Organizational Setting

The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Reporting Lines

The National Livestock Production Specialist shall operate under the overall guidance and responsibility of the FAO Regional Representative for Europe and Central Asia (REU) and the functional and administrative guidance of the Assistant FAO Representative in Georgia, the direct supervision of Technical Advisor, in close collaboration with relevant technical divisions of REU, international/national consultants of FEGEO, staff of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia and its agencies.

Technical Focus

Provide technical expertise for the appropriate planning, development and implementation of the FAO project (GCP/GEO/021/MUL) and timely delivery of the project outputs.

Tasks and responsibilities

FAO is supporting the Scientific-Research Center of Agriculture (SRCA) in implementing a Livestock Farm Management System (LFMS) to enhance the productivity and efficiency of livestock farming. This system will enable farmers to enter and manage data related to their livestock operations, leading to better decision-making and improved farm outcomes. The objective of this consultancy is to support livestock farmers in benefiting from the use of the LFMS through entering data, performing analysis of the results using the system’s features and functionalities and implementing the improved farm management practices covering animal nutrition, productivity analysis, and animal reproduction.

Farm management extension is concerned with the development of skills among farmers for improved decision-making in the use of resources and markets. Small-scale farmers may be good at producing, but often lack the skills needed to manage their farm as a business. Extension and training support are needed to assist farmers to develop their management skills and competencies. Farm Management is a specialized extension support that provides information suitable for use by farmers / livestock producers. The farm management specialist is expected to play a pivotal role in the use of the LFMS acting as analyst, planner, trainer and facilitator. The National Livestock Production Specialist will be responsible for the following tasks:

•    Identifying development-oriented farmers with sufficient potential for use and benefiting from the LFMS.
•    Assisting farmers in entering accurate and comprehensive data in the LFMS, monitoring the data quality, providing feedback to farmers and ensuring regularly updated and maintained records.
•    Working with the farmers for capacity development related to the use of the LFMS. These tasks include communicating the findings of farm data analyses to extension workers, facilitating linkages with private sector input dealers and buyers, and supporting workers and farmers with specialized trainings collection and use of data, and in particular on:
o    Animal Nutrition: Recording and analyzing data related to animal feed and nutrition and advising farmers on best practices for optimizing animal diets to improve health and productivity.
o    Productivity Selection: Analysis of productivity, tracking and selecting high-performing animals based on productivity data and recommendations for breeding and culling decisions to enhance herd performance.
o    Reproduction: Managing reproductive data, including breeding schedules and pregnancy tracking and advice in improving reproductive efficiency and outcomes.
o    Technical Support to farmers experiencing issues with the FMS and liaising with the technical team to resolve any system-related problems.
•    Documentation of best practices and lessons learned in animal nutrition, productivity selection, and reproduction.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•    University degree in Animal Sciences/ Zootechnics
•    At least three (5) years of relevant experience in livestock management, production, extension or similar
•    Working knowledge of English and Georgian
•    National of Georgia or resident in the country with a regular work permit

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Familiarity with farm management
•    Capacity to provide advice in animal nutrition, productivity selection, and reproduction
•    Ability to communicate effectively with public officials, including high-level staff and international donors
•    Computer literacy with spreadsheets, databases and electronic programmes
•    Excellent communication (both written and oral) and presentation and reporting skills

Selection Criteria

•    Extent and diversity of experience related to the above requirements.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION