Development of Sustainable Production Standards and Criteria Specialist

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• 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 staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

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 main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programs, and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.

FAO Liberia is implementing a joint program on Community Forestry Management in two of Liberia’s priority landscapes. With funding from the Embassy of Sweden, and under a UN-to-UN arrangement with UNDP, through the Multi Partner Trust Fund (MPTF). FAO will implement the program working with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and other relevant government institutions, international and national non-governmental organizations, as well as development institutions working towards sustainable natural resource management, environmental protection, and biodiversity conservation.

The Joint Programme, building on the experiences of each organization, will work across the following four components:
• Component 1: Enabling policy, governance framework and institutional capacity for CFM
• Component 2: Promote effective community-based management of PAs and INRM in the target landscapes
• Component 3: Create and strengthen resilient, low-emission land management, equitable, non-timber forest product smallholder value chains through sustainable business development of forest and farm producers, and their organizations (e.g., cooperatives)
• Component 4: Knowledge management, communication and awareness, gender mainstreaming, and monitoring & evaluation

Reporting Lines

Under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Liberia and the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative for Programme, and in full collaboration with the Project Management Specialist, the Consultant will undertake the tasks outlined below.

Technical Focus

Develop sustainable production standards and criteria through the conduct of training of trainers (ToT) on Quality Control Systems, Transparency, Accountability, Participation, and Value Chain Analysis.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Develop a detailed work plan to be presented including the description of the ToT manual, the methodology, and the timeline.
• Conduct a desk review/literature review of all relevant secondary data and sources of any information relevant reports, research, publications of project/program documents, and existing policies including assessment and surveys conducted on sustainable production standards and value chain analysis.
• Work with the Project team to conduct preliminary consultations and identify specific capacity needs on sustainable production standards and criteria.
• Develop Training of Trainers (TOT) manuals on sustainable production standards and criteria
• Conduct joint sessions on Training of Trainers (TOT) for selected participants from NGOs/CBOs and CFMBs/Community leaders including women and persons with disability.
• Produce final report including Training manuals and report from TOT.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in Forestry or other related field of studies.
• 5 years of relevant experience or specialization in Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), environmental, natural resource management, Business development, value chain and financial management.
• Working knowledge of English level C.
• National of Liberia or resident of the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Demonstrated experience in preparing related documentations for training purposes
• Proven ability to conduct Training of Trainer exercise
• Provide record for development of SFM and training materials and knowledge products.
• Understanding of sustainable production standards and value chains in forestry.
• Proven ability to build good relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including government institutions, NGOs, and local communities, and conduct fieldwork.
• Previous experience working on international donor projects is highly preferred.

Selection Criteria

• Very high skills/knowledge of background related to the ToR’s requirements
• Strong report writing skills in English
• Experience with UN and other International Organizations would be an asset

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

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
• 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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