Organizational Setting

The Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) is responsible for leading FAO’s response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO’s priority activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region and, in collaboration with departments and divisions at Headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO’s strategic response to regional priorities.

In response to the growing demand for seizing the opportunities brought by digital technologies, FAO REU established its specialized team for Digital Agriculture in 2020. With a mission to act as a catalyzer for the digital transformation of agriculture across Europe and Central Asia, the team provides critical capabilities to country offices, technical units, and Members, while leading the implementation of key initiatives, such as the Digital Villages Initiative (DVI), the Hand-in-Hand Initiative (HiH) and the AgriTech Observatory. In 2023, the team was recognized with the “One FAO Team Award”.

This position offers a National Personal Service Agreement/Consultancy contract for an initial 125 days over a 11-month period, with the possibility of extension for the project duration (3 years). A break from duty of at least 30 consecutive days is mandatory within any twelve-month period after which the contract is renewable upon satisfactory performance and funds availability.

The incumbent will be based in Belgrade, Serbia at the FAO Serbia Office or home-based in Serbia. Only persons holding citizenship and/or a valid residence permit in Serbia are eligible to apply.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the technical supervision of the regional Head of Digital Agriculture, operational supervision of the National Programme Coordinator and the overall supervision of the de-facto FAO country representative for Serbia.

Technical Focus

Overall, the incumbent will contribute to the implementation of the FAO Strategic Framework linked mainly to Digital Agriculture (BP5): “Provision of analytical and technical support for conducting research and assessments, studies, formulating strategies, programmes, and supporting projects for the digitalization of food and agriculture and rural areas.
More specifically, the incumbent will play a critical role in the implementation of the “Digital Service Design Hub – Clicking Together with Citizens” three-year Programme, implemented with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and UNICEF and funded by the Joint SDG Fund. This Joint Programme (JP) supports the Government of Serbia in achieving its strategic and UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) goals by enhancing public services, particularly for vulnerable groups, and fast-tracking progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The JP focuses on transitioning from an institution-centric to a user-centric approach in public service design, with FAO taking the lead on the human-centered design and digitalization of at least two rural public services.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Serve as the primary liaison between the project team and national ministries, agricultural agencies, the project partners, and other key stakeholders to ensure the project aligns with national policies and priorities in the digitalization of rural services, while delivering on project outcomes.
•    Collaborate closely with Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant national partners, along with the partner UN agencies to develop a detailed workplan that outlines deliverables, timelines and responsibilities, and take lead in implementing the agreed-upon activities.
•    Assist in conducting surveys with farmers to gain insights into their current use and needs for digital services.
•    Organize and facilitate focus groups, deep dive interviews with farmers in five regions of Serbia, gaining deeper insights into specific needs, challenges, and service preferences.
•    Define a product roadmap for digital rural services, outlining goals, priorities, and timelines for delivery and in line with identified needs, available resources and government priorities.
•    Engage in iterative design and user testing of prototypes to ensure they meet the needs of rural users, specifically farmers.
•    Support the drafting of technical and functional specifications to guide the development of the new digital services, ensuring alignment with user needs and project goals.
•    Work with development teams to facilitate the iterative development of the redesigned services, ensuring ongoing improvements based on user feedback.
•    Organize and lead technical discussions and workshop with national stakeholders to present the findings from the user research and gather input from government counterparts, relevant institutions, and experts.
•    Assist in communication for service launch.
•    Prepare regular progress reports, identify potential bottlenecks and propose solutions for successful project implementation.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•    University degree in Service Design, Information Technology, Agricultural Science, Economics, Data Science, Computer Science, or a related field.
•    At least 5 years of relevant experience in agriculture and digitalization, or related fields.
•    Working knowledge (Level C) of English and Serbian.
•    Serbian National

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Proven experience in conducting user research, including surveys, focus groups, and interviews, particularly with farmers.
•    Experience working with national stakeholders or public sector institutions, particularly in agriculture or rural development.
•    Solid knowledge of the agriculture sector of Serbia.
•    Strong project management, communication and interpersonal skills, with experience facilitating stakeholder workshops and engaging with diverse audiences.

Selection Criteria

•    Proficiency in using MS Office suite, namely Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
•    Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
•    Strong problem-solving skills. Strong time-management skills.
•    Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
•    Ability to collaborate effectively with team members and external stakeholders.
•    Strong attention to detail.
•    Ability to work independently.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION