Project Coordinator

Organizational Setting

With the support of FAO and IFAD (the International Fund for Agriculture Development), the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have successfully mobilized a grant from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to implement the Agriculture Investment for Markets and Nutrition Project (AIM-N) in the two countries. As the technical assistance supervising entity of the project, FAO is in charge of implementing over a 4-year period the technical assistance component of the project (AIM-N TA project). This will be the responsibility of the FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP).

The FAO Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) is situated in Apia, Samoa and supports member countries in meeting their national priorities in the areas of agriculture, fisheries, forestry, agrifood systems, nutrition and rural development. FAO’s member countries in the Pacific include the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, the Republic of Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu and Tokelau as an associate member. FAO brings to the partners, extensive technical expertise in agri-food systems, sustainable agriculture, including forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, and ecosystem restoration. FAO SAP develops and maintains relations with subregion-wide institutions including the Council of Regional Organizations in the Pacific (CROP).  The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of FAO's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok.

FAO SAP is recruiting an Project Coordinator who will coordinate the delivery of project activities, outcomes and outputs in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands and support stakeholders in better achieving the full potential of project resources.  The post is an FAO position based in Port Vila, Vanuatu and funded and funded by the GAFSP project titled “Technical Assistance to the Agriculture Investment for Markets and Nutrition Project (AIM-N TA).” The overall aim of this project is to provide technical assistance to strengthen the capacity of implementing agencies in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to successfully implement the AIM-N project ensuring to reach its expected results.  These capacities are expected to be improved in three priority areas: (i) nutrition sensitive agriculture; inclusive partnership for market access and agribusiness; (iii) effective project implementation, coordination, M&E and knowledge management.  

Reporting Lines

The Project Coordinator will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Subregional Coordinator, and direct supervision of the Food and Nutrition Officer.  He/she will report to the Agribusiness Expert based in Honiara, Solomon Islands and in close collaboration with the national team of the project, government institutions, relevant FAO technical and support staff and consultants as well as partners. He/She will supervise the project team in Port Vila, Vanuatu and guide them in achieving the full results of project outcomes.

Technical Focus

The Project Coordinator will provide overall project coordination and reporting of all technical and managerial aspects of the project taking place in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands.

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Coordinate project activities in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, ensuring alignment with the project objectives, work plans, and timelines. 
•     Interact on a very regular basis with the Government led AIM-N implementation team in order to customize the FAO TA inputs to the needs and requests of the Government team in Vanuatu 
•     Engage with government agencies, non-governmental organizations, community leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure effective collaboration and implementation of project activities in Vanuatu. 
•     Oversee budgeting, financial planning, and expenditure tracking in coordination under leadership of the Project Team Leader and relevant stakeholders. 
•     Support the implementation of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, including data collection, analysis, and reporting to measure project progress and outcomes. 
•     Facilitate capacity-building activities for project staff, government counterparts, and other stakeholders to enhance their skills and knowledge in project management and implementation. 
•     Conduct economic analysis and provide recommendations to optimize project interventions and ensure cost-effectiveness. 
•     Prepare regular progress reports, including financial, narrative, and technical reports, for submission to the project team leader 
•     Identify potential risks and challenges to project implementation and develop mitigation strategies in collaboration with the Project Team Leader and relevant stakeholders.
•     Closely work with the international Monitoring and Evaluation Expert to ensure the design and implementation of a strong M&E system of AIM-N;
•     Closely coordinate with the Government and IFAD counterparts the FAO TA teamwork programme with the work programme of the AIM-N Investment project implemented by the Government and supervised by IFAD 

Additional duties as technical advisor to the AIM-N Project Implementation Unit

•     Analyse relevant technical issues to provide critical input to the PMU on AIM-N annual work plans and the supporting budgets.  
•     Provide strategic advice to AIM-N team members and Lead Agribusiness Expert and the provincial-level offices in the development and implementation of their project activities. 
•     Assist the Agribusiness Expert and other officers involved in the implementation of the project in the scheduling of consultant inputs to coincide effectively with the schedule of implementation requirements of the project activities. 
•     Assist in promoting knowledge about principles of participation, downward accountability, transparency, feedback and learning, including methods to operationalize them. 
•     Assist the Agribusiness Expert in the identification of international training and study tours. 
•     Provide inputs to the PMU progress reports with regard the FAO TA activities. 
•     Perform any other related functions as required

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•     Master’s degree or equivalent in Agriculture, Economics, Agriculture Economics, International Development, or a related field. 
•     At least 5 years of professional experience in project management, preferably in the agriculture or rural development sector, with experience working in Pacific Small Island Developing States being an advantage. 
•     Working knowledge (level C) of English.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Work experience in more than one location or area of work
•     Extent and relevance of experience in the Pacific Islands/Small Island Developing States (SIDS) contexts is considered a strong asset
•     Extent and relevance of experience in results-based project or programme management and monitoring
•     Familiarity with donor-funded projects and reporting requirements is desirable
•     Able to work under pressure and adapt to an evolving and complex humanitarian context and within multidisciplinary and different cultural background teams.
•     Excellent organizational skills
•     Good communication skills, both verbal and written.
•     Ability to work and plan at strategic as well as operational levels.
•     Facilitation and communication: experience of high-level coordination and chairing of meetings; ability to work with a diverse group of stakeholders and develop consensus and joint working.

Selection Criteria

•     Strong understanding of economic principles, with demonstrated experience in economic analysis, financial management, and budgeting. 
•     Proven experience in coordinating multi-stakeholder projects, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. 
•     Experience in monitoring and evaluation, including data collection, analysis, and reporting. 
•     Familiarity with the agricultural landscape and development priorities of Vanuatu and Solomon Islands is desirable.