Senior Forestry Officer (Project Coordinator)

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• 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 persons 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
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.

The Forestry Division (NFO) leads FAO's work in promoting sustainable forest management and providing leadership on the environmental, social and economic dimensions of forestry, including contributions of forests and trees to poverty reduction and food security and nutrition. Staff of the Division liaise with Members, civil society and the private sector in aspects ranging from development of effective forest policies to forest conservation and management issues and strengthening the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Division also collects, analyses and disseminates information on the world's forest resources and on the production, trade and consumption of wood and non-wood forest products.

The European Union – Africa's Great Green Wall funded regional project 'Knowledge for Action in implementing the Great Green Wall' (Ref. GCP/INT/1039/EC) has the overall objective to enable sustainable and inclusive land management and improved rural livelihoods in support of the implementation of the Great Green Wall initiative and to accelerate progress towards its objectives. The project will focus primarily on the eleven (11) countries that are members of the Pan-African Agency of the GGW (Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan). Wherever possible and appropriate, this regional project will also offer support to the additional seven (7) countries implementing Great Green Wall-related activities (i.e. Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, South Sudan and Somalia). Together, this forms the broader area of the Sahel - Great Green Wall.

The post is located in the Forestry Division (NFO) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Reporting Lines

The Senior Forestry Officer reports to the Deputy Director, NFO, under the overall guidance of the Director, NFO. S/he will work in close collaboration with the NFO teams dealing with land restoration and forest monitoring, relevant technical units at headquarters, regional and decentralized offices staff and partners (including FAO staff, project teams and partner organizations and countries in Africa).

Technical Focus.

Coordination and technical support of FAO's work on the Great Green Wall related to land restoration, integrated landscape management, monitoring, and policy and institutional strengthening and in support of implementation of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Key Results

Leadership and technical policy expertise for the planning, development and implementation of divisional and cross-divisional programmes of work, projects, products, services in accordance with the FAO Strategic Framework.

Key Functions

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Plans, manages, or leads highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams, leads, coordinates, and/or participates on Organization-wide, cross-divisional committees, project teams, and working groups, and/or provides technical leadership/secretariat services on technical networks and/or international technical policy and standard setting bodies.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Analyses global and country specific requirements and relevant technical issues to provide critical input into the FAO Strategic Framework, Programme of Work, work plans and the supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Implements and monitors programmes of work involving the development of the approach, evidence based strategies, and related tools, methodologies and the supporting system/database, monitoring and reporting frameworks.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Conducts, designs and oversees research and analysis' activities to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovation, technical reports, publications and/or on-going programme development as well as the provision of technical and/or policy advisory services.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Provides technical and policy advice to Members and technical support to Decentralized Offices in the development and implementation of their programmes.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Leads and/or collaborates in, provides technical backstopping to and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge sharing activities within member countries such as policy support, organizational development and individual learning events including preparation of related information, learning, on-line tools.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Represents the Organization at international meetings and conferences, identifies and implements strategic partnerships, advocates best practices and increased policy dialogue and develops and negotiates effective working relationships/consensus and agreements with international and national stakeholders.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Leads and/or participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate Strategy.

Specific Functions

<-- [if supportLists]-->•Provides vision, leadership, strategic thinking and ensures adequate use of operational and technical tools, measures, approaches and good and best practices for the sustainable management and restoration of agro-sylvo-pastoral landscapes in fragile ecosystems and delivery of project objectives and expected results.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Ensures coordination of inputs and support to the budget holder for the production of all project reports, budgets, workplans as well as for the production of expected project deliverables.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•Oversees - in consultation with the project budget holder - the completion of the project's Monitoring and Evaluation (M-E) plan and supervises its implementation, in collaboration with the country project teams as well as the completion of the baseline assessments and their compliance with the M-E plan.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•Leads the establishment/selection of the regional/country project teams and manages them in the preparation and implementation of project workplans and budgets for the delivery of expected project objectives and outputs.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Supervises project teams and partners in formulating, targeting and implementing sustainable land, forest and water management and restoration plans and activities in selected landscapes and other project deliverables as required.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Undertakes regular backstopping field missions to the project intervention areas to plan, monitor, review, identify gaps and advise on corrective measures and the adaptive management of project activities in a timely manner and provide technical inputs and guidance for the preparation of partnership agreements at country, regional and international levels as deemed necessary to support the delivery of project results.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Prepares, in close collaboration with the project teams, annual work plans and budgets for cross-cutting interregional activities.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Prepares, with contributions from the project team, the project periodic technical progress and final reports, ensuring conformity with the project's reporting requirements and schedule.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Builds a network of regular and sustained communications and coordination actions (e.g. meetings, field trips, skype/telephone conferences, emails) with project teams and partners in the regions/countries.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Produces and facilitates the production of documentation (in English and French) of all project approaches, methods, tools, outputs, experiences, best practices and lessons learned.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Leads the project team, with guidance from the FAO and NFO Communications teams in the design and implementation of a communications workplan for the project.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Acts as Secretary for the overall Project Steering Committee.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Performs other related duties as required.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Advanced university degree in forestry, environmental sciences or related field with relevant publications in the areas of expertise.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Ten years of relevant experience in working as an international programme or project coordinator/manager, with international organizations related to forestry, environmental and natural resources management with an emphasis on drylands.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and French.

Competencies

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Results Focus

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Leading, Engaging and Empowering

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Communication

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Partnering and Advocating

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Strategic Thinking

Technical/Functional Skills

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions, is essential.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Relevance and extent of academic qualifications with relevant publications in the areas of expertise.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•Depth of technical knowledge and experience in a broad range of technical fields associated with sustainable land/forest management and restoration, combating desertification.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•Demonstrated ability to work as an effective project coordinator, initiate and work effectively with networks and partner organizations, in a global scope, multi-country and multi-stakeholder large and complex setting.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Relevance and extent of experience in facilitating contacts/negotiating and working with stakeholders at different levels including governments, international organizations/agencies, technical intergovernmental organizations, research community, development community, civil society, local communities and donors.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Extent of communication skills including ability to write clearly, concisely and edit reports and technical publications and papers in French and English.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Extent of capacity development experience in developing countries.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Ability to mobilize resources.

<-- [if supportLists]-->•<--[endif]-->Experience specifically in Africa and/or the Caribbean and the Pacific regions would be an asset.