Forestry Officer (UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration)

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 its contributions to poverty reduction and food security and nutrition. It liaises with Members, civil society and the private sector in aspects ranging from development of effective forest policies to forest conservation and management issues and strengthens 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.

Addressing ecosystem degradation is critical for accomplishing the global objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Rio Conventions and other global and regional initiatives. To support and scale up efforts to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide and raise awareness of the importance of effective ecosystem restoration, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), through resolution A/RES/73/2841 on 1 March 2019, declared 2021-2030 as the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UN Decade). UNGA invited FAO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to spearhead the implementation of the Decade. Under this role, FAO established the Task Force on Best Practices as a collaborative effort of currently more than 150 organizations to undertake and enhance capacity development and knowledge dissemination activities in support of the UN Decade's mission.

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

Reporting Lines

The Forestry Officer (UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration) reports to the Senior Forestry Officer/Co-leader of the FAO-led Task Force on Best Practices/Coordinator of the Forest and Landscape Restoration Mechanism, Forest Restoration Team, NFO.

Technical Focus.

Technical and programmatic support to the activities of the FAO-led Task Force on Best Practices and to NFO's work on the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Key Results

Collection and analysis of information, data and statistics and project/meeting services to support programme projects, products and services.

Key Functions

• Collects and analyses relevant technical, social, economic, environmental, institutional and technology related information, data and/or statistics to support the delivery of programme projects, products and services.

•Undertakes analysis, provides technical input for plans and reports and edits/revises technical/scientific documents.

•Participates in the development of improved work methods, tools and systems.

•Updates databases and web pages.

•Participates in multidisciplinary project/work teams.

•Collaborates in the development of training tools and materials and the organization of workshops/seminars etc.

• Participates in the organization, conduct and follow-up of meetings, consultations and conferences, the development/production of required materials and the provision of information and assistance to partners.

Specific Functions

•Develops supporting tools and strategies to foster wide adoption of the UN Decade Standards of Practice to Guide Ecosystem Restoration.

•Supports implementation of the multiple capacity development initiatives part of the UN Decade Capacity, Knowledge and Learning Action Plan.

•Facilitates and promotes the wide documentation of good practices through the UN Decade Framework for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring (FERM) Registry, as well as collaboration with new potential platforms to join the FERM search engine of good practices.

•Organizes general and thematic meetings with members of the Task Force on Best Practices (TFBP) to facilitate synergies, collaboration, contact and communication with new/current TFBP members.

•Supports resource mobilization efforts to implement activities of the TFBP.

•Advertises and fosters the use and adoption of Task Force products in events, conferences and workshops.

•Identifies and fosters opportunities for collaboration with UN Decade Partners, Advisory Board, World Restoration Flagships and other Task Forces.

•Supports the preparation of the UN Decade World Restoration Flagships calls and their related assessment process.

•Supports the preparation of NFO-led events and publications related to the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

•Advanced university degree inforestry, natural resource management, or a related field.

•Three years of relevant experience incapacity development and knowledge dissemination for ecosystem restoration, forestry, or natural resource management.

•Working knowledge of English (proficient - level C) and limited knowledge (intermediate - level B) of one of the other official FAO languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

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 experience in the field of capacity development and knowledge dissemination, especially for ecosystem restoration.

•Knowledge of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and its key framing documents.

•Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports and documents in English.

•Extent and relevance of experience in facilitating and sustaining partnerships and networks.

•Extent and relevance of experience in the preparation, editing and revision of technical/scientific documents.

•Extent and relevance of experience in organizing and participating in international meetings, events and webinars.

•Extent and relevance of experience and skills in programme management.