Organizational Setting
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through 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's commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.
The Statistics Division (ESS) provides timely and reliable data on food and agriculture to facilitate the design and monitoring of evidence-based policy decisions by Member Nations, as well as serves as the foremost authoritative source of statistical standards and methods in agricultural and food statistics. The Division aims to build the statistical capacity of national, regional and international institutions to enhance their ability to collect, analyse and disseminate agriculture and food statistics, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators. At the same time, the Statistics Division has the role to coordinate FAO’s data and statistical system which is composed of different Offices and Divisions that produce and disseminate data and statistics in FAO. As such, ESS is responsible for the development, coordination and monitoring of corporate plans, procedures, policies and standards, as well as the management of the corporate processes of quality assurance of the data and statistics produced in FAO. In correspondence with this, the Director of the Statistics Division also has the role of Chief Statistician of the Organization.
ESS is organized in two streams of work. The Data Generation and Capacity Development Stream is responsible for the functions of production of statistics that are relevant for FAO and its Members, and the function of capacity development/technical assistance to Members on data generation. The Data and Statistical Governance Stream is responsible for the functions of coordination of FAO’s data and statistical system and quality assurance. It is also responsible for fostering modernization and innovation of corporate data and statistical processes and for the corporate dissemination of data and statistics. It also manages the coordination between FAO statistics and the broader statistical community. Each stream is composed of technical teams that are responsible for the implementation of the Division’s biennial workplan.
The position is located in the Office of the Director of the Statistics Division (ESS) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Reporting Lines
The Deputy Director (Data Generation and Capacity Development) will directly report to the Director, ESS.
Summary of Duties and Functions
Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Director, ESS, as a member of the Economic and Social Development Stream Management Team, the Deputy Director (Data Generation and Capacity Development) will assist with the day-to-day management of the Division. Specifically, she/he will support the Director in providing continuous strategic, managerial, and technical leadership in the functions that correspond to the Data Generation and Capacity Development Stream, this is, to the activities devoted to the production and maintenance of the data domains that are under responsibility of the Division and the building of statistical capacity in FAO member countries in producing food and agriculture statistics.
In particular, the incumbent will:
• Support the Director in the day-to-day management of the data generation and capacity development Stream, including strategic vision, planning, implementation and monitoring of outputs, as well as the cost-effective use of financial and human resources in contribution to FAO’s strategic framework and strategic objectives;
• Support the Director in providing overall strategic and technical guidance to the data generation teams in all data processes required for the preparation and the regular publication of datasets within the FAOSTAT, other relevant FAO data platforms and of the related technical dissemination and documentation materials;
• Provide technical guidance on the development or revision of methodologies and standards applied to statistical operations within the data generation teams, procuring the use of innovative methods and data sources aiming at making FAO data accurate and fit for purpose;
• Support the Director in providing overall strategic and technical guidance in activities that aims to ensure the timely and effectively delivery of statistical capacity development to Member countries funded through regular and extra-budgetary resources; and support the capacity development teams in the implementation of technical assistance on a broad range of topics in food and agricultural statistics;
• Handle day to day matters of the Division in the absence of the Director, in coordination with the Deputy Director for Data and Statistical Governance;
• Represent the Division on the Data Coordination Group at technical level, consolidating inputs from the data generation and capacity development teams, and coordinating the implementation of decisions of the Group;
• Support the Director in the preparation of flagship publications and the preparation of technical notes, briefs or reports;
• Maintain a motivated and effective workforce, by ensuring the recruitment of highly qualified staff, promoting communication both within and across teams, mentoring, coaching and supporting career development and by implementing effective approaches for performance management;
• Ensure high visibility to FAO’s work on statistics, further develop strategic partnerships with relevant FAO divisions, offices and centres as well as other agencies and institutions for collaborative work in the area of statistics and develop and negotiate effective working relationships and agreements with international and national partners;
• Strengthen relationships with potential donors for the mobilisation of extra-budgetary resources in support of priority areas of work;
• Represent the Division in international and other external and internal meetings, promoting the statistical work of the Organization, supporting the mobilization of resources and/or consolidating partnerships for the achievement of the divisional outputs;
• Performs other duties as required.