Organizational Setting

The main objective of the FAO Country Office which is led by the FAO Representative is to assist governments and partners in developing policies, programs, and projects whose main objectives are to ensure food security and reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop agriculture, fisheries, and forestry including the use of their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner. The FAO office is also committed to implementing field projects and programs to implement the policies, strategies and action plan mentioned above. The country office has an important role on support to the country and partners in increasing the resilience of livelihoods to food and agriculture threats and crises exacerbated by climate change vulnerabilities.

In 2022 and due to severe drought that was declared a national disaster by the presidency in 2021 and which followed the desert locust invasion, the FAO representative established a unit that will coordinate emergencies in the country which will ensure preparedness (including anticipatory actions) and response to these emergencies are centrally planned and executed under the office of the FAO representative in Kenya.
The position is located in the FAO Representation in Kenya.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Kenya, direct supervision of AFAOR Programme and technical guidance from the GEF, FFF and AFR100 and in close collaboration with FAO Kenya programme team, the Natural Resource Management Coordinator.

Technical Focus

The Natural Resource Management Coordinator will facilitate the design, management, and implementation of FAO Natural Resource Management programme in line with Kenya Country Programme Framework (CPF). The coordinator will provide leadership in technical and administrative management of the GEF, FFF and AFR100 programmes in the FAO Kenya Country Office.

Tasks and responsibilities

As the GEF Focal Point:

•    Co-leads the Governance of Natural Resource Sub-programme in FAO Kenya providing technical and administrative guidance.
•    Facilitate development of NRM portfolio as stipulated in the FAO Kenya Country Programme Framework (CPF) through partnership and resource mobilization.
•    As GEF Focal Point, provide leadership in identification, designing and implementation of GEF-funded programmes in collaboration with relevant national and county institutions to ensure alignment with government policies and priorities.
•     Develop and supervise implementation of Letters of Agreements (LoAs) for NRM programme implementation.
•    Ensure projects comply with Environmental and Social Safeguards as well as gender policy.
•    Develop participatory Monitoring and Evaluation framework for all NRM programmes in line with CPF.
•    Prepare of periodic technical and financial progress reports (quarterly, semi-annual, annual) and ensure that the technical reports produced by project staff, consultants or the executing agencies meet the required standards of FAO/Donor
•    Liaise with GEF agencies to ensure synergies and coordination on relevant projects to maximize opportunities under the GEF Replenishment cycles.
•    Support knowledge-sharing and coordination with national, regional, and international organizations including UNEP, UNDP, ICRAF, IUCN, CIFOR etc.
•    Represent FAO in policy and technical forums and focal point for Multilateral Environmental Agreements (CBD, UNCCD and UNFCCC) etc.
•    Support UN-wide approaches to climate change and promote FAO’s role, including policy and programmatic initiatives, ensuring consistency and integration with regional and global approaches, methodologies, and strategies (UNDAF, REDD+)
•    Develop of a participatory Monitoring and Evaluation framework for NRM projects

As FFF Facilitator:

Under technical backstopping from the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) Manager through the Country coach, the FFF facilitator will be expected to lead the FFF programme implementation in Country Kenya in close collaboration with the (KFS, FFSPAK, and KENAFF). In particular, the National FFF facilitator will be expected to undertake the following activities:

•    Facilitate the FFF national programme management in coordination with key implementing partners.
•    Facilitate the development of in-country programme framework and annual work plans with the direct FFF partners.
•    Prepare and monitor the FFF country budget in line with the annual work plan and with support of the relevant in-country FAO officers.
•    Foster linkages, networks partnerships and synergies with ongoing national and regional programmes from FAO and other core FFF partners (IIED, IUCN, AgriCord), as well as with other partners related to producer organizations, support to improving livelihoods of rural people, climate resilient landscape management and natural resource management with a special focus on the important role of women. These synergies will be clearly showed in the FFF workplan.
•    Prepare monthly and annual reports (including images – with captions and photo credits, press releases, radio programmes and other comms activities) to the FFF management team and national stakeholders on implementation progress, monitoring and learning experience.
•    In consultation with key stakeholders, identify potential implementation partners and prepare in-country Letter of Agreements (LoAs), and follow up on implementation and monitoring, using the FFF-LoA package based on FAO standards.
•    Pilot the new financing modality – Direct Beneficiary Grant (DBG) with forest and farm producer groups
•    Comply with the administrative procedures of FFF, including those related to updating its monitoring system FORIS with all country LoAs, their progress on reporting and payments.
•    Participate in national, regional, and global FFF events and other policy platforms relevant to FFF implementation.
•    Promote use of best practices generated and documented from quarterly and other periodic service provider reports, analysis of monitoring and evaluation reports, donors and stakeholder reviews, ensuring that lessons feed into policy formulation and implementation processes.

As AFR100 Focal Point

Under the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) project on  ‘Achieving AFR100 with forest and farm producers’  with objective to provide direct financial and technical support to local communities, indigenous peoples, forest and farm producer organizations (FFPOs) and micro-,small and medium size enterprises (MSMEs) to scale up locally driven restoration action and to create related new or improved value-added businesses and income opportunities, particularly at local community level with a strong focus on women and youth., the NRM  coordinator will carry out the following tasks and responsibilities:
•    Lead the national planning, coordination and facilitation of implementation of the AFR100 project in close collaboration with technical experts from the FLRM and FFF and provide technical guidance across the four components to the national project teams and their partners.
•    Prepare and monitor annual work plans and budget of the overall project, based on proposed national work plans and budgets in line with global project document and adhere to approval processes in line with FAO.
•    Ensure effective liaison and maintain good communication with regional and global partners such as AFR100 Secretariat, NEPAD, GIZ, WRI and other stakeholders.
•    Maintain records, with support of the administrative assistant, on technical and financial aspects of project operation, including monitoring of project activities and their outcomes, as well as minutes, decisions and recommendations of meetings and workshops for support and guidance of PSC members and FAO.
•    Organize PSC meetings, national workshops and other activities with the guidance of the PSC and technical teams of FAO including workshops for sharing knowledge and experiences in thematic areas in accordance with work plans.
•    Prepare timely and quality updates, project progress and final reports for submission to FAO and donor (in accordance with reporting procedures).
•    Synthesize successful results and prepare and contribute to disseminate reports and guidance on best practices and approaches and incentive mechanisms for their wider replication and use.
•    Any other AFR related tasks, as needed.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•    Master’s Degree in natural resources management, forestry, agriculture, social and/or political science, international relations, or another relevant field to the Terms-of-Reference.
•    Over 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience, including development, management and / or evaluation of NRM projects.
•    Working knowledge of English and Kiswahili
•    National of Kenya

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Familiarity with UN multilateral agreements (UNCBD, UNCCD, UNFCC) SDGs and other related frameworks
•    Expertise in proposal development and resource mobilisation
•    Experience in administrative and financial management of field projects and its monitoring processes
•    Knowledge in providing technical advice and support on social forest and producer organizations issues.
•    Understanding of UN working system and work experience with FAO will be n added advantage.
•    Skills in conducting gender analyses, advocating and mainstreaming gender equality.
•    Proficient writing, presentation, and communication skills.

Selection Criteria 

•    Work experience with government policy framework at national and county level

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION