Food Security Integrated Approach Program-Component Coordinator

The GEF Integrated Approach Pilot (IAP) Strategy comprises three programmes that were agreed as part of the sixth replenishment of the GEF Fostering Sustainability and Resilience for Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa, Sustainable Cities, and Taking Deforestation out of Commodity Supply Chains.

The Food Security Integrated Programme (FS-IAP) targets agro-ecological systems in the drylands of Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) where the need to enhance food security is directly linked to opportunities for generating local and global environmental benefits. The FS-IAP Programme seeks to contribute to a paradigm shift in African Agriculture in the context of policy debates about how to feed a rapidly expanding population, one which emphasizes the importance of natural capital and ecosystem services.

The intention of the FS-IAP is to demonstrate how these principles can be applied in practice across a range of contexts in SSA, with a focus on identifying proven multi-benefit practices, which can be scaled up; while promoting an enabling environment for scaling up via engagement of key decision makers at various scales. The FS-IAP consists of 12 individual country projects (being implemented in Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Swaziland, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Ethiopia, Burundi) and an overarching regional project to support the country projects.

The regional FS-IAP project has three components as follows\:

1\: Create and/or strengthen integrated institutional frameworks and mechanisms for scaling up proven multi-benefit approaches

2\: Scaling up integrated approaches and practices

3\: Monitoring and assessment of global environmental benefits and agro-ecosystem resilience

Reporting Lines

The consultant will work under the supervision of the Project Budget Holder and the FAO Lead Technical Officer (LTO) together with designated Project Task Force members. In close consultation with UN Environment Focal person for Component 1, and the other members of the FS-IAP Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) based at World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), the consultant will lead the establishment and implementation of a 'Science and Policy Interface' (SPI). He will facilitate liaison between the Programme Coordination Unit based at ICRAF, FAO and UNEP.

1. (i) National policies and strategies for Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) and Sustainable Land Management (SLM) and their linkages to food security;
2. (ii) Mechanisms for mainstreaming INRM/SLM that include agrobiodiversity and ecosystem services for food security;
3. (iii) Sustainable and innovative financial mechanisms and market opportunities for scaling-up.

The SPI will function as a multi-stakeholder knowledge exchange mechanism between IAP 12 countries and existing and relevant scientific and policy platforms and initiatives in the region that support innovation for sustainability and resilience of agricultural ecosystems at country and regional levels. In addition, the SPI will support countries participating in the FS-IAP on specific topics on a needs-basis, or by request of and funding by the country (child) projects.

The international consultant will be responsible for the implementation of the first component of the regional project, jointly co-managed by FAO and UN Environment in partnership with a range of other actors. The component will help to address institutional and policy barriers that prevent the inclusion of ecosystem services-aware approaches into policies and investments for food security, improved and sustainable smallholder agriculture and food value chains.

Specifically, the international consultant will undertake the following duties and responsibilities\:

1. Prepare and submit to the PCU the terms of reference, letters of agreements, work plans and other relevant documents for the establishment of the SPI, based on the consultation report prepared by Ms Anne C. Woodfine;
2. Provide technical inputs to the preparation of regional workshops, training materials and publications required for Component 1 of the project;
3. Organize workshops as may be determined by the PCU and stakeholders in support of project implementation;
4. Provide support to the implementation of other project components, in particular to aid linkage with the sub-component 2.2;
5. Support the management of the component 1’s budget in accordance with the agreed work plan and approved disbursal of project funds;
6. Act as focal point for liaison with co-financing partners in order to secure the committed in-kind and in-cash contributions for the Component 1’s delivery;
7. Participate in missions to the project implementing countries and provide backstopping assistances that may include the organization of in-country meetings with beneficiaries and relevant institutions; and
8. Prepare a report on the consultancy assignment