Closing date: Saturday, 12 October 2024
General
Description of assignment title: Innovation Associate
Assignment country: Egypt
Expected start date: 12/01/2024
Sustainable Development Goal: 1. No poverty
Volunteer category: International UN Youth Volunteer
Host entity: FAO
Type: Onsite
Duration: 12 months
(with possibility of extension)
Number of assignments: 1
Duty stations: Cairo
Details
Mission and objectives
Guided by the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031, The FAO Regional Office for the Near East and North Africa (RNE) works towards transforming agri-food systems to become more inclusive, efficient, sustainable and resilient, leaving no one behind. RNE leads FAO’s strate-gic response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture, and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO’s priority programmes and activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, in collaboration with perti-nent divisions and units at FAO Headquarters, to develop, promote, and oversee FAO’s stra-tegic response to regional priorities. Through its multidisciplinary programme, RNE contrib-utes to the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, especially SDG 1 No poverty, SDG 2 No hunger, SDG 5 Gender Equality, and SDG 10 Reducing inequalities. FAO programme in the region is organized around four Regional Priorities (RP):
- RP1: Rural transformation and inclusive value chains: focusing on enhancing produc-tivity and income for smallholders, youth employment and women empowerment to close rural/urban divide
- RP 2: Food security and healthy diets for all: focusing on trade, food safety and quali-ty, and nutrition education
- Regional Priority 3: Greening agriculture: addressing water scarcity and ensuring envi-ronmental sustainability and climate action
- Regional Priority 4: Building resilience to multiple shocks, protracted crises and emer-gency situations along the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
In alignment with FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031, FAO’s work in the region is under-pinned by inclusivity, youth and gender equality as cross-cutting themes, while leveraging da-ta, innovation, technologies, and governance/institutions/human capital, to accelerate pro-gress towards more inclusive and sustainable rural and agrifood systems transformation.
Context
The UNV assignment falls under RP1: Rural Transformation and Inclusive Value Chains. RP1 aims at enhancing inclusive economic growth by boosting productivity and income of small-scale farmers, focusing on youth and women empowerment, the development of inclusive value chains, the promotion of decent rural employment, agripreneurship and economic inclusion. Conducive to this goal is, inter alia, the strengthening of rural institutions and services that support transformative processes for socioeconomic empowerment of smallholders and their associations, facilitating multi-stakeholder processes and collective action, and developing capacities for innovation, sustainable intensification, market-orientation, and farming as business.
As part of the RP1 team, the youth UNV is expected to support the work under the thematic area of innovation and digital transformation for inclusive growth. This area of work aims to leverage innovation and digital tools to accelerate rural transformation, by identifying strategies and solutions that enhance agricultural productivity, bridge the urban-rural divide, increase access to markets, and promote equitable economic opportunities. It involves exploring how new technologies and innovative practices can enhance access to services, improve rural livelihoods, empower rural communities, and foster inclusive growth that benefits all stakeholders in the agricultural sector.
Task description
Under the direct supervision of the Senior Programme Officer/ Lead of RP1 Rural Transformation team, the Innovation Associate will undertake the following tasks:
- Participate in scoping innovation initiatives and digital agriculture solutions developed and implemented in countries of the region, and derive lessons for accelerating inclusive transformation.
- Contribute to documenting and drafting briefs/fact-sheets/good practices/presentations on digital agriculture related initiatives and activities to capitalize on experiences and good practices from different countries in the region.
- Assist in moderating the Digital Exchange Group (DEG) among FAO country offices for sharing information, experience, and awareness on digital agriculture related initiatives in respective countries.
- Participate in webinars, meetings and events related to digital agriculture, accelerating innovation and agricultural technologies, learning from the experiences and contributing with highlights on related initiatives in RNE, where applicable.
- Contribute to maintaining and updating a dedicated regional webpage on digital agriculture, including identifying new knowledge resources, stories and in-puts from the DEG.
- Assist in the design and implementation of digital agriculture initiatives and projects for the advancement of digital agriculture and innovation in the region.
- Assist in maintaining records and databases, and draft summaries, updates and inputs to documents and reports as relevant to innovation and digital transformation.
- Support the organization of workshops/webinars/events and follow-up meetings, drafting background notes, presentations, minutes and related inputs.
- Performs other related duties as reasonably required.
Eligibility criteria
Age: 18 – 80
Additional eligibility criteria
This assignment is funded by the Government of the Russian Federation, therefore specific criteria apply:
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- Applicants must be Russian nationals with a permanent residency in the Russian Federation. Dual nationals are not eligible.
- Applicants must be between 18 and 26 years of age at the time of application.
- Applicants must have completed at least one bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a higher state educational institution of the Russian Federation and provide three professional references with at least one from a Russian resident.
APPLICATION
- You may apply to a maximum of three assignments and indicate the order of preference in the ‘Additional remarks’ field when filling in the application form.
- Application deadline: 13 October 2024
SELECTION
- The Government of the Russian Federation will review the profiles of the shortlisted candidates for final approval.
- Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. The selection will be done by the UN Host Entity at the level of the country of assignment. Interviews will be conducted by UN Host Entities in November 2024.
+++ UN Volunteer entitlement calculator: https://app.unv.org/calculator +++
Nationality
Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.
Donor priorities
Requirements
Required experience
1 years of experience in or demonstrated interest in digital applications in agriculture, agricultural technologies, agricultural innovation systems, digital services, and/or digital transformation in rural development context.
- Excellent analytical, research and conceptualization skills.
- Organizational, teamwork and problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated technical writing ability, conveying technical information in clear and concise a clear and concise manner.
- Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship, travel) would be an asset.
Candidates with 0 to 3 years of experience will be considered.
Area(s) of expertise
Agriculture, Communication, Arts and design
Driving license
Languages
English, Level: Fluent, Required
Arabic, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable
French, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable
Required education level
Bachelor degree or equivalent in in agriculture (economics, agribusiness, digital agriculture, agricultural innovation), rural development, social science, development studies, computer science, engineering or related fields.
Competencies and values
☒ Accountability.
☒ Adaptability and Flexibility.
☒ Commitment and Motivation.
☒ Commitment to Continuous Learning.
☒ Communication.
☒ Creativity.
☒ Ethics and Values.
☒ Integrity.
☒ Planning and Organizing.
☒ Professionalism.
☒ Respect for Diversity.
☒ Technological Awareness.
☒ Working in Teams.
Other information
Living conditions and remarks
Cairo, Egypt is a family duty station with a wide range of services (health, education and leisure) and good living conditions. It has long been a center of the region’s political and cultural life, with high levels of tourism. Like other similar cities, Cairo offers good quality of life in terms of access to shopping centers, banks, medical services, educational facilities, cultural events, etc. The Arab Republic of Egypt has a unique geographical position in Northeast Africa, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, on the Mediterranean and Red Sea, and its connection to Sub Saharan Africa through the Nile Valley.
UN International Youth Volunteer gets the following package:
- Volunteer Living Allowance (around USD 1927.4/Month)
- Entry Lump-Sum = USD 4000 (one-time payment)
- Exit Lump-Sum upon completion of contract.
- Medical and life Insurance premium/Cigna (100%) and dependents policy.
- Access to UNV E-Campus for training and learning including access to LinkedIn learning.
Further entitlements and information available at: https://www.unv.org/volunteer-your-country-conditions-service.
Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements
Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy
More Information
- Job City Egypt
