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 Forestry Division (NFO) leads FAO's work in promoting sustainable forest management and providing leadership on the environmental, social and economic dimensions of forestry, including contributions of forests and trees to poverty reduction and food security and nutrition. Staff of the Division liaise with Members, civil society and the private sector in aspects ranging from development of effective forest policies to forest conservation and management issues and strengthening the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Division also collects, analyses and disseminates information on the world's forest resources and on the production, trade and consumption of wood and non-wood forest products.
The European Union – Africa's Great Green Wall funded regional project 'Knowledge for Action in implementing the Great Green Wall' (Ref. GCP/INT/1039/EC) has the overall objective to enable sustainable and inclusive land management and improved rural livelihoods in support of the implementation of the Great Green Wall initiative and to accelerate progress towards its objectives. The project will focus primarily on the eleven (11) countries that are members of the Pan-African Agency of the GGW (Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan). Wherever possible and appropriate, this regional project will also offer support to the additional seven (7) countries implementing Great Green Wall-related activities (i.e. Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, South Sudan and Somalia). Together, this forms the broader area of the Sahel - Great Green Wall.
Reporting Lines:
The Senior Forestry Officer reports to the Deputy Director, NFO, under the overall guidance of the Director, NFO. S/he will work in close collaboration with the NFO teams dealing with land restoration and forest monitoring, relevant technical units at headquarters, regional and decentralized offices staff and partners (including FAO staff, project teams and partner organizations and countries in Africa).
Technical Focus:
Coordination and technical support of FAO's work on the Great Green Wall related to land restoration, integrated landscape management, monitoring, and policy and institutional strengthening and in support of implementation of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Key Functions:
Plans, manages, or leads highly specialized or multidisciplinary teams, leads, coordinates, and/or participates on Organization-wide, cross-divisional committees, project teams, and working groups, and/or provides technical leadership/secretariat services on technical networks and/or international technical policy and standard setting bodies.
Analyses global and country specific requirements and relevant technical issues to provide critical input into the FAO Strategic Framework, Programme of Work, work plans and the supporting budgets and/or resourcing strategies.
Implements and monitors programmes of work involving the development of the approach, evidence based strategies, and related tools, methodologies and the supporting system/database, monitoring and reporting frameworks.
Conducts, designs and oversees research and analysis' activities to support the development of technical standards, international instruments, innovation, technical reports, publications and/or on-going programme development as well as the provision of technical and/or policy advisory services.
Provides technical and policy advice to Members and technical support to Decentralized Offices in the development and implementation of their programmes.
Leads and/or collaborates in, provides technical backstopping to and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development and knowledge sharing activities within member countries such as policy support, organizational development and individual learning events including preparation of related information, learning, on-line tools.
Represents the Organization at international meetings and conferences, identifies and implements strategic partnerships, advocates best practices and increased policy dialogue and develops and negotiates effective working relationships/consensus and agreements with international and national stakeholders.
Leads and/or participates in resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate Strategy.
Candidates Will Be Assessed Against The Following:
Minimum Requirements:
Advanced university degree in forestry, environmental sciences or related field with relevant publications in the areas of expertise.
Ten years of relevant experience in working as an international programme or project coordinator/manager, with international organizations related to forestry, environmental and natural resources management with an emphasis on drylands.
Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and French.
