FAO Agricultural Research Officer

Under the general guidance of the Executive Director of the CGIAR Independent Science and Partnership Council (ISPC) Secretariat and supervision of a Senior Officer, the incumbent will provide technical support and advice to the ISPC Secretariat primarily through backstopping activities of the Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA). In particular, the incumbent will:

• provide technical support and advice to SPIA in ensuring the effective roll-out and implementation of the three-year (2013-2015) project on “Strengthening Impact Assessment in the CGIAR” (SIAC);

• design an effective communication and outreach strategy for the SIAC project, develop a state of the art interactive website for informing and interacting with key stakeholders on major developments and progress within SIAC;
• expand and strengthen the CGIAR impact assessment community of practice by maintaining close interaction with Center and CGIAR Research Program impact assessment focal points (IAFPs), by planning and organizing various SIAC activities and by facilitating interactions with regional research organizations on ex post Impact Assessment;

• assist in the organization, the planning and the implementation of SIAC commissioned activities aimed at assessment of the economic, social and environmental impacts of CGIAR and other international agricultural research organizations in reducing poverty and improving the natural resource base on which agriculture depends;

• draft and coordinate preparation of SPIA related technical reports;

• design and prepare material and documents for SIAC Project Steering Committee meetings;

• sustain the planning and organization of technical meetings of the ISPC and ad hoc workshops and seminars;

• perform other related duties as required.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Candidates should meet the following
• Advanced university degree in agricultural/environmental sciences, or economics or other social sciences-related fields

• Five years of relevant experience in agricultural and rural development in developing countries with particular emphasis on research, partnerships and communication

• Working knowledge of English

SELECTION CRITERIA
Candidates will be assessed against the following:
• Extent and relevance of experience in agricultural research, evaluation, project planning & organization in developing countries;

• Extent and relevance of experience in website design, development and management) as well as in knowledge management and editing

• Extent of knowledge of the methodology of ex-post impact assessment and impact evaluation

• Extent of experience in the use of GIS, econometric analysis of panel data, randomized control trials

• Excellent communication skills and ability to write clear and concise reports in English and to contribute to objective scientific communication strategies

• Extent and relevance of experience in research, developing partnerships and building/strengthening communities of practice

• Ability to work effectively within a team, supporting others, and fostering a positive team environment

• Knowledge of French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic or Chinese is considered a strong asset

Please note that all candidates should possess computer/word processing skills and should be capable of working with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Job Email id: VA-859-12-PRJ-OEK(at)fao.org