Senior Technical Advisor

The FAO in Afghanistan assists the Government to develop policies, programmes and projects to address the root causes of hunger and malnutrition; to help the Government develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors and to use the environmental and natural resources in a suitable way. It participates in the development of FAO’s field projects in the country and implements it, including the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the damaged relevant sectors.

FAO works with three counterpart ministries – the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, the Ministry of Energy and Water and the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development. The FAO Representation is based in Kabul with regional offices in Herat, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz and Provincial offices in Badakhshan, Bamyan, Kapisa and Parwan.

The post is located in Kabul, Afghanistan, and the position is for the FAO – Global Environmental Facility (GEF) project, “Community Based Sustainable Land and Forest Management in Afghanistan.

Project Background\:

The General Directorate of Natural Resources Management (GD-NRM) of MAIL offers services in Natural Resource Management (NRM) and they promote community-based NRM initiatives so that local communities can benefit from natural resources in a fair and equitable way. The mission of the General Directorate of NRM is restoration, protection, and conservation of forests, rangelands, natural vegetation and ecological areas. They are doing this by introducing prudent use approaches and mechanisms, by training communities in watershed management and soil conservation, by combatting desertification and improve ecological balance. Ideally this will all result in reduced natural disasters, healthy environments, agriculture and livestock sector development and food security.

FAO assistance in Afghanistan achieves its objectives through capacity development and direct project implementation in four specific areas of FAO’s technical expertise\:

• Better governance through improved capacity for policy planning, land reform, decentralization, and management of common natural resources;
• Fostering expansion of irrigation and field water management;
• Intensive agriculture for surplus commercialization, value chains development, and job creation;
• Supporting vulnerable farmers for improved food & nutrition security, resilience, and emergency response to natural and man-made disasters and climate change.

Climate Change, Gender and Capacity Development are cross-cutting issues across FAO Afghanistan’s Country Programme Framework, and several projects in the CPF focus specifically on these issues. Women, for example, are empowered to have access to productive resources especially through specific projects aimed at transferring technology to female-friendly agricultural businesses. Similarly, climate change adaptation is tackled through Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) projects, improved governance of common resources, or the promotion of renewable energy.

The main objective of the project, “Community Based Sustainable Land and Forest Management in Afghanistan” is to support the GD-NRM of MAIL in integrating community-based approaches to Sustainable Land Management/Sustainable Forest Management (SLM/SFM) in Afghanistan in order to promote biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and rangeland productivity.

The key outputs of the project are\: I) enhanced capacity of national and sub-national government institutions for SLM/SFM; ii) enhanced capacity of local communities in Badghis, Bamyan, Ghazni, Kunar and Paktya Provinces for developing and implementing community based SLM/SFM plans; iii) improved management of 10,000 ha of High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF) and 20,000 ha of other forest types to increase biodiversity conservation; iv) improved management of 200,000 ha of degraded rangelands in order to reduce land degradation, increase biodiversity conservation; and, v) improved knowledge to inform planning and implementation of SLM/SFM practices.

The Senior Technical Advisor will report directly to the FAO Representative in Afghanistan as his/her supervisor. On technical aspects s/he should consult the Lead Technical Officers (LTO) based at FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok.

Technical Focus\:

The main objective of the project, “Community Based Sustainable Land and Forest Management in Afghanistan” is to support integrated, community-based approaches to Sustainable Land Management/Sustainable Forest Management (SLM/SFM) in Afghanistan for promoting biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and rangeland productivity.

Tasks and responsibilities\:

• Be Responsible for all technical soundness and accountability of project on climate change mitigation, sustainable community-based natural resource management and agroforestry including environmental awareness, education and capacity building on these aspects;.
• Build system based on GEF and NRM requirement and for monitoring is required and supervise, oversee, and monitor day-to-day tasks of project team and, when necessary, in close coordination with National Field Manager, oversee and troubleshoot issues for the Project Management Unit and Project Coordination Units established.
• Oversee and facilitate the preparation annual work plans and verify the content of standard project reporting documents prior to internal clearance; ensures the standard quality of FAO-GEF reporting documents and submission deadlines.
• Develop and implement a hand-over action plan, at least three months prior to the completion of the assignment, in consultation with the Project Management Unit, FAO Lead Technical Officer and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the project staff has acquired necessary capacities to carry on the project implementation.
• Lead cross-project knowledge management and up-scaling of best practices in sustainable land and forest management and assist the National Field Manager(NFM) to establish cross-project linkages related to forest monitoring, restoration and carbon sequestration, where this project can learn and share lessons effectively from/with other initiatives in the region and worldwide.
• Facilitate linkages with other projects on SLM/SFM in the region to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience and apply the latest technologies in SLM/SFM including use and training on methodologies for monitoring forest and land use change.
• Ensure the quality of technical reports and products, submit them to the FAO Technical Officers for review and, when needed, for obtaining clearance.
• Prepare Terms of References for the technical service providers (TSPs) on\: i) capacity-building; ii) community participation; iii) implementing community-based natural resource management; and iv) promoting SLM/SFM using the following methodologies\: participatory analysis and planning, participatory monitoring and evaluation and learning and knowledge sharing. Ensure procurement and contract processes using GEF resources in compliance with FAO-GEF rules and guidelines and work plan and budget.
• Assist the NFM (National Field Manager) as well as supporting technical stakeholders such as TSPs and International and National Carbon Monitoring Experts (CME and NCME), respectively – in compiling annual project progress reports and other monitoring and evaluation report requirements.
• Ensure the outcomes of workshops and Project Steering Committee meetings and monitoring activities.
• Ensure and participate in recruiting process of project personnel including drafting of Terms of References of consultancies for the design and implementation of GEF projects.
• Build and promote effective FAO project team for environment-fund projects in the country.
• Represent, when requested by the FAO Representative, the FAO-GEF project at meetings and workshops, including inception and validation meetings, Project Steering Committee meetings, and consultation meetings with project stakeholders.
• Ensure the quality and deadlines of report writing and submission including 6-month Project Progress Reports and GEF annual Project Implementation Review Reports (PIR) and project terminal report.
• Facilitate and support/participate in the regular FAO’s project supervision/oversight mission and Mid-Term Review and Terminal Evaluation of the project in close cooperation with Monitoring and Evaluation expert.
• Support the FAO Representative in strengthening effective working relationships with national, regional and international partners, including appropriate liaison and synergies with GEF Operational Focal Point, Ministries, UN agencies, International Financial Institutions in the country, and other local institutions.
• Support the government agency to initiate the process for the National Accredited agency for the GEF and to build up the existing capacities on the GEF funding mechanisms.
• ENSURE EFFECTIVE DELIVERY OF PROJECT OUTPUTS AS PER ANNUAL WORK PLAN, GOOD COORDINATION WITH PROVINCIAL TEAMS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE GOVERNMENTS, ETC. Ensure the process of fiduciary assessment and facilitate to create enabling environment of national execution of FAO-GEF projects through training activity etc. under the guidance of NPD/NRM-MAIL.
• Provide support in formulation of operating and technical documents, manuals, policies, designing new concept and introducing of good practices.
• Contribute to the establishment of coordination system at the sub-national level with all actors, a sound Monitoring system method and feasibility studies and assessments.
• Support the climate change adaptation in community plans and provision of scientific support on issues of climate and changes.
• Develop eco-region based forest and rangeland management plans, build capacity for watershed level plans and community based management plans development.
• Monitor the outputs and results of the project against agreed work pan, and to identify constraints and issues that require timely resolution and corrective actions;

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

• Advanced university degree in NRM (Natural Resource Management) fields such as forestry, land management, rural development, environmental sciences, or closely related fields;
• Twelve (12) years of relevant experience in SLM/SFM including, climate change, adaptive management, project Management, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning processes, Agro-forestry and related research, capability to efficiently back-stop project team in relation to environment, agriculture, livestock, forestry and/or fisheries;
• Working knowledge of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge of one of the other two or Arabic, Chinese, Russian.

• Results Focus\: Takes accountability for the delivery of agreed results in service of FAO’s strategic framework
• Teamwork\: Works collaboratively in a team, supports others and fosters a positive team environment.
• Communication\: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication.
• Building Effective Relationships\: Coordinates, directs, facilitates and recognizes team efforts; creates an enabling environment and assists others to realize and develop their potential.
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement\: Continually seeks to improve the knowledge, skills and work processes of oneself and others.

Technical/Functional Skills

• Practical experience in NRM and Rural development with hands-on experiences in SLM/SFM in a rural context;
• Familiarity with climate change mitigation and integrated land-use planning, carbon sequestration and agroforestry techniques pertinent to Central Asia in Central Asia;
• Familiarity with knowledge management systems on SLM/SFM;
• Familiarity with the socio-economic and political context of Afghanistan.
• Familiarity with project execution modalities such as national execution as well as the GEF rules and requirements.
• Extent of experience in organising public relations, environmental awareness, education and capacity building activities.
• Strong interpersonal and communication, reporting and presentation skills.
• Work experience with projects funded by international donors.
• Extent and relevance of experience in leading and building project teams to set and achieve clear goals.
• Extent and relevance of experience in planning, managing, implementing and monitoring projects that are consistent with agreed work plans and key performance indicators.
• Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Strong partnership building and networking skills involving multiple types of partners and stakeholders.
• Ability to identify issues, analyse and participate in the resolution of issues/problems.
• Extent and relevance of experience in provision of supervision, advice and mentoring to project team and project partners in the international technical cooperation.
• Experience with FAO or other UN agencies’ systems and administration procedures for technical cooperation activities is desirable.
• Working experience in technical cooperation in Afghanistan would be an asset.
• Familiarity with the UN Communications rules and procedures, experience in developing communications strategies for the UN is necessary.
• Previous working experience in the region and familiarity with the country situation will be highly desirable;