JOB DESCRIPTION

Organizational Setting

The position is located in the FAO Vanuatu office, to support the FAO-UNEP SIDS Ecosystem Restoration Flagship Project in delivering of policy and practice in ecosystem restoration; providing reliable information for ecosystem maintenance and improvement and land, freshwater, coastal and marine system use related policy development, planning and sustainable management; as well as aiding them to fulfil international reporting requirements under the Convention on Biological Diversity Biodiversity Plan (Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework), the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Reporting Lines

The Specialist will directly report to Assistant FAO Representative, Vanuatu, with close collaboration with the other technical officers at FAOSAP and FAO HQ with work related to ecosystem restoration and data collection.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will contribute to the operational success of FAO’s work within the FAO-UNEP Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/) and the FAO-UNEP SIDS Ecosystem Restoration Flagship Project. The objective of this assignment is to support the work of FAO-UNEP SIDS Ecosystem Restoration Flagship Project, assisting Vanuatu in the delivery of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and commitments to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s post-2020 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), especially for monitoring and reporting Target 2 on area under restoration.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Collaborate with national government Ministries (especially Fisheries, Ocean and Maritime Affairs, Forestry and Tourism) to establish technical assistance and capacity development contracts that support the projects delivery to report progress on ‘areas under restoration’ and monitoring of progress towards ecosystem restoration targets.

• Facilitate coordination between national stakeholders on Blue Economy transition and technical support provided by UNEP. FAO and other partners

• Support capacity development for communities in two project locations: i) Moso / Nguna Pele and ii) Maskelynes / Lamap, where in country project efforts on ecosystem restoration are being supported, and reporting on restoration work underway and completed.

• Assist in the financial planning for delivery of the project plans to FAO-UNEP SIDS Ecosystem Restoration Flagship Project leadership in the FAO Office in Vanuatu, the Regional Office in Samoa, and the Technical Officer of the project based internationally.

• Organize and/or facilitate meetings, workshops, technical trainings etc not only two project locations, but also at national level on issues related to Blue Economy and FERM (monitoring) and coordinate with relevant units in FAO.

• Report on progress of delivery of the FAO-UNEP SIDS Ecosystem Restoration Flagship Project at regular intervals.

• Support the coordination and collaboration, with international partners working on ecosystem restoration, to ensure coherence and complementarity of efforts.

• Provide technical support and expert guidance to FAO and its partners on ecosystem restoration and related issues.

• Support the identification, collection and submission of good practices on restoration through the FERM and other platforms

• Support with enhancing the visibility of the SIDS Flagship related activities at national and international level.

• Perform other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University Degree in natural resources management, fisheries, forestry or any other relevant subject

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in integrated community-led natural resource management and/or restoration projects

• National or Local Resident of Vanuatu

• Working knowledge of English, French or Local language “Bislama”.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus

• Teamwork

• Communication

• Building Effective Relationships

• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

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
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• For additional employment opportunities 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.