All applications are to be made through FAO’s iRecruitment system. Click on the link below to access iRecruitment, complete your online profile and apply for this Call for Expression of Interest.
http://www.fao.org/employment/irecruitment-access/en/
In order for your application to be properly evaluated, please ensure that all sections of your iRecruitment account are completed. Incomplete applications will not be evaluated.
CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Agro-Meteorology Expert
Contract duration: 11 months
Vacancy No. IRC4044
Deadline for Applications: 2 May 2017
Duty station: Maputo, Mozambique
Tasks and responsibilities:
FAO Mozambique assists the government to develop policies, programmes and projects to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition; to help the government develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors and to use the environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner. FAO participates in the development and implementation of field projects in the sectors of food security, agriculture and rural development.
The project GCP/MOZ/112/LDF, “Strengthening capacities of agricultural producers to cope with climate change for increased food security through the Farmers Field School approach” was approved by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) in March 2015 and is being implemented by FAO. The overall goal of the projects is to enhance the capacity of agricultural and pastoral sectors to cope with climate change, by up scaling farmers’ adoption of climate change adaptation technologies and practices through a network of already established Farmers Field Schools, and by mainstreaming climate change adaptation concerns and strategies into on-going agricultural development initiatives, policies and programming.
The project will recruit a full time Agro-Meteorology Expert to play a very active role: guiding and supporting the start-up of agro-meteorological activities under the project. He/she will work closely with all relevant national agencies and stakeholders and provide direct support to National Institute of Meteorology (INAM) to guide the installation of equipment, establish maintenance and operational plans for equipment with INAM and to develop a work plan and budget for agro-meteorological staff for the following 5 years. During this initial year, the expert will support INAM to set the overall national institutional framework in place for the establishment of a basic agro-meteorological system in Mozambique. By the end of the project INAM staff will be able to operate the national agro-meteorological system independently and will be competent to continue to strengthen the agro-meteorological system in Mozambique following the end of the project.
Key performance indicators |
Expected Outputs: |
In particular, he/ she will: - Define a detailed work plan to cover the duration of the project and to be agreed with CTA; - Prepare the capacity building strategy to be supported by the project based in identified gaps in INAM. - Coordinate, guide, monitor and supervise the implementation of all activities under output 2.5 and related outputs including the recruitment of national staff, consultants and development related Terms of Reference; - Compile and prepare the necessary documents for the procurement of services, goods and supplies under the project; - Assist in monitoring the financial and administrative management of output 2.5 of the project; - Coordinate the identification of needs on meteorological and telecommunication equipment, hardware, procurement, provision, installation, inspection, put into operation and maintenance; - Coordinate the establishment of technical and human capacity of the staff within the Agromet Units of INAM, IIAM and DNSA-DCAP; - Assist in the selection, installation and exploitation of appropriate software for data collection, archiving, processing and analysis for the three Agromet Units; - Plane and coordinate all agro-meteorological activities of the three Agromet Units; - Liaise with World Bank Mozambique's Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR): Transforming Hydrological and Meteorological Services Project in all meteorology-related activities; - Prepare appropriate documents and organizing the regular workshops in the framework of the Farmers Field School (FFS) of the project; - Coordinate with other stakeholders a process to disseminate the information for the farmers - Coordinate the preparation of detailed manuals concerning the procedure for data collection, processing, analysis and dissemination, in collaboration with project staff and consultants; - Coordinate the identification of training needs and related curricula for all required staff of the project and the elaboration of specific training programs with appropriate institutions; - Coordinate the development and implementation of procedures and formats for disseminating climate and agro-meteorological information in the framework of Farmers Field School (FFS); - Assist in the on-the-job training in order to develop the national capacity to sustain the system beyond the end of the project; - Ensure the preparation of annual work plans and budget revisions are timely completed and submitted; - Maintain and developing the partnership with other ministries, departments and agencies for relevant inputs and outputs; - Provide support to the Project Steering Committee (PSC) to ensure their regular monitoring of the day-to-day implementation of the activities, review the achievements and plans of the project on a regular basis, facilitate the resolution of the problems met and advise the CTA on any matter relevant to project's activities; - Provide progress reports and other technical reports according to FAO format and guidelines; - Provide a detailed end-of-assignment report describing the work undertaken, progress towards achieving assignment objectives together with a detailed work plan concerning the activities to be performed by national staff during year 2 of the project; - Undertake any other duties as may be required by the CTA. |
Candidates should meet the following requirements:
Minimum Requirements
· Advanced University degree in agro-meteorology, meteorology, agronomy, environmental studies or closely related fields.
· Technical and practical knowledge of the impacts' assessment of climate variability and climate change on agriculture is critical.
· A minimum of 7 years of progressive and relevant experience in the field of operational agro-meteorology.
· Experience in agro-meteorology activities for agriculture and food security, particularly in developing countries.
· Experience in the use of specific agro-meteorological software for crop monitoring and yield forecasting.
· Experience in producing and disseminating agro-climate information for rural farming communities.
· Experience in the use of remote sensing products and GIS software for environmental monitoring.
· Excellent understanding of the linkages among agriculture, climate variability, vulnerability and climate change adaptation in rural farming communities.
Competencies
· Results Focus
· Teamwork
· Communication
· Building Effective Relationships
· Knowledge Sharing and Continuous improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
· Extent and relevance of experience in applying agro-meteorology knowledge in support of small scale agriculture
· Work experience in Southern Africa would be an asset
· Ability to plan and organize own work, deliver results and meet deadlines
· Extent and relevance of experience in the preparation and revision of technical/scientific documents and in organizing meetings and workshops
· Ability to write clear and concise technical documents
· Excellent oral and written communication skill in English, working knowledge of Portuguese or Spanish is required
Selection criteria
· Extent and relevance of experience in managing and implementing projects that involve participatory extension approaches (for example the Farmer Field School approach) in a climate change context.
Extent and relevance of experience in multilateral and international agencies.
· Extent and relevance of experience in managing projects using a results-based management approach.
· Experience in integrated landscape management approaches is an asset.
Additional Information
· All candidates should possess computer/word processing skills.
· Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise, which will be followed by a competency-based interview.
· Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your iRecruitment online profile (see “How to Apply”). We strongly recommend that you ensure that the information is accurate and complete, including employment record, academic qualifications and language skills.
· Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognised in the IAU/UNESCO list.
· Other similar positions at the same level may be filled from this vacancy notice and the endorsed candidates will be considered for the Employment Roster for a period of 2 years.
· Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments
FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
All candidates should adhere to FAO values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
How to apply
All applications are to be made through FAO’s iRecruitment system. Click on the link below to access iRecruitment, complete your online profile and apply for this Call for Expression of Interest.
http://www.fao.org/employment/irecruitment-access/en/
In order for your application to be properly evaluated, please ensure that all sections of your iRecruitment account are completed. Incomplete applications will not be evaluated.
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