National Project Coordinator – Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Specialist

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 Country Offices, working under overall corporate guidance and in line with the Strategic Framework, offer policy advice and support to countries in the mandated areas of FAO, facilitated through partnerships, resources and an active country programme to provide technical assistance, develop capacities and deliver core services while fully observing international standards of accountability to establish leadership and strengthen impact at the country level. 
The offices deliver on the programmatic priorities of each country as agreed in their respective Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and ensure effective and efficient operations with adequate human and financial resources. 
Specifically, FAO Country Offices: 

(i)    Advocate, inform and support policies and investments in the areas of FAO’s mandate.
(ii)    provide technical assistance and deliver core services. 
(iii)     assist and catalyze partnership and resource mobilization activities to support agrifood systems transformation. 
(iv)    position FAO as the specialized/authoritative technical agency in food and agriculture and agrifood systems transformation; and 
(v)    ensure risk-smart and accountable operations and management.  

For this reason, FAO is devoting its efforts in collaboration with the government of United Republic of Tanzania in the dissemination of Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the context of Food Security and Nutrition (VG-GEWGE). The guidelines were endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) in October 2023. The Guidelines are a complex instrument outlining a wide range of cross-sectoral policy recommendations and still weakly known and understood by member states and other stakeholders.  
The National Project Coordinator– Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Specialist position is in the FAO Country Office in United Republic of Tanzania to ensure planning, design, smooth and timely delivery of activities at country level

Reporting Lines

The National Project Coordinator– Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Specialist will work under the direct supervision of the FAO Representative in United Republic of Tanzania and the technical supervision of the Global Programme Coordinator (GPC), in close collaboration with the Programme Coordination Unit (PCU) and the Gender Team in FAO Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division (ESP) 

Technical Focus

Project Coordination and Implementation of the project activities in the country, Partnership development, Women’s Economic Empowerment gender mainstreaming across sectoral policies and programs, capacity building and technical support, aligned with national priorities and international commitments and national gender strategies.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Manage the day-to-day implementation of the project activities in the country, including support to organizing periodic meetings and workshops/trainings, in collaboration with the FAO Country Office, government, and its institutions, UN agencies, civil society as well as other relevant stakeholders;
•    Coordinate and ensure close communication and consultations with national stakeholders and partners of the project and key agriculture and gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) stakeholders as well as with the Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress Towards Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE), including by coordinating the project National Task Force or other mechanism;
•    Provide technical assistance to the implementation of country-level activities, at central and decentralized levels, particularly to awareness raising events, GEWE country assessment, the roll-out of the Blended Learning Programme, including by facilitating and delivering sessions, sensitization of rural communities, and policy dialogue workshop;
•    Contribute to the organization and participate in the sub-regional awareness-raising event on the CFS Voluntary Guidelines on Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls’ Empowerment in the Context of Food Security and Nutrition that will take place in Tanzania; 
•    Lead and/or participate in field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties, provision of technical support and supervision, and for data collection purposes and preparation of mission summaries;
•    Coordinate and assist the missions and trainings conducted by national and international consultants and FAO staff by processing the administrative procedures and coordination with relevant governmental agencies, UN agencies and national stakeholders;
•    Provide substantial backstopping and work closely with the country-level Communication, Knowledge Management and Evaluation (CKM&E) Specialist while producing analytical reports, case studies, success stories etc.; to ensure appropriate learning and dissemination processes;
•    Support the design and execution of information events for the socialization of project progress with donors, partners and key stakeholders, including the design of dissemination materials and technical publications outside the project according to the communication guidelines defined for the project;
•    Participate in the identification, assessment, and control risk as required. Provide inputs for maintenance of project risk register;
•    Promote the integration of inter-institutional and multi-sectoral efforts to leverage funds, synergies and joint activities with other projects or programmes;
•    Prepare applications to respond to calls for proposals for resource mobilization as needed;
•    Perform any other relevant tasks as required.
•    Lead and coordinate the preparation of annual country workplans and the implementation of project activities in line with project goals and objectives and in close coordination with the GPC;
•    Work in close coordination with the Programme and Administrative areas of the FAO Representation Office in United Republic of Tanzania to ensure adequate technical, logistical and financial implementation and reporting to the FAO Country Office and the PCU;
•    Coordinate the preparation of Terms of Reference (ToRs) and follow up on procurements related to specific project activities;
•    Coordinate the formulation, implementation and follow up of Letters of Agreements (LoAs) with service providers/agencies with technical capacity – if foreseen in the project related activities;
•    Implement effectively the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) plan in accordance with the Programme guidelines and procedures and in line with the related methodologies and tools;
•    Prepare and submit narrative and financial reports on the progress of project implementation at national level, including collecting data and liaising with national partners in line with the defined reporting frequency and based on the reporting templates developed and circulated by the GPC;
•    Ensure availability and quality of information on technical and financial progress of the project;
•    Ensure the planning, design and smooth and timely delivery of activities at country level
•    Contribute to the project annual review and planning workshops involving project stakeholders to discuss project results as well as lessons learned and successful cases.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•    University degree in the areas of Social Science, Rural Development, Gender Studies or related areas;
•    At least 5 years of experience in the management of programmes, projects and initiatives of agricultural development, rural development and/or territorial economic development, related to the promotion and inclusion of gender equality and women’s empowerment;
•    Working knowledge of English and Swahili languages;
•    National of Tanzania.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Understanding of the local social, political and economic situation;
•    Experience in developing and maintaining monitoring and evaluation systems;
•    Experience in field work and participation in multidisciplinary teams;
•    Experience in managing a team, providing technical guidance to team members and performing quality insurance of team’s work and deliverables;
•    Experience in inter-sectoral and inter-institutional coordination;
•    Proven ability to work in teams and establish working relationships with central and decentralized governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations;
•    Ability to work under the operating procedures of international organizations, experience of working in the UN system is an asset;
•    Flexibility and adaptability to local contexts and changing environment;
•    Analytical, synthesis and technical report writing skills;
•    Knowledge and management of: MS Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams;
•    Facilitation and coordination skills;
•    Capacities to provide strategic advice;
•    Willingness to travel.
•    Work experience in more than one location or area of work 
•    Extent and relevance of experience in Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment
•    Familiarity with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
•    Understanding FAO/UN Policies and Programmes is an added asset.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION