Programme Specialist – JOSP Maareynta and YOU-A

Organizational Setting 

The key mission of the FAO Representation in Somalia, which is led by FAO Representative (FAOR), is to assist and support the national government to develop policies, strategies and programme aimed at accelerating the Implementation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in FAO's global mandate and Strategic Objectives. More specifically, FAO's response aims to address national needs and priorities in achieving food security, reducing hunger and malnutrition, developing agricultural, fishery and forestry sectors, and ensuring the sustainable use of environmental and natural resources and respond to recurrent emergencies. The current portfolio of activities of the FAO Representation in Somalia includes a wide scope of technical support interventions ranging from policy support through livestock and crop production, to natural resource management, Nutrition, value chain, food security analysis and water and land information management. FAO is also implementing several emergency, resilience-building, and development interventions, with the support of its five field offices and close to 400 staff in partnership with the Federal and State line ministries. 

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Somalia, and the direct supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor (JOSP)

Technical Focus

The incumbent will be responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight for the implementation of the Maareynta and YOU-ACT projects under the JOSP programme. This includes coordinating governance and youth-focused resilience initiatives, ensuring alignment with FAO’s strategic objectives, and fostering collaboration among government counterparts, UN agencies, and local stakeholders. He/she will lead project planning and execution, support institutional strengthening and youth empowerment efforts, manage monitoring and reporting frameworks, and ensure visibility and stakeholder engagement. The incumbent will also identify risks and recommend adaptive programming solutions to maintain responsiveness to evolving field dynamics and donor priorities.

Tasks and responsibilities

•      Lead the day-to-day implementation of Maareynta and YOU-ACT projects, ensuring alignment with approved work plans, donor requirements, and FAO's strategic objectives. Serve as the primary focal point for coordination among UN partners, government counterparts, and local stakeholders at national and sub-national levels. Promote programmatic synergy and ensure coherence between the two projects, maximizing complementarities and shared outcomes.
•     Ensure strategic alignment and operational integration across interlinked governance and resilience efforts, aligning institutional reform, climate change adaptation, youth empowerment, and community-based engagement under a unified implementation framework.
•     Support the development and operationalization of governance structures and institutional frameworks under JOSP.
•     Facilitate structured engagement with relevant institutions at federal, state, and district levels to ensure inclusive participation and ownership in project planning and implementation.
•     Provide technical support and oversight on governance-related deliverables, institutional capacity assessments, policy dialogues, and capacity-building initiatives aligned with project objectives.
•     Oversee community mobilization efforts to enhance youth participation in peacebuilding, climate adaptation, and natural resource governance. Lead implementation of youth-focused activities under YOU-ACT, including community mobilization, skills development, and climate adaptation initiatives.
•     Support youth engagement in peacebuilding and natural resource governance through strategic partnerships.
•     Facilitate partnerships with youth organizations, local authorities, and technical institutions to amplify impact and ensure long-term engagement.
•     Ensure gender, youth, and social inclusion principles are fully mainstreamed.
•     Develop and manage M&E frameworks; prepare regular progress reports for both Maareynta and YOU-ACT projects, ensuring timely collection and analysis of performance data against agreed indicators. Ensure adherence to FAO and donor reporting, financial tracking, and compliance standards.
•     Organize stakeholder meetings, community consultations, and joint field visits to promote collaboration and transparency.
•     Support donor and partner missions with field visits and briefings. Prepare visibility materials such as progress briefs and success stories to showcase project impact.
•     Identify risks early and recommend adaptive solutions to management.
•     Ensure project activities remain flexible and responsive to changing field dynamics, donor priorities, and policies.

FAO Standards and guidelines:

Liaison with the OCC will be maintained, either directly or through an agreed focal point/coordinator, to ensure compliance with OCC standards, appropriate review and clearance processes.

All communication materials will follow FAO clearance processes and comply with FAO standards, including:
FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: https://www.fao.org/strategic-framework/en   
FAO social media policy and guidelines: https://www.fao.org/2/socialmedia   
Social Media Branding Guidelines: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb5044en 
FAOSTYLE: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/cb8081en 
FAO terminology: http://www.fao.org/faoterm 
FAO Names Of Countries: https://www.fao.org/nocs/en    
Story guidelines, Story template, UN map standards, FAO logo policy and related branding guidelines (available to staff).  

Further guidance regarding FAO communications, policies and procedures can be found through the FAO intranet, OCC section.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING 

Minimum Requirements  

•     University degree in Integrated Water Resources Management, Water Governance, Resilience Leadership, or a related field.
•     At least 7 years of experience managing multi-stakeholder programmes in fragile settings, with a proven track record in public sector coordination, interagency collaboration, and delivery of governance and resilience initiatives.
•     Working knowledge (level C) of English

FAO Core Competencies 

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

Technical/Functional Skills  

•     Advanced university degree in Integrated Water Resources Management, Water Governance, Resilience Leadership, or a related field is an asset
•     Communicating to build understanding and support.
•     Engaging in continuous learning.
•     Planning organizing and delivering quality results.
•     Understanding FAO mandate and its global context.
•     Working together in teams and partnerships.
•     Strong interpersonal and communication skills 
•     Demonstrated experience in project coordination, governance strengthening, youth and community engagement, and climate adaptation.
•     Solid experience working with national governments, UN agencies, and donor-funded programs.
•     Strong communication, negotiation, and report-writing skills.
•     Proven ability to contribute to policy formulation and strategy development through technical leadership, institutional engagement, and integration of field-level evidence into governance and resilience frameworks
•     
 

Selection Criteria

•     Knowledge of second UN language will be assets.