Organizational Setting

The Sub-Regional Office for Central Asia of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-SEC) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing and implementing strategies for addressing food security, agriculture and rural development priorities in the sub-region.

The Organization’s technical assistance includes institution building, development of knowledge and competencies, and exchange of experience among countries facing the challenges of transition.

FAO SEC will start implementing a three-year project entitled “Improving Biodiversity and Sustainable Forestry (GCP/SEC/025/TUR)” funded by the Government of Türkiye in January 2022.

The objective of this project is to equip beneficiary countries, through regional cooperation and networking, with the necessary and gender-responsive capacity and knowledge on sustainable biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management.

This will contribute to improving ecosystem functions such as biodiversity and soil conservation, storage of CO2 and regulation of water flows. To achieve these objectives, and considering the available financial resources, the project will have both, a pilot character to develop and demonstrate the best and state-of-the-art sustainable management planning systems for forests and protected areas and, a strong capacity development component, putting emphasis on an appropriate mix of theory and practice,  to ensure that up-to-date knowledge is well and sustainably embedded in the respective national administrations in charge of forests and protected areas.

While project will mainly be implemented in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, capacity building component of the project will include Azerbaijan, Montenegro, and Turkmenistan as well.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Sub-Regional Coordinator for Central Asia, the direct supervision of Team Leader of Field Programme Unit (FPU), the technical supervision by Lead Technical Officer (LTO), operational guidance from SEC FPU, in close coordination with the FTFP National Programme Coordinator and FAO Türkiye (FETUR), other international and national consultants and government counterparts at national and local levels in participating countries, the incumbent will undertake following.

Technical Focus 

Forest management, natural resource management, project management and coordination.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Project Coordinator will be responsible for the overall project implementation and management on a day-to-day basis, including financial management.

S/he will closely co-operate with the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and the National Project Coordinators (NPC – Focal Points of Government Partners) in the recipient countries to achieve this task.

The Project Manager will co-ordinate the work of the consultants and supervise other project personnel.

At the start of his/her assignment, he/she will review and adjust where needed the terms of reference for the international and national experts and consultants and define the technical contents of the planned contracts with local institutions and organisations.

The Project Manager will be responsible for the adequate reporting on project progress and budget expenditures towards FAO. His/her own field of expertise is natural resources management and policy development.

Planning

•    Prepare annual workplans to facilitate the implementation of the project
•    Planning of the training activities and preparation of training content in collaboration with the project experts in their respective fields
•    Participation in the preparation of the country activities plans in the four countries of implementation
•    Planning staff duty travels

Institutional framework development

•    Participation to meetings with the FTFP Steering Committee, FAO Project Task Force
•    Provide advice to Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry on institutional and policy issues related to project implementation

Mobilization of inputs

•    Personnel: Coordinate the overall hiring plan for hiring of national and international affiliate workforce, develop and/or review Terms of Reference of affiliate workforce and ensure compliance with current standards and regulations.
•    Equipment: Preparation of technical specifications for necessary equipment and procurement
•    Subcontracts: Preparation of terms of reference, identification of possible contractors, and procurement of services
•    Monitoring of work progress and certification of satisfactory services delivery

Training

•    Preparee and organize of training activities, including study tours abroad
•    Select of participants in consultation with national agencies concerned
•    Assessment of impact and lessons learned to be integrated into future activities

Financial Management

•    On the basis of semi-annual workplans, preparation of financial forecasts.
•    Initiation of budget revisions, on the basis of actual delivery.

Reporting

•    Prepare an inception report after the first two months of project implementation
•    Prepare semi-annual annual reports containing a description of overall project progress, an assessment of the efficacy of institutional arrangements for the implementation, including co-ordination arrangements, and recommendations on improvements that should be made, if any, to project design and implementation;
•    Prepare a detailed project terminal report three months prior to the end of the project.

Managerial duties:

•    Ensure gender mainstreaming in all project activities
•    Facilitate the work of international and national consultants and certification of their satisfactory performance
•    Supervise of financial monitoring and reporting, as well as record keeping
•    Perform other coordinating tasks as appropriate for the successful implementation of the project in accordance with the project document and workplans

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    Post-graduate education level in forestry, environment, or a related field.
•    Minimum 10 years of work experience in forestry and natural resources management in developing countries or in countries in transition.
•    Working knowledge of English.
•    National of Türkiye.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Multi-cultural and interpersonal skills with hands-on experiences in networking with partners at all levels (ministry, donors, private sector, NGOs and local community-based organizations).
•    Ability to draft technical reports in English desirable
•    Good interpersonal and communication skills
•    Good computer skills
•    Working knowledge in Russian is an asset.

Selection Criteria

•    Demonstrated experiences in providing policy advice and programme management at the Ministerial and local levels
•    Experience in program and project management and knowledge on project cycle management
•    Demonstrated management experience and organisational capacity
•    Previous experience/familiarity with FAO (or other donors) an asset.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION