MAJOR PROGRAMME 3.3: FIELD OPERATIONS

(All amounts in US$ 000)

684. This major programme covers the activities of the Field Operations Division (TCO) at Headquarters and in the regional Operations Branches, which have become fully operational during the biennium 1998-99. Coordination and operational support for global and inter-regional field activities and projects in the European region remain at Headquarters. This major programme also includes: support to a National Capacity Building programme through Fellowships, field project-related training and education programmes, and overall monitoring of project terminal reports, including their processing; FAO's response to emergency situations through the Special Relief Operations Service (TCOR); the function of field operations inspection; and the Information and Procedures Unit (TCDI) in the Office of the Assistant Director-General, TC Department.

685. The substantially lower budget provision stems from: 1) the need to match the reduced support cost reimbursements resulting from a projected decline in delivery compared with the levels assumed in the 1998-99 Programme of Work and Budget, including the substantially lower forecast level of income from project terminal reports than what was budgeted in the 1998-99 biennium. This leads to necessary adjustments to staffing levels of the regional operations branches, including rebalancing between regions according to anticipated delivery (Programme 3.3.1); 2) the reorganization of training and education activities, with the elimination of a number of posts, to improve their efficiency and cost-effectiveness (Programme 3.3.2); and 3) restructuring of MSUs (Programme 3.3.9).

Programme 3.3.1: Field Operations in Various Regions

(All amounts in US$ 000)

686. Anticipated "operational" activities of TCO in support of field programme delivery in the 2000-01 biennium have to be seen against trends and prospects for the entire Field Programme, especially under extra-budgetary resources.

687. While some increase in overall delivery for extra-budgetary field programmes did occur in 1998 over 1997 and a reversal of past declining trends is expected for the years 2000 and 2001, this is principally on account of emergency operations, which do not "earn" the same level of support cost reimbursements as other segments of the field programme (e.g. UNDP and trust funds). Therefore, a readjustment downwards of operational support services remains necessary.

688. As mentioned above, some rebalancing is also made across sub-programmes to match anticipated delivery.

Programme 3.3.2: Central Support and Special Activities

(All amounts in US$ 000)

689. This programme covers in the first instance the implementation of all training and education activities in the field, except study tours, and the overall monitoring of project terminal reports. This area of activity is being reorganized to maximize efficiencies and take account of income trends. In addition, it is being merged with TCOC (Project Operations Coordination and Support Branch) for the same reasons. The combination of the two factors leads to considerable savings.

690. The programme also covers the function of field operations inspection and the Information and Procedures Unit (TCDI) which will continue to pursue the streamlining and updating of procedures, taking account of recent reorganization and decentralization of the Organization, new concepts in FAO's field programme, and relevant emerging UN system-wide modalities. TCDI will also provide the interface between FAO and other UN system organizations and inter-agency mechanisms dealing with field work.

691. In order to meet the information requirements resulting from restructuring and decentralization, as well as from the introduction of the Oracle system, TCDI will pursue efforts to put in place a management information system covering the entire project cycle which will permit, at the various levels of organizational hierarchy, the management, monitoring and reporting on field programme activities. This will require developing, adapting and refining computer applications compatible with the Oracle Financial Systems in the 2000-01 biennium. TCDI will ensure the preparation and coordination of country briefs for use by senior management. Requests from Headquarters and field staff for country information and research will continue to be met through TCDI country information reference resources. The online catalogue and the FAO Field Projects Yearbook are planned to be further refined and made available on the FAO Intranet, resources permitting.

692. Field operations inspection will be strengthened in order to expand its capacity to assess the performance of field operations, with particular emphasis on cost-effectiveness and adequacy in responding to Members' and the Organization's priorities. Related recommendations for preventive and corrective measures are fully coordinated with those emanating from other sources, including the External Auditor, the Office of the Inspector-General and the Evaluation Service (PBEE), as well as follow-up.

Programme 3.3.3: Emergency Response Operations

(All amounts in US$ 000)

693. This programme covers the direct provision for the FAO Special Relief Operations Service (TCOR) which is responsible for managing emergency operations, including those related to animal and plant diseases under the FAO Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES) for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases. In the face of a growing volume of work, the Unit will continue to provide leadership for the assessments of emergency relief and early recovery needs, formulate and execute emergency and special relief projects and assist national authorities in coordinating the flow of essential inputs to increase food production from internal and external sources.

694. During 1998 TCOR dealt with 180 ongoing projects, providing emergency and relief assistance to 64 countries. The total budgets involved US$ 101.2 million under trust fund arrangements and US$ 17.7 million under Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) funding. Staffing for the unit is largely funded from direct operating cost earnings and thus variations in the volume of work are also reflected in such earnings.

MAJOR PROGRAMME 3.4: FAO REPRESENTATIVES

(All amounts in US$ 000)

Functions of FAORs

695. The FAO Representatives (FAORs) network plays a major role in channeling and implementing FAO's assistance to the respective countries and in articulating their priorities for incorporation into the programmes of the Organization. Together with the other components of the decentralized office structure, they will contribute to the implementation of the Organization's strategic objectives, to the assistance to countries in meeting World Food Summit goals and to deliver the operational and normative activities of the Organization at the country level.

696. The main responsibilities of FAO Representatives are:

• representing the Organization vis-�-vis the host government, national, bilateral and international organizations as appropriate and acting as the focal point of contact with them, and the civil society of the country in general;
• assisting national authorities with corresponding mandates in planning and coordinating the flow of resources from internal and external sources in support of sectoral objectives;
• channeling and coordinating the use of FAO's limited resources to assist the government and with its concurrence, national institutions, entities and associations in the planning and execution of technical cooperation activities;
• collection and dissemination of information related to FAO's areas of mandate;
• providing logistics and administrative support to FAO field activities;
• alerting Headquarters and respective Regional and Sub-regional Offices on issues arising including emergencies affecting food and agriculture sectors in the country and taking necessary action in accordance with established guidelines and procedures;
• monitoring and reporting on FAO activities in the country and on national developments of concern to FAO; and,
• directing and managing the FAO Representation's Office, and rendering administrative services as appropriate.

697. Within the framework of a coordinated UN system team effort at country level, the FAO Representative provides sectoral leadership in the mandated areas of Organization. The search for increased coordination and cohesiveness within the UN family gives added significance to the FAO Representative's role at country level and requires wide interaction with national authorities and institutions, as well as development partners, especially in connection with technical and developmental issues and donor assistance.

698. The following Table shows the distribution of personnel resources by geographical location:

699. In view of the progressive budgetary reductions in the preceding biennia, the management of the network implies dynamic monitoring of resources to maximize efficiency and to safeguard the overall operational efficiency of the network. The implementation of the National Correspondent scheme has, however, allowed expansion of geographical coverage in a low-cost manner to meet an increasing demand for new Offices from countries, beyond the number presently authorized.

Proposed activities for 2000-01

700. During the 2000-2001 biennium, the FAOR network will cover eventually a total of 126 member countries (through 78 FAO Representations, Country Offices in four Regional Offices and 44 double or multiple accreditations, including 35 National Correspondents).

701. The Organization will pursue the package of measures initiated in 1994 to increase the cost efficiency and the relevance of the Country Office system. Additional cost savings will be achieved through further rationalization of the FAOR's grading structure, cost sharing with host governments at local level, e.g. accelerated efforts to obtain more rent-free premises and other in-kind contributions including government-provided staff, and stringent policies on vehicle and equipment replacement. The functional and operational efficiency of the network will be supported by skills and competencies development, some upgrading of computerized systems, and enhancement in programme and administrative support capacities following the implementation of an improved field accounting system . The implementation of the National Correspondent scheme in 35 countries during the biennium will facilitate a better flow of information and interaction on technical and programme matters in these countries.

702. Nevertheless, it is clear that budgetary constraints adversely impact on the FAOR networks' operational capacity and make it difficult to retain quality human resources in some countries. They also affect the ability of FAORs to support programme development and the new initiatives of the Organization and to monitor project execution.

703. It may be noted that the provision also covers operational, management, logistical and administrative support to the FAO Country Offices, field security and emergency related matters including liaison with the UN Security System.

MAJOR PROGRAMME 3.5: COOPERATION WITH EXTERNAL PARTNERS

(All amounts in US$ 000)

Programme 3.5.1: Multilateral and Bilateral Agencies

(All amounts in US$ 000)

704. This programme, which covers the work of the Unit for Cooperation with Multilateral and Bilateral Agencies (TCDM), will continue to ensure sustained financial support from various sources for a viable field programme through effective partnerships with bilateral and multilateral funding agencies. The programme will emphasize Unilateral Trust Funds (UTFs) as major potential sources of funding, either through technical assistance components of loans from financing institutions or resources provided by recipient governments themselves. Resource mobilization for the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) and for the Emergency Prevention System (EMPRES) for the Control of Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests and Diseases, will keep due prominence. The programme will also follow up on the pledges by individual donors to TeleFood. In 2000-01, a series of innovative programmes related to civil society in donor countries will be undertaken, particularly with cities and local governments.

705. In line with the strategy proposed to increase the leverage of resources in support of FAO's mandated functions, key aspects will be: efficient and effective programme management; effective targeting of its work to the priority areas of interest to donors; and consolidation, diversification and expansion of funding sources. FAO will take advantage of its decentralized offices to ensure close liaison with the decentralized decision-making structures of many donors. Emphasis will be on expanding the total resources applied to the priority programmes espoused by the Organization and not necessarily on the amount of resources managed by FAO. In this regard, a key aspect will be mobilizing domestic and external, public and private resources for the agricultural and rural sector, including forestry and fisheries. FAO can contribute to the attainment of this critical objective through assistance to governments in setting up a policy environment conducive to private sector involvement and investment, and enhancing the role of agriculture as a source of food, raw materials for industry, income, employment and foreign exchange through agricultural exports. Emphasis will also be placed on national capacity building so as to enhance the sustainability of the programmes supported by the Organization.

Programme 3.5.2: Civil Society Awareness and Partnerships

(All amounts in US$ 000)

706. Under Sub-programme 3.5.2.1, the Unit for Cooperation with Private Sector and NGOs (TCDN) will capitalize on efforts invested during the 1998-99 biennium in developing solid and comprehensive cooperation strategies in consultation with its two partner groups. New guidelines for cooperation with the private sector will foster collaboration, consistent with the Organization's mandate and policies, across the whole range of FAO programmes. A meeting with private sector representatives, planned early in the biennium, will explore the potential for a broader partnership with the private sector, building on the experience of an existing private sector committee in Italy. An Internet site, linked with the UN business Internet site, will publicize new areas of FAO cooperation with the private sector.

707. The implementation of the policy and strategy of cooperation with Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), to be released in the second half of 1999, will be discussed with NGOs and CSOs at regional, thematic and global fora. Areas of priority attention, in collaboration with concerned FAO divisions and field offices, will include:

• Information: a "partners' page" will be opened on the FAO Website providing CSOs with easy access to data and news of relevance to them. Joint information projects will be developed with NGO/CSO networks on issues of common interest. The information dissemination capacity of FAO country offices will be improved to reach national and local organizations.
• Policy dialogue: national-level NGO/CSO participation in dialogue with governments will be promoted, taking advantage of mechanisms like the thematic groups of the ACC Network on Rural Development and Food Security. The formation of regional and issue-based networks and their input into FAO regional and international conferences and technical commissions will be encouraged.
• Field programmes: efforts will be made to enhance partners' participation in key FAO programmes by reviewing and replicating successful experiences and by developing formal partnerships with NGOs with which cooperation is on-going. Capacity building programmes will be formulated with farmers' organizations and NGOs to strengthen their services to small producers. Joint resource mobilization will be promoted.

708. The number and value of trust fund projects with civil society and the private sector has doubled over the last biennium, and is expected to double again in the next two years. An inventory has been made of key foundations that are interested in activities related to FAO's mandate and a systematic approach will be made to identify cooperative project opportunities and new sources of funds.

709. Under Sub-programme 3.5.2.2, the Unit for Liaison with National Committees (GIDN) will continue promoting the follow-up to the World Food Summit, particularly through the Food for All Campaign, World Food Day (WFD), WFD Special Events including TeleFood, and the Money and Medals programme. It will facilitate contacts and networking at sub-regional, regional and/or global level and promote country-level involvement and participation of civil society organizations in the Food for All Campaigns, through the preparation of information materials and guidelines. A position of Liaison Officer has been brought into the budget to support this process, in particular, in the host country. Advice will also be provided to government institutions at national and local levels, parliamentarians, women and youth organizations as well as non-governmental organizations which are involved in promoting the goals of the World Food Summit.

710. Further promotion of World Food Day and WFD Special Events/TeleFood programme activities will be undertaken in Member Nations. GIDN will be strengthened by the addition of a post whose task will be to coordinate backstopping and liaison activities with some 150 WFD focal points (national coordinators or national committees) at country level. WFD activities include selection of the WFD annual theme and the development and coordination of WFD outputs such as the information note, the issue paper on the theme and poster. WFD promotional activities will reach out to civil society organizations. The TeleFood programme will continue to raise awareness of the condition of more than 800 million people who suffer from chronic under-nutrition and to mobilize resources to help poor farmers produce more food where it is needed most. The Money and Medals programme will further serve as a promotional tool in support of FAO activities and micro-projects for sustainable rural development.

Programme 3.5.3: Cooperation Agreements with Member Nations and Support to ECDC and TCDC

(All amounts in US$ 000)

711. The programme will seek to meet the evolving needs of Members and to employ innovative approaches and modalities to achieve an enhanced impact of technical and economic cooperation among developing countries. Besides attention to traditional TCDC/ECDC tools, the objective is to expand Members' participation in the partnership programmes, i.e. use of experts for technical cooperation among developing countries and among countries that are in transition towards market economies, visiting experts from academic and research institutions, retired experts, and on-the-job-training of young professionals. By strengthening the database on the expertise available under various partnership programmes, the Organization will continue to promote the increasing use of these programmes in the activities funded from the Regular Programme and extra budgetary resources.

712. The intensified use of partnership programmes will contribute to self-reliance, cost-effective delivery of services, enhanced impact and longer-term sustainability of the results of the technical cooperation. The involvement of visiting experts from the premier academic and research institutions in the Organization's work strengthens FAO as a centre of excellence. The retirees segment of the partnership programmes enables the Organization to benefit from the enormous reservoir of experience of retired experts, whereas the association of qualified young professionals with the implementation of FAO's priority programmes helps develop and enhance the national capacities of the beneficiary member countries. Promotion of networks and institutional linkages among the developing countries and countries in transition in key areas of FAO's mandate further facilitates fuller utilization of complementary capacities and greater use of these arrangements in operational activities. Orientation and sensitization activities such as workshops and publications and newsletters will ensure the integration of these mechanisms into the implementation of FAO policies, programmes and activities.

MAJOR PROGRAMME 3.9: PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT

(All amounts in US$ 000)

713. This major programme covers the Office of the Assistant Director-General, Technical Cooperation Department. The reduced provision reflects restructuring of MSUs.