National Fisheries Emergency Preparedness, Capacity Development and Recovery Planning Support Specialist
Organizational Context
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is a specialized agency dedicated to achieving food security for all and leading international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO supports the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems globally. With 195 Members, FAO operates in over 130 countries, providing policy advice, technical assistance, and capacity development. The FAO Country Office in Iran works within the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, aligning with national priorities to ensure effective operations and impactful results in food and agriculture.
Job Purpose
This consultancy aims to assess and enhance emergency preparedness, continuity planning, and recovery capabilities within selected fisheries and aquaculture communities in Iran's Hormozgan Province, particularly those affected by conflict. The specialist will identify needs, develop practical and costed contingency and continuity measures, and prepare technical specifications for necessary procurements. A key objective is to strengthen local capacity to implement these plans, ensuring the resilience of livelihoods. The role also involves supporting the development of recovery planning inputs through assessments and cost estimations, contributing to the early rehabilitation of affected communities.
Responsibilities
The specialist will review project documents and conduct rapid needs assessments in selected pilot sites in Hormozgan Province, focusing on emergency preparedness, continuity, and capacity development. This involves evaluating essential services, disruption risks, current arrangements, institutional roles, and training needs, gathering input from fisheries officials, cooperatives, service providers, and community members, including women fishers. The role includes developing a prioritized action matrix for preparedness and continuity support, identifying gaps, proposed measures, responsible institutions, and indicative costs. The specialist will draft technical requirements for goods and services directly linked to the plans, specifying functional requirements for communication, equipment, and training materials. They will contribute to preparing and validating contingency and livelihood-continuity plans, addressing disruptions to access, utilities, transport, and markets. Additionally, the specialist will support capacity development activities by preparing practical Farsi materials and conducting scenario-based exercises. They will also assist in consolidating a prioritized and costed recovery and resource-mobilization plan, providing technical input on prioritization criteria, recovery needs, institutional roles, and financing options. Follow-up missions and consultations will monitor the application of agreed measures, record lessons learned, and update plans. The incumbent will maintain records, report on deliverables, and refer unresolved issues to FAO and responsible specialists.
Work Experience
A minimum of five years of relevant experience is necessary in areas such as fishery emergency preparedness, contingency/business-continuity planning, institutional capacity development, or recovery planning. This experience should include conducting field needs assessments and engaging in participatory work with fisheries or other natural-resource-dependent communities.
Skills
The role requires strong results focus, teamwork, communication, and relationship-building abilities. Knowledge sharing and continuous improvement are important. Essential technical skills include understanding Iranian fisheries institutions, cooperatives, and community service arrangements, along with the constraints faced by southern coastal communities. The ability to conduct mixed-method rapid assessments, analyze data, prioritize needs, and produce operational plans and reports using standard software is crucial. Strong facilitation and training skills are needed to engage diverse stakeholders and translate technical findings into feasible actions. Familiarity with environmental and social safeguards, safety protocols, conflict-sensitive engagement, and data handling is required. The candidate must be available for field missions and work effectively within a multidisciplinary team, possessing excellent knowledge of and experience with government institutions.