Organizational Setting

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat
hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.

The FAO Partnership and Liaison Office in the Republic of Kazakhstan supports the Government of Kazakhstan in advancing national priorities related to food security, agriculture, and rural development priorities in close collaboration with the Government of Kazakhstan and other national stakeholders.

Within this context, the FAO-Kazakhstan Partnership Programme (FKPP) serves as a strategic cooperation framework between FAO and the Government of Kazakhstan, strengthening national capacities, advancing sustainable agricultural development, and driving innovation across the agri food sector. The project “Improving locust monitoring and forecast in Kazakhstan through artificial intelligence (AI) and use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (UTF/KAZ/XXX/KAZ)” is implemented within this framework and contributes directly to FKPP priorities, national development objectives and aims to modernize national locust surveillance, forecasting and early‑warning systems through innovative digital tools.

Reporting Lines

The Project Coordinator will work under the overall supervision of the Head of the Office and the direct supervision of the Programme Officer/Team Leader, technical oversight and guidance of FAO’s Locust and Transboundary Plant Pests and Diseases Team (NSPMD) and the Lead Technical Officer of the project, and in close cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and other national authorities, research institutions, technical partners, and technical units, as well as the project team.

Technical Focus

The Project Coordinator will provide overall managerial, operational and technical support for the implementation of national project focusing on:

•     Modernization of digital monitoring and forecasting systems, including AI‑based species recognition, UAV‑supported detection, geospatial data platforms, real‑time dashboards, and interoperability with FAO’s Caucasus and Central Asia Locust Management System (CCALM) regional system.
•     Strengthening institutional systems and operational coordination, ensuring unified data flows and coordinated decision‑making across MoA, the State Inspection Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture (SIC), the Republican Methodological Center (RMC), regional inspectorates, and research institutions.
•     Capacity development and institutional coordination, through national training programmes, preparation of user guidance materials, and long‑term technical transfer to national specialists (entomologists, GIS analysts, UAV operators, phytosanitary staff).
•     Stakeholder engagement and partnership development, fostering collaboration with national agencies, regional authorities, academic institutions, private technology companies, and regional networks under the FAO Locust Programme in Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA).
•     Evidence‑based investment planning and innovation in the agrifood sector, supporting analyses and recommendations on digital transformation needs, development of advanced surveillance architectures, and integration of AI and UAV technologies into Kazakhstan’s phytosanitary systems.

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Provide overall programmatic leadership and day to day coordination of the project “Improving locust monitoring and forecast in Kazakhstan through artificial intelligence and UAVs.”
•     Prepare and update annual and quarterly work plans and ensure timely implementation of activities.
•     Maintain coordination with the Budget Holder, Lead Technical Officer, National Project Coordinator, FAO Kazakhstan, SEC, the FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU), FAO Headquarters, consultants, contractors, and national partners.
•     Ensure effective collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and national institutions for data, access to sites, and institutional engagement.
•     Organize Project Steering Committee meetings, prepare documentation, and ensure follow up on decisions; participate in FAO Project Task Force meetings.
•     Oversee operational implementation, integrating inputs from international experts, the Senior Locust Management Expert, the GIS Expert, and other technical contributors.
•     Support procurement processes, including drafting technical specifications for specialized AI related services.
•     Plan training activities and prepare training content in collaboration with project experts; organize and coordinate study tours.
•     Plan staff duty travel and related logistics.
•     Provide advice to the Ministry of Agriculture on institutional, policy, and legal matters related to project implementation.
•     Prepare draft terms of reference, identify potential candidates, and support recruitment processes.
•     Prepare terms of reference for subcontracts, identify possible contractors, and support procurement of services.
•     Monitor activities, expenditures, progress, and milestones; maintain project monitoring tools, including the timeline table and disaggregated beneficiary data.
•     Certify satisfactory delivery of services and consultant outputs; facilitate the work of international and national consultants and certify their performance.
•     Coordinate training activities, workshops, and testing of AI based locust tools, dashboards, and UAV technologies; select participants for training in consultation with national agencies.
•     Assess progress, capture lessons learned, and contribute to final evaluation inputs.
•     Prepare financial forecasts based on semi annual work plans; support budget revisions based on actual delivery.
•     Prepare quarterly updates, semi annual progress reports, the Inception Report, and the Terminal Report, ensuring compliance with FAO quality standards.
•     Work closely with FAO administrative, operations, procurement, logistics, and programme teams to ensure efficient implementation.
•     Ensure gender mainstreaming in all project activities.
•     Supervise financial monitoring, reporting, and record keeping.
•     Perform other coordinating tasks required for smooth project implementation in line with the project document; undertake duty travel as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•     University degree in agriculture, environmental sciences or any other related field 
•     At least five years’ experience in managing technical projects involving pest management, phytosanitary measures, digital surveillance systems, early warning systems and any other relevant field
•     Working knowledge of English
•     Working knowledge of Russian and/or Kazakh 
•     National of Kazakhstan

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills 

•     Experience in project management and/or coordination, planning, monitoring and reporting as well as multi-stakeholder engagement;
•     Experience in (or familiarity with) locust/pest management, monitoring systems, AI/ML modelling, UAV operations, or geospatial analytics is an asset;
•     Extent and relevance of experience in coordinating development of modern tools with IT teams and/or promoting related operational field networks is an asset;
•     Familiarity with FAO, UN or international development organization procedures is an advantage.
•     Experience working in project locations is considered an added advantage.
 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION