Assistant to the FAO Representative (FAOR)

FAO CHN organization mission TBD

The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes 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.

Under the overall supervision of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Representative, and working in close collaboration/coordination with the Programme and Administration Units of the FAO Office in China, the United Nations Volunteer (UN Volunteer) will undertake the following tasks:

• Assist in analysing, managing, and monitoring a large and diversified volume of complex correspondence and documentation, often of a confidential and sensitive nature; ensure appropriate routing, reply, prioritization, accuracy, consistency, and timeliness; bring complex, sensitive, or priority issues to the supervisor's attention.
• Provide information to staff, ensuring understanding of the FAO Representative’s intent and deadlines.
• Support the arrangement of appointments and duty travels, maintain the supervisor's calendar, and receive visitors.
• Participate in organizing meetings, finalize agendas and invitations, ensure the production and distribution of documentation, take notes and prepare minutes, and follow up on required actions.
• Prepare Travel Authorization/Travel Expense Claims (TA/TEC), and support hotel accommodations/flight bookings for the FAO Representative’s missions.
• Maintain the FAO Representative’s filing of documents and correspondence in accordance with FAO procedures.
• Contribute to establishing internal procedures and tracking systems for correspondence and documents; verify that work is done in accordance with corporate standards; monitor work progress.
• Follow up on the preparation of reports, correspondence, briefing notes, and other documents; review documents and make changes to their format or style in accordance with standard practices; conduct research and prepare briefing materials for the supervisor.
• Support evaluation of ongoing support requirements of the office, adapt service provision to meet changing needs, and solve operational problems as required.
• Ensure the initiation of a variety of transactions in the organization's computerized administrative systems.
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned within the area of work or competence.
Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and taking active part in UNV activities (for instance, in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Provide annual and end-of-assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results, and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.