Myanmar: International Climate Smart GAP Specialist

May 3, 2020 | Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
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The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security.

Organizational Setting

In the Central Dry Zone (CDZ) of Myanmar, nearly 25 percent of the population is below the national poverty line and about 50 percent are landless. The lack of livelihoods in this region is the key driver of poverty and has led to high incidence of malnutrition and food insecurity. To assist the Government of Myanmar in developing sustainable solutions for mitigating the situation of food and nutrition insecurity in the CDZ, FAO is delivering technical assistance as part of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP). The technical assistance is focused on (i) Good Agricultural Practices, (ii) Household Nutrition Promotion, (iii) Monitoring and Evaluation, and (iv) Off-Farm Employment. The theory of change of the project is based on the fundamental premise that a market-driven approach is needed to help smallholder farmers sustainably increase their income and improve their livelihoods, food security and nutrition. To this end, FAOMM is seeking an international expert for improving/upgrading the existing GAP (Good Agriculture Practices) materials of specific pulse, oil seed and rice crop. The objective is to bring existing GAPs at par with ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) GAPs and add them with climate smart aspects. The international expert will also provide an overall guidance and technical support to the national expert in developing climate smart FFS manual/training materials, crop specific IPM packages and building the capacity of agriculture extension staff, community extension workers and lead GAP farmers through ToTs (Training of Trainers)/ToF(Training of Facilitators)  for successful rollout of improved techniques and practices at villages’ level. S/he will lead the implementation of Technical Assistance (TA) package related to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the FAO Representative in Myanmar.  S/he will work in consultation with Assistant FAOR (Programme) and closely collaborate with GAFSP Team Leader in Myanmar and key governmental counterparts including the Project Director of the PMU and other implementation partners. Technical guidance will be provided by the Lead Technical Officer from the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will work in close consultation with Department of Agriculture (DoA), Department of Research (DAR) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation (MoALI) at union, regional and township levels for effective fulfilment of the assignment. The incumbent  will also keep close liaison and coordination  with other Collaborative Departments, Lead Farmers and  Seed Growers Associations, Farmers Development Organizations, Private Input Dealers, Value Chain Actors, Market Players and NGOs, INGOs assisting engaged in GAP promotion and strengthening at union, regional and township levels;

Tasks and responsibilities:

  • Conduct a comprehensive review and analysis of the existing GAP materials in a collaborative, participative and consultative manner through engagement of concerned departments, farmers, NGOs/INGOs and relevant public private organizations/individuals/institutions;
  • Identify and analyse gaps in the existing GAPs of pulse, oil seed and rice crops through field based, farmers-oriented problems analysis and validations in line with ASEAN GAP modules of food safety, environmental management, workers health safety and welfare and produce quality both at pre- and post-harvest stages;
  • Improve and align the existing GAP materials through participatory revisions, upgradation and value addition for bring them at par with ASEAN GAP standards.
  • Incorporate   climate smart aspects, value chain development strategies, certification standards for food safety and traceability, quality assurance system, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) in GAPs;
  • Devise strategy and action plan for voluntary certification and registration of current and potential GAP crops for minimum certification on food safety, quality and developing linkages with registered GAP certification bodies for capturing new markets;
  • Ensure that GAP guidelines and associated FFS curriculum and IPM packages are easily adoptable, climate smart and effective enough to support the farmers in increasing productivity and enhancing quality of GAP target GAP crops;
  • Provide guidance to the national consultant/expert in development of FFS curriculum, training materials and IPM packages in line   with GAP crops modules/frameworks;
  • Analyse the existing GAPs implementation mechanisms at institutional, producers/farmers, value chain and marketing level, identify gaps/weaknesses and suggest measures for efficient quick-wins in effective promotion and upscaling of GAPs for the target crops;
  • Assess the capacity of government agriculture extension workers/staff and lead farmers in terms of their knowledge and technical skills related to GAPs implementation and develop strategies for GAPs specific capacity development;
  • Arrange ToTs (Training of Trainers) for the lead farmers and agriculture extension workers/staff on improved GAPs including climate smart technologies, GAPs documentation, GAP compliance protocols/conformity criteria, certification standards and procedure;
  • Devise a practical approach and modality of GAP knowledge dissemination and successful rollout of the trainings at village(s) level;
  • Compile recommendations for further strengthening, promotion/expansion (horizontal and vertical) and upscaling of the target GAP crops;
  • Participate in any other activity contributing to project outcomes/outputs;

Requirements:

Minimum:

  • Master or Ph.D. Degree in Agriculture preferably in Agronomy, or related Agricultural Sciences;
  • At least an overall of 12 years’ progressive experience of designing and implementation of crops productivity and farmers capacity building program;
  • Of the total 12 years of experience, at least 7 years must be specifically related to the experience in development climate smart GAPs development/standardization and GAP crops certification.
  • Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of one of the other FAO languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian) for COF.REG. Working knowledge of English for PSA.SBS

Selection Criteria:

  • Expertise of developing ASEAN or Global GAPs especially oil seed, pulses and rice crops;
  • Experience of engaging with diverse stakeholders, from community level to ministerial staff.
  • Experience in developing manuals, handbooks, training materials and guidelines for GAPs crops.
  • Experience and working knowledge of climate smart agriculture practices/techniques in South East Asian Countries

Additional Selection Criteria:

  • Relevant advanced degree;
  • Experience of designing, planning and implementation of projects/programs with special focus on climate smart GAPs development and value chain development with NGOs, INGOs, UN agencies;
  • Technical expertise in oilseed crop, pulses and rice crop GAPs will be highly preferred;
  • Sound knowledge and experience of conducting ToTs and strategies for training dissemination/rollout;
  • Proven capacity and experience in working with farmers and government agencies;
  • Good English Language and Computer Skills (Word, Excel, email, Power Point);

Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list

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

Candidates should upload language certificate/s when submitting their application.

For more information, visit the FAO employment website

How to Apply

To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Only applications received through the recruitment portal will be considered.

We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline

If you need help please contact: Careers@fao.org