Senior Statistician (Data and Statistical Coordination)

Organizational Setting

The Statistics Division (ESS) develops and advocates for the implementation of methodologies and standards for data collection, validation, processing and analysis, in the food and agriculture statistics domains. In these statistical domains, it also plays a key role in the compilation, processing and dissemination of internationally comparable data, and provides essential capacity building in support of Member Nations. The Division also disseminates publications, working papers and statistical yearbooks, that cover agriculture and food security statistics, including prices, investments, production, trade and agri-environmental statistical data.

Given that the ESS Director also serves as the FAO Chief Statistician, the Division supports the various functions of the Chief Statistician, that is to ensure stronger governance of FAO's data and statistical system, foster consistency of FAO's Data and Statistical programme within the Strategic Framework, as well as ensuring statistical excellence through the implementation of statistical standards and quality assurance mechanisms, and position FAO's presence in data and statistical discussions at global level.

The incumbent will work in the Data and Statistical Coordination Team, which is responsible for the governance of FAO's data and statistical activities, both within FAO and with the broader international data and statistical community, to ensure the relevance, quality and consistency of food and agricultural data and statistics globally.

The team supports the Secretariat of the Data Coordination Group (DCG), FAO's highest internal body in charge of data and statistical matters and works closely with the Chief Statistician and technical units to ensure stronger governance of FAO's data and statistical system, including through the issuance of corporate data and statistical policies and standards. It also supports the planning, monitoring and reporting on FAO's data and statistical programme of work, coordinates FAO's role as custodian agency for 22 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators, and acts as focal points for any queries on intellectual property matters concerning FAO databases.

The position is located in the Statistics Division (ESS) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Senior Statistician (Data and Statistical Coordination) reports to the Deputy Director for Data and Statistics Governance in ESS under the overall guidance of the Director, ESS.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will lead the work of the Data and Statistical Coordination Team with a focus on the corporate statistical planning, monitoring and reporting of FAO's data and statistical programme of work; the coordination of FAO reporting on key global statistical indicators development (including SDG indicators); data and statistical governance; the development and implementation of key data- and statistics-related policies and standards; partnerships for data and statistics, including with other international or regional organizations; and coordination of key statistical capacity development activities of corporate nature.

Key Results

Leadership and conceptual thinking for the development and implementation of comprehensive technical, statistical and/or analytical frameworks to support the programme of work and related products, projects and services in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions

• Leads and manages highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams and short-term working groups, providing strategic vision and technical leadership; coordinates and/or participates in divisional teams, Organization-wide committees, project teams and working groups and/or provides leadership/secretariat services on international technical networks and/or technical policy and standard setting bodies.
• Analyses global and country specific requirements as well as agricultural, economic, social and environmental factors to provide critical input into the FAO Strategic Framework, Programme of Work as well as Detailed Work Plans and the supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies.
• Designs, implements and monitors work programmes including the conception and development of comprehensive short-, medium- and long-term plans and strategies for the development of statistics and/or analytical frameworks.
• Leads the design development of edge tools, methods, systems and databases, the conception and implementation of critical indicators and/or policy models.
• Leads and reviews research, data collection, validation, analysis and/or reporting to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovative tools and methodologies to be used within the Organization or by external stakeholders.
• Leads the production of a variety of technical reports and oversees the provision of inputs for flagship publications, technical documents, divisional publications and/or web pages.
• Leads and provides responses to requests and provides technical/policy advice, assistance and solutions to Regional, Subregional, and Country Offices including technical backstopping to field projects.
• Leads, organizes and participates in the provision of capacity development services, which include the planning and organization of training workshops and seminars, and oversees the preparation of related information, materials, on-line tools and information kits.
• Represents the Organization at international/inter-governmental meetings and conferences, advocates strategic partnerships, best practices and increased policy dialogue; develops and negotiates effective working relationships/consensus and agreements with international and national partners.
• Leads and/or participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework and Divisional Plans.

   

  Specific Functions

  • Coordinates the implementation of SDG-related activities and functions in close collaboration with SDGs indicator focal points. This includes supporting project formulation, managing corporate SDGs capacity development projects, coordinating SDG indicator reporting and producing the FAO SDG progress report. Additionally, ensures the proper integration of SDG indicators into FAO's results framework and other global and regional development agendas, while representing FAO in relevant SDGs-related governing and coordination bodies, such as the Inter-Agency Expert Group on SDGs Indicators (IAEG-SDGs).
  • Facilitates and coordinates internal data and statistics governance (serves as Secretary of the Data Coordination Group (DCG) on data and statistics, manages the process of clearance of statistical projects and provides support to the development, endorsement and implementation of corporate data and statistical policies, standards and methods).
  • Coordinates the planning, monitoring and reporting on FAO's Corporate Data and Statistical Programme of Work (SPW), including the reporting on data and statistical activities to FAO governing bodies.
  • Supports the Chief Statistician's role for the management of intellectual property matters related to FAO data and statistics (maintains and ensures compliance with the corporate Policy on Open data licensing for FAO statistical databases, provide guidance on intellectual property (IP) matters concerning FAO databases and coordinates with other FAO units on boarder copyrights, licensing and IP matters).
  • Facilitates and coordinates external data and statistics governance (supports international statistical coordination mechanisms and efforts; supports the organization of the Regional Commissions on Agricultural Statistics and coordinates the preparation of reports to the UN Statistical Commission and other relevant governing and coordination bodies).
  • Liaises with external stakeholders and partners on all matters related to the implementation of  FAO's statistical programme of work.
  • Provides advice and support to the Deputy Director for Data and Statistics Governance and Director on all matters related to the work of the division.
  • Prepares briefs, papers and other communication materials for FAO management or for publication on ESS websites and delivers presentations in relevant international fora.
  • Represents FAO statistics in relevant international meetings, seminars and/or conferences
  • Undertakes fund raising activities in coordination with ESS management and other relevant FAO Divisions and Senior Officers.

     

    CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

     

    Minimum Requirements

    • Advanced university degree in statistics, mathematics, economics, agricultural economics, or a related field with quantitative training.
    • Ten years of relevant experience in the compilation and analysis of official statistics in national or international organizations.
    • Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

       

       

      Competencies

      • Results Focus
      • Leading, Engaging and Empowering
      • Communication
      • Partnering and Advocating
      • Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
      • Strategic Thinking

         

        Technical/Functional Skills

        • Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is essential.
        • Strong command of statistical methods including: data presentation, analysis and descriptive statistics; main continuous and discrete random variables (binomial, normal, standard normal, log-normal) and their properties; probability distributions; conditional probability, probabilities of intersections of events, Bayes' theorem; correlation and rank correlation; sampling and sample size: simple, stratified, and multistage random sampling; Inference, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing and significance; linear regression (single and multiple) comparison of population means and variances, ANOVA; Chi-square and goodness of fit tests; nonlinear models: maximum likelihood estimation; elements of survey and questionnaire design.
        • Experience in food and agriculture statistics is considered to be an asset.
        • Extent and relevance of experience and knowledge of statistical methods for the collection and compilation of food and agricultural data.
        • Extent and relevance of knowledge and experience in the use of quantitative statistical and econometric methods.
        • Extent and relevance of experience in conducting quantitative analyses, analytical studies and methodological research in food and agricultural statistics using appropriate statistical software.
        • Extent and relevance of knowledge and experience in collecting, compiling and disseminating agricultural/economic statistics.
        • Extent and relevance of knowledge and experience in planning, coordinating and implementing and reporting on statistical programmes for national or international organizations.
        • Extent and relevance of experience in planning and implementation of statistical capacity development programmes at the country level.
        • Extent and relevance of experience in organizing international meetings, seminars and training courses.
        • Extent and relevance of experience in the preparation of global statistical publications and reports to inter-governmental bodies.
        • Extent and relevance of knowledge and experience on intellectual property matters related to data and statistical products.
        • Demonstrated ability to mobilize resources.
        • Demonstrated ability work under minimal supervision, present statistics materials lucidly and effectively and produce high quality papers in English.