Specialists in land administration and governance of land tenure and natural resources

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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

Organizational Setting

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

The FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (RLC) is responsible for leading FAO's response to regional priorities for food security, agriculture, and rural development by identifying, planning and implementing FAO's priority activities in the region. In particular, it supports regional policy dialogue on food security, agriculture and rural development, facilitates the emergence of regional partnerships and supports capacity development and resource mobilization on these issues.

The Governance of Tenure Unit at RLC is seeking external expertise to help provide technical support for various FAO projects and other activities in the LAC region. The purpose of this call for expressions of interest is to identify suitably qualified specialists who could be invited to undertake short-term assignments for FAO RLC in this thematic area.

A roster of consultants with expertise in the administration and governance of land tenure and natural resources is being developed for the FAO Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, its Subregional Offices in Mesoamerica, the Caribbean and in country offices within the region. This call for expressions of interest is addressed to specialists with various levels of experience, in particular Specialists in land administration and governance of land tenure and natural resources and Junior specialists in land administration and governance of land tenure and natural resources, to support the work of FAO in the areas listed under the “Technical Focus” described below.

Interested candidates are invited to apply to this call for expressions of interest, from which they can be considered for opportunities that may arise. Inclusion in the database does not guarantee a contract with RLC or other FAO units. Applications will remain in the database for a period of three years. The specific and final contractual arrangements related to each consultancy will be determined as appropriate, according to the nature of the consultancy. These assignments do not carry any expectation or imply any right of extension, renewal or conversion to any other post. Individual vacancy announcements for specific assignments may be issued separately from this call for expressions of interest, as deemed appropriate.

Reporting Lines

The specialist or junior specialist will report to the Land Tenure and Natural Resources Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, based in RLC, and where appropriate, in close collaboration with other RLC teams, the Subregional Offices and/or the FAO Representation in the country of assignment concerned.

Technical Focus

The technical focus of this call is for research, analysis and technical advisory services to governments in relation to the administration and governance of tenure of land and natural resources in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Governance of Tenure Unit is particularly interested in identifying qualified candidates to support its work in the area of responsible governance of tenure of land and natural resources, in particular to support the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) and the Framework for Effective Land Administration, and other related regional and/or global instruments and commitments.

It seeks to identify candidates who can cover one or more of the following technical areas:

• Land administration policies and laws
• Land registration and/or cadastre processes and systems
• Land access and/or formalization processes and mechanisms in favour of family and peasant agriculture
• Technologies, software and information systems for land administration
• Valuation of rural land
• Land or agrarian justice
• Alternative mechanisms for the resolution of conflicts related to the tenure of land and natural resources
• Governance of tenure of forests and/or conservation areas
• Land tenure and sustainable soil management
• Water governance and tenure
• Gender-sensitive governance of land tenure and natural resources
• Land and natural resource tenure rights of Indigenous Peoples and People of African descent.

Tasks and responsibilities

The tasks and responsibilities of each selected Specialist and Junior Specialist will be defined in the Terms of Reference for the specific assignment. The specialists will carry out their tasks within FAO's Results Management framework for the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and FAO's Policy on Gender Equality.

The Specialists in land administration and governance of land tenure and natural resources will work under the overall supervision and guidance of the Land Tenure and Natural Resources Officer, but will be expected to perform tasks with technical independence, in accordance with the timelines and deadlines set out in their Terms of Reference. The nature of the tasks and responsibilities they will typically be assigned include the following:

• Advise countries in the area of expertise.
• Provide technical advice to FAO in the area of specialization, especially by presenting concrete recommendations and proposals for innovation, roadmaps and action plans for improvement in the required areas of expertise.
• Undertake analyses of gaps and opportunities in relation to national, regional and/or global instruments, commitments and guidelines.
• Prepare project concept notes and design projects involving relevant technical units as well as FAO regional, subregional and country offices.
• Prepare, review, update and monitor work plans.
• Participate in multidisciplinary teams and/or support working groups/teams working on the development of integrated and coherent approaches to land tenure and natural resource administration and governance, drawing on FAO corporate approaches and frameworks, such as the VGGT, the FAO Policy on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and its Policy on Gender Equality, among others.
• Represent the Governance of Tenure Unit in internal and external meetings, field missions, trainings and other activities as required, reporting to the Land Tenure and Natural Resources Officer on the results achieved.
• Undertake capacity development/strengthening activities and provide support in the development of project outputs.
• Prepare materials, conduct technical research, prepare reports and written advice.
• Prepare or contribute to technical publications and analyses.
• Perform other related functions as necessary and required.

The Junior specialists in land administration and governance of land tenure and natural resources will work under the direct supervision and close guidance of the Land Tenure Officer. The nature of the tasks and responsibilities that will typically be assigned to them include the following:

• Prepare project concept notes.
• Support the design of projects involving different relevant technical units, as well as FAO regional, subregional and country offices.
• Prepare, review, update and monitor work plans.
• Provide support in the development of project outputs.
• Support the preparation and delivery of training and capacity building activities.
• Prepare materials, conduct research, prepare reports and written advice.
• Prepare or contribute to technical publications and analyses.
• Perform other related functions as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in social sciences, economics, engineering or other relevant fields (e.g. law, agronomy, forestry, biology, geography, topography, economics, sociology, anthropology or other relevant academic background).
• Work experience: Land and natural resources administration and governance specialists: At least five years of relevant work experience in one or more of the above technical areas; Junior land and natural resources administration and governance specialists: At least one year of relevant work experience.
• For Consultants, working knowledge (level C) of Spanish and limited knowledge (level B) of English or French.
• For PSA, working knowledge (level C) of Spanish. Limited knowledge (level B) of English or French is desirable.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

Applicants for Specialists in land administration and governance of land tenure and natural resources positions should clearly indicate their specific technical expertise in their application.

Applicants for Junior specialists in land administration and governance of land tenure and natural resources positions should have demonstrated interest in the technical areas listed above, as well as strong analytical, research and writing skills.

• Results-based approach
• Overview and capacity for strategic analysis
• Commitment to FAO's values, mission and vision
• Ability to work as part of a team, especially with staff from different professional and cultural backgrounds
• Communication skill
• Effective relationship building
• Capacity for learning, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement
• Initiative and proactivity
• Ability to work under pressure.

Selection Criteria

• Degree of knowledge and experience in land and natural resource governance issues related to a relevant technical area in Latin America and the Caribbean;
• Ability to conduct research and analysis with comprehensive approaches;
• Capacity for synthesis and concreteness including writing clear and concise reports;
• Degree of experience of different legal/political/administrative systems and types of work;
• Experience working with international or regional organisations or other governmental, academic, civil society or private sector entities in a relevant field;
• Proficiency in Spanish or English (level C);
• Limited knowledge (B level) of French or Portuguese is desirable.

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