MTR Specialist - Agronomy

Organizational Setting:

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.

FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.
FAO India is currently implementing the ‘Promotion of Sustainable Food Systems in India through Transforming Rice-Wheat Systems’ Project under the GEF-7 cycle. This five-year project focuses on four states - Punjab, Haryana, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The project will: 1) result in major global environmental benefits in terms of reduced land degradation, biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions; 2) provide the country with win-win benefits in terms of improvements in the environmental sustainability of food systems and the income and resilience of farmers, and; 3) generate additional benefits for other food system stakeholders such as improved access to safe and healthy food and to employment opportunities. The project is aligned with the global objectives of the Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) Impact Program, contributing to integrated landscape management and sustainable food systems transformation in India.

The project Mid Term Review (MTR):
The project is at the mid-point of its planned implementation duration and is now required to conduct a Mid-Term Review (MTR).

The objectives of the MTR are to assess the progress made in achieving the project objectives and results set out in the project document, to analyse early signs of success or failure, and to identify any changes needed to bring the project back on track and achieve the desired results.

The FAO Guide for planning and conducting mid-term reviews of FAO-GEF projects and programmes (2020) provides the corporate guidance on planning, formulating, and conducting the mid-term reviews (MTRs) of projects and programmes implemented by FAO that have received grant financing from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund. It describes the requirements at various stages of the MTR process and clarifies the tasks, roles, and responsibilities of the various parties involved in FAO-GEF project MTRs.

The project will contract a small team of specialists - comprising a Lead MTR Consultant and MTR Specialists - to develop and apply the MTR methodology, produce a brief MTR inception report, conduct the MTR and prepare the final MTR report.

A project-specific Terms of reference for the mid-term review of the project, ‘Promotion of Sustainable Foods Systems in India through transforming Rice-Wheat System in Punjab, Haryana, Odisha & Chhattisgarh’ (referred to below as the ‘MTR terms of reference’) has also been prepared to direct the overall approach to, and method of conducting the MTR, for this project, including how to address the GEF evaluation criteria, the main general and project-specific questions, and the data sources and choice of tools for the assessment.

FAO is seeking to recruit MTR Specialist - Agronomy, to perform the mid-term review of the GEF-7 Project

The position is located in the FAO Country Office in India.

Reporting Lines:

MTR Specialist will report to the FAO Representative in India, and operate under the regular guidance of the Lead MTR Consultant, while closely coordinating with the Lead Technical Officer in the FAO Regional Office in Bangkok, Assistant FAO Representatives (Program and Administration), MTR Manager assigned by the FAO India Country Office, and the MTR focal at the FAO GEF Coordination Unit in HQ, and another local MTR Specialist.

Technical Focus:

The MTR Specialist - Agronomy will provide support on agronomic and environmental aspects of the Mid-Term Review of the GEF-7 Project. Working under the guidance of the Lead MTR Consultant, the incumbent will evaluate the sustainability, effectiveness, and impact of project interventions in rice-wheat systems, ensuring evidence-based findings consistent with FAO-GEF evaluation standards.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Under the administrative supervision of the FAO Representative in India, the MTR Specialist - Agronomy will provide his/her inputs to the Lead MTR Consultant and contribute in reporting process, as agreed with the FAO MTR Manager and Lead MTR Consultant.

Specific responsibilities include:

•     Assist the Lead MTR Consultant in developing field visit plans; 
•     Review the relevant background documentation made available by the FAO MTR manager and project team, including the project document, project logframe, project progress and project reports, among other things; 
•     In accordance with the methodological approach described in the terms of reference, contribute to the preparation of data-collection tools, including questionnaires, checklists and interview protocols, as appropriate; insofar as possible, participate in the finalization of the MTR team’s work programme;
•     Participate actively in the collection of primary data, as required by and identified in the MTR matrix, under the leadership of the Lead MTR Consultant during the field visits, among other things, provide support to conduct interviews to collect data from key stakeholders, such as government entities, project partners, the FAO Representative, external partners, project beneficiaries, international organizations, the private sector, civil society, academia and research institutions;
•     Contribute to the consolidation of all evidence collected during the MTR process in a structured format following the key MTR questions and criteria;
•     Ensure that all primary and secondary data collected are recorded during the MTR process and organized in a structured format following the key MTR questions, based on which all findings will be triangulated;
•     Participate in the analysis and discussion of evidence collected during the MTR within the MTR team to identify key findings that respond to MTR issues and questions, and formulate preliminary conclusions and recommendations in his/her specific field of expertise, as discussed and agreed with the FAO MTR Manager and the Lead MTR Consultant;
•     Provide technical inputs on agronomic and environmental aspects of the project to all key MTR deliverables -including the inception report, debriefing sessions after field missions, and the draft and final MTR reports.
•     Contribute written sections and data analysis as required by the Lead MTR Consultant, and support the integration of stakeholder feedback (from the budget holder, MTR Manager, FAO GEF Coordination Unit, Lead Technical Officer, GEF Technical Officer, government counterparts, and others) into revised versions of the reports.
•     Support the Lead MTR Consultant in finalizing the report to comply with the MTR ToR and as further specified in the inception report specifically in his/her specific area of expertise (Agronomy), by conducting analyses and assessments in the following areas of work: 
•     Environmental sustainability of interventions in rice-wheat systems, including climate-smart agriculture and resource-efficient practices.
•     Project contributions to land degradation neutrality, biodiversity conservation, and climate mitigation through land restoration practices and agroecological approaches.
•     Technical interventions related to soil health, water-use efficiency, and low-emission technologies.
•     Effectiveness of strategies promoting sustainable food systems and their alignment with national and global environmental goals.
•     Integration of ecosystem services and environmental co-benefits in project outcomes.
•     Use of environmental indicators, GIS-based data, and climate resilience metrics in project monitoring and reporting.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements:

•     A university degree in one or more of the following fields: Environmental Sciences, Agriculture, Agricultural Engineering, Agribusiness, Forestry, Natural Resource Management, Agroecology, Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Adaptation, Rural Development, Water Resources Management, or a related discipline relevant to sustainable food systems and environmental resilience.
•     At least five years of experience in the planning and management of agriculture, rural development, or natural resources management projects in India. 
•     Working knowledge (level C) of English and Hindi
•     National of India or resident of the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical skills and competencies:

•     Knowledge of FAO and GEF work/procedures, development organisations, other UN agencies or multilateral organisations would also be an asset.

Selection criteria:

•     Experience in projects related to natural resource management, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable land and water use, and agri-environmental practices.
•     Familiarity with GEF/ UN/ Multilateral agencies’ focal areas such as land degradation, biodiversity, and climate change mitigation/adaptation.
•     Experience in technical interventions in rice-wheat systems and forestry, including low-emission technologies, soil health, water-use efficiency, and carbon sequestration.
•     Experience in evaluating agricultural value chains, ecosystem services, and environmental co-benefits.
•     Capacity to analyse environmental indicators, GIS-based data, and climate resilience metrics.
•     Experience in the evaluation of donor-funded projects would be considered an advantage.

Note: Applicants should be independent of any organizations that have been involved in designing, executing or advising on any aspect of the project being evaluated in the MTR and should not have been involved in any aspect of the project previously.