Value Chain Specialist

FAO BTN organization mission TBD

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been actively engaged in Bhutan since 1981, establishing its office in Thimphu in 1985 to foster the nation’s agricultural and food security initiatives. FAO Bhutan collaborates closely with the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) to implement a variety of technical cooperation projects and programs, which are supported by both bilateral and multilateral development partners. With a focus on enhancing sustainable agricultural practices, improving food security, and promoting rural development, FAO plays a crucial role in advancing Bhutan’s socio-economic development objectives.

FAO Bhutan has recently developed the Country Programming Framework (CPF) for 2024-2028, which aims to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Bhutan’s 13th Five-Year Plan (FYP). The CPF 2024-2028 represents a significant financial commitment of approximately USD 83 million, marking a substantial increase from the previous CPF target of USD 5 million. This funding is intended to assist the RGoB in executing the 13th Five-Year Plan, which emphasizes on transforming the agri-food sector for economic growth and sustainable development.

As part of its CPF 2024-2028 programming, FAO Bhutan aims to enhance productivity, improve market linkages, promote value addition, and ensure equitable benefits across the value chain, from producers to consumers. To support these efforts, FAO Bhutan seeks to engage a Value Chain Specialist to provide technical expertise in identifying, analyzing, and strengthening agricultural value chains. The specialist will work closely with government stakeholders, farmers’ groups, cooperatives, the private sector, and other development partners to ensure that interventions are market-driven, sustainable, and aligned with national priorities.

The information on FAO Bhutan can be accessed via https://www.fao.org/bhutan/en.

The Value Chain Specialist will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Provide technical expertise in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of value chain projects.
• Assist in the development of project proposals, work plans, and budgets related to value chain development.
• Conduct value chain analyses and assessments to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.
• Act as the main point of contact on value chains between FAO and national stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, farmers’ organizations, and the private sector.
• Facilitate communication and coordination among project partners and stakeholders involved in value chain development.
• Organize and participate in meetings, workshops, and training sessions related to value chain projects.
• Identify training needs and organize capacity-development activities for project staff, farmers, and other stakeholders.
• Develop training materials and conduct capacity development sessions on aspects related of value chain development.
• Understand the dynamics of market linkages between farmers and buyers, including wholesalers, retailers and processors.
• Support, where needed, the development of market information systems to provide farmers with timely and relevant market data.
• Document and disseminate best practices and lessons learned from value chain projects.
• Contribute to the development of knowledge products, such as case studies, policy briefs, and technical reports.
• Perform other related duties and activities as assigned by the supervisor or management.

Results/expected outputs:

As an active FAO team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to FAO and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:
• A comprehensive proposal that outlines objectives, methodologies, timelines, and budgets for value chain development project.
• A Value Chain Assessment Report identifying key bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement, with specific recommendations for stakeholders.
• An In-depth analysis report of market linkages between farmers and buyers, including insights on trends and best practices.
• Successfully conducted workshops and training sessions, complete with participant evaluations and feedback.
• Published policy briefs, case studies, and technical reports that summarize project findings and provide actionable insights for stakeholders.
• A functional framework for a market information system that provides timely and relevant data to farmers.