UNDP is seeking to recruit a Project Analyst on Climate Smart Agriculture to provide coordination, implementation, technical assistance and management support to the project, and to foster implementation of agriculture and climate change responsiveness under the Outcome 2 of KVPVP project to leverage effectiveness of the project interventions in general and Output 2 – Agriculture in particular, maximizing benefit to vulnerable beneficiaries, contributing to climate change resilience, sustainable agriculture and rural development.

Specifically, the Project Analyst on Agriculture will deliver services on the following work:

1. Leading the agriculture technical support including technical inputs, guiding facilitation and capacity building on climate smart agricultural/climate resilient agriculture practices, agronomy, value chain, market and credit access, crop production, low carbon and resilient agribusiness, fostering detailed intervention and providing technical advisory services to Project Management Units and stakeholders in three provinces namely Thua Thien Hue, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh related to the Outcome 2 of the KVPVP project.
2. Fostering and contributing to KVPVP’s project management, in term of M&E of relevant targets in and compliance of safeguard, gender equality and stakeholder engagement of Outcome 2 in line with Project Document signed by UNDP and KOICA, Feasibility Studies approved by three project Provincial People’s Committees and Letters of Agreement signed by UNDP and three Local Project Owners.
3. Contributing technically to the development, implementation of the climate agriculture portfolio of CCEU/UNDP Viet Nam. This includes providing technical advisory on food and agricultural green commodity systems, food system transformation, food security, resilient agriculture, circular economy in agriculture etc. Additionally, enhance partnerships with stakeholders and support resource mobilization efforts.

The Project Analyst in Agriculture works under the general supervision of the Programme Analyst on Climate – Health nexus who is the Manager of the Outcome 2 of the KVPVP project and with the overall guidance of Assistant Resident Representative (ARR)/Head of CCEU, work closely with Agriculture Specialist, and other relevant colleagues at  the CCEU at UNDP Viet Nam to ensure and enhance the projects’ multiplied impacts, performance and compliance.

With above stated objectives, the Project Analyst on Agriculture will be responsible for following tasks and deliveries:

Leading the agriculture technical support including technical inputs, guiding facilitation and capacity building on climate smart agricultural practices, agronomy, value chain, crop production, low carbon and resilient agribusiness, fostering detailed intervention and providing technical advisory services to Project Management Units and stakeholders in three provinces related to the Outcome 2 of the KVPVP project.

• Leading development of detailed workplan including quarterly and annual workplans for project agriculture activities that reflect targets, technical design, intervention description and relevant requirements with emphasis on specific actions and roles of stakeholders (UNDP, DARDs, districts, communities, local based organization etc.).
• Providing technical assistance and ground support to partners in 3 provinces to develop the quarterly and annual workplan of the agriculture activities, implement interventions of agriculture component, in line with approved planned, relating following aspects:
  • Climate resilient crop production: FFS, climate smart farming techniques, watering and cultivation, adaptation initiatives
  • Innovation: agriculture inputs supply/distribution to farmers for applying new techniques, climate information advisory, climate innovation initiatives planning and application
  • Credit and market and value chain: Primary producers, cooperative, value chain development, market and private sector linkages
  • Inclusiveness (ethnic minorities, gender) in all the agriculture intervention

More specifically:

• Coordinate for a coherent approach among key stakeholders, including smallholder farmers, cooperatives, local agriculture extension and grassroots actors in supporting smallholder farmers to increase capacities to apply on-farm climate resilient cultivation practices and technologies.
• Provide technical assistance to smallholder farmers, cooperatives and local actors on value chain, markets and credit for sustained climate-resilient agricultural investments
• Monitoring and direct facilitation of FFS and field training activities
• Provide support to facilitate formulation and operational of Climate Innovation Platforms and promotion of localized agro-climate advisories to enhance smallholders’ climate-resilient agricultural production.

• Provide proper guidance to the project counterparts for effective planning, management and implementation of projects activities associated with technical designs to ensure achievement of quality results, timely implementation and overall targets of the project.
• Ensure effective partnership of DARD’s core unit, e.g. District Agriculture Department, Agriculture Extension and Service centers, institutions and organizations to promote the project values, to exchange lessons learned, and jointly contribute to develop and adopt a comprehensive set of policies and regulations climate resilient agriculture.
• Ensure that project interventions comply with social and environmental safeguards frameworks, including on gender and ethnic minorities, as well as achieve specific gender action plan results.
• Lead the design of learning, sharing and replication, including the design for capacity building of farmers to scale up climate-resilient cropping systems and good practices, models from Climate Innovation Platform etc. thru coaching farmers groups, cooperatives, exchange events.
• Identify project delivery issues and ensure effective coordination of project resources. Work closely with national counterparts to build cooperative relationships and establish the organization as an effective partner.
• Actively participate and contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice, including UNDP/MARD thematic group on Cultivation, Irrigation, Food security, and other appropriate networks.

Foster and contribute to KVPVP’s project management, in term of M&E of relevant targets and compliance of safeguard, gender equality and stakeholder engagement of Outcome 2, in line with Project Document signed by UNDP and KOICA, Feasibility Studies approved by three project Provincial People’s Committees and Letters of Agreement signed by UNDP and three Local Project Owners.

• Provide support to project management and project team to undertake M&E requirements, workplans, annual reports etc. to ensure consistence management of targeted narrative and impacts indicators of changes, performance, beneficiaries, areas etc. and to ensure compliance of SES/safeguards (gender, ethnic minorities, stakeholders engagement).
• Support thematic coordination of cross-cutting activities, including baseline assessments, gender assessment, thematic planning (e.g. Gender action plan) – with various agriculture relevant indicators, promoting synergies and coherence among the project components and activities (resilient house, risks mapping etc.). Ensure synergies and coherence between KVPVP project in general and Outcome 2 in particular and on-going/future climate change adaptation, climate resilient agriculture and agribusiness initiatives to bring about larger benefits and impacts.
• Advise and provide substantive inputs to the project team and partners to enhance knowledge management to promote and experiment innovative approaches on sustainable agriculture development, climate resilience and community development.
• Actively participate and contribute of technical inputs and practical expertise to the relevant projects on the topics of climate responsive agriculture, value chain/agribusiness.

Effective contribution to CCEU/UNDP Viet Nam portfolio on climate agriculture

• Providing technical advisory support to enhance the agriculture portfolio of CCE Unit, specifically on agro-food system transformation, resilient agriculture, value chain, food and agricultural commodities systems, and agribusiness, food security, low carbon, circular economy in agriculture etc;
• Ensure synergies and coherence between KVPVP project and another ongoing project, such as GCF2-SACCR (GCF fund), VNCSCC (Canada fund), iLandscape (EU fund), Agrifood system transformation (UN SDG fund) projects and future climate agriculture, climate change initiatives to bring about larger benefits and impacts.
• Advise and provide substantive inputs to UNDP Viet Nam’s participation and contributions to national, regional and international forums on climate agriculture and agro-food system transformation, climate change.
• Promote and experiment innovative approaches on sustainable agriculture, in collaboration with global and national think tanks as well as with other team members and colleagues within UNDP and CCE unit in particular.
• Actively participate and contribute of technical inputs to the relevant projects, such as GCF2-SACCR, VNCSCC, ILandscape, Agrifood system transformation and others.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Core competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination:  LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Management

• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
• Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results.
• Evaluation: Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks; Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
• Communication : Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience; Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels

Administration & Operations

• Event Management: Support projects with event management including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.