Facilitation Specialist (Facilitation and Design Thinking)

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• 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

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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.

The Office of Innovation (OIN) is an important instrument within FAO to provide strategic direction and help drive and coordinate innovation across the work of the Organization, i.e., to consolidate and strengthen FAO's innovative spirit, including the innovation of approaches and cooperation models. OIN supports the Programme Priority Areas, ensuring that FAO mainstreams innovation in its programs, facilitates cross-collaboration between the various FAO units, and aids in forging and reinforcing transformative partnerships.

The Office of Innovation has established the Acceleration Zone (AZ) in FAO’s HQ in Rome. The AZ is a space dedicated to FAO teams that need innovative facilitation services to conduct collaborative workshops through which they can address problems or issues preventing the delivery of projects or programs they are responsible for. By leveraging innovative facilitation techniques, Acceleration Zone helps FAO teams accelerate the delivery of impactful programs and projects. Through its services, the AZ contributes to the mainstreaming in FAO of an innovation culture.

Reporting Lines

The Facilitation Specialist (Facilitation and Design Thinking) reports to the Innovation Officer (Innovation Accelerator) who is responsible for the managing of the AZ. S/he works in close collaboration with other technical staff in OIN’s Venture Team and across OIN.

Technical Focus

Providing structured facilitation services through the Acceleration Zone (AZ) to support FAO team in addressing challenges that hinder progress, projects, or strategic activities and initiatives. The facilitation focuses on enabling collaborations, co-creation through application of human-centered design thinking, MG Taylor and other methodologies. Delivering participatory methodologies, the Facilitation Specialist will help teams unlock ideas, align strategies, co-develop innovative journeys, roadmaps, pitches and other facilitation outputs that lead to accelerated delivery and increase impact.

The Facilitation Specialist will also support teams in developing pitches for specific projects, with the objective of developing proposals that can make an impact on audiences, including donors or partners. The incumbent will contribute to the continuous improvement of the AZ service offerings by co-developing facilitation tools, piloting new formats, building internal capacity, and ensuring that services are responsive to the evolving needs of FAO and its partners.

The incumbent will design, implement, and evaluate services offered at the AZ in accordance with FAO’s Strategic Framework and policies.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Facilitate design thinking sessions encompassing needs assessment, empathy mapping, and ideation.
• Facilitate different stages of the innovation process, including sourcing, design, implementation, and scaling using MG Taylor, design thinking and other participatory tools.
• Oversee 'test and learn' approaches for continuous evaluation and improvement of prototypes and pilot initiatives.
• Incorporate user feedback to make iterative enhancements to the solutions developed.
• Provide extensive support for innovation initiatives by integrating human-centric design principles.
• Participate in multi-disciplinary teams, and/or lead working groups/teams, collaborate with other departments and agencies on work groups and committee and promote best practices.
• Engage in planning and contributing to AZ workshops, conferences, and meetings by suggesting agenda items, and preparing essential documentation and presentations that align with innovation and design thinking principles.
• Support comprehensive field missions that focus on implementing innovative solutions, offering expert advice to consultants, government officials, and other stakeholders on organizing mission activities and compiling reports on findings and outcomes.
• Offer expert recommendations on the use of innovation methodologies in the formulation of projects, policies, and strategies, as well as establishing standards and guidelines for projects and programs that incorporate design thinking and innovation within the scope of the organization's goals and objectives.
• Provide training sessions on Design Thinking and other innovation facilitation methodologies to interested members of the internal FAO facilitators networks.
• Perform other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in knowledge or communication science, social science, political science, agricultural sciences, innovation systems, or related studies or any other relevant degree
• Minimum of five years of relevant experience in design and facilitation of innovation initiatives, with a focus on human-centred design and innovation methodologies
• Working knowledge (proficient -level C) of English

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Deep understanding of design thinking principles and their practical applications in solving complex, multi-stakeholder challenges within the agrifood sector.
• Proven experience in designing and facilitation of innovation process both in virtual and in persons settings.
• Demonstrated ability to assist in the expansion of innovative solutions, ensuring they can be successfully adapted and adopted at scale.
• Degree of familiarity with designing, developing, prototyping, and implementing facilitation tools, visual templates, and workshop materials.
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable.
• Relevance and extent of experience in national/international setting including field locations enabling the use of new communication techniques and behaviour change approaches.
• Relevance and extent of experience in working with technical units and multi-disciplinary teams to enable innovation and change.

Selection criteria

• Demonstrated track record of working with innovative facilitation techniques, including experience in innovation focused environments such as labs, incubators, accelerators, transformation programmes, innovation-focused companies, or other organizations that leverage these techniques to support their work programs.
• Recognized certification in facilitation, design thinking or human-centred design (HCD), or MG Taylor will be highly desirable.
• Proven extensive experience in applying MG Taylor, systems thinking, human centric design in project and programme design and service delivery more generally.
• Comprehensive knowledge of agile methodologies and experience implementing agile practices to streamline and improve the efficiency of project execution will be appreciated.
• Good knowledge of the agrifood and development sectors, including global, regional, and national actors, and agrifood systems.
• Familiarity with digital collaboration tools and platforms, and emerging technologies that support the human-centred design frameworks.

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

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.

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