Investment Support Officer

The FAO Investment Centre (CFI) provides investment and finance solutions that lead to more efficient, sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems. Working in over 120 countries, the Centre provides a full suite of investment and finance support to FAO Members. It partners with governments, international and national financing institutions, the private sector and farmers, research institutions and academia to improve the quality and quantity of agrifood investment. The Centre’s four main areas of work include support to strategic investment planning and policy, public investment, private investment, and innovative finance. These are complemented by the knowledge for investment and capacity development for investment programmes that serve to share knowledge, learn and build capacities at country level. For additional information on the FAO Investment Centre, its activities, partners and the organizational structure please visit the following link .

The Sustainable Cocoa Initiative (SCI) aims to strengthen the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of the cocoa and chocolate sector, by fostering enabling policies and promoting public and private investments in the cocoa value chain. To support the SCI, CFI is collaborating with Governments, European Union (EU) Delegations and FAO Representations in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon, the EU in Brussels, the Secretariat of the Cote d’Ivoire – Ghana Cocoa Initiative, FAO technical divisions and diverse cocoa sector actors to design and implement an integrated set of actions and provide a diverse range of services. While the SCI will focus initially on the three major African cocoa producing countries of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon, its objective is to reach out to other cocoa producer countries in Africa and elsewhere, to engage in similar structural reforms in support of sector sustainability. As a lead implementation partner, FAO will design and implement this support in a flexible and demand-driven manner by which National Governments European Union Delegations, cocoa sector stakeholders and relevant development partners including financial institutions will articulate and agree to priority interventions, which are coherent with national goals and Initiative objectives. The initiative will thus support different stakeholders to build on the consensus that is emerging among producing countries, industry representatives, cocoa smallholders and European consumers to link increases in cocoa farmers’ revenues to a clear commitment to halt deforestation and eliminate child labour, while promoting social inclusion and gender equality.

The post is located in the West and Central Africa Service (CFIE) of the FAO Investment Centre (CFI) and based in the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office (FRIVC) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Reporting Lines

The Investment Support Officer reports to the Chief, West and Central Africa Service (CFIE), of the FAO Investment Centre (CFI) and works in collaboration with the FAO Representative, FRIVC.

Technical Focus

Provide analytical and technical support for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of investment policies, strategies, programmes and projects in any of the following areas: agricultural and rural development, economic and financial issues, agribusiness development, access to markets, private sector development, sustainable natural resources management, land tenure, agricultural services, rural institutions, resilience and risk management, with a specific, although not exclusive, focus on investment opportunities for sustainable cocoa production and activities related to the Sustainable Cocoa Initiative (SCI) in Côte d’Ivoire.

Key Results

Delivering policy, investment and finance support solutions through the provision of technical expertise and support to capacity development, in collaboration with country stakeholders and cooperating partners, including the European Union and European Union Delegations, FAO representations and cocoa stakeholders at global, regional and national levels to achieve impact at scale in the transformation of agrifood systems in the scope of the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions

• Participates in, and eventually leads multidisciplinary teams to assist governments in the identification and preparation of investment and finance support initiatives in the fields of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing, and participates in pre-appraisal and appraisal missions.
• Participates in, and eventually leads multidisciplinary teams for the implementation support and the preparation of final evaluation of investment and finance support solutions.
• Provides technical expertise for the preparation of food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing studies and strategies, in the formulation of national sector and/or sub-sector investment policies, plans and programmes.
• Supports the development of inclusive and sustainable food systems involving producers, their organizations, other private sector actors and civil society organizations and governments.
• Formulates and delivers capacity development initiatives in the areas of food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment support to government staff, and non-state actors and private sector organizations.
• Prepares documents in accordance with FAO, governments, and financing partners’ requirements.
• Provides support in task organization, selection of consultants, preparation of terms of reference and in ensuring the quality of outputs.
• Promotes international cooperation and collaboration leading to new investment opportunities and cooperative agreements, advocates best practices and effective policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international meetings.
• Establishes, promotes, and maintains relationships with relevant Programme Priority Areas, FAO technical units and Decentralized Offices in order to ensure best synergies between investment, policy and innovation work in support to Members.
• Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate Strategy.
• Provides guidance and advice to junior staff.

Specific Functions

• Contributes to the implementation of the Sustainable Cocoa Initiative (SCI), including preparation of work plans, review of the logical/results framework and development of the monitoring and evaluation system.
• Provides technical leadership to the design and implementation of the Sustainable Cocoa Initiative (SCI) interventions in Côte d’Ivoire, and support actions at global and regional levels.
• Provides technical expertise for the preparation of terms of reference for studies and strategies, as well as formulation of national sector and/or sub-sector investment plans and programmes along the cocoa value chain.
• Provides technical backstopping to, and ensures the quality/effectiveness of, capacity development and knowledge sharing activities among implementing partners as well as within the countries of implementation.
• Coordinates correspondence with the European Union, the European Union Delegation in Côte d’Ivoire, the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Côte d’Ivoire, as well as with FAO technical divisions, while advocating best practices and effective policy dialogue at international meetings (such as the Cocoa Talks) with cocoa sector stakeholders.
• Assesses investment implications of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing policies, national plans and programmes including, poverty alleviation, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
• Establishes, promotes, and maintains relationships with the FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in Cote d’Ivoire, in order to ensure best synergies between investment, policy and innovation work in support to Members.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in economics, agricultural economics, agricultural sciences, environmental sciences, agribusiness management, natural resource management, irrigation and drainage engineering, rural infrastructure engineering, social sciences, business administration or a related field.
• Seven years of relevant experience in conducting agricultural/rural sector/subsector analytical studies, and/or in planning, design, supervision of agricultural and rural investment operations, including elaboration of feasibility studies and implementation of agricultural and rural investment operations in developing countries and/or countries in transition.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of French and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of English.

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, particularly in field positions is desirable.
• Extent and relevance of experience in formulation, implementation support or evaluation of strategies, policies, studies and investment programmes in food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing.
• Extent and relevance of experience in participating in, and eventually leading, multidisciplinary teams for the preparation of strategies, sector studies and investment programmes.
• Extent and relevance of experience of cocoa value chains and cross-cutting policy issues (particularly in ACP countries) is highly desirable.
• Extent and relevance of experience in investment design, implementation support and evaluation procedures of FAO’s main development partners, in particular the European Union and International Financial Institutions (IFIs).
• Relevance of experience in capacity development for the design and implementation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investments.
• Demonstrated experience in dealing with government officials, development partners and other country stakeholders.
• Knowledge of the context as well as partners and institutions of the specific subregion would be an asset.
• Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in French.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English would be an important asset.

Job Posting

18/Dec/2023

Closure Date

15/Jan/2024, 10:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit

FAO Investment Centre (CFI)

Job Type

Staff position

Type of Requisition

Professional Project

Grade Level

P-4

Primary Location

Cote d’Ivoire-Abidjan

Duration

Fixed-term: 1 year with possibility of extension

Post Number

2009987

CCOG Code

1L09

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

The length of appointment for internal FAO candidates will be established in accordance with applicable policies pertaining to the extension of appointments

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• 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 United Nations, 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.

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.