture;
• Knowledge of international conventions, internationally accepted best practice and relevant agreements on natural resources management, climate change and sustainable agriculture;
• Ability to develop and implement capacity development programs and activities, including training events at national and regional level;
• Capacity to adopt new approaches and practices as well as demonstrated commitment in promoting participatory and bottom-up approaches;
• Familiarity with the environmental and social safeguard requirements of the GEF

Additional Selection Criteria

• Knowledge of the national context in Ukraine is considered a strong asset
• Experience in the region of Europe and Central Asia is considered as an advantage

• Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

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  ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)

  Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list

  Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications

  Candidates should upload language certificate/s when submitting their application.

  For more information, visit the FAO employment website

  HOW TO APPLY

  To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered.

  We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline

  If you need help please contact: [email protected] 

  FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT

  Please apply by the following link:

  https://jobs.fao.org/careersection/fao_external/jobdetail.ftl?job=2000467&tz=GMT%2B01%3A00&tzname=