National Sustainable Land Management 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 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

Organizational Setting

The Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) and FAO are implementing the project Mainstreaming Sustainable Land Development and Management in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana (SLDM). The project aims at establishing an enabling environment for promoting sustainable and climate-resilient land development, management and reclamation in support of Guyana’s Green State Development Strategy through activities working at (i) streamlining policy, regulation and governance; (ii) developing institutional and human capacities; and (iii) strengthening local governance in the three regions where the project is implemented. Implemented at three levels – national, regional and local – the SLDM project is designed to create an enabling legal and policy framework informed by policy feedback loops nurtured with ground reality and inclusive participation.

Reporting Lines

Based in the Project Management Unit (PMU) Office in GLSC, the national Sustainable Land Management (SLM) specialist will work under the overall managerial administrative leadership and supervision of the FAO Representative in Guyana, direct technical supervision by the SLDM project Chief Technical Advisor, in close collaboration with the project’s team, the international SLM specialist, the Geospatial Unit in the Land and Water Division (NSL) at FAO, GLSC and other team members, and under the overall technical guidance of the Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and the concerned task force members.

Technical Focus

The main tasks of the national incumbent will be to support the project implementation, mostly on outcome 3 on land restoration, the ground implementation of land reclamation/ restoration or related tasks to support Sustainable Land Management. This is a fit for purpose approach that will be used to complete the SLM interventions in the pilot areas based on the assessments and activities that have been completed. This will be done in consultation with national agencies, national experts and relevant stakeholders to ensure the implementation of an integrated approach to planning and sustainable land management within the context of the SLDM project.

Tasks and Responsibilities

The incumbent will undertake the following tasks\:
• Provide support to engage national partners in project activities related to SLM, in particular in identifying the needs and the gaps, national experts, potential limitation in project implementation and proposed solutions, facilitating communication to support engagement of national experts and institutions.
• Compile and review GLSC and FAO datasets, land use and development plans, guidelines for environmental and agricultural planning, past research in land use /catchment planning and territorial development approaches, sustainable land management and restoration research in Guyana.
• Review the diagnostic and participatory mapping of land use / soil type and degradation processes (status, trends, drivers and impacts), such as soil erosion, nutrient and pH imbalance, salinization, land mining, contamination and climate change impacts – sea-water intrusion, drought and flooding, etc.
• Support technical guidance approach and document for participatory land / territorial diagnostic methodology and planning process as well as for SLM related project activities in general, by engaging national organizations and experts.
• Provide assistance in engaging national partner organizations and experts, technical meetings, trainings and field missions.
• Support the decision-making mechanisms for intervention in 2 or 3 targeted regions by\:
o Providing guidance for public awareness, and multi-stakeholder dialogue (event on the objectives of the pilot exercise and site / landscape selection at target sites) and interviews and a consultative process with local decision makers and potential partners, using questionnaires and focus group discussions, on recent land use trends and on experiences in land planning, sectoral support measures, and “best” management practices (sustainability, cost effectiveness, resilience to climate change, accessibility, as well as knowledge of policy and regulations);
o Developing a decision support strategy and action plan based on priority uses for sustainable management and land reclamation / restoration taking into account current trends, drivers of change and trade-offs between different land use / management options and identify required technical support and conflict resolution, funding and other incentive mechanisms. This should include a participatory evaluation, selection and documentation of the most effective SLM best practices (to prevent, reduce and restore) for the main land use systems and land users (typology) in 3 targeted regions.
• Prepare draft Terms and Conditions for service providers (public agencies and/or private sector) to execute on-the-ground land reclamation / restoration and related measures (built on SLM knowledge bases, local innovations, scientific advances and lessons learned from previous interventions), and promote adoption by land users and communities of adapted SLM practices.
• Report on the strengthened capacity for promoting territorial approaches for scaling up of proven SLM practices and rehabilitation measures with assessments of available knowledge and know‐how, capacity development needs of service providers identified in target landscapes and districts to select, adapt and promote resilient SLM and Restoration measures, for the implementation of an integrated approach combining LDN, LADA, WOCAT, AEZ, Land Tenure, land suitability analysis and Open Foris.
• Perform any other duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA

Minimum Qualification Requirements

• Bachelor’s university degree in a discipline relevant to natural resources management, Agronomy, geography, conservation, and other related areas.
• At least 5 years of relevant work experience in land management and restoration, similar to Guyana’s agroecological zones.
• Working knowledge (level C) of English.
• National of Guyana or resident in the country with a valid work permit..

FAO Core Competencies

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

Selection Criteria

• Extent and relevance of experience in soil and water resources, land rehabilitation and management and cross-cutting issues impacting on natural resources with particular emphasis on developing countries and knowledge of the Caribbean context and particularly of Guyana.
• Extent and relevance of experience of technical assistance provision to field projects on land rehabilitation and management including negotiated participatory approaches.
• Extent and relevance of experience in reviewing national processes and undertaking diagnostic studies and field research related to soil and water conservation, land rehabilitation and management.
• Proven ability to redact clear and concise technical reports.
• Extent and relevance of designing and implementing participatory approaches and to provide assistance in the organization of workshops, consultations, awareness, technical meetings and learning events.
• Proven ability to work in multidisciplinary team and including multiple partners.
• Track record in planning and implementation of sustainable land management methods/policy.

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.
• 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 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. Subject to certain exemptions, vaccination against COVID-19 will in principle be required. Vaccination status will be verified as part of the medical clearance process.

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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