Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Timor-Leste aims to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

FAO Timor-Leste, in close coordination with the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRCO), is implementing a joint UN sustainable development goal (UNSDG) funded project Food System Transformation in Timor-Leste (UNJP/TIM/017/UNJ), which aims to establish a Partnership Platform for Financing Food Systems to ensure sustained and coordinated large-scale investment on Agriculture and Food System development of Timor-Leste. The project also aims to establish National Innovation Hub for Innovative agriculture practices and Innovative financing to agriculture enterprises. The Partnership Platform will act as a high-level, multi-stakeholder coordination and advocacy structure co-chaired by the Government (preferably the Vice Prime Minister level) and Resident Coordinator (RC), with a secretariate based in one of the Vice Prime Minister’s Office. The platform will be staffed with food systems financing/investment experts hired or assigned by the government. The Innovation hub will work to develop, outsource and recommend innovative practices along the agriculture value chains as well as financial tools to agriculture and food system investment within the country.

The Food System Transformation Partnership Platform will be structured mainly to- 
•     assess policy environment and provide necessary policy reforms/recommendations towards enhancing government engagement on food system transformation.  
•     explore and facilitate leveraging large-scale finance and partnerships to support government strategic engagement on scaling food systems interventions. 
•     bring investors, partners and expertise together to support the food system transformation interventions
•     ensure investment confidence in the food systems sector.
•     facilitate community led conversations with farmers to understand and resolve their financing perspectives and constrains
•     facilitate develop ‘bankable food systems initiatives and investment opportunities and coordinate with eh potential investor to attract investments.  

The National Food System Innovation hub will be structured mainly into two units:  
•     Agriculture innovation unit- which recommends innovative practices along the agriculture value chains
•     Financial innovation unit- which develops and prescribes financial solutions and tools to channel domestic investment (through financial institutions) in Food system enterprises.

The Municipal Resource Center will be structured as follows:
•     Two municipal Agrifood System Transformation Resource Centers (ASTRS) will be established, mainly in collaboration with cooperatives or associations or private sectors, one in Covalima and another in Viqueque.
•     The project will initially equip and capacitate the ASTRS that will then provide the inputs and services to the farmers.  

The government of Timor-Leste already has two coordinating ministries: one for social affairs and another for economic affairs, each headed by 2 coordinating Vice Prime-Ministers. Ministries and State departments relevant to Investment in the coordinating ministries for Economic Affairs include Ministry of Planning and Strategic Investments (MoPSI), Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fishery and Forestry (MALFF) and State Department of Environment. The coordinating Ministries for Social Affairs include Ministries of Health (MoH), Ministry of Education (MoE), Ministry Youth, Sprots and Culture (MoYSC), and Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion (MSSI) and State Department for Inclusion and Equality. Food System Transformation fall under both coordinating ministries.

The Partnership Platform therefore will have Terms of Reference (ToR) to act as coordination model bringing institutions under different coordinating ministries together, supporting government strategy on financing, policy and enabling environment for food systems transformation as well as to support the development of ‘bankable projects for scale and investments. The ToR of the Innovation Hub will focus on institutionalizing Innovations in Food system practices and local investment.  

National Food System Investment, Policy and Intersectoral Coordination Specialist will play as the technical and strategic roles with responsibilities for supporting International Food System Investment Specialist on operationalizing the Food Systems Partnership Platform, supporting policy and investment discourse, and driving the development of scalable, bankable initiatives. The Specialist will also support in establishing National Innovation Hub for food system practices and financing by coordinating with government institutions, private sector actors, development partners, DFIs/IFIs, and farmer organizations.

The incumbent will specifically assist by Providing coordination and support to International Food System Investment Specialist in:

•     designing and structuring the Food System Partnership platform 
•     developing detailed Terms of Reference (ToR) and guidelines for smooth functioning of the partnership platform as well as convening different actors across the spectrum to validate the ToR and guidelines.
•     developing a mechanism to bring government together with development partners, ASEAN member states and most importantly, farmers and women’s organizations (enlarging conversations/prioritization setting/alignment among ministries) on food system transformation. 
•     accessing the food system related policies, strategies and regulations, and recommend strategic short/long term policy reforms on scaling up food system interventions
•     accessing the past and present projects/programs implemented in the broader areas of food systems in the country along with investors/resource partners involved in food system investment and analyzing strategic interests or history of involvement of the resource/development partners on the areas of food system interventions in Timor-Leste. 
•     Supporting in assessment of available financing mechanisms of the country’s financial institutions towards food systems and agriculture, constrains and recommendations to enhance access to finances to the farmers.

Reporting Lines

The National Food System Investment, Policy and Intersectoral Coordination Specialist works under the direct supervision of and reports to the FAO Representative to Indonesia and Timor-Leste and in close coordination with International Program Coordinator, Assistant FAO Representative (Program) and International Food System Investment Specialist.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will provide technical, and policy supports to establish and operationalize the Partnership Platform for Financing Food Systems, and National Innovation Hub (Agri-Food System innovation unit, and Food System financing innovation unit) in Timor-Leste.

Tasks and responsibilities

The specialist will undertake the following specific functions in relation to the Food System Partnership Platform, National Innovation Hub, Municipal Resource Centre and Knowledge management:

Establishment of Partnership platform and implementation coordination:
•     In close coordination with FAO TL, RCO Timor-Leste, and International Program Coordinator of FAOTL, support International Food System Investment Specialist in relevant activities to establish the partnership platform.
•     Support in development and validation of guidelines, ToR and structure of Partnership Platform, including preparation of necessary documents for its formalization. 
•     Support in a comprehensive assessment of investment enabling environment for food systems in Timor-Leste with a strong focus on community participation including those living with disabilities, and consultations and understanding of local knowledge.
•     Support promoting the partnership platform undertaking high level policy advocacy dialogues, discussions, technical working groups with stakeholders – communities, government officials, development partners, private sector, civil society organizations.
•     Provide technical and policy advisory support to government to unlock financing and address investment bottlenecks initiatives and investment opportunities’ that can be achieved at scale to address food insecurity, jobs and climate.

Establishment of National Innovation Hub and Municipal Resource Centres:
•     In close coordination with FAOTL, and International Program Coordinator, support in establishment of National Food System Innovation Hub including Agrifood System Innovation Unit and Financial Innovation unit
•     Support in development and validation of guidelines, ToR and structure of Innovation hubs and units, including preparation of necessary documents for its formalization. 
•     Support in a comprehensive assessment and review of different innovative Agrifood system ideas suitable for Timor-Leste and document these ideas in a standard format
•     Support in a comprehensive assessment of different financial tools and systems of national financial institutions for investing in national Agri-food enterprises and explore the potential improvement of the financial tools. 
•     In coordination with MALFF, Municipality Authority, relevant stakeholders and communities, support in establishing Municipal Agrifood System Transformation Resource Centres (ASTRS)
•     Design the types of inputs and services to be provided by the ASTRS and design the supports needed to capacitate the ASTRS
•     Support in delivering the inputs and support to ASTRS. 
•     Support coordination of implementing innovative Agrifood System practices in the field. 
•     Support developing, reporting and implementing letter of agreement (LoA) with different partners.

Inclusive Solutions and Knowledge Management
•     Support community discussions including participation from women and people with disabilities on innovative agrifood practices, innovative financing tools and resource 
•     Encourage local expertise and goals in project design such as climate-smart agriculture, resilient agriculture, green technologies, and digitalization.
•     Assist in capacity building to government partners when structuring and evaluating investment options.
•     Assist in strengthen national capacity to manage investment processes in food systems through training, coaching, and knowledge sharing.
•     Performs other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•     Advance University Degree in Agricultural Economics, Agriculture, or related discipline
•     Minimum 5 years’ related work experience, particularly in programme development
•     Working knowledge of English (C1) 
•     National of Timor-Leste.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Good knowledge in programme development
•     Good knowledge in communication and reporting
•      Demonstrated ability to work with government and stakeholders
•      Demonstrated ability to work as a team, take initiatives and ability to deliver results within deadlines.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION