National Digital Villages Specialist

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

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 Members 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 FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

The Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) is responsible for leading FAO’s response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO’s priority activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region and, in collaboration with departments and divisions at Headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO's strategic response to regional priorities.

In response to the growing demand for seizing the opportunities brought by digital technologies, FAO REU established its specialized team for Digital Agriculture in 2020. With a mission to act as a catalyzer for the digital transformation of agriculture across Europe and Central Asia, the team provides critical capabilities to country offices, technical units, and Members, while leading the implementation of key corporate initiatives, such as the FAO Digital Villages (DVI) and the Hand-in-Hand (HiH) initiative.

Over the last couple of years, the team has been supporting several Members in designing and implementing national digital agricultures roadmaps, strategies and programmes, introducing key eGovernment solutions, as well as working at field level to increase access and uptake of ICTs by smallholder farmers. With the roll-out of the Digital Villages Initiative in the region, the team aims at accelerating a digitally enabled transformation of rural areas by capitalizing on the European experience with Smart Villages and FAO’s longstanding experiences and practical knowledge in rural development.

Reporting Lines

The National Digital Villages Specialist shall work under the overall supervision of the Assistant FAOR for Georgia and the direct supervision of the Digital Agriculture Team Leader, in collaboration with the National Project Coordinator.

Technical Focus

Provision of analytical and technical support for the implementation of the TCP RER project “Digital Villages in Action’’ that employs a community-led and digitally enabled approach to rural development. The incumbent(s) will contribute to the implementation of FAO’s Strategic Framework linked mainly to Digital Agriculture (BP5).

Tasks and responsibilities

The National Digital Villages Specialist has the following tasks and responsibilities\:

• Support the overall implementation of the “Digital Villages in Action” project by working closely with rural communities, the country office and the regional office
• Identify villages that have the potential to become digital villages through desktop research, interviews with community leaders or by publishing an open call for interest, and support assessment of their readiness levels
• Identify gaps and needs of the selected rural communities on the path of digital rural transformation
• Work closely with community leaders for the development of a DVI Roadmap for digital rural transformation of the selected village
• Support implementation of selected digital intervention(s)
• Facilitate twinning activities by establishing linkages and fostering cooperation on thematic areas related to digital agriculture between the villages/country and other selected villages/institutions and countries
• Disseminate project results with the wider public via the organization of physical or virtual events
• Support dissemination activities via various documents and content creation
• Develop a DVI project proposal for resource mobilization
• Any other duty as required

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in economics, agricultural economics, business administration, computer science, international development, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in agriculture and/or digitalization and/or rural development.
• Working knowledge of English (Level C) and Georgian languages
• National or resident of Georgia with work permit

FAO Core 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 the project management of digitalization projects, preferably with a focus on agriculture and rural development.
• Extent and relevance of experience in the implementation of projects for rural development.
• Demonstrated experience in dealing with and working closely with rural communities.
• Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in English. Excellent communication skills.

Selection Criteria

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

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\: Careers@fao.org
• 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/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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