International Agrometeorology Consultant for a project in Laos

[Michele Bernardi (Agro-Impact)]

Dear Colleagues,

 

FAO has posted a vacancy for an international agrometeorology consultant. All details here below.

Deadline: 06 November 2017

 

All applications are to be made through FAO’s iRecruitment system. Click on the link below to access iRecruitment, complete your online profile and apply for this Call for Expression of Interest.

 

http://www.fao.org/employment/irecruitment-access/en/

 

In order for your application to be properly evaluated, please ensure that all sections of your iRecruitment account are completed. Incomplete applications will not be evaluated.

 

Best regards,

 

Michele Bernardi

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CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST - VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NO: IRC4919
			Issued on:	19 October 2017
			Deadline For Application:	06 November 2017
JOB TITLE:  Agro-Meteorology Consultant			TYPE OF CONTRACT:	Consultant
			DUTY STATION:	Vientiane, Laos
ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT:		FALAO	DURATION:	11 months over 3 years
FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
Qualified female applicants and qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member countries are encouraged to apply. Persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
Organizational Setting   The position is in the framework of the FAO-GEF project “Strengthening agro-climatic monitoring and information systems to improve adaptation to climate change and food security in Lao PDR” (SAMIS). Under the overall direction of the FAO Representative and the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator (PC), in close collaboration with the National Project Director (NPD) and with the Component Manager and the Government agencies, the Expert will provide senior advice for the activities included in Component 1 of the project and other activities related to agro- meteorology.   Reporting Lines   The International Agro-Meteorology consultant (IAC) works under the overall direction of the FAO Representatives, technically reports to the PC and strictly collaborate with the NPD in order to support the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE)   Technical Focus   Support the workplan design for project agro-meteorology and procurement activities; Lead the design of and coordinate the delivery of agro-meteorology capacity building activities; Ensure the functioning of Agro-meteorology unit at DMH-MONRE during the project and after project completion.   Tasks and responsibilities   1.Support the workplan design for project agro-meteorology and procurement activities Support the PC and NPD in preparing an updated work plan for Component 1 activities to cover the duration of the project based on the outcomes of the project inception workshop and follow-up discussions with key stakeholders; Provide advice and technical guidance for the implementation of all Component 1 activities and related outputs; In collaboration with the PC, liaise with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), World Bank, Asian Development Bank, JICA and any other relevant national and regional partners to maximize synergies in procurement of and implementation of agro-meteorology hardware and associated capacity building initiatives at DMH-MONRE and MAFF and to avoid unnecessary duplications; Lead and coordinate an assessment of DMH-MONRE’s existing climate information systems comprising meteorological and telecommunication hardware, tools and software, their suitability/feasibility to be used for the provision of  agro-meteorological  services and additional equipment, hardware, software and capacity required to deliver the range of agro-meteorological services targeted by the project under Component 1; Lead the design and planning of a new laboratory for agro-meteorological analysis, instrument calibration and geospatial climate data access, monitoring, processing facilities; Based on the findings of the needs assessment above: Prepare a procurement plan for meteorological and telecommunication equipment and hardware covering provision, installation, inspection, operation and maintenance of equipment; Support the selection, installation and dissemination of appropriate software for data collection, archiving, processing and analysis to support the delivery of the range of agro-meteorological services targeted by the project under Component 1; Oversee the procurement of services, goods and supplies for meteorological and telecommunication hardware, tools, software and lab equipment in a manner consistent with the needs assessments and procurement plans developed.   2. Lead the design of and coordinate the delivery of agro-meteorology capacity building activities Lead the preparation of capacity building and training needs assessment for DMH-MONRE staff and other relevant institutions including, but not limited to, the following areas of work: Climatology (including seasonal forecast), agro-meteorology, remote sensing & GIS (in collaboration with Component 2), crop yield forecasting and preparation of improved crop bulletins; Communication of climate information for the planning and adoption of sustainable farming practices; Based in the findings of the capacity and training needs assessment, lead preparation of capacity building and training programmes for DMH-MONRE staff and other relevant institutions on the generation of agrometeorological services and delivery of these services to decision-makers, planners and farmers; Oversee and coordinate the work of a service provider to deliver the capacity building and training programmes for DMH-MONRE staff  and staff from other relevant institutions on the generation of agrometeorological services and delivery of these services to decision- makers, planners and farmers.   3. Ensure the functioning of Agro-meteorology unit at DMH-MONRE during the project and after project completion Support the development of technical and human capacity within the Agro-meteorology Unit of DMH-MONRE through the identification  and establishment of appropriate institutions, systems, procedures, policies and plans that will ensure the functioning of Agro-meteorology unit at DMH-MONRE during the project and after project completion; Support the coordination all agro-meteorological activities of the Agro-meteorology Unit to ensure sustainable workflow and appropriate sharing of information with other relevant partners during the project and after project completion; Support the preparation and oversight of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be adopted by staff at DMH-MONRE and service providers in implementing agro-meteorology activities.

 

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

 

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced University degree in agro-meteorology or meteorology or a related field, or relevant in experience in meteorology in conjunction with agronomy studies or closely related fields;
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in agro-meteorology, crop monitoring and yield forecasting;
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in operationalization of agro-meteorology units;
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focused;
• Teamwork;
• Communication;
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement;
• Building Effective Relationships.

 

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience in agro-meteorology activities in the context of Asian developing countries;
• Experience in agro-meteorological tools and equipment, software (crop monitoring, yield forecasting), remote sensing products and GIS software and in the appropriate integration between meteorological and agro-meteorological equipment’s;
• Experience in production and last mile dissemination of agro-climate information for rural farming communities;
• Experience on analysing climate variability, vulnerability and climate change adaptation in smallholders’ production systems.
• At least 10 years’ experience in agro-meteorology for smallholders’ agriculture;
• Work experience in Asia would be an asset;
• Extent and relevance of experience in establishment and operationalization of agro-meteorology units.

Selection Criteria

• Experience in agro-meteorology;
• Experience in designing and operationalizing agro-meteorology units and agro-advisory activity plans;
• Experience in capacity development for agro-meteorology

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION All applications will be reviewed and qualified applicants will be contacted for interviews. FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing). Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help, or have queries, please contact: iRecru...@fao.org Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted. Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications. For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/

HOW TO APPLY To apply, visit the iRecruitment website at http://www.fao.org/employment/irecruitment-access/en/ and complete your online profile. Only applications received through iRecruitment will be considered. Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile. Vacancies will be removed from iRecruitment at 23:59 Central European Time (CET) on the deadline for applications date. We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date. If you need help, or have queries, please contact: iRecru...@fao.org

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