Selection of GS Staff

 

The FAORs are responsible for the local selection process for all GS staff following receipt from the Regional Office (RO) of the authorization to start the recruitment process.

Below is the step-by-step workflow, describing the process of selection/recruitment of GS staff at FAO country offices. Full details can be accessed in the Guidelines for the Selection and Appointment of GS staff.

- Step 1. Budget and post confirmation. As soon as it is known that a GS post in the country office will fall vacant, the FAOR seeks authorization from the RO to issue a Vacancy Announcement (VA), specifying grade and post title. The RO verifies i) post and grade in the PWB and ii) budgetary availability for the duration of the post. Standard Post Descriptions are available from the box on the right side of this page. VAs should be based on the Standard Post Descriptions (although some flexibility exists to slightly adapt the job descriptions according to the needs of the FAO country office).

- Step 2. Advertisement of the post. The period for advertising GS posts in country offices follows the UN’s local practice in this regard. In order to ensure the widest distribution, the VA is advertised in the office boards of FAO, other UN agencies, major government counterparts, in the FAO and/or UN country website(s), through email communications to various public parties (UN agencies, NGOs, Embassies, Ministries, Universities, Institutes, Private sector, etc.), and shall also be advertised in the local press, if considered useful.

Note The distinction between the two categories, professional and general service, is governed by the statute and rules of the ICSC to which FAO signed up in the mid 1970s. Requirements for GS include the minimum requirement that they have completed secondary school education. University degrees distinguish professional functions from general service functions.  Therefore, a university degree cannot be used as a benchmark for either specifying a minimum or as a desirable qualification for GS positions.

- Step 3. Selection Process. The FAOR proceeds with the selection as per the above guidelines regarding receipt and screening of applications, organizing tests for the applicants, setting up of the selection panel, conducting the interviews, and preparing the selection report. A GS Rating Matrix can be found in the resource box in the column on the right.
N.B. CIO should be contacted for screening / selection of candidates for IRC positions (see Guidelines for the Selection and Appointment of GS staff ).

- Step 4. Submission of the full documentation to the SSC Hub. Upon conclusion of the local selection process, the FAOR forwards the following documentation to the SSC Hub, with copy to the concerned RO: i) Selection Report, ii) PHFs of selected candidates, and iii) copy of the RO authorization to issue the VA.

- Step 5. Recruitment. Upon receipt of the above mentioned documentation, the SSC will contact the selected candidate to make the offer of employment and proceed with the recruitment.

Briefing

Briefing of newly recruited GS staff is the responsibility of the FAOR together with the AFAOR (Programme or Administration) directly supervising the staff, and with the contributions of other colleagues of the country office team as may be required.

In addition, the FAOR should ensure that new staff is fully briefed on i) FAO’s zero-tolerance policy regarding fraud; and ii) the standards of conduct for the international civil service (MS 304 App.A).

Furthermore, opportunities may arise for GS staff to participate in specialized workshops/seminars organized by FAO at RO, SRO or HQ.

Probationary Period

 

 All staff with appointments of one year or more have to undergo a probationary period of one year. This can be extended to 18 months if more time is needed for you to assess the staff member's performance. 

The probationary period includes a plan of work and two review periods that the supervisor should report on.  For full details, refer to the SSC site regarding evaluating a probationary period.