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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 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

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework, supporting the transformation to more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems. FAO’s Forestry Division (NFO) leads FAO’s work on sustainable forest management, forest governance, legality, and forest-based climate solutions.

Liberia and the European Union signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) in 2011, which entered into force in 2013. While the VPA strengthened governance structures and multi-stakeholder dialogue, challenges remain in enforcement, coordination, and operationalization. Liberia and the European Union have agreed to transition the VPA into a broader Forest Partnership (FP). This partnership will integrate legality, climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable land-use governance. Under the Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Africa and Latin America (ALA) Facility, FAO will support this transition through the recruitment of a Facilitator based in Liberia.

Reporting Lines

The Facilitator will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Liberia and technical supervision of the FAO Forestry Officer – FLEGT ALA Facility (Brussels). He/she will collaborate closely with\:
• Forestry Development Authority (FDA)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP)
• Ministry of Agriculture (MoA)
• Ministry of Justice (MoJ)
• EU Delegation in Liberia
• Reconfigured VPA structures transitioning to Forest Partnership Steering Committee and Thematic Working Groups
• Civil society, community forest bodies and private sector stakeholders.

Technical Focus

Facilitating the structured and inclusive transition from the EU–Liberia VPA to a Forest Partnership, including institutional reconfiguration, technical diagnostics, stakeholder engagement, and alignment with Liberia’s climate, forest and biodiversity policies.

Tasks and responsibilities

Facilitation and Coordination

• Facilitate structured dialogue between the Government of Liberia, EU Delegation and national stakeholders in the context of the Forest Partnership transition.
• Support the transformation of VPA structures (Joint Implementation Committee-JIC, Liberia Implementation Committee-LIC, National Multi-Stakeholder Monitoring Committee-NMSMC) into Forest Partnership governance mechanisms.
• Organize, prepare and follow up on Forest Partnership Steering Committee and Thematic Working Group meetings.
• Promote inclusive participation of civil society, women, youth, community forest bodies and private sector actors.
• Maintain continuous liaison with the FLEGT-ALA Facility to ensure coherence and visibility.

Technical and Policy Support

• Support joint diagnostic assessments on forest governance, European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) readiness and institutional gaps.
• Contribute to the drafting of the Forest Partnership Roadmap, results framework, funding architecture and monitoring indicators.
• Provide technical inputs to align the Forest Partnership with Liberia’s NDCs, National Forest Policy, and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).
• Identify capacity-building needs and support preparation of terms of references, workplans and training activities.

Monitoring, Reporting and Knowledge Management

• Document lessons learned from the VPA process and capitalize best practices for the Forest Partnership.
• Prepare quarterly progress briefs, meeting summaries, inception and final reports.
• Track progress against agreed milestones and deliverables.
• Support the design of a Communication and Learning Plan and dissemination of Forest Partnership information.

• Perform other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• For Consultants\:
Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCO in law, public administration, forestry, natural resource governance, accounting, economics or other closely related fields relevant to forest governance and international development. Consultants with a bachelor's degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience.
For PSAs\:
Technical degree in law, public administration, forestry, natural resource governance, accounting, economics or other closely related fields relevant to forest governance and international development.
• At least five (5) years of experience in forest governance, public-sector reform, natural resource management, trade facilitation or related fields, including multi-stakeholder engagement and work with international organizations or development partners.
• Full proficiency/Working knowledge of English.

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 West Africa, is desirable.
• Extent and relevance of experience or knowledge of Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) and Forest Governance, Law Enforcement and Trade, and relevant EU policy frameworks.
• Extent and relevance of experience in working within public administrations and international organizations.
• Extent and relevance of experience in programme/project formulation, analysis, planning and implementation.
• Familiarity with FAO policies and programmes is considered a strong asset.
• Ability to provide competent advice with regards to financial actions, human resource processing, procurement, and project cycle management and provide innovative solutions to complex operational problems.

Selection Criteria

• Knowledge in capacity development in the forest sector
• Experience in working with inter-governmental bodies and multidisciplinary teams
• Experience in forest governance
• Knowledge of Liberia’s forestry sector is an added asset
• Leadership and supervisory experience in managing projects/programmes

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

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

• 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/. These qualifications should be in alignment with the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) mappings.

• 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
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• 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.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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