Resilient Agriculture Specialist- Bangkok

A. About Asian Disaster Preparedness Center
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) is an autonomous international organization
with a vision to reduce disaster and climate risk impacts on communities and countries in
Asia and the Pacific by working with governments, development partners, international
organizations, NGOs, civil societies, private sectors, media, and other key stakeholders.
Established in 1986 as a technical capacity building center, ADPC has grown and diversified
its expertise across social and physical sciences to support sustainable solutions for risk
reduction across a broad range of specialist areas. With over 100 staff from 19 different
nationalities and a wide range of professional expertise from atmospheric scientists to social
scientists with experiences from all levels of engagement typically required for Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR) and Climate Resilience (CR) in an effective manner. ADPC has six strategic
themes supported by seven departments: ADPC Academy, Risk Governance, Climate
Resilience, Urban Resilience, Health Risk Management, Preparedness for Response and
Recovery, Geospatial Information. These are supported by Finance, Human Resources and
Administration, and Strategic Planning departments. In addition to the six strategic themes,
ADPC also works on three cross-cutting themes: Gender and Diversity, Poverty and
Livelihoods, and Regional and Transboundary Cooperation through permanent working
committees.
ADPC Strategy 2020 guides the organization in providing comprehensive risk reduction
support to countries and communities in Asia and the Pacific. ADPC recognizes the
importance of examining the linkages between disaster risk management, poverty
reduction, gender equality, sustainability, rights-based approaches, climate change and
regional cooperation.
For details please refer to ADPC website at http://www.adpc.net/

B. Background
Disasters take a huge toll on the development agenda of SAR countries. Between 2000 and
2017, disasters in South Asia incurred estimated damages of US$ 149.27 billion. Public
expenditure is under stress by the repeated need to reallocate capital budgets away from
long term development planning and towards reconstruction activities in post-disaster
environments. For example, since 2005, Pakistan has suffered losses on the order of US$ 16
billion due to natural disasters. In Bangladesh, 2007 Cyclone Sidr resulted in damages and
losses of US$1.7 billion, or 2.6 per cent of GDP.

Safer communities and sustainable development through disaster risk reduction.
To increase resilience and achieve climate commitments, there is a need for a
transformational shift towards policies and institutions that enable climate resilient
investments. Investing in more resilient infrastructure is both profitable and urgent as
disruptions are extremely costly for governments, households and private sector and large
ongoing investments in infrastructure assets will have long-lasting repercussions as poor
maintenance and natural disasters result in a vulnerable stock.
With the financial support from the World Bank Group, ADPC will be implementing a five
years’ project, titled “Climate Adaptation and Resilience Project for South Asia” (CARE). The
project aims to create an enabling environment for climate resilience policies and
investments across South Asia. This objective will be achieved through enhanced regional
cooperation and knowledge exchange for climate resilience and adaptation and
mainstreaming of resilience and adaptation in national policies, plans and investments.
Scaling up the regional and national resilience through climate smart agriculture is vital to
satisfactorily implement all the required components and sub-component of the CARE for
South Asia project. It would involve reviewing and revising the current policies, strategies and
identifying entry points to scale-up strategic approaches to climate smart agriculture in
Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.
Accordingly, a highly qualified and experienced Resilient Agriculture Specialist will be
required to lead, manage and monitor the overall implementation of agriculture sector
activities under CARE for South Asia project in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan.

C. Statement of Intent
The Resilient Agriculture Specialist will provide overall leadership for implementation of
agriculture sector activities under the CARE for South Asia project. The Resilient Agriculture
Specialist will provide both technical and non-technical guidance to agriculture sector team
under CARE for South Asia project at regional (Bangkok) and national level (Bangladesh,
Nepal and Pakistan). The Resilient Agriculture Specialist will be based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Note:
It is not the intent of this Terms of Reference to cover every aspect of the position
requirements, rather to highlight the most important areas of personal and joint
responsibilities.

D. Duties and Responsibilities
The Resilient Agriculture Specialist shall be responsible for:
• Leading overall agriculture sector under CARE for South Asia project by providing
technical and non-technical guidance to agriculture sector team in Bangkok,
Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan,
• Managing and monitoring implementation as well as progress of agriculture sector
activities and linked outputs under various components as per annually approved
workplan in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan,

• Reviewing the agriculture sector deliverables and outputs including technical and non-
technical reports, progress reports, presentations and knowledge products produced

by ADPC regional and national team as well as by external agencies,

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• Leading regional and national capacity building and training activities for stakeholders
under agriculture sector to increase understanding on climate smart agriculture.
• Leading regional and national dialogues related agriculture sector including climate
talks,

• Leading regular interactions with stakeholders (both government and non-
government) at regional and national level.

• Representing agriculture sector in monthly and quarterly progress meetings, client
meetings, meeting with focal agencies, national and regional workshops and
conferences,
• Analyzing and evaluating existing climate smart agriculture strategic frameworks in
project countries viz-a-vis agro-climatic zoning to address gaps in the frameworks,
• Conducting comprehensive review and assessment of agriculture sector policies,
plans and guidelines alongside the needs and issues in agriculture sector to support
the development of a climate-informed policy actions for the agriculture sector.
• Developing climate-smart agriculture (CSA) strategies for project countries alongside
a detailed study on climate challenges for livestock sector.
• Developing a handbook on climate resilience and adaption in project countries and
developing regional guidelines and country-specific chapters for regional guidelines
on climate smart agriculture in the South Asia Region
• Conducting national capacity building in project countries on agro-climatic zoning,
climate smart agriculture policies and technologies for relevant ministries across
focus countries, Training of Trainings (ToT) for local agriculture extension officials to
disseminate locally available CSA technologies for farmers in Pakistan and Nepal and
training and capacity building to disseminate climate smart agriculture technologies
at three levels in Bangladesh.
• Performing other relevant tasks as assigned by the Director, Climate Resilience
Department of ADPC and Project Director, Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of CARE
for South Asia Project.

E. Qualifications
• An advanced degree in agriculture and agronomy or other relevant fields of study
with strong background in project management, institutional capacity building. PhD
in related subject areas will be an added advantage,
• A minimum of 15 years of professional experience in field of agriculture and
agronomy,
• A minimum of 10 years of professional experience of working in climate smart
solutions for the agriculture sector in Asia,
• A minimum of 7 years of professional experience in programme and project
management in Asia,
• Experience in designing, developing and implementing projects related climate smart
agriculture,
• Experience in providing technical guidance and advice on sustainable agriculture,
climate change adaptation and mitigation through effective climate smart, climate
resilient and conservation agriculture will be preferred,
• An excellent understanding of the current regional (Asia-Pacific) and global discourse
related to climate smart agriculture,

Safer communities and sustainable development through disaster risk reduction. Page | 4
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and capacity to work
under pressure and short deadlines,
• Cross cultural awareness and ability to work amongst a diverse group of staff, and
partners
• Experience in training, capacity building and facilitating high-level discussions,
• Excellent English proficiency in oral and written communication, including a
demonstrated track record in technical report writing and ability to communicate
technical matters effectively to general audience,
• Required computer proficiencies: Word, Excel, Power Point, Microsoft Teams,
working knowledge of SPSS or similar statistical software and GIS application would
be preferred.

F. Reporting Relationships
The Resilient Agriculture Specialist will report to the Director of Climate Resilience
Department and work in close coordination with the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) of the
CARE for South Asia project. The specialist will manage and monitor the work of Agriculture
Sector technical team in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan by reviewing their daily and monthly
activities and progress. The specialist will coordinate with the other project specialists at the
regional and national level to carry out different activities under the project.

G. Contract Duration
The contract duration will be for two (2) year initially with a possibility of extension based on
performance and technical requirements of the position.

H. Selection Method
A staff member will be selected in accordance with ADPC’s recruitment and/or capacity
assessment process.