Organizational Setting

The FAO Investment Centre (CFI) provides investment and finance solutions that lead to more efficient, sustainable, inclusive and resilient agrifood systems. Working in over 120 countries, the FAO Investment Centre (CFI) provides a full suite of investment and finance support to FAO Members. It partners with governments, international and national financing institutions, the private sector and farmers, research institutions and academia to improve the quality and quantity of agrifood investment. The Centre's four main areas of work include support to strategic investment planning and policy, public investment, private investment, and innovative finance. These are complemented by the innovation - knowledge for investment and capacity development for investment programmes that serve to share knowledge, learn and build capacities at country level. For additional information on the FAO Investment Centre, its activities, partners and the organizational structure please visit the following link.

The position is located in the Asia and the Pacific Service (CFIB) of the FAO Investment Centre (CFI) at the FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines
The Economist (Environment) reports to the Chief, Asia and the Pacific Service (CFIB) of the FAO Investment Centre (CFI).

Technical Focus
Provide analytical and technical support on financial and economic aspects regarding agricultural and food systems-related policies, public sector strategies and plans, as well as individual public and private investment operations and programmes. This includes the formulation, implementation and evaluation of investment policies, strategies, programmes and projects in food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing.

Key Results
Delivering investment and finance support solutions through the provisions of technical expertise/assistance and support to capacity development, in collaboration with country stakeholders and cooperating partners, to achieve impact at scale in the transformation of agrifood systems in the scope of the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions
•    Participates in, and eventually leads multidisciplinary teams to assist governments in the identification and preparation of investment and finance support initiatives in the fields of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing; participates in pre-appraisal and appraisal missions.
•    Participates in, and eventually leads multidisciplinary teams for the implementation support and the preparation of final evaluation of investment operations.
•    Provides technical expertise for the preparation of food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing studies and strategies in the formulation of national sector and/or sub-sector investment plans and programmes.
•    Supports the development of inclusive and sustainable food systems involving producers, their organizations, other private sector actors, civil society organizations and government.
•    Formulates and delivers capacity development initiatives in the areas of food and agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment support to government staff, non-state actors and private sector organizations.
•    Prepares reports in accordance with governments and financing partners' requirements.
•    Provides support in task organization, selection of consultants, preparation of terms of reference and in ensuring the quality of outputs.
•    Promotes international cooperation and collaboration leading to new investment opportunities and cooperative agreements, advocates best practices and effective policy dialogue and provides technical expertise at international meetings.
•    Participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework .
•    Provides guidance and advice to junior staff.

Specific Functions
•    Contributes to the identification, design and appraisal of investment operations, including the development of analytical and sector studies, project logical/results frameworks, monitoring and evaluation system and the costing of investment operations, with a focus on environmental and climate dimensions. It includes the integration of climate adaptation and mitigation, natural capital considerations, and sustainability into project design, results frameworks and costing.
•    Assesses the feasibility and viability of investment operations through studying market prospects, prices, costs and risks, and carrying out financial and economic analysis, including consideration of environmental externalities.
•    Participates in the evaluation of the performance of investment projects or programmes during implementation and their impact after completion and makes recommendations for enhancing the design of future operations.
•    Supports in the assessment of investment implications of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing policies, national plans and programmes, including poverty alleviation and climate change adaptation and mitigation.    .
•    Conducts economic and financial analysis of environmental and climate-related investments, including cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and the application of approaches such as marginal abatement cost (MAC) analysis, to inform investment prioritization and policy decisions.
•    Assesses environmental and climate-related risks, externalities and trade-offs in agrifood systems, including impacts on productivity, resilience, natural resource use and long-term sustainability, and translates these into actionable investment and policy recommendations.
•    Supports the application of environmental economics to inform sector strategies, public investment plans and policy dialogue, including analysis of incentives, subsidies, regulations and market distortions affecting sustainable resource use and private investment.
•    Supports the analysis and design of climate and environmental finance options, including carbon markets and payments for environmental services.
•    Contributes to the development of knowledge products and analytical tools on environmental economics in agrifood systems, including methodologies, guidelines and evidence to support investment planning and decision-making by governments and IFIs.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements
•    Advanced University degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in economics, agricultural economics, natural resources economics, agribusiness management or a closely related field.
•    Seven years of relevant experience in the practical application of economic analysis to development issues, value chain analysis and development, agribusiness and market development, including analytical studies, and/or in the formulation and implementation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investment operations in developing countries and/or countries in transition.
•    Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

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, particularly in field positions, is desirable.
•    Extent and relevance of experience in public and private sector in areas such as agriculture, agribusiness, agro-processing, public-private partnerships, natural resource management and greening of agrifood systems
•    Extent and relevance of experience in participating, in multidisciplinary teams for the preparation, technical support and evaluation of strategies, analytical and feasibility studies and investment programmes in agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing, with focus on environment aspects and climate dimensions.
•    Extent and relevance of experience in the design, implementation support and evaluation of investment operations with FAO's main development partners, in particular the Asia Development bank (ADB), World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and other partner international financial institutions.
•    Relevance of experience in capacity development for the design and implementation of food security, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and agro-processing investments
•    Knowledge of the context, as well as partners and institutions of the Asia and the Pacific region would be an important asset.
•    Extent and relevance of experience in dealing with public and/or private sector stakeholders such as senior government officials, as well as development partners and other country stakeholders.
•    Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in English.