CALL FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT : 2300902
International Social Forestry and Climate Change specialist
Job Posting: 27/Mar/2023
Closure Date: 10/Apr/2023, 9:59:00 PM
Organizational Unit : RAP – Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (Bangkok)
Job Type: Non-staff opportunities
Type of Requisition : Consultant / PSA (Personal Services Agreement)
Grade Level : N/A
Primary Location: Thailand-Bangkok
Duration : 8 months (with possible extension)
Post Number : N/A
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
- FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
- Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
- Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO’s values
- FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
- All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
- All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
Organizational Setting
The UN-REDD Programme is the United Nations collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) in developing countries. The Programme was launched in 2008 and builds on the convening role and technical expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The UN-REDD Programme assists developing countries to prepare to implement REDD+, including the development of National REDD+ Strategies, following guidance issued by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). As part of the Technical Assistance component of the UN-REDD Programme, and with specific support from the Swiss Government, a new initiative was launched for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, titled Climate change mitigation through social forestry actions in ASEAN countries. The technical assistance (TA) provided by FAO (lead agency) and UNEP aims for the generation of evidence and scaled up social forestry contribution to climate mitigation in/for a number of countries in the ASEAN region, building on ongoing programmes and lessons learnt from previous work. It will be implemented at the regional level with targeted interventions in three ASEAN countries, namely Cambodia, Indonesia and Lao PDR. The work will be closely coordinated with the ASEAN Working Group (AWG) on Social Forestry (AWG SF) and AWG Forest and Climate Change (AWG FCC) member states. The post is located in RAP Bangkok, Thailand.
Reporting Lines
Under the overall supervision of the REDD+ team leader in FAO HQ, and the direct supervision of the Forestry Officer (REDD+) at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP), with technical guidance from the senior forestry officer in RAP, and in coordination with the REDD+ regional advisors for UNEP in Asia-Pacific and the ASEAN secretariat and ASEAN Working Group (AWG) on Social Forestry (AWG SF) and AWG Forest and Climate Change (AWG FCC), the International Social Forestry and Climate Change specialist will support implementation of activities under the UN-REDD initiative Climate change mitigation through social forestry actions in ASEAN countries.
Technical Focus
Climate change mitigation through social forestry actions. This includes building capacities, building partnerships, stakeholder engagement and resource mobilization.
Tasks and responsibilities
The International Social Forestry and Climate Change specialist is responsible to deliver on a set of activities under the UN-REDD Technical Assistance on Climate change mitigation through social forestry actions in ASEAN countries, as part of the UN-REDD Global Technical Assistance (TA) programme (UNJP/GLO/795/UNJ Baby 7), and support the smooth implementation and coordination of the initiative, including:
- Conduct a comparative assessment of mitigation contribution of different social forestry models, including potential of community forestry, private social forest initiatives, and different forest management practices and tenure regimes;
- Combine assessment of the potential extent of social forestry interventions in the ASEAN (3 pilot countries) with mitigation contribution and support exchanges between ASEAN working group on Social Forestry (AWG-SF) and AWG Forest and Climate Change (AWG-FCC) with recommendations on social forestry interventions to contribute to climate change mitigation;
- Assist country work on identifying and including specific social forestry interventions as mitigation and adaptation actions in the implementation of NDCs and their future revisions;
- Support countries in participatory discussions to decide on methods to integrate social forestry monitoring in National Forest Monitoring Systems (NFMS);
- Based on recommendation and agreed action plans, support target countries in building local capacities on social forestry monitoring in line with the NFMS;
- Facilitate participatory discussions at the ASEAN regional level to inform on methods and the integration of social forestry monitoring in National Forest Monitoring Systems;
- Organize online knowledge exchange sessions at the ASEAN regional level to facilitate ASEAN Member State (AMS) interaction on identifying and including specific social forestry interventions as mitigation and adaptation actions in country NDCs;
- Assess current and potential incentives for social forestry mitigation actions, and support 3 countries to develop incentive schemes that support climate-friendly and socially responsible forestry;
- Building the relevant evidence base to attract climate finance (private sector, GCF, others) and provide support to mobilize investment in two [/three] identified social forestry mitigation programmes. This activity will be coordinated with Output 4. Promote and accelerate responsible private investments in social forestry led by UNEP;
- Support workshops and technical events planned under the initiative;
- Reports on regional workshops and technical events, including online knowledge exchange sessions at the ASEAN regional level to facilitate AMS interaction on identifying and including specific social forestry interventions as mitigation and adaptation actions in country NDCs;
- Support national experts in implementing work plans, and reporting against work plans in approved inter-agency format;
- Support coordination and communication of the initiative, including with UNEP regional team;
- Undertake any other relevant tasks assigned in the context of the UN-REDD Programme technical assistance.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
- A university degree in forestry, natural resources management, environmental sciences or other related fields
- Five years of relevant experience on social forestry, preferable linked to climate change mitigation.
- Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another official FAO language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) for consultants.
FAO Core Competencies
- Results Focus
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Building Effective Relationships
- Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
- Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable;
- Extent and relevance of work experience on social forestry/community-based forestry;
- Extent and knowledge of climate change negotiations, and measurement, monitoring and reporting processes;
- Extend and relevance of experience in working with intergovernmental bodies and multidisciplinary teams;
- Demonstrated ability to formulate, draft and finalize clear technical and policy documents, guidelines and manuals, in English;
- Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining partnerships, including government institutions and agencies;
- Excellent communication skills and ability to present complex topics to a variety of technical and non-technical audiences.
Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- FAO does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing)
- Please note that FAO will only consider academic credentials or degrees obtained from an educational institution recognized in the IAU/UNESCO list
- Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
- For more information, visit the FAO employment website
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
HOW TO APPLY
- To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
- Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
- Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
- Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
- Incomplete applications will not be considered
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- Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
- Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
- We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
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