FAO recruits 01 Digital Agriculture and Innovation Specialist
FAO
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Humanitaire (ONG, Associations, …), Projet/programme de développement
Job Description CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: 2103291 Digital Agriculture and Innovation Specialist Closure Date: 24/Dec/2021, 11:59:00 PMOrganizational Unit: FRETHJob Type: Non-staff opportunitiesType of Requisition: PSA (Personal Services Agreement)Grade Level: N/APrimary Location: Ethiopia-Addis AbabaDuration: 11 monthsPost Number: N/A
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
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 valuesFAO, 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 checksAll applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality Organizational Setting:The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programs and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.
Office of the Chief Innovation (OIN) has been recently established as an important instrument within FAO to provide strategic direction and help drive and coordinate innovation across the work of the Organization, i.e. to consolidate and strengthen FAO’s innovative spirit, including innovation of approach and cooperation models and capacity development. The Office ensures that FAO mainstreams innovation in its programmes; facilitates cross-collaboration between the various FAO units; and aids in forging and reinforcing transformative partnerships.
The Global Network of Digital Agriculture Innovation Hubs FMM/GLO/159/MUL
The Global Network of Digital Agriculture Innovation Hubs will be a network of in-country innovation hubs established by FAO in conjunction with country institutions to accelerate the development and uptake of digital innovations and support farmers and value chain actors, especially youth and women, to be more competitive. The sub-programme seeks to support countries designing respective national digital agriculture innovation hub models meeting national agriculture, forestry, and fisheries priorities while involving local partners, including public-private partnerships.
The sub-programme will:Create and/or establish national digital agriculture innovation hub models to spearhead digital innovation programs in agriculture that meet local needs;
To support the implementation of digital agriculture solutions at the national or regional level to support the agri-food systems transformation;Facilitate the creation of sustainable business models to support innovation projects through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) that allow for leveraging resources and maximizing impacts through multi-stakeholders engagements;Support the capacity development of government institutions to implement agriculture specific digital agriculture strategies, policies, or programmes to mainstream digital innovation in agri-food systems and establish sustainable national digital agriculture innovation hubs;e) Facilitate knowledge exchange and sharing within the national Hub and across the global network through organizing joint events and platforms.
Reporting Lines:The position is under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Ethiopia and the direct supervision of the FAO Agribusiness Officer in FRETH to whom the consultant will report on a daily basis, and will collaborate closely with staff in the Office of Innovation involved in the FMM project.
Technical Focus:
The incumbent will undertake following activities:– Digital agriculture capacity needs assessment; Development of digital agriculture national frameworks, policies and strategies;- Organizing innovation activities (such as design thinking workshops, boot camps, hackathons/innovation challenges, etc.);- Design and development of digital services / mobile applications in rural areas (e-payment, e-government, e-learning); Tasks and responsibilities
The incumbent will:Support to identify, accelerate and scale-up innovative and digital solutions and business models in Ethiopia.
Contribute to the finalization of the FMM Ethiopia workplan and its implementation.Monitor and report on FMM project progress to the LTO and BH in a bi-monthly basis.Contribute to the establishment of partnerships with academia, civil society and private sector to support joint initiatives related to digital agriculture and innovation.Collect and analyse data on digitalization status and trends, policies and strategies, challenges for rural and urban areas, understanding different forms of digital divide; as well as assist in monitoring indicators on digitalization and other information in support of programme of work;Appraise capacity development needs relating to digitalization in countries, including assessment of relevant national policies and strategies, identification of digital skills gaps, existing e-learning and other digital resources;Support the enhancement of digital capabilities and innovation awareness to assist FAO in digital initiatives, programmes and activities in developing digital policies, strategies and action plans in agri-food systems in alignment with and support of FAO’s priorities, such as Hand-in-Hand, digital villages, FAO response to COVID-19 crisis, etc.;Contribute to innovation challenges, fora and workshops to identify and share knowledge, good practices and lessons learned in digital agriculture and innovation. Organize and coordinate innovation challenges/hackathons in the context of the FMM project.Lead or support the ideation, set-up and running of events from online webinars through to workshops and conferences.Perform other duties as required CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum RequirementsUniversity degree in agriculture (economics, statistics, extension), development studies, environmental sciences, computer science and engineering, communications, or related studies;
At least five years of relevant experience in in innovation and digital agriculture;Working knowledge of English. FAO Core CompetenciesResults Focus
TeamworkCommunicationBuilding Effective RelationshipsKnowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement Technical/Functional SkillsWork experience in more than one location or area of work
Extent and relevance of experience in agri digital platformFamiliarity with FAO Ethiopia rules and ongoing activities Selection CriteriaExtent and relevance of experience and knowledge of works execution and supervision;
Extent and relevance of experience in digital agriculture and innovation. Familiarity to work with UN agencies in genera and FAO similar assignment, Government and other partners; Ability to work under pressure and willingness to travel frequently to rural areas of EthiopiaGood knowledge of the local language(s) used at the duty station would be an asset.Five years local working experience in Ethiopia would be an asset. Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency
ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONFAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO listPlease note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
For more information, visit the FAO employment website HOW TO APPLYTo apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered.
We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline
If you need help please contact: Careers@fao.org
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