Ibrahim Emre Ilyas

Responsibilities

• Provided technical support for the formulation and implementation of programmes and projects, including contributions to overarching framework development and inter-agency consultations.
• Supported the design, execution, monitoring, and evaluation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) and the FAO Country Programming Framework (CPF) to ensure alignment with national priorities and FAO’s mandate.
• Contributed to the development of high-quality project proposals, particularly in the context of complex and multilateral programmes.
• Supported FAO Türkiye’s emergency and resilience initiatives, with a focus on planning, programming, reporting, and resource mobilization in the Food Security and Livelihood and Economic Empowerment sectors.
• Contributed to the planning, implementation, and reporting of FAO Türkiye’s social policy-related activities, including interventions on social protection, migration, employment, livelihoods, resilience, gender, and social inclusion.
• Identified service gaps and emerging needs within FAO Türkiye’s emergency response efforts, and supported the development of context-appropriate strategies and projects to address them.
• Represented FAO in inter-agency working groups, task forces, and coordination platforms to ensure effective organizational positioning and meaningful contributions to joint efforts.

Major Achievements

• Served as FAO Türkiye’s focal point in the inter-agency Common Country Analysis (CCA) task force and led the drafting of the Transforming Agrifood Systems subsection, ensuring integration of food systems transformation into the broader development narrative.
• Acted as the focal point in the inter-agency UNSDCF Results Framework task team, contributing to the formulation of strategic outcomes and ensuring FAO Türkiye’s priorities were effectively reflected in the upcoming UNSDCF (2026–2030).
• Led the design and successful submission of a USD 750,000 project proposal, funded by the Government of Japan, addressing the livelihood needs of vulnerable rural communities affected by the February 2023 earthquakes.
• Contributed to the development of a EUR 40 million multi-agency project proposal (in partnership with IFRC and Turkish Red Crescent) focused on advancing the social and economic integration of refugees in Türkiye (pending funding decision from the EU Delegation)

Responsibilities

• Supported programme and project design, implementation, and resource mobilization for FAO Türkiye’s response to the Syria crisis and the February 2023 earthquakes.
• Led FAO Türkiye’s social policy interventions in the areas of social protection, migration, employment, livelihoods, and inclusion of vulnerable groups.
• Coordinated with key government institutions and development partners (e.g., IOM, ILO, WFP, UNICEF, IFRC, TRC) on programme planning, implementation, and joint advocacy.
• Actively represented FAO in UN Results Groups and technical working groups, reporting programme achievements and advocating for rural communities and agri-food producers.
• Provided technical inputs to key project documents including progress reports, assessments, M&E updates, and final reports.
• Facilitated stakeholder engagement through workshops, technical meetings, key informant interviews, focus groups, and capacity-building sessions under major programmes.
• Consulted and coordinated closely with FAO Headquarters and the Regional Office to align country-level activities with global technical guidance.
• Promoted synergies and complementarity among thematic initiatives such as the Agrifood Skills Development Programme (ASDP), Farmer Field Schools (FFS), and Cooperative Support Programme, ensuring integrated delivery across multiple projects.

Major Achievements

• Led the design of a EUR 1 million project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Germany, to enhance production capacity and market access for smallholder farmers affected by the February 2023 earthquakes.
• Led the design of a USD 300,000 joint project with WFP Türkiye, integrating the human security approach into the Farmer Field Schools (FFS) modality to strengthen the resilience of earthquake-affected smallholder farmers.
• Authored the Food Security and Agriculture sections of the 2024 Update of the 3RP Türkiye Country Chapter (2023–2025), contributing to strategic planning for refugee resilience and regional response coordination.
• Authored the analytical report “An Overall Assessment of Challenges Faced by Seasonal Agricultural Workers from Syrians Under Temporary Protection and Host Communities”, published by FAO.
• Served as FAO Türkiye’s focal point in the Social Inclusion and Migration, International Protection and Harmonisation UNSDCF Results Groups, contributing to inter-agency coordination and policy positioning.

Responsibilities

• Contributed to programme development, implementation, and monitoring under FAO's Türkiye Syria Refugee Resilience Plan (SRRP), with a focus on employment and livelihoods.
• Led the implementation of the employment generation component of the EUR 10 million project "Building Resilience of Syrians under Temporary Protection and Host Communities in Türkiye", funded by the EU Delegation to Türkiye.
• Supervised and trained Employment Desks, overseeing registration, skills matching, job referrals, job placements, organization of job fairs and employer engagement meetings, facilitation of social security premium payments, and coordination of work permit and exemption processes.
• Built and maintained strategic partnerships with public institutions, employer organizations, UN agencies, research institutions, and NGOs engaged in social protection, employment, and livelihoods.
• Organized trainings and information sessions with implementing partners and service providers to enhance project delivery, improve procedures, and strengthen monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
• Provided technical inputs to project documents, including progress reports, final reports, and monthly updates on labour market, livelihoods, employment, and social protection components.
• Acted as FAO’s focal point for employment and social security coordination with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Turkish Employment Agency, and the Social Security Institution.
• Supported project visibility by contributing to success stories, case studies, and communications materials.
• Consulted and coordinated closely with FAO HQ’s Social Protection and Cash-Based Interventions Divisions to align field activities with global best practices.
• Provided technical support to the project "Comprehensive Assessment and Profiling of Agricultural Practices in Adana and Gaziantep", analyzing labour market dynamics and producing evidence-based recommendations through desk research, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement.

Major Achievements

• Coordinated the development of the Syrian Refugee Resilience Plan (2022–2023) and authored key sections on social protection, livelihoods and employment, ensuring FAO’s strategic priorities were effectively integrated.
• Contributed to the Türkiye Earthquake Response and Recovery Plan (2023–2026) by drafting the agricultural employment outcome, co-authoring additional sections, designing concept notes, supporting resource mobilization, and assisting in monitoring and visibility activities.
• Led the design, implementation, and reporting of the Labour Market Assessment under the EC901 project, providing evidence-based insights into the impact of interventions on employment and livelihoods. (available at: https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/67b0c43a-e3fa-4c17-8527-15ad90d9c377/content)
• Led the preparation of a USD 1 million project proposal, jointly funded by the Governments of Norway and Sweden, to support rural communities in meeting basic needs and sustaining agricultural production in the region following the February 2023 earthquakes.
• Contributed to the design of a USD 450,000 project proposal, funded by the Government of Japan, to enhance agrifood livelihoods for Afghan and Ukrainian refugees in Türkiye.
• Contributed to a significant increase in both the employment rate (from 35% to 45%) and formal employment rate (from 21% to 33%) among project beneficiaries by enhancing coordination with stakeholders, strengthening oversight of implementing partners, simplifying reporting procedures, conducting regular field visits, and delivering targeted trainings to project staff
• Authored the employment and labour market section of the profiling report under the project "Comprehensive Assessment and Profiling of Agricultural Practices in Adana and Gaziantep", conducted in the context of the Syrian refugee crisis.
• Served as FAO Türkiye’s focal point in the UNSDCF Results Groups on Social Inclusion and Migration, International Protection and Harmonization, contributing to inter-agency coordination and policy dialogue.

Responsibilities

• Conducted policy research and analysis on the formalization of migrant workers in informal sectors, in coordination with the Directorate General on International Labour Force (DGILF) of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, to support the implementation of the National Action Plan on Irregular Migration.
• Designed research strategies, conducted literature reviews, and analyzed good practices to inform policy development on labour migration and formal employment pathways.
• Coordinated and conducted stakeholder interviews and field consultations with public institutions, civil society organizations, private sector actors, and migrants to assess the realities on the ground.
• Led the development and administration of surveys, analyzed quantitative and qualitative data, and produced evidence-based reports in both Turkish and English.
• Provided regular technical advice and progress updates to IOM’s Labour and Human Development (LHD) Unit, contributing to research planning, coordination, and delivery.
• Supported project implementation by monitoring migration-related trends and legislation, compiling research inputs, and contributing to knowledge-sharing on labour market inclusion, sustainable employment, and migrant entrepreneurship.

Major Achievements

• Authored the research report “Syrians under Temporary Protection (SuTP): Employment Dynamics and Formalization Possibilities”, analyzing the demographic and socio-economic profile of SuTP in Türkiye using the 2018 Turkey Demographic and Health Survey (Syrian Migrant Sample), and developing evidence-based policy recommendations to promote the formalization of SuTP workers.
• Authored the policy paper “The Economic Impact of Syrian Immigrants in Turkey: A Literature Review”, presenting a meta-analysis of the impact of Syrian refugees on Türkiye’s labour market, price levels, and firm behavior.
• Authored the policy paper “The Impact of Social Assistance Programs on Informal Employment of the International Labour Force in Turkey”, exploring how social assistance schemes may contribute to informal employment trends among SuTP populations.

Major Responsibilities and Achievements

• Contributed to national development planning, public investment programming, and inter-agency coordination in the migration and population sector, supporting Türkiye’s demographic and social policy agenda.
• Coauthored the “Population and Aging” and “Migration” chapters of the 11th Development Plan of Türkiye.
• Authored the “Migration” sections of the 2020 and 2021 Annual Programs.
• Contributed to the drafting of the “No One Left Behind” section of Türkiye’s Voluntary National Review (2019) on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Provided technical input to the development of Türkiye’s Irregular Migration Strategy and National Action Plan (2019–2023) and the National Migration Strategy.
• Coauthored the official Statement of Türkiye for the 52nd Session of the UN Commission on Population and Development, and participated as a member of the Turkish delegation.
• Conducted sectoral analysis and advised on policy formulation, project planning, and performance monitoring frameworks for migration governance and population dynamics.
• Engaged with sub-national stakeholders and line institutions to mainstream migration into strategic planning, results-based management, and budgetary processes.
• Participated in the appraisal of public investment proposals in the migration sector to ensure strategic coherence and alignment with national and international policy frameworks.

Major Responsibilities and Achievements

• Provided strategic leadership for national R&D and innovation policy, overseeing a $600 million investment portfolio spanning public universities, research institutes, and innovation agencies.
• Led the preparation of the “Science, Technology and Innovation” and “Entrepreneurship and SMEs” sections of both the 11th Development Plan and Annual Programs.
• Represented Türkiye as national delegate to ESFRI and ERIC, contributing to European research infrastructure governance and international policy exchange.
• Initiated and managed the 2018 National Research Infrastructures Call, coordinating the evaluation of 252 proposals across sectors such as health, ICT, energy, and automotive.
• Supervised the implementation of Law No. 6550, establishing governance mechanisms for publicly funded research infrastructures.
• Directed the development of Türkiye’s first national catalogue of research infrastructures, and oversaw the production of strategic evaluations and performance monitoring tools.
• Played a key role in identifying and designating 15 public universities as Türkiye’s “Research Universities.”
• Led the organization of the International R&D Cooperation Summit and Fair (2017, Istanbul), fostering dialogue among stakeholders from academia, government, and private sector.
• Supervised multiple expertise theses and strategic studies on R&D policy, infrastructure effectiveness, and student accommodation planning.

Major Responsibilities and Achievements

• Contributed to national development planning, public investment programming, and social policy coordination in the poverty alleviation and income distribution sector.
• Coauthored strategic inputs to the Annual Programs and prepared scenario-based projections of poverty and inequality for Türkiye 2030.
• Conducted sectoral analysis on social protection, poverty measurement, and income distribution, producing internal policy briefs and assessments using microdata and national/international indicators.
• Contributed to the development of Türkiye’s first Roma Social Inclusion Strategy, advancing inclusive social policy formulation.
• Simultaneously served as Poverty Specialist at the COMCEC Poverty Alleviation Working Group, leading or co-supervising multi-country studies on topics including forced migration, malnutrition, education of disadvantaged children, and access to social protection in OIC Member States.
• Authored the COMCEC Poverty Outlook 2016, designed research frameworks, and contributed to ministerial policy recommendations later adopted by the OIC.
• Participated in the review and appraisal of public investments and programmes related to poverty reduction, social assistance, and inclusive development.

Major Responsibilities and Achievements

• Contributed to national development planning, investment programming, and higher education policy in the education sector, supporting Türkiye’s knowledge economy goals.
• Co-led the development of the 10th Development Plan – Education Chapter, and coordinated large-scale higher education infrastructure planning.
• Provided policy analysis and strategic inputs on university financing, academic staffing, and access to higher education, advising the Ministry of Development and the Higher Education Council.
• Managed a $1 billion public investment portfolio for higher education institutions, reviewing proposals for feasibility, impact, and strategic value.
• Collaborated with international organizations and facilitated expert committees on higher education reform, student accommodation, and long-term education cost planning.
• Supported capacity-building and reporting functions related to education indicators, leading data teams producing the “Social Sectors” statistical compendium.

Responsibilities

• Assisted in the delivery of undergraduate courses including Introduction to Statistics and Mathematical Statistics, supporting classroom instruction, grading, and student consultations.
• Independently taught the Introduction to Computer Programming course, focusing on practical applications using Microsoft Office tools and basic data processing techniques.