Regional Approval Committee Member / Evaluator (Various Locations)

Job Posting

: 12/May/2021

Closure Date

: 27/May/2021, 12:59:00 AM

Job Type

: Non-staff opportunities

Primary Location

: Various Locations

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member nations and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold our values. FAO has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and FAO, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
• All selected candidates, therefore, will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization

Organizational Setting

In response to the devastating impact of the economic and financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic on the agriculture sector and food security, the Government of Lebanon (GOL) has designed a program to provide direct support to farmers engaged in crop and livestock production and help them restore their productive capacities. The Programme will be financed through a US$10 million reallocation under the World Bank-financed Roads and Employment Project and implemented through the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representation in Lebanon under the overall technical leadership and guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). The Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) will be in charge of the overall contract management responsibility in respect of the Outputs Agreement signed with the FAO.

The programme will be implemented by FAO in close collaboration and co-ordination with concerned government line departments at national, regional, governorate and district levels. It will contribute to reduced poverty and increased resilience for vulnerable rural people of Lebanon. This contribution will be achieved through:

1. support to the sustained restoration of the productive capacities of 26,700 vulnerable smallholder men and women farmers (i.e. crop, livestock, freshwater fish and honey producers),and
2. a vaccination campaign of cattle and small ruminants.

Preserving and strengthening domestic production and value chains is not only critical to mitigate the short-term risk related to agricultural livelihoods but also to boost the local economy in the medium and long term.

The current assignment is part of point 1) above. This support programme aims to foster the development of more sustainable small-scale farming systems with stronger linkages to agricultural inputs’ supply chains for men and women. Therefore, the project will distribute agricultural input in sufficient quantity and good quality to smallholder farmers through a voucher scheme, which will help in increasing or at least maintaining current farming activities and improving household food security and nutrition to targeted beneficiaries.

Reporting Lines

The Regional Approval Committee (RAC) member will perform his/her tasks under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Lebanon and the direct supervision of the FAO Programme Manager.

Tasks and responsibilities

The RAC member main task is to support the 7 Regional Approval Committees established by the Ministry of Agriculture at Regional Services level in reviewing and approving the eligible farmers’ applications for support. More particularly, the RAC member shall:

• Participate to the RAC training sessions;
• Receive and maintain in good condition the needed materials and equipment from the supervisor;
• Coordinate closely with the head and other members of RAC for the good implementation of approval procedures and provide the necessary support in admin and logistics;
• Coordinate on the scheduling of review meetings with the related one RAC members appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture in order to review applications within 3 days from the day of receipt of the full package of documents associated with the concerned application (each candidate will be assigned to RAC);
• Review, with the RAC members, the submitted farmers’ applications from the Agricultural Centres reporting to the related Regional Service, and validate conformity with the programme eligibility criteria;
• Check all the needed proving documents, including photocopies of asset ownership, ID cards, etc.;
• Record the approval or rejection of applications via the special app developed for the management of applications;
• Record the rejection reasons in the app in the case of rejection of the related application;
• Transfer the files of the approved farmers’ applications to the CRC (Central Review Committee) electronically, and manually if needed;
• Forward to the CRC, for review and approval of an application, in the event of disagreement among the RAC members about it;
• Follow confidentiality and security procedures to ensure farmers’ data privacy is protected;
• Ensure that all applications are accounted for;
• Identify and report any challenges faced that could affect the quality of the work to the supervisor;
• Liaise and collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture staff and other project partners for the good implementation of the project activities;
• Turn over, at the end of assignment, all materials and equipment used on duty to the supervisor;
• Assist, if requested, in briefing meetings for the benefit of partners;
• Undertake other project related tasks as requested by the supervisor.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements   

• Bachelor University or Diploma in Agriculture Engineering or Veterinary or related fields;
• Three years of experience in agricultural extension, farmers/beneficiaries outreach, or agricultural developmental projects or related fields in Lebanon;
• Resident in the vicinity of one of the Ministry of Agriculture Regional Offices (applicants will need to select the Regional Office they wish to be considered for);
• Good written and spoken knowledge of English and Arabic;
• Computer literacy of the Microsoft package including, Excel and email use;
• Experience in utilizing technology tools and possess the ability to master new technology tools, as required; familiarity with the use of an Android tablet is an advantage;
• Previous experience with a UN agency or international NGOs is an advantage.
• National of Lebanon 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

• Highly organized individual, punctual, capable of handling multiple priorities, meeting deadlines, and managing time effectively;
• Ability to work and deliver under pressure;
• Attention to detail;
• Ability to work independently as well as an effective team player;
• Willing to work on the field;
• Good communication skills;
• Motivated and able to work with minimal supervision;
• Familiarity with Pant/Animal Production systems;
• Familiarity with agricultural surveys, selection of beneficiaries and rural development projects.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help, or have queries, please contact: [email protected]
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/

HOW TO APPLY
To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered.
Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile.
If you need help, or have queries, please contact: [email protected]

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT