Organizational Setting

The Office of Emergencies and Resilience, OER is responsible for ensuring FAO’s efforts to support countries and partners in preparing for and effectively responding to food and agricultural threats and crises. It is responsible for coordinating the development and maintenance of corporate tools and standards to enable Decentralized Offices to assist member countries to prepare for and respond to emergencies. OER ensures humanitarian policy coordination and knowledge, liaison with the InterAgency Standing Committee as well as with humanitarian resource partners, co-leadership with World Food Programme of the global Food Security Cluster, organizational preparedness, surge capacity and response to large-scale emergencies. OER supports food and nutrition security assessment and early warning activities related to emergency and humanitarian analysis and responses. OER plays a major role in the development and leadership of the Organization’s programme to increase the resilience of livelihoods to food and agriculture threats and crises.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative/ Designated Responsible Official (DRO), the functional guidance of the Emergency and Resilience Office (OER), the supervision of the Emergency Response Manager, the Emergency Coordinator will assist in coordinating the implementation and follow-up of FAO’s emergency operations and strategies in the affected country.

Technical Focus 

Support to the implementation of FAO’s Emergency response in line with the Emergency Response Priorities of coordination, assessment, and time- critical interventions. Develop, implement, monitor and evaluate assigned programme/projects.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Provide leadership on emergency and rehabilitation as part of the resilience work in the country including preparedness, needs assessment, response, programming, implementation and resource mobilization, in liaison and collaboration with the foods security cluster/sector and relevant FAO personnel;
•    Lead and coordinate the work of the Emergency Response Team, establish country and operational objectives and monitor progress through regular planning meetings and the development, updating, and disseminating of the action plan; ensure that corrective measures are timely implemented based on monitoring results;
•    Promote FAO’s resilience, focusing on emergency and rehabilitation role and programmes with government parties, UN Agencies, Regional Organizations, NGOs and donors;
•    Review relevant documents and reports; identifies problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaises with relevant parties; identifies and tracks follow-up actions;
•    Assist in policy development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, preparation of impact evaluation or equivalent studies, etc.;
•    Prepare various written outputs, e.g. drafts background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.;
•    Undertake outreach activities; conducts training workshops, seminars, etc.; make presentations on assigned topics/activities;
•    Coordinate activities related to budget and funding (programme/project preparation and submissions, progress reports, financial statements, etc.) and prepares related documents/reports (pledging, work programme, programme budget, etc.).
•    Ensure FAO’s active participation in all humanitarian coordination mechanisms (including clusters and/or sectors), with local government authorities, other UN agencies, donors and other partners;
•    Develop an initial emergency response strategy and leads the programming process from needs assessments through programme development and implementation, while including FAO components of appeals, strategy documents, and project proposals;
•    Ensure FAO’s participation in joint needs assessments and (co-) leadership of sector-specific assessments, that the specific needs of vulnerable groups (socio-economic, gender, age and health status) are addressed, and that commitments on accountability to affected populations are met;
•    Develop an initial emergency operations plan and oversees the implementation of all operational activities, to include those managed at country level and those at Regional Office and/or at headquarters;
•    Assist in setting up emergency assessment and response teams immediately to address new emergencies and provide surge capacity to country offices;
•    Coordinate the development of FAO’s contribution to inter-agency Humanitarian Response Plans (HRPs) and Flash Appeals and the preparation of project profiles and full-fledged project documents for donor funding;
•    Coordinate activities related to project and budget formulation for all relevant Emergency Response projects and monitors the financial execution and accounting of projects;
•    Ensure that the required technical assistance from the Technical Focal Point Network is made available to the Emergency Response Team and FAO implementing partners;
•    Support sectorial coordination through the FAO-WFP co-led Food Security Cluster/Sector in the country;
•    Ensure the development of an advocacy and outreach plan, including key messages, communication material such as Executive and ad-hoc Briefs, Situation Reports, and the authorization of information to external communication sources;
•    Establish and maintain regular contacts with donors, and ensures the provision of updated information on FAO assessments, response plans, and activities;
•    Coordinate FAO’s contribution to inter-agency Post Disaster Needs Assessments and Post Conflict Needs Assessment;
•    Ensure all possible steps are taken to protect the safety and wellbeing of FAO personnel responding to the emergency (in accordance with FAO and UN system safety and security protocols);
•    Manage the demobilization of the Emergency Response Team and transition from the temporary emergency response structure to country-led programming;
•    Perform other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    University degree (Bachelor’s or equivalent) in business administration or public administration, political science, social science, agronomy, natural resources management or in a subject related to the work of the Organization.
•    At least seven years of relevant experience in public and/or private sectors related to programming, planning and technical cooperation in food and agriculture, including experience in developing countries, especially in countries that are vulnerable to disaster or other emergency risks
•    Working knowledge of English or French (level C).

FAO Core 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 is desirable;
•    Extent of relevant experience at international level in formulating policy and programming managing field operations;
•    Depth of experience in identifying and preparing programme strategies and policy position on humanitarian and transition contexts, at both global and country levels;
•    Extent of knowledge of international humanitarian architecture, including agencies, NGOs, and other partners;
•    Demonstrated experience in, needs assessments, cluster coordination, UN consolidated appeal process and/or emergency operations for Level 3 emergencies;
•    Demonstrated experience in rehabilitation and humanitarian policies development, programme formulation and implementation;
•    Experience in response management and surge support coordination.

Selection Criteria 

•    Limited knowledge (level B) of a second FAO language (English, Arabic, French, Chinese, Spanish and Russian) would be an asset.