Major Programme 3.4: FAO Representatives

Substantive thrusts under ZRG conditions

297.     The FAO Representatives (FAORs) will continue to be focal points for contact with the respective host governments, civil society and the donor community in countries of accreditation. They help focus FAO’s expertise where and when it is most needed; monitor national developments relevant to food and agriculture; mobilise technical and policy advice; and channel and coordinate FAO’s technical cooperation activities and emergency operations. The FAORs work with the support and functional guidance of technical, policy, operational and administrative units at headquarters, as well as in Regional and Subregional Offices.

298.     The upstream programming functions of FAORs are embedded in those of the UN Country Team within the Resident Coordinator System, involving participation in exercises such as the Common Country Assessment (CCA), the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and Poverty Reduction Strategies. In emergency-affected countries, the upstream work of FAORs feeds into UN Consolidated or Flash Appeals contributing to needs assessments for emergency interventions.

299.     As donors delegate greater responsibility for project approvals to the country level, FAORs play a critical role in the development of FAO’s field programme, assisting with the identification, formulation and appraisal of projects, and mobilising resources from local donor representations. FAORs have operational responsibility for national technical cooperation projects and support regional projects with activities in their countries, and they are making increasingly significant contributions, under the Emergency Operations and Rehabilitation Division's overall responsibility, to the implementation of emergency projects.

300.     FAORs communicate FAO’s messages and policies at country level, liaise with the media and organise advocacy activities such as World Food Day and TeleFood events, as well as National Alliances Against Hunger. They also contribute to other UN advocacy activities, facilitate the transfer of information and knowledge between FAO and its partners at country level and ensure a two-way flow of data and information between the Organization and member countries.

301.     Under this major programme, the Office for Coordination of Normative, Operational and Decentralized Activities (OCD) provides oversight, operational and management support services to the FAORs and ensures secure working conditions for FAO personnel, assets and operations in the field. Budgeted security resources of US$ 3.4 million have been transferred from the programme to the proposed Security Expenditure Facility.

Real Growth Scenario

302.     The additional funds would barely allow to partially offset the severe impact on the operational capacity and efficiency of the FAOR network stemming from a net reduction of US$ 5.2 million for the biennium 2004-05. RG would restore the responsiveness and capacity for service delivery by FAO Representations at a more sustainable level; strengthen FAO’s participation in UN Country Team activities (e.g. CCA/UNDAF); improve country-level support to normative programmes and the advocacy/outreach work of FAORs; enhance visibility and effectiveness of FAO’s work at country level; and generally permit a better response to the challenges recognised with respect to FAO's decentralized structure.

Zero Nominal Growth Impact

303.     ZNG would compound the difficulties in managing the network of country offices under the present budget level. Appropriate measures to meet the reduction would need to be identified. The reductions in OCD itself would weaken oversight and support services to the country offices which could in turn affect their operational capacity and efficiency.