Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international 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 and has started working in Sri Lanka since 1979 with its Representation (Country Office) opened in Colombo. The FAO contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems, and through four Betters (Better production, Better nutrition, a Better environment and a Better life) - leaving no one behind.

FAO is implementing a two-year United States (US) Macro Grant project in Sri Lanka aimed at strengthening the preparedness, resilience, and adaptive capacity of vulnerable farming communities facing multiple and interconnected shocks. These include the impacts of Cyclone Ditwah, disruptions associated with the Middle East crisis, and the forecasted El Niño conditions expected to affect agricultural production and water availability in the coming seasons.

The project targets smallholder paddy farmers in the districts of Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Puttalam, and Vavuniya, as well as vegetable farmers in Badulla and Nuwara Eliya. This project’s interventions seek to safeguard agricultural production, enhance food security, and strengthen livelihoods through a combination of agricultural input support, climate-resilient production practices, and anticipatory action measures.

Key project interventions include the provision of fertilizer and other essential agricultural inputs to smallholder farmers during the Maha 2026 cultivation season. Certified paddy seed producers will receive short-duration paddy seed varieties, fertilizer, hermetic storage bags, and moisture meters to support quality seed production during the Maha 2026/2027 season, ensuring the availability of suitable seed stocks for the Yala 2027 season, when water scarcity risks are expected to increase due to El Niño.

Vegetable farming households will receive quality seeds, fertilizer, and plastic crates to improve crop production and post-harvest management.

To mitigate anticipated water shortages during the Yala season, the project will promote Other Field Crop (OFC) cultivation through the provision of solar-powered irrigation pumps, supporting efficient and climate-resilient agricultural practices.

As part of a broader livelihood diversification strategy, the project will also support women farmers in Batticaloa through backyard poultry interventions, contributing to improved household income generation, nutrition, and resilience.

In addition to direct livelihood support, the project will place significant emphasis on strengthening anticipatory action systems at the local level. This will include enhancing community preparedness, early warning dissemination, risk-informed planning, and response mechanisms for both flood and drought hazards, thereby improving the capacity of farming communities and local institutions to anticipate, prepare for, and mitigate the impacts of climate-related shocks and stresses.

Therefore, the Project Management Specialist is expected to support the effective coordination, management, and delivery of this multifaceted project, including procurement processes, digital voucher-based assistance, and the strengthening of early warning systems.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall administrative leadership and supervision of the FAO Representative in Sri Lanka (FAOR) and the direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR (Programme) and close coordination with International Operations specialist, the Project Management Specialist will be responsible for coordinating and ensuring effective field-level execution of project activities. with the technical guidance of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) at the FAO Regional Office, other relevant technical divisions at FAO Headquarters, and in close consultation with the FAO Country Office Technical Teams, Department of Agriculture and other relevant stakeholders and the Budget Holder (BH).

Technical Focus

The incumbent will support the Budget Holder and be responsible for the day-to-day coordination and management of the project implementation. The incumbent will ensure effective utilization of resources, timely delivery of the work plan, adherence to budgets, management of risks, and problem solving for achievement of project results, within delegated authority and in accordance with project/donor agreements and FAO rules and procedures.

The incumbent will provide technical orientation and backup in order to ensure the delivery of project outputs to a high standard, and in a cost effective manner, taking into account national and international best practices and research results, and in accordance with FAO, Government and donor norms.

Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for ensuring that project outputs and targets are met as per project framework that activities are carried out as planned, within budget and time schedule and that reporting, monitoring and evaluation functions are carried out as per project requirements. She/he will also plan and implement project activities in close collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, and other relevant state and non-state stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of the project. In particular, the incumbent will perform the following tasks.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Planning, implementation and management of Project activities

• Provide overall guidance to, and supervision of, the project identifies, plan, design implement and monitor the progress of delivery of activities as itemised in the results-based work plan;
• Provide day-to-day administrative and management inputs to the project team assuring smooth implementation of the project;
• Coordinate closely with International Project Management/Operations Specialist to develop operational strategies and work plans into detailed field implementation plans, schedules and operational arrangements.
• Coordinate the overall hiring plan for hiring of national and international affiliate workforce of the project to ensure timely onboarding.
• Coordinate with relevant consultants and government counterparts, implementing partners, suppliers and field teams to ensure timely availability and delivery of inputs, roll out of digital voucher scheme and development of relevant information systems for anticipatory action and early warning.
• Oversee the IDEA digital voucher modality, including beneficiary data readiness and unique identification, coordination with pre-registered local agro-dealers, transaction and redemption monitoring, record reconciliation, and timely resolution of implementation issues.
• Ensure market availability and prices are monitored during implementation and coordinate any necessary adjustment to voucher values or package specifications in accordance with the approved project and FAO procedures.
• Ensure a results-based approach to project implementation, including maintaining a focus on project results and impact as defined by the project results framework indicators;
• Regularly promote the project and its outputs and findings on a national, and where appropriate, regional stage;
• Lead interactions with stakeholders and liaise with government agencies and communicate, regularly advocate and engage in policy dialogue on behalf of the project;
• Coordinate the project commitments with WFP and government counterparts, including joint beneficiary validation and de-duplication in common districts, sharing of seasonal workplans and monitoring findings, and participation in relevant national and district coordination mechanisms.
• Facilitate interdisciplinary inputs from partner institutions and agencies;
• Review and advise relevant consultants for assuring smooth implementation of the project.

Resources Management and Coordination

• Supervise affiliate personnel.hired under the project ensuring they fully understand their role and tasks;
• Provide administrative and management/supervisory support to long- and short-term Technical Specialists/Consultants to ensure timely delivery;
• Create strategic partnerships related to the project and coordinate and network with various stakeholders to take forward the project;
• Ensure that the project team follows up on the adoption/implementation of the recommendations/inputs provided by Technical Consultants;
• Coordinate with the Government counterpart/s and various stakeholders for effective coordination and dialogue in the field of Agriculture;
• Supervise the procurement process with the guidance of the Budget Holder in accordance with FAO rules and procedures.
• Oversee transparent handover and accountability arrangements for project-supported assets, including documentation of beneficiary ownership, operation and maintenance training, and transfer of public monitoring assets to the relevant mandated government agencies under the project exit strategy.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

• Oversee preparation and implementation of project M&E plan, project communication and knowledge management plan with the relevant Specialists of the Project
• Ensure the M&E system captures baseline, seasonal and endline data and supports the comparative/counterfactual analysis required to assess production, income, food-security, loss-avoidance and sustainability results under the grant.
• Prepare results-based regular reports, donor reports and briefs as required.
• Facilitate the submission of timely project implementation reviews and progress reports (narrative and financial) to the FAO Country Office against the Programme M&E framework with the support of M&E Specialist;
• Facilitate effective communication of project progress to the key stakeholders related to the project.

• Undertake any other tasks assigned or relevant in support of efficient implementation of the project assigned by FAOR or AFAORs.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree from a recognized University in Agriculture, Public or Business administration, Social Sciences or any another related discipline.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in Project and Programme Management.
• Working knowledge of English and Sinhala and/or Tamil.
• National of Sri Lanka.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Extent and relevance of experience at national level in project implementation and managing operations.
• Extent and relevance of experience in supporting the implementation of complex multi-stakeholder projects.
• Ability to develop and manage plans for project implementation and coordination of operations.
• Familiarity with UN administrative, operational and financial procedures and understanding of FAO policies and programmes is considered a strong asset.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION