Organizational Setting

The Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (REU) is responsible for leading FAO’s response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture and rural development through the identification, planning and implementation of FAO’s priority activities in the region. It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes, identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the Region and, in collaboration with departments and divisions at Headquarters, develops, promotes and oversees FAO’s strategic response to regional priorities. FAO in Belarus (FAOBY) supports the Ministry of Agriculture and Food in sustainable agricultural development, food security, natural resource management, and rural development through technical assistance, policy support, and capacity building initiatives.

The Government of Belarus has prioritized the digitalization of the agri-food sector through key national initiatives, including the State Programme “Agrarian Enterprise” (2021–2025) and the State Programme “Digital Development of the Republic of Belarus” (2021–2025). As part of these efforts, several Technology Parks have been established to support the agricultural sector by promoting the adoption of digital technologies through activities such as educational seminars, fairs, and technology demonstrations.

The FAO project titled “Enhanced digital technology adoption among smallholder farmers” (TCP/BYE/4003) project aims to assess and analyse the current capacities of TechnoParks, understand the specific needs of smallholder farmers, and develop strategic recommendations with the objective to enhance the capacity of TechnoParks to facilitate adoption of digital technologies among smallholder farmers. Additionally, FAO will assist the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus in conceptualizing a digital education platform for farmers, based on a thorough analysis of their needs.

This position offers a National Personal Service Agreement (PSA.NAT) contract for an initial 40 days (during 11-month period). A break from duty of at least 30 consecutive days is mandatory within any twelve-month period after which the contract is renewable upon satisfactory performance and funds availability.

Reporting Lines

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Digital Agriculture at REU the National Incumbent will work in close collaboration with Project Implementation Team.

Technical Focus 

The National Digital Agriculture Specialist (User-Cantered design) will contribute to Output 2 of the project “A concept for a farmers’ digital education platform is developed”. The incumbent will focus on assessing the needs of smallholder farmers for digital education, collecting relevant agricultural knowledge and resources, and supporting the development of a concept for a digital education platform tailored to farmers’ needs.

Tasks and responsibilities

•    Gather qualitative insights into the specific needs and preferences of smallholder farmers in Belarus through interviews, focus group discussions, and surveys to under their challenges, requirements, and needs for digital agriculture education.
•    Collect data on existing agricultural knowledge, data, services, and educational content available for farmers, and support the international consultant in assessing the quality and relevance of collected resources to enter the e-learning platform.
•    Develop platform’s interactive prototypes and continuously gather and incorporate smallholder farmers’ feedback to refine the platform concept, validate design concepts, and collecting feedback for iterative improvements. Ensure the platform is accessible, easy to use, and engaging for all learners, including the most vulnerable farmers, addressing barriers to digital technology adoption.
•    Support the drafting of technical and functional specifications (the concept) for the farmers’ digital education platform, including visual representations of interface and layout.
•    Help device a business model for the sustainability of the digital education platform.
•    Support the coordination of the project locally, working closely with the Gorki TechnoPark, farmer groups, farm advisors, private sector and other stakeholders.
•    Take stock of existing digital agriculture solutions and services in Belarus.
•    Support the coordination with service provider(s) for the implementation of project activities.
•    Any other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•    University degree in Service Design, Agricultural Science, Social Science, Computer Science, Rural Development or a related field.
•    At least 5 years of relevant experience in User-centred design, UX research, service design, e-learning development, digital platforms development, and related fields.
•    Working knowledge of English and Russian.
•    Must be a national of Belarus or a resident with a valid work permit.
FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•    Experience with UX research and service design.
•    Experience with the design of e-learning platforms, especially targeted at rural people and farmers, is an advantage.
•    Experience working with rural population and smallholder farmers including conducting needs assessments and facilitating workshops or other collaborative sessions.
•    Familiarity with digital solutions for agriculture.

Selection Criteria

•    Experience in agriculture and working with smallholder farmers is a strong asset.