Expert in strategy development and interfirm partnerships

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life, leaving no one behind.
FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.
FAO Country Offices, working under overall corporate guidance and in line with the Strategic Framework, offer policy advice and support to countries in the mandated areas of FAO, facilitated through partnerships, resources and an active country programme to provide technical assistance, develop capacities and deliver core services while fully observing international standards of accountability to establish leadership and strengthen impact at the country level.
The offices deliver on the programmatic priorities of each country as agreed in their respective Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and ensure effective and efficient operations with adequate human and financial resources.
Specifically, FAO Country Offices\:
(i) advocate, inform and support policies and investments in the areas of FAO’s mandate;
(ii) provide technical assistance and deliver core services;
(iii) assist and catalyse partnership and resource mobilization activities to support agrifood systems transformation;
(iv) position FAO as the specialized/authoritative technical agency in food and agriculture and agrifood systems transformation; and
(v) ensure risk-smart and accountable operations and management
FAO launched the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative in 2021 to address the current and emerging challenges, to promote inclusive, profitable, and environmentally sustainable agrifood systems through the development of Special Agricultural Products (SAPs). The sustainable development of SAP value chains can contribute to higher food security, healthy diets, improved livelihoods, and economic growth that protects biodiversity and environmental integrity.
The current project “Scaling the Implementation of the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) Initiative” funded by the Flexible Voluntary Contribution (FVC) will scale up the implementation of the OCOP initiative based on the experience and lessons learned from the project “Innovative Approaches for Better Plant Production (FMM/GLO/177/MUL)” implemented during October 2022 - 31 December 2023. This subprogramme will contribute to the FAO Umbrella Programme (PGM/MUL/2022-2025/OCOP) which is formulated to apply a programmatic approach in the implementation of the OCOP initiative and covers all field projects on OCOP.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will report to the FAO Country Representative and to the Lead Technical Officer and Technical Adviser at NSP, in close coordination with the national counterparts, the OCOP National Focal Points and the Project Manager.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will conduct the training workshop for policymakers and administrative staff on strategy development and institutional building. He/she will support the development of draft of relevant enablers by finding gaps and proposing relevant enablers and implementation way and promote partnerships for the sustainable development of chickpeas by identifying opportunities of collaboration between stakeholders and finding adequate implementation methods.

Tasks and responsibilities

Training workshop for policymakers and administrative staff on strategy development and institutional building.

• Develop a 3-days tailored training where, the trainees will increase their knowledge in\: Principles of strategy development, Institutional building and governance frameworks, Policy analysis and formulation, etc.
• Develop the related training material adapted to the Lebanese context and training agenda, including but not limited to\:

A- Strategy development\: Strategic planning process, Key elements of a successful strategy, SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, PEST (Political, Economic, Social, Technological) analysis, Competitive analysis, SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals, Aligning goals with organizational vision and mission, Prioritizing strategic objectives, Developing strategic options, Evaluating and selecting strategic alternatives, Translating strategy into actionable plans, Resource allocation and budgeting, Change management and overcoming resistance, Key performance indicators (KPIs), Monitoring and tracking progress, Adjusting strategies based on performance data.

B- Institutional building\: Principles of Institutional Building, Institutional capacity building, Roles and responsibilities of governance bodies, Transparency and accountability, Analyzing existing policies and identifying gaps, Developing evidence-based policies, Policy formulation process, Organizational design and structure, Leadership and management in institutional building, Building a culture of continuous improvement, Identifying and analyzing stakeholders, Building effective partnerships and collaborations, Communication strategies for stakeholder engagement, Financial sustainability and resource mobilization, Building resilient institutions, Long-term planning and sustainability strategies.
C- Practical demonstrations applying the concepts learned to real-world scenarios or case studies.
• Share the training material and agenda with FAO and MoA for review;
• Deliver the 3-day training for up to 30 policy makers and administrative staffs;
• Develop pre- and post-evaluations to assess the acquired knowledge of trainees

Support the development of relevant enablers

• Review existing Policies, Strategies and National programs related to the chickpea sector;
• Find gaps and propose relevant enablers;
• Prepare comprehensive documentation that includes detailed descriptions, implementation guidelines (including timelines, responsible parties, and resource requirements), and evaluation metrics for each enabler.

Promote partnerships for the sustainable development of chickpeas

• Identify opportunities for collaboration and mutual benefit among stakeholders;
• Facilitate interfirm partnerships (farmers, processors, etc.) through the development and promotion of farming contracts or any other tailored type of partnerships;
• Support the establishment of strong, sustainable partnerships that enhance the chickpea value chain.
• Draft a report on the discussions’ outcome

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree in business administration, Strategic Planning and Management, Political Science, Development Studies, or any other related field;
• Minimum of seven years of experience in strategy development, institutional building, or policy development and governance frameworks;
• Working knowledge (full proficiency – level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency – level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).;
• National of Lebanon.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Strong knowledge of strategic planning processes, formulation, and implementation;
• Proficiency in policy analysis and formulation, with a track record of developing and implementing policies;
• Extent and relevance of experience in conducting training workshops and capacity-building programs;
• Extent and relevance of experience in working with UN agencies;
• Extent and relevance of experience in collaborating with agriculture development project and international and national experts;
• Extent and relevance of experience in working with Government agencies at the national and regional levels;
• Familiarity with agriculture and rural development projects is an asset.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION