National Programme Specialist

The National Programme Specialist will contribute to FAO’s support to the national agrifood systems transformation in Kiribati by strengthening FAO’s decentralized country office network through effective programme coordination, portfolio management, and strategic engagement with governments, UN partners, and donors. The role involves operationalizing FAO’s presence in Kiribati and ensuring effective delivery of programmes aligned with country needs and regional priorities.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a focal point for programme coordination and implementation in Kiribati, ensuring alignment with national priorities, FAO Strategic Framework, CPF and UNSDCF.
• Provide technical support in engaging with government counterparts, UN agencies, regional organizations and partners to facilitate effective programme delivery and coordination.
• Contribute to consultations with national stakeholders to identify priority areas for FAO support, including TCP pipeline development and partner-funded initiatives.
• Coordinate and support the implementation of ongoing agriculture, food security, and emergency projects in Kiribati, ensuring alignment with national priorities, United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), FAO Country Programming Framework (CPF), and FAO Strategic Framework.
• Ensure adaptive and portfolio-based programme implementation in line with evolving country needs, project pipeline, and available resources, in coordination with SAP and RAP.
• Coordinate resource mobilization and partnerships supporting the development of project pipelines and strengthening FAO’s capacity to respond to partner needs.
• Participate in the preparation and presentation of project concept notes, proposals and other programme documents for donor funding, in close collaboration with SAP multi-disciplinary team (MDT) and relevant Lead Technical Officers (LTOs).
• Liaise with FAO LTOs, technical units, Operations and Administrative teams to ensure technical quality, operational efficiency, and compliance in project implementation in Kiribati.
• Support efficient utilization and coordination of technical, operational, and financial resources to enhance delivery and impact across multiple countries.
• Provide technical support the coordination and organization of World Food Day and other visibility events, contributing to FAO’s advocacy and strategic positioning in the sub-region.
• Provide inputs to communication and visibility materials (newsletters, press releases, etc.) in coordination with FAO HQ, regional and subregional communication teams.
• Ensure timely provision of information required for monitoring and reporting tools (UN Info, PAID, FPMIS, iMIS, PIRES, COIN, etc.), in coordination with the subregional Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, ensuring data accuracy and timeliness.
• Support the management and oversight of a growing and increasingly complex project portfolio, ensuring compliance with FAO operational standards and effective risk management.
• Support the conduct of assessments and provide technical and operational inputs to monitoring and evaluation of FAO’s interventions in Kiribati.
• Support senior colleagues in strengthening coordination with national counterparts and partners to support effective project implementation and capacity development at country level.
• Perform other functions as required.

Requirements

• University degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Development Economics, Rural Development, Food Security / Nutrition, Forestry / Fisheries, Environmental or Natural Resource Management, Business Administration, project management or related areas
• Three years of relevant experience in programme /project management, policy analysis (agriculture, food security, rural development), monitoring & evaluation
• Working knowledge of English
• National of Kiribati
• Knowledge of climate change adaptation and mitigation and sustainable development
• Climate risk and vulnerability assessment skills
• Policy and strategic planning expertise
• Strong analytical and report writing skills
• Strong writing skills and language proficiency
• Strong skills in developing capacity building materials; conducting health vulnerability and adaptation assessments; and working with communities to build resilience to climate-related health risks
• Experience working with governments, NGOs, or UN agencies

Skills

• Programme Management
• Project Management
• Policy Analysis
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Climate Change Adaptation
• Climate Change Mitigation
• Sustainable Development
• Climate-Risk Impact Assessment
• Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
• Strategic Planning
• Report Writing
• Capacity Building
• Health Vulnerability Assessment
• Community Resilience
• Agricultural Economics
• Food Security
• Rural Development Policy
• Environmental Management
• Natural Resource Management

Languages

English