Technical Coordinator in Collective Action

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) started the implementation of a project aiming to increase adoption of gender-responsive, nutrition-sensitive climate smart agricultural practices, improve the performance of fruits and vegetables value chains and improve the enabling environment in which value chain (VC) actors operate in a timeframe of 5 years (2023 – 2027), with the goal of increasing resilience to climate and economic shocks of fruits and vegetables value-chains for an enhanced food and nutrition security in Lebanon.
The main objective of the proposed project is to enhance food and nutrition security for people in Lebanon in the context of climate and economic shocks thru\:
• Increased adoption by farmers and their groups of gender-responsive, nutrition-sensitive climate smart agricultural practices;
• Improved performance of gender-responsive, nutrition-sensitive fruits and vegetables value chains;
• Improved inclusive enabling environment for all actors, especially women, in the fruits (apple) and greenhouse/ open field vegetables value chain.
Specific objective of the assignment
FAO is looking to recruit an experienced Technical Coordinator to be responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of the project. He/She is expected to lead a project team consisting of national technical experts and consultants in addition to short-term international consultants. The Technical Coordinator will work under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Lebanon and the technical guidance of the FAO Lead Technical Officer (LTO), in close consultation with the National Project Coordinator (NPC) representing the Ministry of Agriculture and the Project Steering Committee (PSC). The Technical Coordinator will be responsible for the overall planning, coordination of project’ activities, implementation and monitoring of project results. Thus, he will be working closely with the Programme, Operations and Administration Units at the FAO Representation in Lebanon.

Reporting Lines

Under the immediate supervision of the Liaison and Resilience Officer FAO Representative in Lebanon, the overall technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer of the project, in close collaboration with the concerned technical divisions at FAO headquarters, the Technical Coordinator will carry out the following activities, in consultation with the National Project Coordinator (NPC) and the Project Steering Committee (PSC)\:In particular

Technical Focus

Project management, coordination.

Tasks and responsibilities
• Adequately and effectively coordinate and monitor all project activities in line with FAO rules and regulations;
• Assume the overall supervision of national project consultants and personnel and provide the necessary guidance and support to all consultants and FAO backstopping technical officers and the FAOR;
• Ensure that the recommendations relating to project activities made by technical backstopping officers are respected and implemented;
• Keep close contacts with the Lead Technical Office (LTO) and with concerned technical officers members of the Task Force, to obtain advice and orientation;
• Provide support to the PMU under the coordination of the FAOR;
• Prepare detailed project’s annual work plans in collaboration with stakeholders, and make necessary arrangements for their successful implementation in a timely manner and in line with FAO rules and regulations;
• Prepare, review and keep updated six-monthly, quarterly and monthly project activity plans and implement them;
• Ensure that all meetings with project counterparts and external institutions/organizations are adequately minuted and that transmission of reports, documents, etc. are officially made to all those concerned through the NPC;
• Monitor project progress to ensure that the project time frame is met. Promptly inform the FAOR and the LTO of any difficulties or delays faced during the execution of project activities and propose viable solutions;
• Coordinate project implementation with other related technical assistance initiatives;
• Liaise with FAOR and LTO, as appropriate, for all operational matters and approval of expenditures;
• Liaise with the MoA and other stakeholders to ensure the flow of cooperation and coordination in the implementation of the projects;
• Liaise with concerned project stakeholders at national level to exchange collaboration;
• Liaise with relevant UN agencies, technical assistance projects and NGOs and prepare collaborative agreements as required and submit them to FAOR and LTO for approval;
• Review, update and prepare, as appropriate, the terms of reference (TORs) of all international and national consultants and contracts;
• Submit yearly procurement plan for the project to the Procurement Unit;
• Review and update all lists of equipment and all non expandable supplies, prior to their acquisition, and ensure they are opportune and required;
• Ensure in a timely manner, in consultation with the budget holder, procurement of the project’ local inputs including administrative facilities, offices, equipment, personnel and access to data and information necessary to carry out the project’ activities;
• Timely provide and appropriately manage FAO inputs foreseen as part of FAO contribution. In close relation with the Budget Holder and the LTO, collaborate in the optimum utilization of the budgetary resources in line with FAO rules and regulations;
• Monitor the project’s budget and prepare yearly expenditure plans;
• In close collaboration with the Operations Unit, prepare and submit request of funds in a timely manner, prepare budget revision when and if needed and review and update the project’ work plans and Results Framework in FAO’s systems;
• Discuss, review, comment and provide preliminary clearance as appropriate to all technical reports and consultant reports Prior to their transmission to concerned technical units for technical clearance;
• Verify that all final documents (reports, technical documents, publications, etc.) produced by the project and its consultants be submitted to FAO in excellent English and in line with FAO’s official editorial guidelines;
• Provide support for the preparation of tender documentation, contract specifications and contracts;
• Submit yearly communication plan for the project to the Communication Unit;
• Supervise and provide guidance to the National Communication and Media Specialist as to the appropriate and timely sharing of information with constituents, stakeholders and media, ensuring that this is done according to FAO rules and with the appropriate clearances from FAO;
• Provide clearance as to the appropriateness of any translation undertaken by the project into Arabic or into English/French of any document and its readiness for printing (absence of any typos, grammatical mistake, errors in calculations, errors in references, appropriate use of images and of their digital formats for printing, etc.) including the conformity to official FAO editorial standards;
• Prepare information material to be distributed to concerned target groups, organizations and institutions;
• Ensuring information sharing with constituents, stakeholders and media, (relations and information sharing with the media in particular must be undertaken according to FAO rules and with the appropriate clearance from FAO);
• Contribute to technical material or working documents prepared by FAO;
• Hold briefing meetings for the benefit of senior staff of MoA and workshops for external target groups;
• Prepare and submit to FAO the project six-monthly project progress reports as well as any other report that may be requested by FAO, highlighting lessons learnt for future operations, including recommendations for the future;
• Review the progress made in the implementation of project and lessons learned and make recommendations for improving the performance and the necessary adjustments to the work plan and budget;
• Prepare the draft terminal report of the project report and submit it to FAO for clearance;
• Undertake any other activities that may be requested by FAO.
• Prepare concept notes and full-fledged project documents for TCPs and other types of projects proposals, as per the request of the FAO representative in Lebanon.
• Ensure timely preparation of the missions and trainings sessions and contribute technically as needed;
• Ensure proper management of project’s budget.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced degree in economics, agricultural economics, business management or closely related subjects;
• At least 7 years of demonstrated work experience in the implementation and management of agricultural and agribusiness, agri-food development projects;
• Working knowledge of English and Arabic (both oral and written); National of Lebanon

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Results focused
• Good team building and leadership skills
• Ability to develop good working relations with a variety of stakeholders
• Good project management skills including familiarity with the development of results frameworks project work plans and budget
• Good reporting skills
• Good organizational and communication capacity;
• Good written and oral working knowledge in English and Arabic;
• Computer literacy of the Microsoft package including Excel or database software Flexibility ;
• Ability to work within a team and to travel to project sites.
• Extensive knowledge of institutional, technical and operation activities of government institutions and stakeholders in particular for those directly concerned with agricultural production, supply chain development and agricultural export promotion; An acquaintance of the Lebanese context would be a plus;
• Demonstrated initiative and judgment capacity, managerial and organizational ability, excellent teamwork, leadership and human relations skills and problem solving capacity are required;
• Readiness to undertake internal and external travels as may be required by FAO and project activities.
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work;
• Extent and relevance of experience in project management and familiarity with the development of results frameworks project work plans and budget;
• Extent and relevance of experience in agriculture development projects and similar projects;
• Extent and relevance of experience with FAO and other UN agencies;
• Extent and relevance of experience in collaborating with international and national experts and ability to work in a team and establish effective working relations with persons of different national and cultural backgrounds;
• Ability to develop and maintain effective work relationships with counterparts including host population, donors, NGOs and other UN agencies;
• Extent and relevance of experience working with the Government agencies at the national level and regional level;
• Extent and relevance of experience in working with a diverse group of stakeholders and develop consensus and joint working;
• Extent and relevance of experience in facilitation and communication including high-level coordination and chairing of meetings;
• Good analytical skills;
• Good reporting skills;
• Good team building and leadership skills;
• Good organizational skills and ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor own work plan and those under his/her supervision;
• Understanding of the international humanitarian response architecture, including coordination mechanisms, humanitarian reform and action, and funding mechanisms;
• Ability to undertake internal and external travels as may be required by FAO and project activities;
• Experience in Social Sciences / Protection, and/or Environmental Sciences is an asset;
• Resourcefulness; initiative, maturity of judgement, tact, and strong negotiating skills;
• Ability to communicate clearly both orally and in writing.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION