Economist (Planning and M&E)

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

PROFESSIONAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NO: TCI-44-14-PRJ

POSITION TITLE: Economist (Planning and M&E)

GRADE LEVEL: P-3

DUTY STATION: Rome, Italy

DURATION: Fixed-Term: 1 year (with possibility of extension)

ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT: Investment Centre Division, TCI; Technical Cooperation Department (TC)

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: 18 June 2014

Applications from qualified women as well as from qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member countries are encouraged Persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Capacity Development Project for Better Management (CDPBM) of public investments in small-scale agriculture in developing countries financed by IFAD aims at strengthening and sustaining the capacities for managing and implementing investment programmes resulting in better development outcomes. The project will focus on fragile states and countries with weak institutional implementing capacities and will target up to fifteen problem projects in approximately ten countries.

Under the overall guidance of the Director, Investment Centre Division (TCI), in close coordination with other TCI Service Chiefs, and under the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator (Capacity Development), the incumbent will provide technical support in specific fields of competence. In particular, the incumbent will:

• support the implementation of the CDPBM along the approach developed in the project concept note and grant agreement, including in the preparation of consultative meetings, seminars and training workshops, preparation of reports to IFAD, governments, and interested donors;
• support the establishment of the monitoring and evaluation system of CDPBM, based on selected indicators from IFAD’s Project Status Report (PSR), Country Programme Issue Sheet (CPIS), Results and Impact Monitoring System (RIMS) and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) systems from IFAD-funded projects;
• carry out the monitoring of CDPBM to ensure timely preparation of bi-annual progress reports and the organization of the annual TCI/IFAD learning event to share experiences and review lessons learned;
• perform appropriate capacity development interventions and on-the-job training related to project planning, management, and M&E tailored to staff working in the implementation units of IFAD-funded project, government officials, national and regional experts and institutions;
• perform appropriate capacity development interventions and on-the-job training on knowledge management to the above-mentioned staff in implementation units, as well as government officials and national and regional experts with the objective of producing information material oriented to learning and knowledge, as well as assisting in networking through learning events and workshops;
• provide implementation support to ongoing investment operations and assist in improving their performance;
• advise in identification, preparation, monitoring and evaluation of investment projects and thematic investment plans;
• establish the feasibility of the proposals through studying costs, opportunities, expected results and risks, and carrying out financial and economic analysis;
• interact at working level with government officials, development partners and beneficiaries to facilitate exchange of critical information and validate the findings and recommendations regarding project and investment plan proposals and performance;
• perform other related duties as required.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Candidates should meet the following:

• Advanced university degree in economics, agricultural economics or development economics, agricultural business or public sector management or a related field
• Five years of relevant experience in the preparation of investment operations in agricultural, rural development and food security, including economic and financial analysis, planning, and preparation of monitoring and evaluation systems of public investment projects and investment plans in developing countries and/or countries in transition
• Working knowledge of English and French

SELECTION CRITERIA

Candidates will be assessed against the following:

• Extent and relevance of experience in investment planning, implementation support, monitoring & evaluation and impact assessment of small-scale agriculture and food security investment operations, as well as complex intersectoral national investment plans
• Extent and relevance of experience in the FAO Investment Centre and IFAD operations
• Demonstrated experience in working in developing countries with weak implementing capacities with a view to improve the performance of investment projects
• Extent and relevance of experience in organizing and performing capacity development and training activities, including on-the-job and formal training in the field of monitoring and evaluation of public investment and of food security investment plans
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable
• Experience in carrying out financial and economic analysis and costing of investment projects
• Experience in dealing with government officials, development partners and beneficiaries in the context of investment operations
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and French; working knowledge of Spanish will be an asset

Please note that all candidates should possess computer/word processing skills and should be capable of working with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

* The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments

REMUNERATION

A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, click on the following link: http://icsc.un.org/

For guidelines to applicants, please visit the Application Toolkit at: http://www.fao.org/employment/current-vacancies/project/en/

Send your application to:

V.A TCI-44-14-PRJ
Director, TCI
FAO Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153 Rome ITALY
Fax No: +39 06 57
E-mail: VA-44-14-PRJ-TCI@fao.org

Please note that FAO staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Director-General and may be assigned to any activities or office of the organization.

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT