(JPO) Emergency Preparedness and Planning Specialist with UN FAO At US Agency for International Development

I. Overview

Through USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA), the United States sponsors qualified U.S. citizens for employment in the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Program.

These fully funded JPO positions strengthen the humanitarian coordination capacity of FAO. They further encourage U.S. citizens to become active members of the international community. After completing their JPO assignments, a number of JPOs successfully compete for positions at FAO and in other international and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

II. General Information

Title: Emergency Preparedness and Planning Specialist – Monitoring and Reporting

Organization/Office: FAO/FAO Representation Somalia

Duty Station: Mogadishu, Somalia

Start Date Required: As soon as possible

Duration: Two years

The USAID/BHA sponsored JPO will be an employee of FAO, not of the U.S. Government.

III. Duties, Responsibilities, and Output Expectations

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative of Somalia, and the direct supervision of the Emergency Coordinator, the Junior Professional Officer (Emergency Preparedness and Planning Specialist – Monitoring and Report), will provide support to the Emergency Unit members and country office units in the production and management of information analysis and products, consolidation and synthesis of data, Emergency Preparedness and Response documents quality reviews, etc. for integrated emergency preparedness and response scale up at Country Office (CO) level.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Collects and analyzes relevant technical, social, economic, environmental, institutional and technology related information, data and/or statistics to support the delivery of programme projects as well as products and services;
• Undertakes analysis, provides technical input for plans and reports and edits/revises technical/scientific documents;
• Participates in the development of improved work methods, tools and systems;
• Updates databases and web pages;
• Participates in multidisciplinary project/work teams;
• Collaborates in the development of training tools and materials and the organization of workshops/seminars, etc.;
• Participates in the organization, conduct and follow-up of meetings, consultations and conferences, the development/production of required materials and the provision of information and assistance to partners.
• Supports in the preparation of reports with implementing partners and review of narrative and financial reports submitted;
• Contributes to the preparation of workplan, project and programme indicator and budget revisions processes;
• Assists in identifying gaps and develops and delivers training materials on reporting and perform on-the-job reporting capacity building, as required;
• Contributes to the development of strategies and reviews and updates reporting manuals and guidelines;
• Participates in regular reporting and planning processes and relevant meetings;
• Contributes to the preparation of needs assessments and briefs and to timely dissemination of information and reports to the respective unit, in close consultation with the Programme Management Unit;
• Reviews monitoring reports to assess interim impact and causes of potential bottlenecks in implementation and report major findings through structured briefs;
• Follow up with the responsible officer for Memoranda of Understanding and Letters of Agreements in line with the FAO Manual and regulations;
• Undertakes short missions within the country, as required;
• Maintains accurate database by monitoring and reviewing regular sources of information;
• Updates on a weekly and monthly basis the internal and external databases;
• Processes weekly, monthly and quarterly internal and external qualitative and quantitative reports;
• Supports in the development of monitoring and reporting tools and in their analysis;
• Delivers trainings to field staff on data processing and on reporting and analysis skills;
• Participates in sectorial meetings and trainings organized by FAO and partners; and
• Performs other duties as required.

Technical Focus:

• The Junior Professional Officer (Emergency Preparedness and Planning Specialist – Monitoring and Report), will support the implementation of FAO’s intervention at country level, relative to data analysis, monitoring and report aspects of the portfolio of Emergency response in Somalia.

Key Results:

• Collection and analysis of information, data and statistics and project/meeting services to support programme projects, products and services..

IV. Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree in in business administration, international relations, or related field (agriculture, business administration and management, or other fields related to the work of the Organization);

Work Experience:

Three years of relevant experience inexperience in monitoring and reporting and/or field project coordination including experience in developing countries, especially in countries that are vulnerable to disaster or other emergency risks;

Languages:

Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of one of the other official FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish).

Additional Desired Technical Skills:

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions.
• Relevant experience in supporting program formulation and implementation of emergency and rehabilitation programs.
• Relevant experience in the preparation, editing, and revision of technical/scientific and policy documents and in organizing meetings and workshops.
• Relevant experience in collecting, analyzing, and summarizing technical information and data.
• Familiarity with standard office and data analysis software.

Competencies:

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

Workforce Diversity:

The UN believes that an inclusive culture attracts the best talent and encourages all qualified applicants, regardless of gender, disability, sexual orientation, cultural, or religious backgrounds, to apply.

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background, and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values.
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the UN, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination.
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

V. Background Information

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.

The key mission of the FAO Representation in Somalia, which is led by the FAO Representative (FAOR), is to assist and support the national government in developing policies, strategies and programme aimed at accelerating the implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in FAO’s global mandate and strategic objectives. More specifically,

FAO’s response aims to address national needs and priorities in achieving food security, reducing hunger and malnutrition, developing agricultural, fishery and forestry sectors, ensuring the sustainable use of environmental and natural resources and responding to recurrent emergencies. The current portfolio of activities of the FAO Representation in Somalia includes a wide scope of technical support interventions ranging from policy support through livestock and crop production to natural resource management, Nutrition, value chain, food security analysis and water and land information management. FAO is also implementing several emergency, resilience-building, and development interventions, with the support of its five field offices and close to 400 staff in partnership with the Federal and State line ministries.

How to apply

The JPO program selection process is carried out jointly by USAID/BHA and FAO.

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply. Applicants must be no older than 32 years of age as of December 31 of the year of application.

To apply please send the following to BHA.JPOCoordinator@usaid.gov:

1. completed UN Personal History Statement (P11);
2. resume (CV) and;
3. cover letter to explain your interest in this position.

Please state which position you are applying for in the subject line of your email. If you wish to apply for multiple positions, please complete a Personal History Statement (P11) for each position and submit these to us in separate emails with the appropriate subject heading. Please submit your application documents in PDF format when possible.

Due to the volume of applications received, only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Application Details:

Please complete the P11 thoroughly. The P11 provides the opportunity to include all required information in one document, including your professional work experience and references. Please attach a cover letter to explain your interest in the position and interest in working with the UN, along with a general resume. The P11 has instructions on how to complete the profile; however, please be sure to also follow the additional instructions below:

• The P11 must be completed in English only. You can find the P11 form on the USAID/BHA Jobs website. 
• You may leave the signature/date sections blank at this time. If selected for one of the positions, you will then need to submit a signed version.
• Do not submit a photograph.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application Deadline: Monday, May 20, 2024, 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

For more information please consult the USAID/BHA Jobs website.