Economist (Policy Analysis)

The Economist (Policy Analysis) will support the implementation of the two core components of the MAFAP programme in selected countries; namely: policy monitoring and policy impact analysis. Through in-depth engagement with government counterparts and other national and international actors, she/he will support: the production and update of policy monitoring indicators; analyses of emerging policy issues; and adoption and implementation of policy reforms supported by the rigorous economic analysis and recommendations provided by the MAFAP programme.

Key Results

Research and analysis of information, data and statistics, and the maintenance and updating of related tools, methodologies, and/or databases to support the delivery of programme products, projects, publications and services.

Key Functions

• Researches and analyses (agricultural, economic, trade, market, social, environmental, nutrition/food composition and/or gender related) data, statistics and information to provide technical, statistical and/or policy related information and analysis to support the delivery of economic and social development programmes work, products, projects, publications and services.
• Produces a variety of technical reports and input for technical documents, publications and/or web pages.
• Provides technical, statistical, and/or analytical services on various studies, projects and/or assessments and provides technical backstopping to field projects.
• Participates in the development of improved/updated technical, statistical and/or analytical tools, methodologies, systems, databases and/or key social/economic/environmental/nutritional and/or early warning indicators, etc.
• Participates in multidisciplinary teams, collaborates with other divisions/offices/centres and agencies on work groups and committees and promotes best practices.
• Collaborates in capacity development activities involving the planning and organizing of training workshops, seminars, and major meetings and the preparation of related information, materials, on-line tools and information kits.
• Promotes knowledge sharing and best practices at international meetings and conferences and influences partners in stakeholder consultations.
• Participates in resource mobilization activities.

Specific Functions

• Provides technical and policy advice to MAFAP partner countries related to agricultural and food policy trends, reform options and impact on development outcomes, such as poverty, food security and nutrition.
• Contributes to the production, update and enhancement of policy monitoring indicators, analysis and methodologies, related to the measurement and analysis of price incentives and public expenditure in support of food and agriculture.
• Contributes to the development of technical products, using rigorous economic analysis, on key food and agricultural policy topics, with a focus on agricultural, input, trade, markets and price policies, and prepares related policy recommendations, generally for specific government partners.
• Contributes to policy engagement representing the MAFAP Team to promote the uptake of technical policy analyses in national policy processes and dialogues and the adoption of policy reforms driven by these analyses.
• Undertakes capacity development activities on MAFAP methodologies to the benefit of government counterparts, other relevant national partners, as well as FAO staff.
• Maintains close collaboration and coordination with other FAO units, FAO Representations as well as relevant national and international institutions.
• Contributes to forging partnerships around specific policy issues with development partners involved in policy monitoring and analysis, as well as with non-government stakeholders at country level, in particular with civil society organizations, farmers’ organizations and the private sector.
• Contributes to the preparation of high-level policy meetings, roundtables or other events related to food and agricultural policy monitoring and reform in developing countries.
• Provides support to the policy support work of ESA in the framework of corporate initiatives.
• Supervises the work of consultants within the MAFAP Team.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in economics, agricultural economics, development studies, international relations or a related field.
• Five years of relevant experience in policy and quantitative analysis of food and agricultural issues.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of one of the other FAO languages (, Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

Source: https://jobs.fao.org/careersection/fao_external/jobdetail.ftl?job=2401655