Agriculture Technical Expert – Fertilization management

Agriculture Technical Expert – Fertilization management 

Job Posting

: 03/Aug/2022

Closure Date

: 18/Aug/2022, 12:59:00 AM

Organizational Unit: FNLEB

Job Type

: Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition: PSA (Personal Services Agreement)Grade Level: N/A

Primary Location

: Lebanon-Beirut

Duration: 20 days on WAE basisPost Number: N/A

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

 

• 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 staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

 

Organizational Setting

The 3 Rome-based Agencies (RBA - FAO, IFAD and WFP) are implementing a project in Lebanon and Jordan funded by the European Union - MADAD Trust Fund, under the leadership of FAO. The project entitled “Enhancing resilient livelihoods and food security of host communities and Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon through the promotion of sustainable agricultural development” is implemented in Lebanon in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture. 
The project responds to the reduced livelihood and food security levels resulting from the Syrian crisis, in Jordan and Lebanon. It tackles its negative impact on the host communities through support to the agriculture sector in improving the agricultural productivity and the farmers’ income in addition to the creation of job opportunities for both host communities and displaced Syrians. The project aims as well to promote social protection mechanisms for the benefit of the host farming community and the displaced population, and is in line with the national policy strategy and with the current Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP).
The project has four Outputs:
Output 1: Adequate agriculture production support systems for vulnerable farm communities rolled out and good agriculture practices supported and developed
Output 2: Ability of national institutions, farmer groups, agricultural technical centres and schools/facilities to develop capacity of host and refugee’s communities enhanced.
Output 3: Productive capacities of vulnerable smallholder host farmers and/or home-based micro and group-based small-scale agri-food enterprises are increased and job opportunities in the form of agricultural labour are created
Output 4: Livelihoods and income generating opportunities for the most food insecure created through sustainable management of natural resources.
This current assignment is part of Outputs 2 and 3, where the project will support MoA in enhancing the capacity of the agriculture extension centres, which will provide the necessary technical training and support to all farmers and especially smallholder farmers. The Agriculture Technical Expert is expected to build the capacities of the MoA Extension Service staff in terms of adopting the best crop nutrition and fertilization practices.

Reporting Lines

The Agricultural Technical Expert will perform his/her tasks under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Lebanon, the technical supervision of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and working under the direct supervision of the Project Manager.

Technical Focus 

Soil fertility; crop nutrients needs; fertilizers types; fertilization programs.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Develop a 5-day tailored training where, the trainees will increase their knowledge in: soil fertility and plant nutrients, fertilization and fertigation technique, selection of fertilizers, building programs, etc….
•    Develop the related Extension Staff training material adapted to the Lebanese context and training agenda, including:
-    Soil fertility;
-    Plant nutrients and needs;
-    Soil analysis interpretation and use;
-    Role of nutrients and deficiencies symptoms and toxicity of excess;
-    Fertilizers types and availability in the Lebanese markets; 
-    Selection of fertilizers during crop cycle;
-    Fertilization, fertigation and foliar fertilization techniques;
-    Water quality and prerequisites for successful fertigation;
-    Preparation of fertilizers solution;
-    Types and Installation of fertigation systems;
-    Distribution of fertilizers under different irrigation methods;
-    Building fertilization programs including, organic amendment, fertigation and foliar fertilization, with examples on main five Lebanese permanent and seasonal crops.
•    Share the training material and agenda with FAO  for review;
•    Deliver the 4-day fertilization training (Theoretical concepts) for up to 30 MoA Extension staff;
•    Arrange a 1-day site visit to:
- One to two farms for demonstrations on fertigation using different types of injectors, running the system, solution preparation, dilution rate, etc.;
- An agricultural shop/distributor covering a large range of products to see the different types and compositions of fertilizers available on the Lebanese market.
•    Design simple tools to guide the MoA extension staff /trainees and to support farmers in identifying the 10 crops nutrients needs in relation to the expected production, and building the crops fertilization programs according to the phenological stages and available fertilizers in the market;
•    Design simple tools to guide the MoA extension staff in identifying the nutrient deficiencies in plants;
•    Develop pre- and post-evaluations to assess the base line and improved capabilities of the trainees on fertilization management and to monitor their progress during training sessions.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•    University degree Agriculture Engineering, Crop nutrition or Plant production or related fields;
•    10 years of relevant experience in Fertilization and fertigation techniques and management;
•    Working knowledge of English and Arabic.
•    National of Lebanon or Resident with valid work permit in the country

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;
•    Extent and relevance of experience in similar projects;
•    Extent and relevance of experience in fertilization management;
•    Extent and relevance of experience with UN agencies, namely FAO;
•    Extent and relevance of experience in collaborating with agriculture development project and international and national experts;
•    Extend and relevance of experience with the Government agencies at the national level and regional level;
•    Familiarity with agriculture and rural development projects is an asset.

 

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help or have queries, please contact: Careers@fao.org
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, 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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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
• 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/ 
• 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 contact: Careers@fao.org
 

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