National Project Coordination Assistant

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Bangladesh has been working since 1973 to transform the country’s food and agricultural sectors. The bulk of FAO’s Trust Funds to support member countries, including Bangladesh, fall under the Government Cooperative Programme (GCP) Fund and the Unilateral Trust Funds (UTF) categories. The latter is a funding modality that allows developing countries to benefit from FAO’s technical expertise, which is fully funded by themselves, either from national resources or from the proceeds of loans, credits and grants made available by international finance institutions or bilateral donors.

FAO has recently entered into an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of the Government of Bangladesh, represented by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), for the provision of technical assistance in implementing the Program on Agricultural and Rural Transformation for Nutrition, Entrepreneurship, and Resilience in Bangladesh (PARTNER), jointly financed by the World Bank and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). PARTNER, the initial mobilization effort of which was complemented by FAO’s Hand-in-Hand (HIH) Initiative during investment design, as well as the South-South Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) Initiative, which explored the scope of providing technical support to the program, has been working to promote diversification, food safety, entrepreneurship, and climate resilience in Bangladesh’s agri-food systems.

The National Project Coordination Assistant will be responsible for assisting in the coordination of activities to support the delivery of technical assistance, planning and budget activities, including day-to-day administrative and operational assistance, and facilitating timely communication among the project’s stakeholders. The position is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Reporting Lines

The National Project Coordination Assistant is SC-6 level position. The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Bangladesh and the direct supervision of the National Senior Precision Agriculture and Technical Advisor. The incumbent will also receive guidance from the National Crop Advisory and Training Expert, as well as personnel within and beyond the project, and the Programme Unit of the FAO Representation in Bangladesh.

Technical Focus

The position focuses on providing operational, financial, administrative, and technical support for the effective implementation of the technical assistance project. The incumbent will be responsible for handling day-to-day administrative activities, assisting in coordination, logistics, and field operations, ensuring accurate coordination and processing of procurement, financial transactions, vendor management, and budget monitoring in line with FAO rules, and assisting with the monitoring and evaluation of project activities, while maintaining up-to-date project records and documentation utilizing FAO’s corporate systems and tools. Strong liaison with stakeholders and government agencies is also essential to facilitate smooth project delivery and reporting.

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Handle day-to-day administrative and logistics activities related to the project.
•     Respond to a variety of routine queries and provide clarifications on project matters, inform team members of processes, procedures and timeframes to secure administrative services needed for the effective delivery of technical assistance, initiate correspondence to verify data, obtain additional information on transactions and budgetary matters.
•     Coordinate the full array of administrative and financial actions related to staff management, non-staff support, travel, payments and procurement, as envisaged within the scope of the project.
•     Assist with the monitoring and evaluation of project activities, including the preparation of progress reports to donors as specified.
•     Keep well-organized records of all incoming/outgoing documentation, including within FAO’s corporate systems and tools.
•     Review and make recommendations to improve current project administration procedures and processes.
•     Perform other functions as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•     University degree in Business Administration, Economics, Finance or a related field.
•     At least 6 (six) years of relevant experience in project operations, finance, or administration, preferably with UN agencies, international organizations, or development projects. 
•     Working knowledge (Level C) of English.
•     National of Bangladesh.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Strong knowledge of project management and operational procedures, including planning, monitoring, and reporting.
•     Strong knowledge of corporate information systems.
•     Strong knowledge of programme and budget processes and procedures.
•     Strong knowledge of communication and documentation standards to ensure project documentation and liaison with stakeholders, government agencies, and project team(s).
•     Problem-solving and decision-making skills to address operational challenges efficiently.
 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION