National Digital Agriculture Specialist (User-centred design)

IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

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 Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) is responsible for leading FAO’s response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO’s priority activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region and, in collaboration with departments and divisions at Headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO's strategic response to regional priorities. FAO in Belarus (FAOBY) supports the Ministry of Agriculture and Food in sustainable agricultural development, food security, natural resource management, and rural development through technical assistance, policy support, and capacity building initiatives.

The Government of Belarus has prioritized the digitalization of the agri-food sector through key national initiatives, including the State Programme “Agrarian Enterprise” (2021–2025) and the State Programme “Digital Development of the Republic of Belarus” (2021–2025). As part of these efforts, several Technology Parks have been established to support the agricultural sector by promoting the adoption of digital technologies through activities such as educational seminars, fairs, and technology demonstrations.

The FAO project titled “Enhanced digital technology adoption among smallholder farmers” (TCP/BYE/4003) project aims to assess and analyse the current capacities of TechnoParks, understand the specific needs of smallholder farmers, and develop strategic recommendations with the objective to enhance the capacity of TechnoParks to facilitate adoption of digital technologies among smallholder farmers. Additionally, FAO will assist the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus in conceptualizing a digital education platform for farmers, based on a thorough analysis of their needs.

This position offers a National Personal Service Agreement (PSA.NAT) contract for an initial 40 days (during 11-month period). A break from duty of at least 30 consecutive days is mandatory within any twelve-month period after which the contract is renewable upon satisfactory performance and funds availability.

Reporting Lines

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Digital Agriculture at REU the National Incumbent will work in close collaboration with Project Implementation Team.

Technical Focus

The National Digital Agriculture Specialist (User-Cantered design) will contribute to Output 2 of the project “A concept for a farmers' digital education platform is developed”. The incumbent will focus on assessing the needs of smallholder farmers for digital education, collecting relevant agricultural knowledge and resources, and supporting the development of a concept for a digital education platform tailored to farmers’ needs.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Gather qualitative insights into the specific needs and preferences of smallholder farmers in Belarus through interviews, focus group discussions, and surveys to under their challenges, requirements, and needs for digital agriculture education.
• Collect data on existing agricultural knowledge, data, services, and educational content available for farmers, and support the international consultant in assessing the quality and relevance of collected resources to enter the e-learning platform.
• Develop platform’s interactive prototypes and continuously gather and incorporate smallholder farmers’ feedback to refine the platform concept, validate design concepts, and collecting feedback for iterative improvements. Ensure the platform is accessible, easy to use, and engaging for all learners, including the most vulnerable farmers, addressing barriers to digital technology adoption.
• Support the drafting of technical and functional specifications (the concept) for the farmers' digital education platform, including visual representations of interface and layout.
• Help device a business model for the sustainability of the digital education platform.
• Support the coordination of the project locally, working closely with the Gorki TechnoPark, farmer groups, farm advisors, private sector and other stakeholders.
• Take stock of existing digital agriculture solutions and services in Belarus.
• Support the coordination with service provider(s) for the implementation of project activities.
• Any other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in Service Design, Agricultural Science, Social Science, Computer Science, Rural Development or a related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in User-centred design, UX research, service design, e-learning development, digital platforms development, and related fields.
• Working knowledge of English and Russian.
• Must be a national of Belarus or a resident with a valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience with UX research and service design.
• Experience with the design of e-learning platforms, especially targeted at rural people and farmers, is an advantage.
• Experience working with rural population and smallholder farmers including conducting needs assessments and facilitating workshops or other collaborative sessions.
• Familiarity with digital solutions for agriculture.

Selection Criteria

• Experience in agriculture and working with smallholder farmers is a strong 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
• 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 create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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