Farmer Field School / Farmer Business School Specialist (FFS/FBS Specialist)

Organizational Setting

The position is located in the FAO Quetta office. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Pakistan focuses its efforts on poverty reduction, food security, sustainable livelihoods and rural development. FAO has partnered with the Government of Pakistan on research and development, training, extension services and strengthening of the staff capacity in planning and policy making. FAO has supported improvements in agricultural policy analysis, strengthened institutions. Enhanced integrated area development and expanded participation of marginalized and vulnerable communities in sustainable development.

The position is at SBIV-SC8 level.

Reporting Lines

Under overall supervision of the FAO Representative (FAOR) in Pakistan and in close coordination with Assistant FAO Representative (Program), the incumbent will report to the International Program Coordinator in Balochistan in close collaboration with project team in performance of the following tasks and duties.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring the timely achievement of project activities, delivering high-quality results, and establishing and maintaining Farmer Field Schools (FFS), Farmer Business Schools (FBS), Farmer Climate Schools (FCS), and Ground Water Management Schools (GWMS) according to the required standards. He/she will be developing new curricula for each of these schools and providing coordination and support to partner organizations in their establishment and will offer technical backstopping to operate the target number of various farmer schools to enhance their practices, and facilitate ongoing project-related activities in the selected districts.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Supervise the establishment and effective functioning of FFS, FBS, FCS and GWMS in selected districts of Balochistan.
• Develop and deliver training modules on modern farming techniques, business management, value addition, market linkages for participating extension workers and farmers (including livestock keepers, rangeland and water users).
• Promote gender-sensitive approaches and inclusivity in the training and implementation process.
• Conduct regular assessments and evaluations to monitor the impact and effectiveness of the established schools.
• Collaborate with local authorities, agriculture & livestock departments, NGOs, and other relevant partners to ensure the successful implementation of the farmers’ schools.
• Provide timely and accurate reports on the progress and achievements of the imparted trainings to the project management team.
• Develop and adopt training materials and curricula for FFS and FBS (agriculture and livestock) programs to suit local contexts and needs.
• Train and mentor farmers, extension workers, and local Master Trainers in a Training of Trainers (ToT) process on the various aspects of farming, entrepreneurship, and livestock management.
• Provide technical assistance and advisory support to Master Trainers, farmers and extension workers to address specific challenges and improve agricultural practices.
• Facilitate exchange visits and study tours to expose farmers to successful models and best practices of, water management, agriculture and livestock in other regions.
• Organize workshops, field demonstrations, and events to promote awareness, knowledge sharing and networking among participants.
• Collect data, conduct surveys, and prepare periodic progress reports for the project management team and donors.
• Assess the impact of the programs on farmers' livelihoods, income, and agricultural practices.
• Manage field level interventions for establishment of Farmer Field Schools and Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) sites;
• Manage local level ToT for Master Trainers, extension officers, staff and/or employees from partner organizations (entities) on various farmers schools and CSA;
• Introduce and establish of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) initiatives;
• Provide Backstopping to the Farmer Field School Facilitators, Master Trainers and Team leaders;
• Document and develop database, based on beneficiaries’ information and also to identify and develop case studies and success stories for periodic reports;
• Support entering and updating FFS Facilitators and learner's data in Kobo database regularly to support Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Team to undertake pre and post monitoring of the FFS sites, learners and trainings offered;
• Closely work with River Basin Tea Leaders (RBTLs) and sectoral specialist for collection and compilation of all the related information;
• Facilitate field level activities related to mobilization, formation and facilitation of FFS/CRA in the target villages in close coordination with Irrigation, Agriculture and Livestock departments;
• Support Facilitators and RBTLs for maintaining a meaningful working relation with the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the relevant line departments for smooth implementation of the Farmers’ Schools.
• Assist RBTLs and technical specialists in the day-to-day monitoring of established schools and sessions, compile monthly monitoring sheets (online/offline); ensure timely submission of monthly work plans and progress reports (monthly, quarterly, and final);
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of facilitators during training sessions.
• Provide constructive feedback and coaching to facilitators and Master Trainers to enhance their facilitation techniques and address any challenges encountered during the training process.
• Perform any other associated task as assigned by supervisor.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in agriculture, rural development, agricultural economics, livestock management, or a related field.
• Minimum 08 years of experience in implementing Farmer Field Schools, Farmer Business Schools, or Farmer Livestock Schools in similar contexts.
• Working knowledge of the English language and working knowledge of Urdu and local languages (Pushto, Balochi, Brahvi) used in province.
• National of Pakistan

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Practical knowledge of farmers’ Capacity Building & Community organization skills.
• Proficient in basic computer skills including MS Office.
• Ability of working in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic environment and rural communities.
• Understanding of the purpose and functions of technical programmes, operational guidelines and programme/project management procedures, preferably those adopted by the United Nations or FAO would be considered an added asset
• Good knowledge of common administrative and financial rules and regulations.
• Good knowledge of communication and documentation standards.
• Display initiative and take responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines and closely follow-up until successful outputs are achieved.
• Continue to seek new, innovative and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work assigned.
• Proven expertise in modern agricultural practices, entrepreneurship, value addition, water management, rangeland and livestock management.
• Experience in developing training materials, curricula, and conducting training programs for farmers and extension workers.
• Familiarity with the agriculture and livestock challenges in Balochistan will be an added advantage.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and report writing skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders and teams.

Selection Criteria

• Candidates will be assessed against the requirements listed above.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION