Organizational Setting
FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
The FAO Investment Centre (CFI) provides investment and finance solutions that lead to more efficient, sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems. Working in over 120 countries, the Centre provides a full suite of investment and finance support to FAO Members. It partners with governments, international and national financing institutions, the private sector and farmers, research institutions and academia to improve the quality and quantity of agrifood investment. The Centre's four main areas of work include support to strategic investment planning and policy, public investment, private investment and innovative finance. These are complemented by the knowledge for investment and capacity development for investment programmes that serve to share knowledge, learn and build capacities at country level. For additional information on the FAO Investment Centre, its activities, partners and the organizational structure please visit the following link.
The post is located in the East and Southern Africa Service (CFIA) of the FAO Investment Centre (CFI) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Reporting Lines
The Economist reports to the Chief, East and Southern Africa Service of the FAO Investment Centre.
Technical Focus
Provide analytical and technical support on economic and financial aspects for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of investment policies, strategies, programmes and projects in food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing
Key Results
Delivering investment and finance support solutions through the provisions of technical assistance and support to capacity development, in collaboration with country stakeholders and cooperating partners, to achieve impact at scale in the transformation of agrifood systems in the scope of the FAO Strategic Framework.
Key Functions
* Participates in multidisciplinary teams for the identification and preparation of investment operations in the fields of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing, and participates in pre-appraisal and appraisal missions.
* Supports the implementation of investment operations and the preparation of final evaluations.
* Participates in the preparation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing studies and strategies, in the formulation of national sector and/or sub-sector investment plans and programmes.
* Supports the development of inclusive and sustainable food systems involving producers, their organizations, other private sector actors, civil society organizations and governments.
* Contributes to capacity development activities in the areas of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment support to government staff, non-state actors and private sector organizations.
* Prepares reports in accordance with governments and financing partners' requirements.
* Promotes knowledge sharing and best practices at international meetings and conferences, and interacts with international and national partners.
* Supports the promotion and maintenance of 'relationships with relevant Programme Priority Areas, FAO technical units and Decentralized Offices in order to ensure best synergies between investment, policy and innovation work in support to Members.
* Supports resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.
Specific Functions
* Contributes to the design of investment operations including the development of the project logical/results framework, the monitoring and evaluation system, and the costing of investment operations (including through the use of tools such as COSTAB).
* Analyses the feasibility and viability of investment proposals through studying market prospects, prices, costs and risks (including climate), and carrying out financial and economic analysis (including through the use tools such as EX-Ante Carbon-balance Tool - ExAct).
* Supports the evaluation of the performance of investment projects or programmes during implementation and their impact after completion, with attention to economic and financial aspects.
* Supports the review of investment implications of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing policies, national plans and programmes including, poverty alleviation and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
* Advanced university degree in economics, agricultural economics, natural resources economics or a closely related field.
* Five years of relevant experience in the practical application of economic analysis to development issues, including analytical studies, and/or in the formulation and implementation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment operations.
* Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
Competencies
* Results Focus
* Teamwork
* Communication
* Building Effective Relationships
* Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
* Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is desirable.
* Extent and relevance of experience in food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing analytical studies and programme evaluation.
* Extent and relevance of experience in participating in multidisciplinary teams for the preparation of strategies and sector studies as well as formulation, implementation support or evaluation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment operations, with focus on financial and economic analysis, costing, and monitoring and evaluation aspects.
* Extent and relevance of experience in investment design, implementation support and evaluation procedures of FAO's main development partners, in particular the World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and other partner International Financial Institutions.
* Knowledge of carbon balance analysis tools such as the Ex-Ante Carbon Balance tool or the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model, interactive (GLEAM-i), as well as climate risk analysis tools would be an asset.
* Knowledge of the context as well as partners and institutions of the Eastern and Southern Africa subregions would be an asset.
* Extent of experience in capacity development for the design and implementation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investments.
* Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in English.
* Working knowledge (proficiency – level C) of French would be an asset.
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