The FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) is responsible for leading FAO’s efforts to achieve food security for all in the Asia-Pacific region. FAO’s three main goals are: the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition; the elimination of poverty and the driving forward of economic and social progress for all; and, the sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, including land, water, air, climate and genetic resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
Under the Corporate Initiative Taskforce on Scaling up Members’ access to environment and climate finance, RAP supports FAO Member Countries to strategize and develop proposals to access finance, including but not limited to GEF, GCF and the Adaptation Fund, and to achieve their climate ambitions in the agriculture and land-use sectors. As part of this work, FAO with the support of six countries from Southeast Asia, has developed the first multi-country GCF Readiness project for the Asia region.
The three-year readiness project is entitled “Agriculture Sector Readiness for enhanced climate finance and implementation of Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture priorities in Southeast Asia”. The countries included under this collaborative project are: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The project will be implemented in close coordination with the respective NDAs and the Ministries of Agriculture through the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network focal points of each participating. This regional project will build capacity to access climate finance for the agriculture sector and create opportunities to scale promising models at national and regional levels. The project countries will also share experiences and co-create proposals for sector specific climate action at the regional level with public and private sector climate and agriculture finance experts. Investment plans will focus on facilitating farmer’s access to capacity to access capacity, resources and finance to address climate change risks.
A regional project team and six country based national project teams will be established for the effective implementation of the project. While the regional project team will oversee project implementation progress and maintain communication with the rest of the PMU to ensure a smooth flow of work, the national project team will lead the implementation of the project activities in the country and coordination for the regional activities.
To support overall implementation of the project at the regional level and lead on regional knowledge management activities, FAO is seeking a motivated, dynamic consultant to serve as a Knowledge Management Specialist. The position will be based at the FAO Regional Officer for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand.
Reporting Lines
The incumbent will report primarily to the project Regional Coordinator and International Agriculture and Climate Change Specialist. Additionally, s/he would work under the technical supervision of the FAO Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and the overall administrative supervision of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, FAO Representatives in participating countries, the FAO-GCF Coordination Unit, and in close collaboration with dedicated project staff and operational partners at regional and country level.
Technical Focus
Climate change and Development, Adaptation, Mitigation, Agriculture, Policy and Governance, Programme Management
Tasks and responsibilities
The consultant is expected to undertake the following specific tasks:
Develop and implement the knowledge management and communications strategy for the project.
Develop and implement a simple monitoring system to track project implementation and ensure the delivery and quality of key project outputs.
Develop a visual style for the project outputs and templates for key project reporting outputs.
Support the Regional Project Team, the Project Management Unit (PMU), National Coordinators and other technical experts in the day-to-day implementation of project activities.
Support the planning, implementation, and monitoring of project activities including preparation of relevant documents and reports and identification of project management measures in keeping with the FAO project cycle and standard project governance processes.
Support the preparation and execution of the overall project annual work plan and budget.
Support regular coordination meetings with the Regional Project Team and National Project Teams to monitor the progress and implementation status of the project.
Assist in the establishment of project partnerships and relationships to support successful project implementation.
Support the organization of PMU and Project Steering Committee meetings to review project progress and seek guidance on implementation issues.
Support the preparation of written outputs and reports, e.g., quarterly and annual reports, background papers, analyses, and prepares substantial sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications as necessary.
Support and/or guide organization of consultative and other meetings, conferences, including organizing arrangements for meeting logistics proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents and presentations and coordinating the organizational efforts of the project team and partners.
Prepare meeting and workshop summaries.
Manage outreach activities including the design and facilitation of training workshops and seminars and makes presentations on assigned topics/activities.
Prepare knowledge products and materials on the project activities on climate, climate change and climate change impacts on agriculture.
Coordinate with relevant stakeholders at the national and regional levels including PSC members from the NDA and Ministry of Agriculture as well as ASEAN CRN members, DAEs, public, private and civil society actors.
Participate in field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties.
Perform other duties as required.
Candidates Will Be Assessed Against The Following
Minimum Requirements
At least three years of relevant experience working in communications, knowledge management and project management on development projects related to sustainable development of food and agriculture systems, climate finance and investment plans, and coordination and monitoring of project activities.
University degree in communications, climate change, land use management, agricultural economics, development economics, project management and business administration, or a related topic.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English and limited knowledge (level B) of one of the other FAO official languages (for COF.REG). In the case of PSA.SBS a working knowledge of English will be sufficient.
Technical/ Functional Skills
At least three years of relevant experience working in an international organization or setting on topics related to climate change and agriculture and/or natural resource management.
