Programme Support Assistant (Livelihood)

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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 person 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’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

FAO opened the Rohingya Refugee Crisis Response Program in early October 2017 with funding from SFERA under Government Bangladesh official authorization and no objection. Since this time the program has grown in scope, supporting both Rohingya refugees in the camps and host communities. FAO has taken on a significant role in the Inter-Sectoral Coordination Group (ISCG) structure, now known as the Rohingya Coordination Platform (RCP). Since this time, FAO continues to support both Refugees and host communities adapt to the new context of an extended Refugee Response in Cox’s Bazar district and is in addition providing emergency assistance following natural disasters, following especially Cyclones and Floods and addressing emergency agricultural and livelihoods needs. FAO is leading in several multi-sectoral projects and co-chairs the Food Security Sector the Energy and Environment Network.

FAO Cox’s Bazar maintains two primary programme units, the Agricultural Livelihoods Unit and the Natural Resource Management/Disaster Risk Management Unit. Both units are staffed with technical specialist implementing multi-year programming in coordination with government partners, UN agencies, civil society and private sector partners. While part of the overall emergency response, the FAO Cox’s Bazar programme works across the Humanitarian -Development-Peace Nexus, bridging emergency programmes with development objectives, ensuring all programming contributes to the Government of Bangladesh development priorities and protecting development strategy gains.

Reporting Lines

This is a SC-3 level position. Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Bangladesh and the direct supervision of the Emergency Resilience Programme Coordinator in Cox's Bazar, and working in close collaboration with the National Programme Coordinator, Climate-Smart Agriculture Specialist, MEAL team, and Operations team, the Programme Support Assistant — Livelihoods will serve as the front-line worker for the Food Security and Livelihood related intervention with a special focus on aquaculture component, acting as the focal point on behalf of FAO for project partners and beneficiaries across the Ukhiya, Teknaf, Ramu, and Cox's Bazar Sadar sub-districts.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will be responsible for assisting in delivering capacity-building initiatives for pond aquaculture and dry fish beneficiaries, monitoring pond aquaculture models and fish nurseries, and producing analytical reports on field findings. S/he will support the establishment and supervision of pond aquaculture interventions inside the Rohingya camps and provide technical assistance to dry fish entrepreneurs on safe production practices, branding, and market linkages. Additionally, the Programme Support Assistant will facilitate the formation and management of farmer groups, Aggregation Centres, and value chain actors, and support the timely distribution of programme inputs. S/he will ensure the effective and timely implementation of all assigned activities and provide day-to-day programmatic updates to the management.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Provide field-level technical support and quality assurance for fisheries, aquaculture, homestead gardening, and other food security and livelihood interventions implemented by partners across camps and host communities.
• Conduct regular monitoring visits to approximately 600 ponds, 50 dry fish entrepreneurs and 12 camp aquaculture sites to assess fish growth, pond management, input utilization, production performance, and beneficiary compliance with recommended practices.
• Identify and report fish disease outbreaks, mortality, water quality issues, and other technical or operational challenges requiring follow-up action.
• Assist technical teams in the development and refinement of fisheries training materials and input specifications.
• Conduct regular monitoring visits to Aggregation Centres (AC), and Digital Village Centres to assess functionality, sales performance, and market linkage performance.
• Facilitate beneficiary mobilization, community consultations, training, technical demonstrations, and capacity-building activities for fisheries and livelihood interventions.
• Document findings of the field visit and prepare reports identifying bottlenecks and key findings to support programme quality improvement.
• Support beneficiary verification and distribution of fisheries, and agricultural, inputs, including fingerlings, feed, seeds, tools, and equipment.
• Assist in organizing donor, government, and stakeholder visits and participate in coordination meetings at camp and sub-district level.
• Ensure dissemination of AAP and FAO’s feedback mechanisms among beneficiaries and support timely recording and follow-up of complaints and feedback.
• Perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• University degree in Fisheries discipline
• Minimum 3 years of relevant work experience in supporting programme and/or project implementation related with fisheries sector development, quality assurance, monitoring and reporting
• Working knowledge of English
• National of Bangladesh

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Previous experience working with UN agency/International Organization is an asset
• Knowledge on group formation, mobilization, conflict resolution and facilitation for the component related to Aquaculture or Fisheries - using scientific and participatory tools and methods.
• Proven track record of successful teamwork, good presentation/facilitation skills.
• Familiarity with local dialect
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Familiarity and prior with digital data collection and mapping tools such as Kobo Toolbox, GPS-based data collection, and basic GIS/Google Earth for field monitoring and mapping
• Ability to perform in multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary context.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills required.
• Ability to work independently and with minimum supervision;

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application

• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings.
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

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