National Agricultural Statistics Specialist

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

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. FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and malnutrition. The main aim of the FAO country office in Zambia, which is headed by the FAO Representative, is to assist the Government to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

Background

The 50x2030 Initiative to Close the Agricultural Data Gap is a joint initiative between the World Bank, FAO, and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) that aims to increase the capacity of low and lower middle-income countries to produce, analyze, interpret, and apply data to decisions in the agricultural sector that support rural development and food security. Within the framework of this initiative,  the Survey Team of FAO Statistics Division (ESS) is coordinating the implementation of the Data Production component, which aims at supporting national statistical Offices (NSOs) and Ministries of Agriculture (MoA) to accelerate production and dissemination of high quality and timely statistics on the agricultural and rural sector, integrating production data with data on the technical, economic, environmental and social aspects of the agricultural holdings.

The Data Production component includes providing technical assistance to the Government of Zambia to implement the annual agricultural survey programme and produce quality agricultural data improving the availability, timeliness, and accessibility of agricultural data in Zambia and to strengthen the country’s agricultural statistics system. The technical assistance started with the preparation and implementation of the Integrated Agricultural Survey (IAS) 2024 which corresponds to the CORE module of the Initiative 50x2030 and continues in 2025 with the preparation and implementation of the Crop Forecast Survey (CFS 2025) and Post-Harvest Survey (PHS 2025) which will include the Income and Labour Productivity (ILP) module of the Initiative.

Reporting lines:

Under the general supervision of the FAO Representative in Zambia and the direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR Programmes (AFAOR-P) and the Coordinator of the Surveys team of the FAO Statistical Division in Rome, the incumbent will work i) as a focal point for the implementation of the 50x2030 Initiative activities in Zambia with the support of the Survey Team of FAO Statistical Division and ii) as support for the operations unit in areas linked to monitoring the tools used and operational planning, answering the assigned tasks within the 50x2030 and within the Operations Unit of the FAO Representation in Zambia. 
The incumbent will work in close collaboration with the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock (MFL) and the FAO Survey Team towards the implementation of the work plans jointly identified by the three institutions.

Technical Focus

Support to the implementation of the 50x2030 Initiative in Zambia, coordination of agricultural survey activities, technical assistance for the improvement of agricultural statistics and operational planning, liaising with national institutions and FAO teams.

Tasks and responsibilities:

Output 1: 50x2030 (IAS2024, CFS2025 and PHS2025) (80%):

•    Follow the instructions from the focal point of the project implementation team in Rome HQ, coordinating at national level the technical and operational planning of the project, in dialogue with national institutions and in alignment with the CPF, namely
•    Support in the organization and logistics of meetings, preparation of agendas, preparation of informative notes, ensuring the participation of interested parties in online and in-person meetings
•    Support in the preparation and conduct of international expert missions within the 50 x 2030 Initiative
•    Participate in all technical and coordination meetings of the 50 x 2030 Initiative in Zambia and prepare summary notes
•    Support the harmonization of survey tools and instruments, ensuring consistency between the IAS, CFS, and PHS and alignment with international statistical standards and the 50x2030 methodology.
•    Monitor the progress of field data collection and provide technical backstopping, including troubleshooting operational challenges and ensuring timely submission and quality of data from field teams.

Output 2: Provide technical assistance to Regular Programmes (20%): 
•    Support in organizing regular project coordination meetings and other engagements, manage invitations, mobilize participants and support preparation of meeting notes and ensure follow up on required action points.
•    Advise the FAO Representation on matters relating agricultural, food security data, statistics and contribute to preparation of technical elements for briefs, reports, FAOR speaking points, concept motes and other relevant documents from time to time, liaise with other projects in the domain of agricultural development.
•    Represent FAO Country office in relevant coordination platforms and technical working groups at country level.
•    Identify the critical technical limitations of ZamStats, MoA and MFL related to agricultural statistics for planning future technical assistance.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING:

Minimum Requirements:

•    Advanced degree in Agricultural Economics, Economics, Social Sciences, or related fields with strong background in Statistics
•    At least five years of relevant experience in agricultural statistics, impact evaluations or large sample-based surveys.
•    National of Zambia

Technical/Functional Skills:

•    Experience working with government institutions, especially in agricultural data collection and analysis.
•    Proven coordination skills and experience managing technical projects.
•    Familiarity with national agricultural survey systems, especially the Integrated Agricultural Survey, Crop Forecast, and Post-Harvest Surveys.
•    Excellent organizational and communication skills.
•    Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

FAO Core Competencies

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/  
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/ 
•  Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances. 

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions. 

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
•  We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance: https://fao.service-now.com/csp

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT