FPIC Specialist

Under the overall supervision of the Head of Office in FAO Papua New Guinea, the FPIC Specialist reports directly to the Chief Technical Advisor. She/He works closely with the Land Governance Specialist in the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP), as well as the Project Task Force Team of GCP/PNG/011/GFF.

Technical Focus: 

The incumbent will support the implementation of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for the project “Enabling sustainable production landscapes in Eastern Highlands and Western Highlands Provinces for Biodiversity, Human Livelihoods and Well-being”, Papua New Guinea. In a broader context, the experience of exercising FPIC will be used to both inform country office staff and prepare them for future programming that will require a similar process.

Tasks and responsibilities:

• Confirm the communities in project sites that should be included in the exercising of FPIC;
• Provide technical support in the design of a cost-effective FPIC process to be carried out for the entire range of project activities in each community involving the development of a draft consent form that is approved by FAO Safeguards Unit and guidance to report on the FPIC process. This process should follow FAO policy, namely the six-step process as outlined in its practitioner’s manual;
• Ensure that the design and implementation of the FPIC process is also gender responsive, in particular catering the voices and needs of women community members;
• Identify customary practices and rules that need to be respected during an FPIC process. For example, any cultural or religious festivals that require the process to momentarily pause during their duration. Furthermore, the process should account for local decision-making structures;
• Prepare a budget for the FPIC process;
• Support the production of documentation to seek out an independent third-party service provider to carry out the FPIC process, commencing with a call for an expression of interest from relevant parties. This provider should also carry out training support to the country office, under further support from the RAP Safeguards Task Force where necessary, to improve understanding of the FPIC process;
• Join at least part of the conduct of the FPIC process, in collaboration with the service providers;
• Oversee the production of necessary documentation by the service-provider that will record the process and the resulting community decisions on consent. Ensure that parties agree on timeframes for sharing documentation, methods for how materials are to be shared (for instance: designated recipients, oral and written formats), languages and translations;
• Produce a report with recommendations and training guidance for the PNG country office to support future FPIC processes as new projects go through design and implementation phases;
• Liaise with the Safeguards Task Force at FAO Regional Office in Asia and the Pacific as necessary, including any needs for backstopping support on the FPIC process;
• Perform other duties as required.

Candidates Will Be Assessed Against The Following:

• University degree in international relations, social sciences, economics, agricultural sciences or any other discipline relevant to the work of the Organization;
• Three years of relevant experience in project and programme management;
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English.
• National of Papua New Guinea or resident of the country with valid work permit.

Source: https://jobs.fao.org/careersection/fao_external/jobdetail.ftl?job=2402287