Organizational Setting The FAO Regional Office for Africa, (RAF), leads the implementation of FAO Strategic Framework and the Regional Priorities in Africa. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the region and - in collaboration with sub-regional offices, and divisions at Headquarters - develops, promotes, and oversees FAO's strategic response to regional priorities. The Regional Office supports regional policy dialogue on food security, agriculture and rural development issues, facilitates the emergence of regional partnerships, and supports capacity development and resource mobilization for food security, agriculture and rural development in the region. The position is located in the FAO Regional Office for Africa (RAF) in Accra, Ghana. Reporting Lines The Senior Agricultural Officer (Plant Production And Protection) reports to the Deputy Regional Representative, RAF and works in close functional contact with the technical divisions/offices and centres at FAO headquarters, especially the Plant Production and Protection Division (NSP), subregional offices, and country office teams. Technical Focus - Sustainable cropping systems, which encompass seed systems from the conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, through plant breeding to seed delivery.
- Agronomics including the optimal use of natural resources and external inputs, irrigation, land preparation and sundry cultural practices;
- Plant health, with emphasis on integrated pest management (IPM) that incorporates host plant resistance and biopesticides while minimizing risks from chemical plant protection products;
- Innovations along crop value chains, such as sustainable agricultural mechanization, biotechnologies, protected cultivation, drones, sensors, and digitalization.
Key Results Leadership and technical policy expertise for the planning, development and implementation of Regional Programmes of work, projects, products and' services in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework and in alignment with the Organization's Gender Policy. Key Functions - Plans, manages or leads highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams; leads, coordinates, and/or participates in regional committees, project teams and working groups, and/or provides technical leadership/secretariat services on technical networks and/or international technical policy and standard setting bodies.
- Analyses global and country specific requirements and relevant technical issues to provide critical input into the FAO Strategic Framework, Programme of Work, work plans and the supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies.
- Implements and monitors programmes of work involving the development of the approach, evidence-based strategies and related tools, methodologies and the supporting system/database, monitoring and reporting frameworks.
- Conducts, designs and oversees research and analysis' activities to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovation, technical reports, publications and/or on-going programme development as well as the provision of technical and/or policy advisory services.
- Provides technical and policy advice to Members and technical support to Decentralized Offices in the development and implementation of their programmes.
- Leads and/or collaborates in, provides technical backstopping to and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge sharing activities within Members such as policy support, organizational development and individual learning events including preparation of related information, learning and on-line tools.
- Represents the Organization at international meetings and conferences, identifies and implements strategic partnerships, advocates best practices and increased policy dialogue and develops and negotiates effective working relationships/consensus and agreements with international and national stakeholders.
- Leads and/or participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate Strategy.
Specific Functions - Leads the development of interventions in RAF region that use modern crop production and protection systems to address Members' development needs relating, in particular, to climate change adaptation and mitigation; nutrition outcomes; and overall input use-efficiency.
- Promotes the use of modern agriculture technologies e.g. drones, remote sensors, artificial intelligence, digitalization, information technology, etc. that are context-sensitive to enhance the productivity and resilience of cropping systems while promoting sustainable agricultural mechanization; and efficient soil fertility and moisture management.
- Provides regional leadership, technical oversight, and resource mobilization for the incorporation of sustainable crop production systems encompassing seed systems; agronomics and plant health into FAO flagship initiatives and strategies, such as the One Country One Priority Product (i.e. OCOP); the Hand-in-Hand Initiative; and Digital Village.
- Leads RAF's efforts to strengthen capacities, partnerships, networks, and knowledge platforms both within and outside the Organization, to develop solutions, and foster innovation and collaboration across the region in all domains of sustainable crop production systems, including the harmonization of seed policies and regulations, the management of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA), phytosanitary frameworks, pest surveillance systems, and pesticide risk reduction measures.
- Strengthens institutional and human capacities to enable the active participation of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in relevant FAO's governance and normative mechanisms, especially the Committee on Agriculture; International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture; Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture; International Plant Protection Convention; and the Rotterdam Convention and other externally-led processes, for instance the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
- Supports country level actions guided by FAO Country Programming Frameworks and contributes to enhanced South-South and Triangular Cooperation, promoting the uptake of evidence-based, and innovation-driven solutions, including through digitalization, for sustainable plant production and protection systems that produce more with less by safeguarding natural resources base and reducing the environmental footprints of cropping systems.
- Leads the incorporation of context-appropriate innovations, such as agricultural biotechnologies, sustainable agricultural mechanization, protected cultivation, drones, sensors, and digitalization to enhance the productivity of cropping systems and the quality and safety of their produce.
- Collects, reviews and analyses relevant information and data on agrifood/agribusiness innovation and digital agriculture especially by micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and their contribution to sustainable agrifood system transformation and the realization of FAO's Regional Programmes.
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