Job Posting Details
- Job Title: National Statistics Specialist
- Posting Date: April 9, 2025
- Closure Date: April 25, 2025, 11:59 PM
- Organizational Unit: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) – FRLES
- Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
- Requisition Type: Personal Services Agreement (PSA)
- Grade Level: Not Applicable
- Primary Location: Home-Based
- Duration: 65 days
- Post Number: Not Applicable
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that the closure date and time displayed above are based on the date and time settings of your personal device.
FAO Commitment to Diversity
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is dedicated to fostering a diverse workforce that reflects gender, geographical, and linguistic diversity to better serve its members worldwide.
- Diversity and Inclusion: FAO actively seeks to achieve diversity in its workforce across gender, nationality, background, and culture.
- Encouraging Applications: Qualified female applicants, nationals of non- and under-represented member countries, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Integrity Standards: All personnel at FAO are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct in accordance with FAO’s core values.
- Zero-Tolerance Policy: FAO has a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding conduct that conflicts with its mission, including sexual exploitation, sexual harassment, and discrimination.
- Confidentiality Assurance: All applications are treated with utmost confidentiality, and selected candidates will undergo thorough reference checks.
Organizational Setting
FAO is at the forefront of global efforts to transform agrifood systems to become more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable, which aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The organization supports governments in meeting their agricultural, fisheries, and forestry needs while ensuring environmental sustainability.
The FAO country office in Lesotho has recently developed a comprehensive Country Programming Framework (CPF) that emphasizes nutrition as a key focus area, especially with respect to Indicator 2.4.1 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). FAO is a custodian of this indicator, which requires comprehensive data collection on various aspects of sustainable agriculture. In light of recent adjustments to the reporting methodology for this indicator, FAO plans to provide support to Lesotho to enhance its data collection and reporting capabilities.
Reporting Lines
The National Statistics Specialist will operate under the supervision of the FAO Representative in Lesotho, with direct oversight from the Assistant FAO Representative for programs. The specialist will also receive technical guidance from FAO’s Economic and Social Statistics (ESS) division, collaborating closely with various FAO divisions and teams at both the regional and headquarters levels.
Technical Focus of the Role
The primary objective is to enhance Lesotho’s agricultural data collection framework to align with FAO’s SDG 2.4.1 methodology. Key responsibilities include:
- Gap Analysis: Assessing existing national agricultural surveys to identify deficiencies and missing data variables relevant to SDG 2.4.1 and its proxy.
- Alignment of Surveys: Modifying Lesotho’s agricultural surveys to integrate necessary data points, ensuring compliance with FAO’s reporting standards.
- Sampling Strategy Development: Creating a robust sampling strategy for pilot testing that adheres to recommended stratifications for generating disaggregated statistics.
- Capacity Building: Training national stakeholders, such as enumerators and government officials, on effective data collection and analysis techniques related to SDG indicators.
- Data Oversight: Supervising data collection and processing to guarantee adherence to FAO’s statistical standards.
- Calculations and Reporting: Implementing methodologies to calculate and report the SDG 2.4.1 indicator based on collected data, alongside the establishment of sustainable reporting mechanisms.
Tasks and Responsibilities
The selected consultant will undertake a range of tasks, including:
- Conducting a desktop analysis of national surveys in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Bureau of Statistics to evaluate coverage and identify gaps.
- Mapping questions from the FAO questionnaire for SDG 2.4.1 against existing surveys to identify overlaps and missing elements.
- Customizing Lesotho’s agricultural surveys to incorporate necessary elements of the 2.4.1 framework.
- Organizing and participating in pilot testing efforts to assess the effectiveness of modifications and training.
- Training enumerators and field teams to ensure proper execution of pilot tests.
- Collecting micro data, performing data cleaning, and analyzing data to compute the necessary sub-indicators for SDG 2.4.1.
- Establishing processes to enable ongoing data collection and timely reporting of results to the government and FAO.
- Drafting a comprehensive final report detailing findings, recommendations, and calculated indicators for SDG 2.4.1.
- Organizing workshops to promote the adoption of SDG 2.4.1 at the national level, encouraging stakeholder engagement and collaboration.
- Undertaking potential international travel for representation at FAO events and forums, as necessary.
- Performing additional activities and responsibilities as required in support of FAO’s mission.
Candidate Assessment Criteria
Minimum Requirements:
- Advanced university degree in Statistics, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Geography, or related fields.
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in areas such as Environmental Science, Agricultural Statistics, or GIS, particularly in farm-based surveys and training program organization.
- Proficient working knowledge of English (Level C).
- Must be a citizen of the Kingdom of Lesotho or legally residing in the country with a valid work permit.
FAO Core Competencies:
- Results Orientation
- Team Collaboration
- Effective Communication
- Relationship Building
- Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical and Functional Skills Required
- Strong analytical capabilities and keen interest in statistical and agricultural data.
- Proven ability in data collection, analysis, and reporting.
- Familiarity with using statistical software tools like R, Stata, and SPSS is advantageous.
Selection Criteria:
- A Ph.D. in a relevant field is considered a significant asset.
- Experience with international project implementation and running training programs is preferred.
- Demonstrated experience in managing stakeholder consultations and participation.
Additional Information
FAO does not charge any fees during the recruitment process, and incomplete applications will not be entertained. For inquiries, reach out at [email protected]. All applications must be submitted via the FAO recruitment portal, and candidates are encouraged to finalize applications ahead of the deadline.
How to Apply:
- Visit the FAO recruitment website and complete your online profile, ensuring all details are current and reflect your qualifications accurately.
- Attach a motivation letter to your application profile.
- Submit your completed application through the portal.
Please note that personal information may be shared within FAO to facilitate the hiring process. Candidates may opt out of sharing this information at any point by withdrawing their application.
For further support, create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team at: https://fao.service-now.com/csp
This comprehensive overview underscores the essential aspects of the National Statistics Specialist position within the FAO structure, highlighting the responsibilities, requirements, and application process in a detailed manner to attract qualified candidates.
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