Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.
FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO’s goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

FAO Country Offices, working under overall corporate guidance and in line with the Strategic Framework, offer policy advice and support to countries in the mandated areas of FAO, facilitated through partnerships, resources and an active country programme to provide technical assistance, develop capacities and deliver core services while fully observing international standards of accountability to establish leadership and strengthen impact at the country level.

The offices deliver on the programmatic priorities of each country as agreed in their respective Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and ensure effective and efficient operations with adequate human and financial resources.

Specifically, FAO Country Offices:

•    advocate, inform and support policies and investments in the areas of FAO’s mandate.
•    provide technical assistance and deliver core services.
•    assist and catalyse partnership and resource mobilization activities to support agrifood systems transformation.
•    position FAO as the specialized/authoritative technical agency in food and agriculture and agrifood systems transformation; and
•    ensure risk-smart and accountable operations and management.

The position is located in the FAO Country Office in Kenya.

Reporting Lines

The Gender Specialist will support the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the programme in Kenya. She/he will work under the direct supervision of Land Governance Programme Manager, FAO’s Country Office in Kenya, and the overall guidance Gender and Rural Development Officer, ESP

Technical Focus 

The role spans across multiple phases of the programme (coordination, design, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and learning), requiring strong collaboration, communication, and technical support to ensure the programme’s objectives are successfully achieved. It demands a proactive approach to maintaining relationships with stakeholders, managing detailed project plans, and supporting continuous learning and adaptation throughout the programme’s lifecycle.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Facilitate the coordination between and among FAOKE, ESP gender and evaluation teams, implementing partners and relevant stakeholders.
•    Organize regular meetings with FAO’s Country Office in Kenya and ESP to share updates on the implementation of the programme in Kenya.
•    Organize regular meetings with implementer partners to share updates on the implementation of the programme in Kenya.
•    Take notes in the meetings and share them with the implementer partners.
•    Create and manage a shared folder and ensure all the project’s information is well organized and updated.
•    Perform any other tasks related to the coordination of the programme in Kenya as required.
•    Support the development of a theory of change and work plan, including a monitoring and reporting plan, for the implementation of the programme in close collaboration with FAO’s Country Office in Kenya, ESP, implementing partners and relevant stakeholders.
•    Develop a overall project work plan based on the inputs provided by the implementing partners.
•    Provide technical support to the design of the baseline and endline survey for the quantitative impact evaluation.
•    Provide technical support to the design, planning and roll-out of the formative research (context analysis).
•    Provide technical support to CBCC in the development of the communication strategy and development of the Talking Book messages.
•    Support the development of Letters of Agreement with international and local implementing partners.
•    Perform any other tasks related to the design of the programme in Kenya as required.
•    Oversee the overall implementation of the programme in Kenya in close consultation and coordination with FAOKE and ESP.
•    Participate in and support the organization and roll-out of trainings (e.g., trainings of Master Trainers and Facilitators), workshops/events (e.g., inception and closing workshops), sessions (e.g., awareness raising sessions, WE-FBS and Talking Books sessions) and meetings (e.g., Town Hall meetings) in collaboration with FAO’s Country Office in Kenya, ESP, implementing partners and relevant stakeholders.
•    Oversee the identification and selection of Farmer Field School groups, Master Trainers and Facilitators in the targeted sub-counties.
•    Maintain close interaction and collaborate with the Amplio sub-county coordinators, CBCC program field officer and Pwani University focal points.
•    Perform any other tasks related to the implementation of the programme in Kenya as required.
•    Prepare and submit monthly reports to Husna Mbarak (FAOKE) and ESP gender team describing the progress of activities.
•    Prepare and submit an interim report and a final report for FAO on the implementation of the programme in Kenya following the FVC template.
•    Ensure the timely submission of inception, progress and final reports from implementing partners as per signed Letters of Agreement.
•    Review and share inception, progress and final reports from implementing partners with FAO’s Country Office in Kenya and ESP.
•    Conduct regular monitoring and supervision visits to the targeted sub-counties.
•    Support the development of knowledge products and document and share the experience of the programme in Kenya with relevant partners and stakeholders during workshops and consultations.
•    Provide technical support to the preparation and implementation of a robust qualitative assessment at the end of the programme in Kenya.
•    Perform any other tasks related to the monitoring, reporting and learning of the programme in Kenya as required.
•    Effective coordination between and among FAO’s Country Office in Kenya, ESP, implementing partners and relevant stakeholders throughout the design, implementation, monitoring, reporting and learning, and closing of the programme in Kenya.
•    Support provided to the development of a theory of change and work plan, including a monitoring and reporting plan, for the implementation of the programme in Kenya.
•    Support provided to the design of the baseline and endline survey for the quantitative impact evaluation, and to the design, planning and conduct of formative research (context analysis).
•    Support provided to the development of Letters of Agreement with international and local implementing partners.
•    Overall implementation of the programme in Kenya in close consultation and coordination with FAO’s Country Office in Kenya and ESP overseen.
•    Participation in and support provided to the organization and roll-out of trainings, workshops/events, sessions and meetings.
•    Identification and selection of Farmer Field School groups, Master Trainers and Facilitators in the targeted sub-counties overseen.
•    Monthly reports with activity progress prepared and submitted
•    Interim report and a final report for FAO on the implementation of the programme in Kenya prepared and submitted.
•    Timely submission of inception, progress and final reports from implementing partners as per signed Letters of Agreement ensured.
•    Inception, progress and final reports from implementing partners reviewed and shared with FAO’s Country Office in Kenya and ESP.
•    Regular monitoring and supervision visits to the targeted sub-counties conducted.
•    Support provided to the development of knowledge products and document.
•    Experience of the programme in Kenya with relevant partners and stakeholders during workshops and consultations shared.
•    Technical support provided to the preparation and implementation of a robust qualitative assessment at the end of the programme in Kenya.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    A minimum of advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Gender studies, social sciences or Agribusiness or other Agricultural studies is required
•    A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in project or programme management in Gender, agribusiness, social, economic science, or a related field is required.
•    Working knowledge (level C) of English and Swahili
•    Must be a National of Kenya

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Working Experience with farmer producer groups on entrepreneurship or agribusiness with a gender focus
•    Previous working experience with UN agencies, Government Agencies and or Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) is required

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION