National Agriculture and Value Chain Specialist

Organizational Setting

The “Enabling Sustainable Production Landscapes in Eastern Highlands and Western Highlands Provinces for Biodiversity, Human Livelihoods and Well-being” (GCP/PNG/011/GFF) project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF-7) and implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA). The project aims to conserve globally significant biodiversity, improve the management of protected areas and areas of high conservation value, and promote sustainable, biodiversity-friendly and climate-resilient livelihoods for communities in the Eastern Highlands and Western Highlands Provinces of Papua New Guinea.

The project recognizes that biodiversity conservation and sustainable rural development are closely linked, particularly in landscapes where customary landowners depend on agriculture and natural resources for their livelihoods. Increasing pressure from unsustainable land-use practices, climate change, limited market access, and weak value chains threatens both biodiversity and community well-being. To address these challenges, the project adopts an integrated landscape approach that combines conservation, sustainable land management, participatory land-use planning, and market-driven livelihood development.

Component 2: Scaling Up Landscape-Level Action for Integrated Conservation and Sustainable Supply Chain Development focuses on strengthening sustainable agricultural and forest-based value chains, enhancing market opportunities, and improving the capacity of farming families and producer organizations. The component supports the identification and promotion of gender-sensitive, biodiversity-friendly, and climate-resilient production systems; value chain assessments and improvement plans; development of bankable business plans; and establishment of viable small-scale enterprises. Through these interventions, the project seeks to improve incomes and livelihoods while incentivizing sustainable management of natural resources and conservation of biodiversity.

To support the implementation of these activities, the project intends to engage an Agriculture and Value Chain Specialist to provide technical leadership and expertise in farming systems, value chain assessment, market development, agribusiness planning, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable enterprise development, ensuring that value chain interventions contribute to both livelihood improvement and biodiversity conservation objectives.

Reporting Lines

Under the direct supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA[PV1.1][NS1.2]), and in close collaboration with the National Project Coordinator, the FAOPG Agriculture, Value Chain and Livelihood Lead, FAO Office in PNG, the project partners and service providers, the incumbent will coordinate and implement the project's agriculture and value chain development activities

Technical Focus

Provide technical expertise in sustainable agriculture, agribusiness and value chain development, including value chain assessments, market systems development, capacity building and stakeholder engagement. Support the implementation of gender-responsive, biodiversity-friendly and climate-resilient farming systems and sustainable livelihood interventions to enhance market access, rural livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in Papua New Guinea.

The National Agriculture and Value Chain Specialist will be responsible to ensure technical soundness and timeliness of activities in the design, planning, implementation and monitoring of the Component 2 Scaling up landscape-level action for integrated conservation and sustainable supply chain development activities in support of the project team and its outreach to beneficiary communities

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Assess gender sensitive, biodiversity friendly and climate resilient agricultural and forestry practices and livelihood approaches in the priorities and protected areas identified in EHP and WHP.
•     Review lessons learned on farming and forest use systems (gender disaggregated) and gender sensitive, biodiversity friendly and climate resilient agricultural and forestry practices in the conservation and protected areas.
•     Review agriculture and forestry markets and value chain of the Highlands Region, with a specific focus on the project landscape in EHP and WHP.
•     Support the preparation and implementation of value chain baseline assessments, value chain analyses, and other studies related to agriculture and market systems development under Component 2.
•     Prepare the Concept Note on the sustainable livelihood initiatives and priorities for the communities within and outside of the 14 proposed and existing Protected Areas targeted under the project based on the baseline survey reports.
•     Support progressing the contractual preparation and engagement of identified partners and service providers.
•     Support the monitoring and reporting on the deliverables of the engaged partners and service providers on sustainable livelihood initiatives.
•     Facilitate and coordinate stakeholder consultations, workshops, training sessions, and awareness-raising activities on sustainable agricultural practices and value chain development at project sites under Component 2.
•     Identify gaps, constraints, and opportunities within the selected value chains and develop actionable improvement plans to enhance productivity, value addition, market access, and overall value chain performance.
•     Conduct value chain analysis on commodities identified in the priorities and protected areas identified in EHP and WHP applying FAO’s youth-sensitive and gender-responsive value chain methodology to map actors at each node - from input supply, production, aggregation, processing, marketing and end-consumption - and identify systemic constraints, market opportunities, price formation patterns, post-harvest losses and gender/youth/disability inclusion gaps.
•     Engage with the local value chains stakeholders, agripreneurs and their associations/local service providers, NGOs/INGOs, CBOs, groups and local governments
•     Develop the capacity and capability of, and equip, partner organization staff to deliver extension services to FFs and FFPOs
•     Support partners/service providers to identify and build the capacity of 1,000 farming families (FFs) and their forest and farm producer organisations (FFPOs) within the identified buffer zones (5-10 km) with a view to improving farm and forest management systems[SP2.1]
•     Support agripreneurs (FFPOs) in the preparation, development and implementation of grant proposals and business development interventions for the identified value chains;
•     Timely planning and implementation of the project outputs related to sustainable agriculture and value chain development;
•     Coordinate and align joint work planning and field activities with the FAO LEED programme - particularly in Western Highlands and in consultation with partner agencies (CBOs, NGOs), DAL and other government bodies including provincial and district level authorities, to build synergies, avoid duplication and share lessons on livelihood and value chain development.
•     Support project staffs and consultants and manage related project risks
•     Perform any other tasks and duties as maybe required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

  
•     University degree (Bachelor's or higher) in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Value Chain Development, or a closely related field. 
•     A minimum of seven (7) years of relevant professional experience with a proven track record in implementing projects covering a broad range of agriculture, agribusiness and value chain development issues, of which a minimum of five (5) years of demonstrated experience in capacity building and training delivery in Papua New Guinea. 
•     Working knowledge (Level C) of English and the official national language (Tok Pisin). 
•     National of Papua New Guinea

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in agriculture, agribusiness and value chain development. 
•     Extent and relevance of experience in agriculture, agribusiness, value chain assessments, value chain analysis, value chain improvement planning, market systems development, agribusiness planning and enterprise development, and project implementation.
•     Extent and relevance of experience in gender-responsive and youth-inclusive (GEDSI) value chain development, including the promotion of gender-sensitive, biodiversity-friendly and climate-resilient agricultural production and value chain approaches, as well as capacity building and stakeholder engagement. 
•     Familiarity with farming systems, agricultural production systems and value chains in Papua New Guinea, including experience working with government institutions, producer organizations, community groups and development partners.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION