2302884

National Expert on Reclaimed Water Use

Job Posting: 20/Sep/2023

Closure Date: 04/Oct/2023, 9:59:00 PM

Organizational Unit : FNJOR – FAO Representation in Jordan

Job Type: Non-staff opportunities

Type of Requisition : PSA (Personal Services Agreement)

Grade Level : N/A

Primary Location: Jordan-Amman

Duration : 1 Nov 2023 until 28 Feb 2024 – 80 days (WAE)

Post Number : N/A

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 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is implementing the Project entitled “Building Resilience to Cope with Climate Change in Jordan (BRCCJ)”, The goal of the seven-year project is to increase climate-resilient sustainable development in the country. Towards this aim, the project combines infrastructure development and natural resources management with principles of local capital formation at the community level. The project will have three interrelated components, which will work synergistically to address key barriers and enhance the impact of project investments. The components are designed to deal with the lack of infrastructure, limited capacity of rural farming households and weak institutional capacity. They include (i) Component 1: Climate Resilient Water Systems; (ii) Component 2: Climate Change resilience for Enhanced Livelihoods and Food Security; and (iii) Component 3: Scaling-up climate adaptation. Coherently with identified lesson learned in Jordan as well as with the GCF Gender guidelines, the project builds on the idea of inclusion of women as change agents for climate adaptation.

The project will be executed jointly by FAO, UNDP, Ministry of Environment (MoE), Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) indicating the strong collaborative and partnership approach which will be adopted during the implementation of the project. The project will capitalise on the strong experience and convening power that both FAO and UNDP have established in the country.

The BRCCJ Project will be implemented in 4 governorates of the Dead Sea Basin, which includes the areas that are most vulnerable to climate change. The selected governorates are Madaba, Karak, Tafilah and Ma’an. These governorates cover an area of 9,839 km2 or 72 percent of the area of the Dead Sea Basin. The total population of the 4 governorates are estimated to 880,800 inhabitants by end 2021, including 52.38 percent men and 47.61 percent women.

This consultancy is under the Project’s Component Three and will involve tasks under Activity 3.1.1.2. “Technical Assistance to support the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) in enhancing the quality of effluent to enlarge the possible farming options and upgrade the related policy framework” This is an FAO-led activity in close coordination with MWI and MOA.

The project will support government stakeholders, e.g., the Ministry of Water and Irrigation(MWI), Ministry of Environment( MoE), Ministry of Agriculture(MoA), Ministry of Health (MoH), as well as the Water User Associations (WUAs) to update water quality standards, develop incentives to enhance the use of reclaimed water and ensure that downstream uses of reclaimed water are included in the planning and the design of new plants or the expansion of the existing ones.

Reporting Lines

Under the overall supervision of the Chief Technical Adviser (CTA), the National Consultant Expert on Reclaimed water will implement the required tasks, in close consultation with the Policy and Educational Reform Specialist, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MWI) and relevant stockholders.

Technical Focus

Water conservation, reclaimed water recycling, and reuse

Reclaimed water quality standard, water management, and water use efficiency

Climate change and agriculture

Tasks and responsibilities

The incumbent will be mainly involved in implementing tasks under Activity 3.1.1.2, the will be based in the Ministry of Environment to support the project PMU. The consultancy will involve the following tasks: Task 1: Desk study and initial consultations conducted with institutions (national and local- at governorate level), the private sector, academia, CSOs, and WUAs regarding updating reclaimed water quality standards.

•  Desk study on laws, regulations, and norms related to the usage of treated wastewater in Jordan, including barriers to utilisation, projected quantities and qualities of future wastewater availability and usability
•  Consult with national stakeholders, (MWI ,MoE, MoH, MoA, WUA) involving field visits to the four governorates of Madaba, Karak, Tafileh and Ma’an, in order to integrate stakeholder information at the local level into the situational report .
•  Consultations with MWI, and MOA should be structured to:

o Help identify incentives to expand the use of reclaimed water in agriculture

o Identify where updating national water standards, in alignment with international standards, for wastewater use can facilitate broader benefits to farmers and other downstream users

o Ensure that farmers and other downstream users of reclaimed water are included in the planning and the design of new treatment plants or the expansion of the existing ones.

•  Develop a draft situational report on recommendations and presentation to the MWI, the MoH, the MoA, and the MoE of the proposed changes and rationale to update standards on reclaimed water usage for agriculture, strategies, and investment plans.

Task 2: Finalise the situation report on the use of reclaimed water in agriculture production, standards, and regulations.

•  Produce a situation analysis on the use of reclaimed water resources at the national level with a focus on the target governorates, including farmers’ perceptions, and MOA instructions that specify the conditions for using reclaimed water resources, taking into consideration feedback on the draft from the PMU
•  Adhere and coordinate with the PMU team until obtaining clearance by the LTO on the developed situation report on the use of reclaimed water in agriculture considering the gender sensitivity aspects,

Task 3: Report on progress on a monthly basis:

•  Submit monthly progress reports to the PMU team and CTA (4 reports).

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•  Advanced degree in water and environmental engineering, agriculture, natural resource engineering, civil engineering, or related discipline, with a proven record of engaging with interdisciplinary and multi-national networks.
•  (7) years of working experience of which at least 5 years of demonstrable experience in water and environment management in the field of using reclaimed water in agriculture production.
•  Working knowledge (Level C) of English is required
•  National of Jordan or a legal resident in the country.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•  Strong knowledge of reclaimed water resources, usage, and standards in Jordan.
•  Proven excellence in report writing skills.
•  Strong Communication skills in English and Arabic (Speaking, reading and writing).
•  Extent and relevance of experience in report writing skills
•  Familiarity with reclaimed water use in agriculture production

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
•  Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
•  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 contact: Careers@fao.org

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