National Socioeconomic Specialist

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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

FAO’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) provides and coordinates policy and technical assistance to Member Countries in the region. It is also responsible for implementing FAO’s global flagship programmes at the regional level, including the Global Action on One Country One Priority Product (OCOP). The OCOP is a country-led and country-owned initiative that aims to promote the long-term development of Special Agricultural Products (SAPs) that have unique qualities and potential for sustainable economic growth. Through this initiative, countries can enhance the value of these products by improving production methods and value addition; strengthening and greening their value chains; and facilitating market access at local, regional, and global levels, all the while ensuring environmental sustainability and social inclusivity.

As part of the roll out of OCOP in the region, REU is implementing a regional Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) titled "Technical Facilitation and Knowledge Exchange on OCOP in Europe and Central Asia” (TCP/RER/3903) with the objective of providing technical support to the ideation, design and implementation of country-level OCOP initiatives while fostering technical exchange between participating countries. Through this TCP, the global Agrifood Systems Transformation Accelerator (ASTA) programme, co-led by FAO and UNIDO, is supporting the OCOP to conduct a comprehensive Value Chain Analysis (VCA) of the wine sector in Georgia, develop an upgrading strategy for the sector, including an export and market diversification vision and plan, as well as to create a concrete project document to mobilize technical and financial resources for implementing these strategies.

The TCP is currently seeking an experienced national consultant to support the implementation of OCOP in Georgia, with a focus on developing the wine value chain. The consultant will be an integral part of the national analytical team within the project implementation unit, ensuring that the project outputs are evidence-based and have strong technical foundation.

Reporting Lines

The National Socioeconomic Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Georgia, the technical leadership of the Agriculture Economist and ASTA Co-lead at FAO Headquarters (ESF), and the technical guidance and supervision of two International Consultants (Value Chain Specialist and Trade and Marketing Specialist) working on the ASTA-OCOP Collaboration. The incumbent will work in close collaboration with two national consultants, i.e. the Commodity Specialist, and the Trade and Marketing Specialist.

Technical Focus

The National Socioeconomic Specialist will support the Agri-food Systems Transformation Accelerator (ASTA) team in preparing the Wine Value Chain Analysis and Strategy Design (VCA/D) Report. This report will include dedicated sections on VCA, the design of an upgrading strategy, the development of an export and market diversification strategy, action and investment plans, and a detailed project proposal to initiate the implementation of these strategies.

Tasks and responsibilities

Specific tasks of the National Socioeconomic Specialist are\:
• Review and analyze secondary data, including existing literature, statistics, reports, and studies related to the Wine industry in Georgia. This includes gathering data from government agencies, industry associations, and trade publications regarding regulations, tariffs, and market trends, as well as analyzing historical production and export data to identify patterns and trends.
• Based on the ASTA methodology and on the FAO Sustainable Food Value Chain (SFVC) framework, support the identification and selection of the VC survey sample, i.e. key informants interviews (KIIs), experts for interviews, as well as participants for surveys and focus group discussions
• Collect the primary data and contribute to the analysis of those data to gather insights into market analysis, functional analysis; Value chain mapping; financial evaluation of current production practices; and opportunities within the value chain cost-benefit analysis and returns to investments for enhanced business models; Risk and vulnerability analysis
• Support the Sustainability Assessment of the Wine VC, as per SFVC Methodology\: 1) Economic Impact Analysis (profitability, employment, value added, effects on the national economy, international competitiveness and value for end-consumers, etc). 2) Social Sustainability Analysis (inclusiveness within the Wine value chain, access to decent employment, gender equality, social and cultural capital, food security, safety and nutrition, and institutional strength) and 3) Environmental Sustainability Analysis, and 4) Resilience. This includes to identify the inclusion of women, youth, and other typically marginalized groups in value chain analysis and the development of sector strategies.
• Identify opportunities for value chain upgrading, including improvements in productivity, quality standards, market access, and rural capital, food security, safety and nutrition, and institutional strength, value-added processing, and assess the feasibility and potential impact for the proposed business models.
• Contribute with writing the VCA/D Report, particularly the functional, enabling environment, social and economic sustainability impact assessment, enhanced business models and value chain upgrading sections, with focus on export, trade and marketing upgrading strategy
• Contribute with the preparation of a concrete project proposal, particularly focusing on the preparation of the theory of change, targets, estimated project budget, modalities of implementation, logframe, and M&E System (impact, outcomes and results’ indicators. Provide inputs to the VCA / D report\: Analysis, sustainability assessment, business models, upgrading strategy, including draft investment, export and marketing upgrading strategy and action plan. Contribute to a policy note on greening, resilient and sustainable production of Wines in Georgia.
• Based on the Wine VCA/D Report and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, contribute to draft a case study on greening Georgia’s wine value chain.
• Participate in and co-facilitate the inception, presentation of VCA findings, and validation upgrading strategy multi-stakeholder workshops to validate findings, gather additional insights, and ensure buy-in for proposed interventions; and other meetings related to the implementation of the project.
• Perform any other duties required

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced degree (Master’s or Ph.D) in Agricultural Economics, Development Studies, Sociology, Rural Development, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience in socio-economic analysis, and strategy development, particularly within food security and food systems, or rural development sectors.
• Working knowledge of Georgian, English and Russian languages.
• National of Georgia or resident in the country with a regular work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Knowledge of the wine value chains, and market systems, especially within the Georgian context.
• Familiarity with smallholder agriculture and SMEs in Georgia including the challenges and opportunities they face, as well as on inclusion of women, youth, and other typically marginalized groups in value chain analysis and the development of sector strategies.
• Strong skills for the empowerment of women and youth in rural or agricultural settings of the wine sector. Knowledge of vocational training, entrepreneurship development, and leadership-building for marginalized groups.
• Specialized training or certifications on value chain optimization, market systems development, food security, or climate-smart agriculture and energy efficient technologies, would be a plus.
• Understanding of climate-smart agricultural practices and technologies aimed at improving sustainability, water and energy efficiency, and reducing food loss and waste. Expertise in analysing returns to investments in climate change adaptation technologies and practices, including water-preserving technologies, sustainable agriculture practices, and renewable energy use in agribusinesses.
• Ability to work with national governments, local authorities, international organizations, and civil society to ensure multi-stakeholder engagement.
• Proven experience working, particularly in Georgia, with smallholder farmers, agribusiness SMEs, and local communities, women and youth in rural or agricultural settings
• Prior experience in developing national or regional-level strategies and investment and actions plans related to agrifood systems, food security, and rural development
• Relevant experience in applied research in the field of sustainable food value chains and agrifood systems, including experience in preparation of papers and/or reports for publication
• Relevant experience in socio-economic analysis, agrifood systems and food security at a national, regional and/or global scale.
• Relevant experience and knowledge of the main data sources for analysing sustainable food value chains, and of data compilation, validation, visualisation, and analysis.
• Relevant experience in conducting quantitative economic analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and business models modelling,
• Demonstrated ability to manage, analyse, and present quantitative information clearly and effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams, combining socio-economic insights with technical agricultural knowledge;
• Capacity to work independently and meet deadlines in a complex policy environment.
• Excellent communication skills to present and facilitate Multi-stakeholder Workshops and build partnerships
• Quality of both oral and written communication in English, including the ability to write clearly and concisely for publications.
• Proficiency in using statistical software
• Proficiency in English, especially for reporting, communication with international partners, and presenting strategies, and excellent command of Russian is essential.
• Capacity to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams with minimal supervision and to plan workflows so as to meet tight deadlines.

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.
• 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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