UNDP Jobs - 43312- Adviser to the National Food Safety Agency of the

Adviser to the National Food Safety Agency of the Republic of Moldova

Location :

Chisinau, MOLDOVA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

10-Mar-2014

Application Deadline :

11-Feb-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

10 March 2014 – 30 June 2015

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The EU High Level Policy Advisory Mission (EU HLPAM) is a project financed by the European Union and implemented by the UNDP. The objective of the project is to support the Government to implement its EU-integration related reform Agenda and in particular to assist the government in developing the capacities required for the implementation of the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, as well as the Visa Liberalisation Action Plan. Specifically, the project aims at strengthening the policy-making, strategic planning and policy management capacities of selected line Ministries and State Agencies involved in the implementation of the Association Agreement and Visa Liberalization and at enhancing stakeholders’ knowledge and awareness of EU policies, legislation and regulations in sectors strategic to the implementation of the Association Agreement including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, and to the implementation of visa liberalization.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Adviser on Food Safety and Quality will provide policy advice to the National Food Safety Agency (NFSA) on food safety and quality issues, in order to enhance their ability to design and implement their Europe integration related reform agenda.

The Adviser will report primarily to the director of the NFSA, with a reporting line to the EU Delegation to Moldova, UNDP Moldova and the project manager. The Advisor will work closely with the other members of the team of EUHPAM Advisors.

Key Responsibilities:

Provide support in fulfillment of national polices in the area of Food Safety and quality and agri-food trade development in line with EU policies to beneficiar;
Provide support in implementing obligations arising under the Agriculture and Rural Development Chapter of the Association Agreement and the DCFTA in particular the SPS chapter to beneficiary;
Support for institutional development and capacity building of NFSA;
Support in the prioritization and approximation of agri-food legislation in accordance with Association agreement and DCFTA obligations and in particular in the area of food safety and agri-food trade;
Assist the beneficiary during related consultation processes;
Support the beneficiary to design and apply risk management principles and tools in food safety;
Advise on EU and other donor support instruments;
Liaise with other projects / programmes / instruments in food safety area to ensure synergy, to promote effective downstream implementation of the policies and to avoid overlap and duplication, where appropriate and when requested by the beneficiary;
Advise the Agency to prepare the formal applications/fiches/Terms of Reference for policy implementation support from other EU instruments or any on-going/planned TA project;
Provide support for legal basis development in view of improving the effective and efficient functioning of NFSA, including keys processes such as registration and authorization of Food Business Operators. (FBOs)
Support in rationalization and optimization of food official control infrastructure including laboratories and Border Inspection Points;
Support in introducing EU compliant information exchange systems including RASFF, Early Warning System and TRACES;
Provide sectorial advice and report to the EU Delegation whenever requested on Agriculture and Rural Development Chapter of the Association Agreement and the DCFTA in particular the SPS chapter as well as regarding the food safety area;
Assist the beneficiary to prepare an exit strategy on how the advice will be mainstreamed and consolidated once this phase has elapsed;
Respect and promote EU visibility at all times.

The above responsibilities will be carried out through but not limited to: development of strategy documents, policy papers, advisory notes, methodologies, draft fiches and other relevant documentation as well as provision of technical on-the-job advice, support to networking to the institutions responsible for Government policies in food safety area.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Excellent communication skills;
Proven report writing skills;
Computer literacy;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master degree in law, agriculture, agronomy, public administration, economics or relevant discipline or equivalent of professional experience relevant to the assignment;
A bachelor degree in the same areas combined with 17 years of professional experience relevant to the assignment is considered as equivalent.

Experience:

General professional experience:

Preferably 15 years of professional experience.

Specific professional experience:

At least 10 years of experience in advising on and / or implementation of policy and legal approximation in the area the agri-food sector in particular in the area of SPS (food safety and quality, animal and plant health);
At least 10 years of proven work experience in EU members states and/or current or former EU Candidate States and/or ENP East countries;
Deep knowledge of the defining and implementing EU policies in the area of SPS (food safety and quality, animal and plant health) is an asset;
Extensive knowledge of EU legislation and approximation processes in SPS;
Experience of setting up and operationalisation of food safety official control structures;
Experience of working within or with state structures on similar issues would be of advantage;
A comprehensive knowledge of EU external assistance programmes and policies targeted at EaP countries;
Experience of negotiating and / or implementing bilateral trade and cooperation agreements with the EU in particular Association Agreements and DCFTA would be an advantage.

Language:

Fluency in written and spoken English;
Knowledge of other EU languages is an asset;
A working knowledge of the Romanian or Russian language would be an advantage.

The detailed Terms of Reference and Procurement Notice can be found at http://www.undp.md/jobs/current_jobs/.