National Project Coordinator

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.

FAO is a specialized agency of the UN that leads internation efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 Members (194 countries and the European Union), FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

The primary goal of FAO Country Offices is to aid governments in creating policies, programs, and projects that secure food security and diminish hunger and malnutrition. They also support the development of agriculture, fisheries, and forestry, ensuring the sustainable use of environmental and natural resources.

The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Information and Management Framework (NFIMF) team, in collaboration with the governments of Malawi and Ghana (Fisheries Authorities) and other relevant partners, has started implementation of a new FVC Sub-Programme entitled “Strengthening Capacity of Small-Scale Aquatic Food Producers for School Food and Nutrition” in 2024, with the expected end date of the Sub-Programme to be in December 2025. This Sub-programme follows the Blue Transformation Agenda, builds on previous FAO projects and operationalizes the call for action of the UN Food Systems Summit, which recognized aquatic foods and school meals as priority action areas. In addition, it aims to develop actions and provide guidance on aquatic foods in HGSF programmes, calling for diversification of foods served in schools to include aquatic foods. To do this, the Sub-programme will work to strengthen capacity of fisheries value chain actors, improve utilization, reduce loss and waste and contribute to healthy diets for the most vulnerable, and show how sustainably harvested and locally produced fish can be processed into low cost, highly nutritious foods to be used in school meal programmes which source foods from local producers. The Sub-programme will have a strong focus on ensuring food safety of products destined for school feeding programmes, as well as maintain affordability and sustainability of these products through improved utilization and reduction of food loss and waste. The Sub-programme will introduce methods for storing fish products for longer time periods as well as methods for improving utilization of nutrient dense parts of the fish that are often thrown away, as one of many solutions for reducing food loss and waste.

The Government of Ghana and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations with funding support of the Kingdom of Norway and the Government of Canada is implementing a programme to improve the food security and livelihoods of vulnerable population in Ghana. The programme is being implemented to increase fish, crop, livestock production, through including improved aquaculture practices, sustainable crop and livestock practices and improved access to water for pastoralists, farmers, and fishers. In addition, the programme will focus especially on women and youth groups, and value chain actors who will be supported with capacity on climate change adaptation, community seed production, value addition, capacity and access to post-harvest technologies for better access to markets and financial services to pool resources, share knowledge, negotiate better price, while improving access to finance and markets. This will ensure women gain better control over resources, enhanced bargaining power, and actively participate in income generating activities contributing to inclusive and equitable growth along value chains. Finally, strengthened multi-hazard early warning systems combined with ecosystem management, social safety nets and anticipatory action will provide protection to at risk communities through an integrated risk management against shocks. The programme approach to sustainable food production, inclusive and equitable growth alone value chains, and disaster risk reduction will contribute to the resilience of agri-food systems in Ghana.

In this view, the Sub-programme and FAO Representation in Ghana aims to hire a national incumbent who will coordinate project activities in Ghana.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will be under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative to Ghana, and the direct technical guidance of the Fishery Officer at the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Information Management Framework (NFIMF) within the Fisheries Department in HQ.

Technical Focus

Nutrition, Food Safety/quality and security background with strong knowledge in product development, management in fish value chain and maintenance of fish processing equipment.

Tasks and responsibilities

Oversee all steps to support beneficiaries in upgrading their activities in fish value chains. More specifically, this includes activities relating to product development, food safety in the fish value chain, and capacity building including training on use, management and maintenance of fish processing equipment.

• Liaise with the Fisheries Commission to determine a procurement plan to support beneficiaries to upgrade their activities.
• With technical support from the Fisheries Division in FAO Headquarters (NFIMF), prepare and submit all documents required to procure items to upgrade the activities of the project beneficiaries to improve food safety.
• With the support of the Fisheries Commission, deliver the items procured and deliver training on the use, management and maintenance of items procured.
• Collaborate with the Fisheries Commission to prepare training plan on business, marketing, and organization management and to deliver the training to the fish processors that will supply fish to schools.

Oversee all activities under the Letter of Agreement with CSRI – FRI. More specifically,

• Ensure that CSIR – FRI delivers all activities under the agreement on time. Conduct regular meetings to discuss updates on activities and any challenges with implementation.
• Act as a FAO’s focal point for CSRI – FRI, Fisheries Commission, and other national stakeholders.
• With technical support from the Fisheries Division in FAO Headquarters (NFIMF), ensure that all key performance indicators under the agreement are reached.
• Support and supervise CSRI – FRI as needed to ensure timely delivery of all activities under the agreement with CSRI – FRI. These include the initiation of a project task force, liaising with national stakeholders, backstopping during activities such as roundtable discussions with national stakeholders, training related to food safety, roundtable discussions with the actors of the supply chains, and follow-up/step-down training sessions at the processing facilities.
• With the support of the HQ team, review and validate training materials and plan, and other materials submitted by FRI.
• Liaise with HQ-Fisheries Division (NFIMF) regarding the progress of all activities.

Coordinate and supervise activities for the pilot (incorporation of fish into the school menu for 3.5 months).

• Support and supervise CSRI – FRI as needed in initiating and conducting the pilot. These include support for ethical clearance applications, liaison with national stakeholders, identification and liaison with supply chain actors (caterers, local mill owners, and other third parties), identification of suitable fish products to incorporate at school, backstopping of activities such as training of food handlers, and monitoring activities.
• Liaise with the selected schools to determine a procurement plan to upgrade the food environment.
• With technical support from the Fisheries Division in FAO Headquarters (NFIMF), prepare and submit all documents required to procure items to upgrade the food environment.
• Liaise with the Fisheries Commissions, CSRI – FRI, and school feeding agencies to procure fish products to supply schools and to distribute the products to schools.
• Liaise with HQ-Teams regarding the progress of all activities.

Assist in other activities for the day-to-day running of the programme.

• Plan, implement and report on the integrated fish, crops, livestock production through improved aquaculture practices under the programme to improve the food security and livelihoods of vulnerable population in Ghana.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in resource management, agriculture, fisheries, business administration, economics, agricultural economics or a related field
• 3 years of demonstrated qualified and relevant experience in fisheries sector, multi-stakeholder engagement, policy analysis, and research in rural development
• Working knowledge of English
• National of Ghana

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Demonstrated experience in multi-stakeholder engagement in Ghana.
• Demonstrated knowledge of national fisheries policies, as well as subnational and sectoral policies.
• Demonstrated understanding of key FAO guides, tools, frameworks relating to fisheries.
• Demonstrated research and report writing skills.
• Excellent communication and network facilitation skills.
• Experience in working with on fisheries in agrifood value chains.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION