Senior National Agronomy and Extension Specialist

Organizational Setting

The position is located at the FAO Representation in Georgia under the European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (ENPARD) programme. The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by the FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the overall responsibility of the FAO Representative for Georgia, the direct supervision of the ENPARD IV Programme Manager, in close collaboration with the REU Agricultural Officer and the staff of the ENPARD IV Programme and FAO Georgia staff and in particular, in close coordination with the ENPARD IV Extension Team.

Technical Focus

The Senior National Agronomy and Extension Specialist will support, in close coordination with the ENPARD IV Programme Manager, the efforts of the ENPARD IV agricultural extension team and will focus on the activities envisaged, in particular under Output 2.1, of the ENPARD IV programme.

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Take part in planning and implementation of field activities related to dissemination of information to Input Suppliers, Primary Producers (Vegetable and Fruit Farmers) and FBOs using resources for interacting with them through Farmer Field School group work, Field Days, mass campaigns, individual activities, etc.
•     Elaborate the Annual Extension Workplan and Procurement Plan with the extension team members. Ensure that all planned activities align with project goals, analyse the previous year's workplan and evaluate successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Define clear, measurable goals for the year. Keep records of activities, procurement, and outcomes for reporting and future planning. 
•     Assign specific tasks to team members based on their expertise.
•     Follow up the Annual Workplan to plan the agronomists’ monthly activities. The incumbent will ensure all targets related to agronomy and food safety are met, following up with each agronomist/veterinarian in charge. 
•     Take part in planning trainings for FBOs on food safety topics (including development of training material), specifically Floor Staff, HACCP Team, Maintenance staff, mid-level and high-level administrative staff, distribution and marketing staff.
•     Provide technical assistance on food safety to beneficiary FBOs, focusing on specific issues that pose significant risks in this area. Participate in the implementation of HACCP systems for small FBOs. 
•     Take part in the Food Safety- Food Processing Efficiency assessment visit to FBOs facilities processing dairy and meat products mainly but also in some other industries. 
•     Maintain close collaboration with the NFA Food Safety Department to organize training sessions for small and medium-sized companies in the meat, dairy, HoReCa, honey, nut and aquaculture sectors, as part of the cooperative framework. Within this activity, address the primary and current challenges faced by food business operators in Georgia, ensuring the training sessions are tailored to their specific needs and industry requirements.
•     Plan with all agronomists and veterinarians the recruitment of new potential beneficiaries through consultation to Information and Consultation Center staff, National Food Agency municipal offices, Local Action Groups, Input Suppliers, Head of Village and any other who can recommend potential beneficiaries of Food Safety technical assistance.  
•     Support agronomists to identify good Lead Commercial Farmers.
•     Supervise Demonstration Farms related to the topic of agronomy in all municipalities through field visits with the agronomists in charge. All Good Agriculture Practices, Integrated Pest Management, Climate Smart Agriculture, Good Demonstration Model Farm practices, including Food Safety matters related to pesticides, nitrates and composting should be implemented in each demo: proper land preparation including bed formation, establishment of wind breakers, drainage system, production of healthy seedlings, proper transplant, irrigation and fertigation, safe crop protection and plant nutrition, etc. The incumbent will supervise all activities are implemented. 
•     Support agronomists in establishing Vegetable Farmer Field Schools across various regions of the country. 
•     Ensure the use of the Technical Assistance form in every farm visit by every agronomist to guarantee the supervision of key issues in the farm and to provide any recommendation to farmers in written form. 
•     Support the agronomists to organize calendar and logistics of Field Days in Model Farms to train farmers on Food Safety Topics related to primary production (adequate management of pesticides, complying with nitrates regulation and correct composting to reduce food safety risks); ICC staff, NFA, Implementing Partner organizations and LAG should be informed of Field Days with 1 week anticipation to ensure high participation of farmers
•     Maintain close collaboration with the NFA Plant Protection Department to organize and deliver training for input suppliers' staff on the safe and effective use of pesticides. These trainings will focus on ensuring the production of safe food for end consumers and will be conducted in several locations across the country, primarily in West Georgia.
•     Prepare TORs for the extension team members, clearly defining their roles, responsibilities, deliverables, and expected contributions to the program's objectives.
•     Prepare quarterly reports, provide the necessary information to project evaluators and project staff. Participate in various workshops to showcase the achievements and initiatives of the Extension team.
•     Implement best practices to ensure a high participation of women in every extension activity. 
•     Guarantee the use and recommendation of cleared agriculture inputs only by Agronomists and that they observe all security measures while handling them, using Personal Protective Equipment recommended.
•     Provide guidance to Agronomy/Veterinary Interns and organize capacity building sessions for them. 
•     Supervise the gathering of cost related information by assigned Agronomists and Interns.
•     Supervise no-till and minimum-till activities in Shida Kartli and Kakheti regions. 
•     Collaborate closely with Monitoring & Evaluation staff to plan and organize monitoring activities. Support M&E with the information requested. Ensure the Agronomy and Extension Specialists and Interns under her/his supervision report all activities under the M&E system. Revise the accuracy of the M&E weekly report on Extension Activities.
•     Plan and supervise Awareness raising campaigns to youth in schools through discussions on Food Safety and Food Waste topics, and Healthy Nutrition through production and higher consumption of vegetables.
•     Maintain close collaboration with universities, colleges and youth associations to continue delivering theoretical and practical capacity-building sessions for students in agronomy and food technology. 
•     Collaborate with other teams’ members working in Grants, Policy, Food Safety. 
•     Keep good communication with other team members, responding promptly to others’ requests.
•     Participate as panel member during the interview process for the recruitment of national experts.
•     Other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•     University degree in agronomy, food safety or a related field:
•     At least 6 years  of relevant experience in agronomy and providing extension services to the farmers
•     Working knowledge of Georgian and English. 
•     National of Georgia

FAO Core Competencies

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

 Selection Criteria

•     Familiarity with the implementation of HACCP systems for Food business Operators.
•     Proved experience the implementation of Good Agriculture Practices, Integrated Pest Management and Climate Smart Agriculture
•     Ability to work autonomously;
•     Quality of both oral and written communication skills;
•     Demonstrated ability to be an efficient team member

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION