Food and Agriculture Organization
Job Posting: 05/Nov/2024
Closure Date: 20/Nov/2024, 12:59:00 AM
Organizational Unit: FRMLW – FAO Representation in Malawi
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition: NPP (National Project Personnel)
Grade Level: N/A
Primary Location: Malawi-Lilongwe
Duration: 10 months with possibility of extension
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.
Through its Country Offices, or FAO Representations, FAO assists governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to address hunger and malnutrition, and provides technical support for the sustainable development of their agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors. The activities of the FAO Country Offices include design and implementation of country-tailored field programmes, liaison with local donor representatives, and active public awareness-raising and outreach activities related to FAO initiatives such as the World Food Day.
Reporting Lines
The Farmer Organisation Development Specialist will work under the general supervision of the FAO Representative in Malawi, functional supervision of the Head of Section for Agriculture and Food System, the Assistant FAO Representative and the direct supervision of the Project Support and Coordination Specialist.
Technical Focus
The Farmer Organisation Development Specialist shall be the Focal Person for FAO for the Women and Youth Project in Mzimba and Kasungu. S/he will be responsible for facilitating and supporting the day-to-day delivery of the project in line with the project document, workplans and objectives.
Tasks and responsibilities
• Support planning, implementation, and management of Women and Youth in Agriculture project activities.
• Facilitate organization of farmers into functional groups such as cooperatives, associations, groups.
• Conduct regular training needs assessment for farmer organisations (such as cooperatives, groups, etc) to identify training gaps.
• Facilitate development of training manuals for cooperatives, associations, groups
• Facilitate registration of cooperatives, associations into legal entities.
• Monitor situation of agricultural extension and rural support services in target areas.
• Support the introduction and adoption of appropriate and agronomic technologies specifically for targeted value chain in the district for increased agriculture production and productivity.
• Support farmers through field visits and training using the (FFS) Farmer Field School principles in cooperation with Government Officer.
• Work hand in hand with colleagues from UNDP and Government to deliver activities as planned.
• Initiate and organise regular meetings including PTC and PAC as well as field trips for the donor and RCO.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Master’s degree from a recognized University in Agriculture Extension, Agriculture general, Development Studies.
• At least 4 years working experience on programmes/projects supporting agriculture groups including cooperatives in Malawi.
• Working knowledge of English and Chichewa
• National of Malawi
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Experience in project development and capacity development within the Agriculture Sector.
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office programmes, especially MS Outlook and MS Teams.