Project Team Leader

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

Qualified female applicants are encouraged to apply.

People with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply.

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

FAO’s approach to development assistance in Mindanao focuses on supporting the rehabilitation of agriculture and fisheries-based livelihoods, accelerating agriculture-based enterprises and increasing access to sustainable energy, and resilience to risk in municipalities affected by natural disasters and conflict. FAO interventions will include, among others\:

• Introduction of various productivity enhancing technologies to improve household incomes and promote sustainable agricultural practices.

• Technical assistance to government in reviewing existing policies that promote equitable agribusiness venture arrangements between farmers and agribusiness firms and capacity building activities for farmers that are anchored on the value chain approach.

• Capacity building on enterprise development and agribusiness that will allow farmers, fisherfolk and local government units to maximize potential market opportunities.

• Restoring and increasing the productivity of agriculture and fisheries-based livelihoods of smallholder farmers and marginalized fishers, decommissioned Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants and their families
Enhancing the competitiveness of farm households, particularly women, to establish and manage microenterprises

• Facilitating the establishment of agribusiness enterprises with production-market contract agreements or similar arrangements

The Project Team Leader will be under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative, the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme), and in close collaboration with the Mindanao and Emergency Response and Preparedness Group Team Leader.

Technical Focus

FAO has been implementing various projects in Mindanao which are guided by the FAO Mindanao Strategic Programme for Agriculture/Agribusiness and an emergency/rehabilitation project for Marawi City and other affected municipalities. The MSPAA strategies for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are in line with the Bangsamoro Development Plan (BDP, 2015) which FAO has also provided technical assistance in crafting the Economy and Livelihood component of the BDP. FAO will provide support to BARMM Ministries in areas related to our technical fields of expertise, including provision of technical support to the sectoral planning, capacity building for officials and local extension workers, and the development/implementation of socioeconomic packages and job generation/quick impact agricultural and environmental livelihood interventions for affected population and combatants.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Project Team Leader shall perform the following responsibilities\:

• Lead the project team in the implementation of the project;
• In consultation with the Project Coordination Committee, other relevant partners and stakeholders and Project Team, identify specific project areas and beneficiaries using an agreed upon selection criteria;
• Ensure that gender is mainstreamed in project implementation;
• Coordinate with relevant government agencies/stakeholders who can be potential partners for project implementation;
• Provide operational and administrative support to project team as needed to ensure that requirements for project implementation are met;
• Provide support and inputs to the technical specifications of the agricultural inputs to be procured;
• Monitor implementation of project activities in coordination with government partners and stakeholders;
• Ensure representation and visibility of FAO in relevant priority areas where it has comparative advantage through establishing close coordination with the identified focal persons(s) and line agencies, namely Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR), Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office, DA Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI), Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), other key government agencies, NGOs and local state universities and colleges;
• Participate, where possible, in relevant technical and sectoral meetings and working groups to be established by MAFAR, DA and other key government agencies related to food security and nutrition;
• Provide technical support as needed to the MAFAR and DA technical working groups and in joint project formulation;
• In coordination with the projects team, MAFAR, DA-RFOs, provincial offices and identified NGO partners, provide technical support in the implementation of project activities
• Provide technical guidance and serve as resource person as needed, in the conduct of capacity building
activities (e.g. farmer field schools, farm business schools, community-based Mindanao and Emergency Response)
• Prepare and submit progress reports mentioning activities undertaken, problems encountered if any, and other documents that may be required periodically
• Represent FAO in meetings and other activities related to Mindanao and Emergency Response
• Prepare and submit progress reports mentioning activities undertaken, problems encountered if any, and other documents that may be required periodically
• Carry out any other relevant duties within his/her technical competence as may be requested by FAO

• The candidate must have a postgraduate degree (preferable PhD) in agriculture, rural development, or development studies from recognized university with complementary knowledge in designing capacity building programmes and projects.
• The candidate should have at least 10 years practical experience in the planning and implementation of rural development and capacity building support projects in Philippines and or Southeast Asia region;
• Must have experience working as team leader of a rural development project;
• Must have at least five years of professional and practical work experience in the planning and implementation of rural development and/or emergency agricultural programmes/projects at the field or regional level;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Tagalog
• He/she must have intermediate to advance computer skills skills in the use of standard office software, such as MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point).
• A national of Philippines

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Must be familiar with the local rural setting in Central Mindanao and Bangsamoro areas
• Proven ability to conceptualize, plan and execute complex processes across a wide range of stakeholders, advance ability to work quickly and under pressure.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team is of importance as is the ability to take leadership when appropriate

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.