National Technical Specialist

The National Technical Specialist will provide strategic guidance and technical advice to the Government of Lao PDR on sustainable agriculture, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), agrochemical lifecycle management, agricultural waste management, and green finance. The role involves project management, capacity building, policy advice, and coordination with government and development partners to support the implementation of the GEF FARM Programme in Lao PDR.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic guidance, rigorous analysis and advice to the Government of Lao PDR on sustainable agriculture, IPM, GAP, agrochemical lifecycle management, agricultural waste management and green finance.
• Provide technical input and policy advice and supervise implementation of project activities including planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting, and quality control of project outputs.
• Advise the Government and UNDP on linkages with other major programmes or projects of other agencies and UN agencies.
• Support drafting and review of strategic and technical documents on sustainable agriculture, IPM/GAP, agrochemicals and chemicals/waste management, environmental and social safeguards, agricultural finance and value chains.
• Develop cross-project linkages with other relevant UN and development partner projects for maximizing impact.
• Facilitate information sharing and dialogue within the donor community and prepare briefs and policy papers.
• Assist the Government in information sharing/knowledge management related to the project scope.
• Provide technical advice, capacity building, institutional support, project management and implementation support to the Government.
• Advise and support development of annual and quarterly workplans and budget plans with milestones.
• Ensure participation of relevant stakeholders in project activities at all levels.
• Support implementation of project activities to ensure delivery of resources and results according to planned targets.
• Advise and update the National Project Director and UNDP on project progress regularly.
• Support Annual Project Reviews, audits, mid-term and final evaluations.
• Support recruitment and management of consultants and contractors.
• Organize and facilitate project meetings, workshops and training sessions.
• Identify and develop synthesis of best practices and lessons learned.
• Work with Project Manager and M&E Officer to provide capacity development and track GEF Core Indicators.
• Ensure results of training and workshops feed into progress reports.
• Support project closure in accordance with UNDP and Government rules.
• Undertake technical oversight including monitoring technical aspects of project activities.
• Support development of concept notes for fund mobilization and scaling up the project.
• Support resource mobilization and leadership on sustainable agriculture, agrochemicals management, green finance and agricultural value chains.
• Strengthen partnerships and coordination with donors, financial institutions, private sector and Government.
• Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing and advocacy.
• Identify capacity building needs and ensure appropriate training and workshops are organized.
• Ensure project reports capture results, lessons learned and good practices.
• Participate in knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Promote advocacy for UNDP’s work and collaboration opportunities.
• Perform other duties as necessary for efficient functioning of the office and organization.

Requirements

• Advanced university degree (master's or equivalent) in Agriculture, Agronomy, Plant Protection, Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Management and Planning, Sustainable Agriculture, Agricultural Economics, Sustainable Development, and/or relevant field of studies is required or, A first-level university degree (Bachelor´s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of Master´s degree.
• Minimum 5 (with master's degree) or 7 years (with bachelor's degree) of relevant working experience within sustainable agriculture, IPM/GAP, agrochemicals management, chemicals and waste management, environmental management, agricultural economics, and/or relevant field of studies.
• At least 5 years of proven experience in project management, in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
• Experience with project planning and consulting.
• Experience in fostering networks and partnerships.
• Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and web-based management systems, and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
• Prior experience in similar positions in UNDP/GEF programme/projects.
• Demonstrated track record of experience in developing and providing sound policy advice, strategic planning, organizational guidance and critical analysis in relation to sustainable agriculture, IPM/GAP, agrochemicals management, chemicals and waste management, environmental management, agricultural economics, and/or relevant field of studies.
• Experience with community-based agriculture, smallholder farming systems and pesticide lifecycle management.
• Experience in developing and/or reviewing environmental law, policy, guidelines, and strategies.
• Experience with the Stockholm Convention, FAO/WHO International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management, FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit, and SAICM.
• Experience with UNDP Project and Programme and NIM with Country Office Support to National Implementation.

Skills

• Sustainable Agriculture
• Integrated pest management
• Good Agricultural Practices
• Agrochemicals Management
• Chemical and Waste Management
• Environmental Management
• Agricultural Economics
• Project Management
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Project Planning
• Management Advisory Services
• Policy Advice
• Strategic Planning
• Organizational Guidance
• Community-Based Agriculture
• Smallholder Farming Systems
• Pesticide Lifecycle Management
• Environmental Law Development
• Environmental Policy Review
• Stockholm Convention
• FAO/WHO Pesticide Code of Conduct
• FAO Pesticide Registration Toolkit
• SAICM
• UNDP Project Management
• NIM Implementation
• Capacity Building
• MS Word
• Excel
• Database Management
• Web-based Management Systems

Languages

Lao, English