Organizational Setting
The Statistics Division (ESS) develops and advocates for the implementation of methodologies and standards for data collection, validation, processing and analysis of food and agriculture statistics. In these statistical domains, it also plays a vital role in the compilation, processing and dissemination of internationally comparable data and provides essential capacity building support to Member Nations. In addition, the Division disseminates many publications, working papers and statistical yearbooks, that cover agricultural and food security relevant statistics (including prices, investments, production, trade and agri-environmental statistical data).
The incumbent will work for the Agricultural Census Team, that is responsible for developing the methodological guidelines for the FAO World Programme for the Census of Agriculture (WCA), documenting country practices and assisting countries in carrying out their national agricultural census at least once every decade using standard international concepts, definitions and methodologies. The Team is also responsible for coordinating relevant capacity development activities conducted by ESS in order to strengthen national agricultural statistical systems regarding the censuses of agriculture.
The position is located in the Statistics Division, ESS at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Statistician reports to the Senior Statistician/Leader of the Agricultural Censuses Team under the overall guidance of the Director, ESS.

Technical Focus
Agricultural Censuses and surveys.

Key Results
Research and analysis of information, data and statistics, statistical methods, statistical and econometric modelling. Development and maintenance of specialized tools, methodologies, systems and/or databases, and the technical assistance services to support the implementation/delivery and monitoring of the programme of work and related products, projects, publications and services.

Key Functions
• Collects, reviews, processes and/or analyses key social/economic/environmental/indicators, based on both traditional statistical methods/sources or on unstructured sources and data science methods, to support the delivery of economic and social development programmes of work, which can be focused on products, projects, publications or services.
• Develops improved/updated technical, statistical and/or analytical tools, systems, databases.
• Conducts research, data collection, validation, analysis and/or reporting in support of the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovative tools and methodologies to be used within the Organization or by external stakeholders.
• Produces a variety of technical reports and provides input in technical documents, divisional publications and/or web pages.
• Provides response to requests and provides technical and/or policy advice, assistance and solutions to Regional, Subregional and Country Offices, including technical backstopping to field projects.
• Participates in multidisciplinary teams, collaborates with other Divisions/Offices/Centres on work groups and committees and promotes best practices.
• Provides capacity development services, including the planning and organization of training workshops and seminars, and preparation of related information, materials, on-line tools and information kits.
• Participates in divisional teams, Organization-wide committees, project teams and working groups and provides specialized expertise on international technical networks and or technical policy and standard setting bodies.
• Supports the organization, conduct and follow-up of meetings, consultations and conferences, the development/production of required materials and the provision of information and assistance to partners.
• Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the Corporate Strategy and divisional plans.
• Promotes international cooperation and collaboration, advocates best practices, knowledge sharing, increased policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international meetings and conferences.

Specific Functions
• Contributes to support the World Programme for the Census of Agriculture (WCA).
• Develops and updates conceptual, methodological and operational guidelines to collect statistical information on the structure of national agriculture sectors through agriculture censuses, international and agricultural surveys.
• Technically supports FAO units and Members in the design, planning, and implementation of agricultural census, international surveys and agricultural surveys, including formulation of census and survey projects, questionnaire and manuals design, cognitive and pilot testing, sample design, training of field staff, the use of advanced data collection technologies and dissemination of census and survey data.
• Supports the preparation and delivery of training and dissemination materials on agricultural census, international surveys and agricultural surveys to country officials and field staff.
• Provides hands-on support to national institutions in applying statistical methods to large farm survey datasets, including editing, validation and analysis of the data with statistical software.
• Monitors and document countries’ censuses, prepare metadata reviews and main census results.
• Supports the processing and dissemination of census data from WCA rounds to the FAOSTAT (FAO database) domain.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in statistics, mathematics, economics, agricultural economics, or a related field.
• Five years of relevant experience in the compilation and analysis of food and agricultural statistics with relevant experience in planning, designing, sampling, collecting, processing, analysing and disseminating data from censuses of agriculture and agricultural surveys in national or international organizations, as well as experience in the use of statistical software, such as R, Stata or SPSS.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – 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, particularly in field positions.
• Strong command of statistical methods including: data presentation, analysis and descriptive statistics; main continuous and discrete random variables (binomial, normal, standard normal, log-normal) and their properties; probability distributions; conditional probability, probabilities of intersections of events, Bayes’ theorem; correlation and rank correlation; sampling and sample size: simple, stratified and multistage random sampling; inference, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and significance; linear regression (single and multiple) comparison of population means and variances, ANOVA; Chi-square and goodness of fit tests; nonlinear models: maximum likelihood estimation; elements of survey and questionnaire design.
• Extent of knowledge and experience in agricultural survey methodology, including survey design, sampling, questionnaire design, data collection methods and dissemination.
• Extent of proficiency and experience in CAPI survey tools and in using software tools for validating, processing and analysing microdata from large-scale agricultural surveys.
• Extent of experience in microdata dissemination and knowledge of statistical disclosure control methods and tools.
• Extent and relevance of knowledge and experience in project design/formulation and in delivering capacity development programmes and technical assistance in developing countries.