212.     Programme 4A ensures close interaction and coordination with UN system organizations and programmes at both corporate level, and at more local level, i.e. under various development assistance frameworks (PRSPs, UNDAF/CCAs, etc.). It covers coordination of FAO’s positions on policy matters, including on humanitarian assistance and liaison with relevant UN entities. Specific attention is given to backstopping the process of formulation and implementation of NMTPFs, led by the FAO Representatives. Accordingly, 4AP04 groups those units and staff which interface most directly with UN system partners, including the Liaison Offices in New York and Geneva. 4AP05, on the other hand, covers the applicable share of provisions in decentralized locations, including in the FAORs.

213.     Programme 4B will ensure unity of purpose and synergy between different layers of the decentralized structure. Pursuit of FAO’s decentralization policy will require adjustments in office structures and locations and related business processes in response to changing circumstances and the evolving demands from the membership and partners. The overall performance of the restructured network of country, subregional and regional offices (currently covering more than 130 countries) will continue to benefit from cost-effective oversight, operational and management support, allowing optimal use of human and financial resources.

214.     Services provided by the FAOR offices in support of knowledge management, networking and advocacy will continue to facilitate a two-way exchange of information and knowledge (e.g. statistics, appropriate technologies, best practices) between international sources and local partners and also foster national capacity-building initiatives. Country offices will advocate that agriculture and food security are accorded due priority in national policies, pursue sensitisation activities and facilitate policy dialogue through networks of major stakeholders.

215.     The programme (through 4CA01) is to ensure a coherent corporate approach particularly to the non-technical aspects of field programme management and operations, and to all the phases of the project cycle. This is achieved through regular and ad hoc management information and analytical reports, from the Field Programme Management Information System (FPMIS). Field programme related procedures and guidelines are continuously updated, using Internet-based technologies, to ensure timely and high-quality services to Members. This is complemented by monitoring of the project cycle, as well as the in-depth inspection of complex field projects and programmes, and the finalisation of project terminal reports/statements. The programme also serves as a clearing house for field project proposals to ensure conformity with national priorities and with FAO’s policies and priorities and adherence to UN system programming processes at country level, and provide for technical cooperation services by Regional and Subregional Offices.

216.     With inputs from decentralized offices, the programme maintains country and regional intelligence and a country-based document database. It supports training, in particular for new FAORs and staff involved with the field programme. A specific entity (4CP05) covers on a continuous basis the collection, analysis and compilation of economic, social, sectoral and programme information for updating of country and thematic briefs that provide a contextual basis for policy and technical assistance to countries.

217.     Another component (4CP01) is the support to Low-income, Food-deficit Countries (LIFDCs) in their efforts to improve food security, both at household and national levels through the SPFS and national and regional programmes for food security. Assistance is also provided to REIOs in the formulation and implementation of regional programmes for food security which, in addition to supporting national programmes, also address regional issues such as structural reform, policy harmonisation, removing trade barriers, ensuring food safety and control of transboundary animal diseases. Support is also extended to non-LIFDCs which apply for assistance, provided adequate extrabudgetary resources are made available. Work also covers the human resources provided under the SSC initiative, and pro-poor small community TeleFood projects.

218.     The largest entity (4CS01) covers support from FAORs to national development (including emergency and rehabilitation). Country offices will lead FAO's support to food security, agriculture/rural development and emergency responses. They will act in an increasingly autonomous manner and with greater delegation of administrative and project approval authority. They will actively support joint UN approaches in achieving MDGs and implementing poverty reduction strategies. NMTPFs will ensure focus of FAO's assistance on jointly agreed priorities with governments and UN partners. In the wake of decreasing ODA and investment in agriculture, country offices will also assist governments in mobilising resources for food and agriculture.

219.     This programme operates in a context of ever-growing share of FAO field activities relating to emergency and rehabilitation. The overall strategy is to protect, restore and enhance agriculture, forestry and fisheries-based livelihoods, to reduce vulnerability, increase self-reliance and enable an exit from food aid.

220.     The programme gives priority to: i) gathering and disseminating of information on affected livelihoods and external assistance required; ii) mobilisation of resources in response to crises; iii) partnerships with other UN agencies and NGOs and participation in coordinating mechanisms. It ensures: the involvement of all concerned FAO units; linkages between FAO’s support for emergencies and for longer-term development; and the foundation for growth and resilience to future threats.

221.     The programme leads work on disaster preparedness, mitigation and support to emergency and rehabilitation, in an interdisciplinary way. It aims in particular at: streamlined procedures to reduce transaction costs and improve timeliness of FAO's actions; a common approach to FAO's evolving role in emergencies; exploiting further FAO's technical expertise in food security and livelihood analysis and response planning in all sectors of its mandate.

222.     The 2006-07 biennium will witness full implementation of the wide-ranging changes to the policy and operational framework of the TCP, as approved by the Council at its 129th Session in November 2005. This will in particular involve the preparation of new guidelines and procedures and the development of revised training modules and dissemination of new information tools.

223.     Other key developments related to the TCP are:

• the continued expanded use within TCP projects of expertise from the partnership programmes;
• the growing utilization of TCP in support of the SPFS including, more recently, demands to support up-scaling of regional and national food security programmes;
• streamlining of procedures for the approval of TCP Facility projects by FAORs, hence providing technical services to governments in the form of local/national consultancies to assist them in solving specific technical problems;
• the formulation of project ideas for extrabudgetary funding sources and carrying out small sector studies;
• streamlining of procedures for the reimbursement of technical support services rendered by FAO’s technical divisions to TCP projects; and
• enhancement of working methods for collaboration among all parties concerned - the TCP Service, FAORs, FAO technical units and operational branches - at the various stages of the project cycle (identification, analysis, formulation, evaluation and finalisation of the project proposal).