Economist (Agrifood Systems Financing)

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• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply
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• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Organizational Setting
The FAO Investment Centre (CFI) provides investment and finance solutions that lead to more efficient, sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems. Working in over 120 countries, the Centre provides a full suite of investment and finance support to FAO Members. It partners with governments, international and national financing institutions, the private sector and farmers, research institutions and academia to improve the quality and quantity of agrifood investment. The Centre’s four main areas of work include support to strategic investment planning and policy, public investment, private investment, and innovative finance. These are complemented by the knowledge for investment and capacity development for investment programmes that serve to share knowledge, learn and build capacities at country level. For additional information on the FAO Investment Centre, its activities, partners and the organizational structure please visit the following link.
CFI collaborates with the European Union’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA) to support sustainable agrifood systems’ policies and investments. As part of this collaboration, CFI supports INTPA through the Sustainable Agrifood Systems Intelligence (SASI) initiative which delivers a diverse range of analytical products and services at global, regional and national levels in support of the transition to sustainable, resilient and inclusive agrifood systems.
The post is located in the Office of the Director (CFID) of the FAO Investment Centre (CFI) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Economist (Agrifood Systems Financing) reports to the Deputy Director, Business Development and works in close collaboration with the Service Chiefs.

Technical Focus
Provide analytical and technical support on economic and financial aspects for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of investment policies, strategies, programmes and projects in food and agriculture. More specifically, the focus is on public policy analysis for agrifood systems transformation and, in particular, analytical and investment advisory work on financing of agrifood systems (including climate-related finance).

Key Results
Delivering investment and finance support solutions through the provisions of technical expertise/assistance and support to capacity development, in collaboration with country stakeholders and cooperating partners, to achieve impact at scale in the transformation of agrifood systems in the scope of the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions
• Participates in, and eventually leads multidisciplinary teams to assist governments in the identification and preparation of investment and finance support initiatives in the fields of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing; participates in pre-appraisal and appraisal missions.
• participates in, and eventually leads multidisciplinary teams for the implementation support and the preparation of final evaluation of investment operations.
• Provides technical expertise for the preparation of food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing studies and strategies in the formulation of national sector and/or sub-sector investment plans and programmes.
• Supports the development of inclusive and sustainable food systems involving producers, their organizations, other private sector actors, and civil society organizations and government.
• Formulates and delivers capacity development initiatives in the areas of food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment support to government staff, non-state actors and private sector organizations.
• Prepares reports in accordance with governments and financing partners’ requirements.
• Provides support in task organization, selection of consultants, preparation of terms of reference and in ensuring the quality of outputs.
• Promotes international cooperation and collaboration leading to new investment opportunities and cooperative agreements, advocates best practices and effective policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international meetings.
• Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate Strategy.
• Provides guidance and advice to junior staff.

Specific Functions
• Leads or provides significant contributions to the design and implementation of diverse types of policy analysis related to agrifood systems transformation (e.g., sustainable value chains, agricultural public expenditure review, market price support), leading to the mobilization of public and private investment in support of sustainable agrifood systems transformation. Specifically, leads the preparation of country-level assessments of agrifood systems’ financing including agrifood systems public expenditure reviews.
• Provides investment support in specific missions for the European Union (EU) and international financial institutions (IFI) partners, providing technical expertise, particularly with respect to financing agrifood systems (e.g. climate finance).
• Facilitates and provides technical and analytical content for strategic partnerships and policy dialogue initiatives in support of agrifood systems transformation.
• Provides technical and analytical inputs to prepare knowledge products focused on agrifood systems investment, particularly with a focus on financing of agrifood systems at country and regional levels (including public and private financing).
• Participates in specialized or multidisciplinary teams at country level to work on investment operations related to agrifood systems transformation with development partners and IFI, public sector representatives, private sector, civil society stakeholders and FAO Decentralized Offices.
• Plans, organizes and participates in knowledge for investment and capacity development for investment activities. This involves provision of technical advice and assistance and overseeing the development of related materials and implementation of field-level activities.
• Collaborates with experts in innovative financing to facilitate mobilization of finance for agrifood systems transformation.
• Contributes to investment support missions and other work as required.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in economics, agricultural economics, natural resources economics, agribusiness management or a closely related field.
• Seven years of relevant experience in the practical application of economic analysis to development issues, value chain analysis and development, agribusiness, and market development, including analytical studies, and/or in the formulation and implementation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment operations in developing countries and/or countries in transition.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

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 field positions, is desirable.
• Extent and relevance of experience in leading and/or contributing significantly to policy work related to agrifood sector investment (analytics and policy processes).
• Sound knowledge of policy analytical tools, such as public expenditure reviews, market price incentives analysis, and the methodologies applied by the international organizations and financing institutions, is an advantage.
• Extent and relevance of experience in leading or participating in the preparation of strategies and investment plans and other pre-investment work related to agrifood sector.
• Knowledge of investment criteria and procedures of international development finance institutions is an asset.
• Extent and relevance of experience in dealing with public and/or private sector stakeholders, such as senior government officials, as well as development partners and other country stakeholders.
• Demonstrated capacity to write quality technical reports in English.