ABOUT THE COMPANY:

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. We believe that everyone can play a part in ending hunger.

JOB SUMMARY

Organizational Setting
The FAO Investment Centre (CFI) provides investment and finance solutions that lead to more efficient, sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems.

Working in over 120 countries, the Centre provides a full suite of investment and finance support to FAO members. It partners with governments, international and national financing institutions, the private sector and farmers, research institutions and academia to improve the quality and quantity of agrifood investment. The Centre’s four main areas of work include support to strategic investment planning and policy, public investment, private investment, and innovative finance.

These are complemented by the knowledge for investment and capacity development for investment programmes that serve to share knowledge, learn and build capacities at country level.

For additional information on the FAO Investment Centre, its activities, partners and the organizational structure please visit the following link.

The post is located in the Asia and the Pacific Service (CFIB) of the FAO Investment Centre (CFI) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Economist reports to the Chief, Asia and the Pacific Service.

Technical Focus
Provide analytical and technical support on economic and financial aspects for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of investment policies, strategies, programmes and projects in food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing.

Key Results
Delivering investment and finance support solutions through the provisions of technical assistance and support to capacity development, in collaboration with country stakeholders and cooperating partners, to achieve impact at scale in the transformation of agrifood systems in the scope of the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions
• Participates in multidisciplinary teams for the identification and preparation of investment operations in the fields of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing, and in pre-appraisal and appraisal missions.
• Supports the implementation of investment operations and the preparation of final evaluations.
• Participates in the preparation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing studies and strategies, in the formulation of national sector and/or sub-sector investment plans and programmes.
• Supports the development of inclusive and sustainable food systems involving producers, their organizations, other private sector actors, civil society organizations and governments.
• Contributes to capacity development activities in the areas of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment support to government staff, non-state actors and private sector organizations.
• Prepares reports in accordance with governments and financing partners’ requirements.
• Promotes knowledge sharing and best practices at international meetings and conferences and interacts with international and national partners.
• Supports the promotion and maintenance of  relationships with relevant Programme Priority Areas, FAO technical units and Decentralized Offices in order to ensure best synergies between investment, policy and innovation work in support to Members.
• Supports resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate Strategy.

Specific Functions
• Provides inputs for the design of investment operations, including the development of project logical/results framework, monitoring and evaluation systems and the costing of investment operation
• Analyses the feasibility and viability of investment proposals through studying market prospects, prices, costs and risks and carrying out financial and economic analysis.
• Supports the evaluation of the performance of investment projects or programmes during implementation and their impact after completion.
• Supports the review of investment implications of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing policies, national plans and programmes including, poverty alleviation and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
• Contributes to and leads the knowledge development and capacity building activities in the area economic and financial analysis.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in economics, agricultural economics, natural resources economics, agribusiness management or a closely related field.
• Five years of relevant experience in the practical application of economic analysis to development issues, including analytical studies, and/or in the formulation and implementation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment operations in developing countries and/or countries in transition.
• 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.
• Extent and relevance of experience in food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing analytical studies and programme evaluation.
• Extent and relevance of experience in participating in multidisciplinary teams for the preparation of strategies and sector studies as well as formulation, implementation support or evaluation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment operations, with focus on financial and economic aspects.
• Extent and relevance of experience in investment design, implementation support and evaluation procedures of FAO’s main development partners, in particular the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and other partner International Financial Institutions.
• Knowledge of the context, as well as partners and institutions of the specific subregion would be an asset.
• Extent of experience in capacity development for the design and implementation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investments.
• Depth of understanding of trends, challenges and opportunities in agricultural investments and agrifood systems in Asia and the Pacific region.
• Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in English.

REQUIRED EDUCATION: Bachelor Degree

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: 60