International Sustainable Forest Management Specialist

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FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender and nationality

People with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization

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Organizational Setting

Mozambique’s forest and wildlife resources are threatened by deforestation, forest degradation and forest fires, mainly caused by shifting cultivation, illegal logging, poaching, and uncontrolled firewood and charcoal production. As a means to address such challenges, the Government of Mozambique has expressed a significant level of commitment and ambition to promote sustainable forest management, reduce deforestation and increase forest cover, while contributing to biodiversity conservation. Mozambique’s Forest Investment Plan (MOZFIP), funded by the World Bank, provides a framework for channelling international support to the country’s commitment for forest sector reform and transformational change, through national-level activities to improve the enabling environment and on-the-ground investments in two targeted landscapes, Cabo Delgado and Zambézia provinces.

FAO leads the Technical and Strategic Support to the Implementation of the MOZFIP. The project focuses on five (5) components, namely: (i) Forestry sector 20-year vision, strategy and action plan transparently and participatory developed and underpinned by a revised institutional and policy framework; (ii) Transparency, accountability, equity and overall sustainability of forest production is ensured through revision of forest concessions institutional framework; (iii) National forest sector planning and management are enhanced based on relevant and accurate information and data available through a Forest Information System; (iv) National Directorate of Forest (DINAF) staff and other stakeholders are empowered and have the knowledge, skills and capacity to manage the national forest endowment based on best forest management principles and; (v) Project Monitoring and dissemination of results.

FAO is the lead United Nations (UN) agency for agriculture, forestry, natural resources management and rural development. In Mozambique, FAO has a long history of working for the development of the forest sector, since 1979, having supported the country to implement important milestones, such as the development of the first national forest inventory in 1980.

On behalf of the MozFIP project, different lines of activities were implemented in the second component, initially being the diagnosis and development of a new approach for a more sustainable regime of countries productive forests. The reform proposal for the forest management regime aligned with international standards has evolved into different management options, which synergize around a landscape approach, includes the integration of different types of land uses as well as inclusion of different stakeholders in its management, especially the local communities. The proposal integrates the formation of a Forest Management Unit with sufficient extension to accommodate sustainable forest management, contemplating the productivity of this landscape. In general, natural forest typologies in Mozambique are typically of low productivity, requiring therefore large extensions for their sustainable management under these conditions. The implication that this challenge brings to operators, here license holders, and communities that live and share the use of resources in these landscapes, is therefore organizational, administrative, operational, as well as economic.

Reporting Lines

The consultant will report directly to the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) of the FAO MOZFIP project and to the project’s Budget Holder (BH) and will work under the technical guidance of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) in close collaboration with the National Directorate of Forest (DINAF) of the Ministry of Land and Environment (MTA), as well as with the other members of FAO involved in the project in Mozambique and FAO Forestry Department.

Technical Focus

This assignment will primarily focus on implementation of component 2 of the MOZFIP project, which focuses on: “Transparency, accountability, equity and overall sustainability of forest production is ensured through revision of forest concessions institutional framework”. The work will contribute to the development of a compendium of guidelines for sustainable management of Forest Management Units (FMUs). To date, MOZFIP and DINAF have selected one model FMU with existing licenses, which should undergo a consultative planning process. The above-mentioned compendium of guidelines is focusing on the implementation of the FMU, which will be analyzed in detail as a demonstrative pilot during the formulation process. The guidelines and recommendations should, however, ensure their wider applicability for other FMUs in Mozambique. A mapping of the potential FMUs for the target provinces is available and the characterization of their individual physical and socio-economic constraints and challenges in the context of overlapping land use rights have been ascertained.

Implementation guidelines with best practices for SFM under the proposed regime will be supporting an overall conceptual document on the FMU, which streamlining the concept of the FMU, and should focus on how to delineate FMUs, how to deal with existing or expiring licenses for currently applied forest management regimes, and the necessary changes in the legal framework for the establishment of an FMU. Furthermore, it should outline policy and implementation framework of the FMU approach: concept, process, governance structure, requirements and orientations for contractual arrangements between signed parties for a multiple use of forest resources.

Close cooperation and support of the coordination is planned under this position in the context of Letter of Agreements with national and international service providers, who in turn take on an interdisciplinary formulation of practical guidelines and manuals for the technical implementation of planning, execution of operations, and monitoring instruments for the FMUs.

Expected outputs should meet international standards for sustainable forest management, certification schemes of forest products, as well as relevant publications and guidelines for the achievement of SDGs and 2030 agenda throughout application of best practices in forest concessions and FMUs. Integration of relevant backstopping support from experts of the Forest Policy and Resources Division of FAO Forest Department have to be carefully recognized and granted.

In this way, the consultancy will be directly and/or indirectly bound by the following general project activities foreseen by the project document under the following activities:

Activity 2.1.5: Support design of a new forest concessions framework for Mozambique, including legal, policy (in coordination with policy revision), institutions, economic instruments, as well as mechanisms for coordination with other governmental projects and priorities, through a transparent and inclusive process, based on stakeholder consultations and privileging clarity and coherence

Activity 2.1.6: Support the Mozambique government to pilot the new concessions model in Cabo Delgado and Zambezia in transparent and inclusive fashion, from ensuring clear legal and institutional mandates, to design and implementation of the bidding process and implementation of operations;

Tasks and responsibilities

• Support the coordination of guidelines' development, consultation, and review processes with all contributors, under close collaboration with the leading international senior consultant for the component 2 of the project.
• Closely support and collaborate with the international service providers under LoA targeting technical guidelines development in the drafting process;
• Draft the FMU Guidelines as co-autor, with specific focus on operational aspects and support the coordination of additional technical implementation manuals and guidelines;
• Prepare a workshop, where results, i.e. guidelines are presented in an operational and clear manner adapted for proposed target groups, relevant stakeholders and interested public;
• Provide technical assistance on sustainable forest management where and when necessary;
• Provide quality control of drafting authors' of guidelines and manuals for the technical implementation of planning, execution of operations, and monitoring instruments for the FMUs, inputs and triggering of amendments where necessary;
• Support a coordination between DINAF and FAO communication office for final design of documents;
• Assist in organizing training workshops to prepare national government staff and target groups to carry out all implementation procedures and development of proposed management instruments for FMU.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced degree on Forestry, Natural Resources Management, Natural Resources Policy and Regulation or related areas;
• Minimum 15 years of relevant experience Forest Management, or related areas;
• Working knowledge of English, and limited knowledge of Spanish. For PSA.SBS working knowledge of English is sufficient.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Selection Criteria

• Minimum 5 years experience on capacity development activities in forestry in developing countries;
• Minimum 10 years experience in sustainable forest management in tropical countries;
• Knowledge of Portuguese would be a strong asset.

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

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