Conservation Agriculture Field Coordinator/ Agronomist (OSRO/INS/301/USA)
NPP 9
Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Indonesia (FAOR) and technical supervision of the FAO Land Management Officer of NRL/RAP (Lead Technical Officer (LTO)) and direct supervision of the FAO national Project Manager, close collaboration with provincial officials of the Assessment Institute for Agriculture Technology (BPTP) and Department of Extension Co-ordination (BAKORLUH/NTB and BKPP/NTT) of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Indonesia Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD) and other project counterparts, FAO’s civil society implementing partners (e.g. ACTED, Donders Foundation and YMTM and the Universities of Mataram (UoM) and Nusa Cendana (UoNC)), and assisted by project staff (i.e. short and long-term international and national consultants recruited by FAO), the Consultant will take responsibility for (i) implementing the Project’s conservation agriculture activities in target areas, ensuring that community identified needs in the relevant areas are addressed and that appropriate research, development and extension activities are undertaken to meet these needs; and (ii) assist the FAO’s Project Management Unit (PMU) in its project management and technical support work, including co-ordination of project activities and awareness creation and strategy development for improved climate-smart agriculture in NTB and NTT Provinces. In this context, the Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks under this assignment:
- Co-ordinate, guide and provide technical support to BPTP, Dinas Pertanian and BAKORLUH/NTB and BKPP/NTT provincial researchers and extensionists and FAO partner civil society organisation (e.g. ACTED, Donders Foundation, YMTM, UoM and UoNC) in the implementation of conservation agriculture applied research activities (i.e. through farmers’ groups, selected lead farmers, experimental sites/demonstration plots at BPTP dryland experimental gardens, BP3K and BPK extension offices and university research farms) and validation and reporting of conservation agriculture options for replication and up-scaling.
- In collaboration with PMU and FAO operations staff, ensure that the relevant conservation agriculture inputs are procured and delivered in time to farmers’ groups, selected lead farmers, experimental sites/demonstration plots at BPTP dryland experimental gardens, BP3K and BPK extension offices and university research farms.
- Assist the FAO Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, BPTP provincial researchers and extensionists and NGO implementing partners to synthesise, tabulate, and analyse data from different applied research sites and farmers group demonstration plots (including the collection of meaningful time-bound evidence of project interventions) and draft technical reports on the validation of conservation agriculture options, including the organisation of district and sub-district-level seminars and meeting to evaluate selected conservation agriculture technologies and practices.
- Co-ordinate and participate in the training of researchers and extensions from BPTP, Dinas Pertanian and BAKORLUH/NTB, BKPP/NTT, BP3K and BPK, and UoM and UoNC and field co-ordinators and farmers’ group facilitators from NGO implementing partners, farmers’ group leaders and selected lead farmers from the respective provinces in the principles, approaches and practices, as well as monitoring and reporting, of conservation agriculture, adaptive research and participatory extension.
- Assist the FAO national Agricultural Extension/Training Co-ordinator in the preparation and implementation of a provincial, district, sub-district and village-level training programme and events (e.g. dates, venues, participants and budgeting); identification of participants/beneficiaries and resource persons; organisation of training events (including disbursement of funds and local travel arrangements); and participatory evaluation of the training programme and its events; etc.
- In consultation with the FAO international Conservation Agriculture Specialist and national Agricultural Extension/Training Co-ordinator to co-ordinate provincial, district and sub-district agricultural extension services (i.e. BAKORLUH/NTB, BKPP/NTT, BP3K and BPK) and NGO implementing partners in the design and implementation of a replication and up-scaling programme for validated conservation
- Assist BAKORLUH/NTB and BKPP/NTT and BP3K and BPK in the implementation of conservation agriculture “up-scaling” programmes in neighbouring sub-districts, villages and sub-villages to project areas following group-based adaptive research and participatory learning methodologies.
- In collaboration with PMU and FAO international and national consultants, Provincial BPTP, BAKORLUH/NTB and BKPP/NTT Offices and NGO implementing partners, prepare quarterly work plans and produce quarterly progress reports against the aforementioned plans, highlighting any constraints to project implementation and possible solutions.
- In collaboration with all project stakeholders, assist the FAO international Conservation Agriculture Adviser and national Project Manager to prepare initial menus of socially, economically and environmentally sound conservation agriculture options for climate-smart-agriculture for the respective agro-ecological zones of NTB and NTT Provinces – to be included in conservation agriculture replication and up-scaling packages and future land management strategies.
- Perform other related duties as required by the FAOR in Indonesia and FAO national Project Manager.
Expected output
- Annual “provincial operational plan and reports for applied research programme” (for compilation by the FAO national Project Manager) completed by 10 July 2015
- Draft annual “provincial conservation agriculture training and support programme and monitoring reports” (for compilation by the FAO national Agricultural Extension/Training Co-ordinator) completed by 25 August 2015
- Provincial quarterly project progress reports (for compilation by the FAO national Project Manager and international Assistant Project Manager completed by June, September and December 2015 and March 2016
- Draft technical report on socially, economically and environmentally sound conservation agriculture options for climate-smart agriculture in the respective agro-ecological zones of NTB and NTT Provinces (for compilation by FAO national project Manager and international Conservation Agriculture Adviser) completed by 28 February 2016
Academic Qualification
- At least a university degree in natural sciences, agronomy or agriculture and a post-graduate qualification in rural development, community development or agricultural extension and, communication (or related technical disciplines) are desirable. The three Conservation Agriculture Field Co-ordinators/Agronomists should be familiar with the latest conservation agriculture and adaptive research/participatory extension technologies, practices and approaches being promoted by FAO, possess strong supervisory, communication, team building, computing (i.e. word processing and spread-sheets) and report writing skills, and be fluent in spoken and written English.
Technical Competencies and Experience Requirements:
- A minimum of ten years of relevant experience as a technical work for donor-funded agricultural and rural development projects focusing on smallholder farming systems in dry-land areas of Indonesia. The three Conservation Agriculture Field Co-ordinators/Agronomists should demonstrate experience within the context of introducing, replicating and up-scaling new and improved crop production technologies and practices through adaptive research and participatory learning approaches. The Conservation Agriculture Field Co-ordinators should also possess some experience in: sub-project management; procurement and distribution of agricultural inputs and equipment; institutional and technical capacity building of government institutions, NGOs at all levels; facilitating/coordinating community-level participatory action planning and development; adaptive research and participatory extension approaches to technological innovation; and gender mainstreaming.
Duty station: Waitabula town, South-West Sumba, NTT Province
Duration: 3 months initial contract with possibility of extension depends on performance and availability of funds
GENERAL NOTE TO ALL APPLICANTS:
Interested candidates should submit a CV and a covering letter clearly stating their relevant skills, experience,
vacancy and reference code by e-mail to:
E-mail: FAO-ID@fao.org
Submission DEADLINE: 14th June 2015
FAO regrets to inform applicants that only short-listed candidates will be contacted
