To address the prominent challenges and trends in the Near East and North Africa (NENA), the FAO Regional Office for the NENA region aims to integrate modern agricultural innovations into regional development programs to improve food security, boost productivity, and promote sustainability.
To achieve this, the Regional Office is seeking an International Consultant on Agriculture Development specializing in science, technology, and innovation (STI). The ideal candidate will possess the technical expertise, strategic vision, and collaborative skills needed to support the Regional Programme Leader and ensure that the adoption of technology aligns with regional development objectives. This will ultimately benefit local communities and contribute to the broader global goals of food security and sustainable agriculture.
Tasks and responsibilities
The consultant’s role will primarily focus on strategic program implementation, knowledge management, investment, and policy development at both the regional and national levels. He/she will be responsible for the following key tasks and duties:
Strategic program implementation
• Provide technical support to the Regional Program Leader, and RPs managers to mainstream and design regional agricultural and rural development programs that incorporate technology, innovation and digital transformation.
• Advise on and/or contribute to the formulation of regional strategies and action plans for agricultural and rural development to ensure alignment with global FAO goals and priorities, including the Science and Innovation Strategy, Climate Change Strategy, Digital Village Initiative, and identifying entry points for accelerating innovation and integrating cutting-edge technologies and scientific solutions where applicable.
• Lead and/or participate in scoping studies and/or situation analysis on innovation initiatives and digital agriculture solutions developed and implemented in countries of the region to derive lessons and guidance, and to inform policies and strategies for accelerating inclusive transformation.
• Assess the digital readiness, technological needs and/or capacity gaps of the region or specific countries in close collaboration with RNE technical officers and HQ specialized divisions (OIN, CSI, CFI) and recommend actions and scalable, context-appropriate solutions to improve productivity, resilience, and sustainability.
• Provide technical support to regional and country projects in relation to innovation, technologies and digital transformation, and document experiences, good practices and lessons learned for accelerating innovation and digital transformation, with due attention to inclusivity and gender equality.
• Ensure that agricultural technology initiatives address gender equality, empowering women farmers and ensuring equitable access to technology, training, and resources.
• Work to ensure that technology adoption benefits all stakeholders, including marginalized groups, smallholder farmers, and rural communities, reducing inequalities in access to agricultural innovations.
• Support in attracting investments into agricultural technology initiatives by developing compelling business cases for public and private sector funding.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in agriculture (economics, agriculture, agribusiness, digital agriculture, agriculture innovation systems), development studies, social science, innovation, computer science and engineering or related studies field.
• At least five years (for category B) or three years (for category C) of relevant professional working experience in similar environment.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English (for consultants and PSA).
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work
• Extent and relevance of experience in conducting agricultural sector analysis and/or supporting the planning, design, implementation of agricultural and IT projects, setting digital standards and frameworks and knowledge dissemination
• Familiarity with the ecosystem surrounding digital agriculture and digital transformation in the rural and agrifood systems context.
• Awareness of the global, regional and country-level digital initiatives and applications in agriculture, agricultural technologies, agricultural innovation systems and digital advisory services.
• Extent and relevance of experience in facilitation of sprint programmes such as hackathons, incubators and/or accelerators
• Extent and relevance of experience working with agri-tech start-ups and scaling innovation
• Demonstrated analytical, research, technical writing and presentation skills
• Excellent organizational, time management and planning skills with demonstrated ability to thrive in a dynamic environment while maintaining a collaborative spirit and delivering high-quality results.
• Limited knowledge of Arabic and French is an asset.
