Ecosystems Conservation and Management Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) advances the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation toward more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems. This effort promotes better production, improved nutrition, a healthier environment, and enhanced livelihoods, ensuring no one is left behind.

The Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP) is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing, and implementing strategies and projects that drive the transformation of food, agriculture, and rural development. It also fosters and maintains relationships with subregional institutions.

The Subregional Office is a subsidiary of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP).

Resilient Islands, Resilient Communities’ project (GCP/KIR/009/GFF) is a five-year project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Kiribati Government.  FAO is the Implementing Agency (IA) and is providing the technical support to the Kiribati Government in implementing the project.  The Ministry of Environment, Land and Agriculture Development (MELAD), the Ministry of Fisheries and Ocean Resources (MFOR), and the Island Councils are the main executing partners and national counterparts for the project.  The project will be working closely with other partners within the public and private sectors as well as with members of the Non-Government Organizations (NGOs). The project aims to improve biodiversity conservation and landscape level management to enhance socio-ecological resilience to climate variability and change.

Under the overall administrative leadership of FAO Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands, based in Samoa and under the direct technical guidance and supervision of the Project Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) as well as in close collaboration and consultation with relevant Government Ministries, the Ecosystems Conservation and Management Specialist, the NPP.

Reporting Lines

The NPP will work under the overall supervision of the Subregional Coordinator for the Pacific Islands and the direct supervision of the Chief Technical Adviser, in close consultation with the Director of the Environment and Conservation Division (ECD) under Kiribati Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development (MELAD).

Technical Focus 

Provide support in technical implementation and coordination of Ecosystems Conservation and management activities under GCP/KIR/009/GFF project in Kiribati, ensuring stakeholder engagement, financial oversight, data analysis, and policy support.

Tasks and responsibilities

Technical responsibilities

•    Actively engage in participatory fieldwork, research, and community consultations in the outer islands;
•    Collaborate with Project Team members to facilitate meetings, trainings, and other community-based activities at various locations;
•    Prepare and submit comprehensive documentation of activities, including technical reports, trip reports, and project progress reports;
•    Lead the planning, implementation, monitoring, and quarterly evaluation of extension officers operating in the project’s pilot sites.
•    Participate in the collection, compilation, analysis, and reporting of data and information for activities specified in the project work plan and integrated, where possible, in the Environment Management Information System (EMIS); 
•    Identify relevant data that could contribute to the State of the Environment report data generated through the implementation of the activities of the project (across ALD, CFD and ECD);
•    Support follow-up efforts and provide coordination assistance, in collaboration with extension officers, to ensure progress on the development of policy and legal frameworks to support management plans in the outer islands;
•    Lead in the development of training materials, such as guidelines, presentations and other resources management, awareness and educational information.
•    Responsible to provide contribution with innovative ideas in regard with the ecosystem restoration activities and provide recommendations for any potential activities that could be considered for implementation by ECD under the project. 
•    Facilitate the development of plans for absorption of extension officers at the end of the project implementation through provision of staff performance assessments; and
•    Perform other related duties as required.

Project management responsibilities

•    Facilitate and support all aspects of the project implementation in Kiribati.
•    Act as Technical Focal Point and first point of contact for the project stakeholders and interested parties from the field when it comes to environment and conservation activities.
•    Provide backstopping support to the Environment Extension Officers in areas related to environment and conservation activities in the project sites.
•    Maintain strong working relationships with all stakeholders (particularly Ministries, outer islands local authorities, elders, etc.) in project area and ensure their active involvement with project interventions.
•    Establish dialogue with stakeholders and outer islands in general, to develop an understanding of local requirements, constraints and issues to be considered through project activities.
•    Ensure regular communications with MELAD and FAO to integrate and align the ECD quarterly and annual workplans, Ministry Strategic Plans (MSP) and project activities harmoniously within the development plans and objectives of the MELAD.
•    Ensure timely implementation of project activities as per workplans and LoAs in the project sites.
•    Support ECD management and the PMU in the development of ToRs for national and international consultants needed to work for the project.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements 

•    A relevant university degree in an appropriate discipline or equivalent required: Ecosystem management; Resources management; Sustainable development; Social Science.
•    At least 5 years’ experience in managing programmes and projects, preferably in multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder initiatives in the natural resources and community-based management fields, especially within Kiribati.
•    Working knowledge of English and Kiribati
•    National of Kiribati

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills 

•    Efficiency, competence and integrity as well as negotiating skills, tact and diplomacy are essential.
•    Able to work with multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural project partners at regional and international level;
•    Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable.
•    Extent of knowledge of ecosystems conservation and management activities as well as FAO standard operational rules and procedures and project/programme administrative management procedures
•    Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, with experience liaising between diverse project stakeholders.
•    Extent of knowledge of FAO’s corporate systems and database, or knowledge of other accounting or financial modules or applications relevant to accounting procedures or project budget management would be considered an asset.
•    Demonstrated analytical and judgment skills and ability to apply rules and regulations in the subject field.

Selection Criteria

•    Demonstrated technical experience and knowledge in undertaking ecosystems and conservation related surveys and assessments work,   
•    Adequate knowledge of Kiribati ecosystems, their values and vulnerabilities and their legal and institutional foundations,
•    Ability to work as a member of the project team.
•    Demonstrated experience in implementing environment, ecosystems conservation and management related activities in a small island developing states context;
•    Ability in providing policy guidance towards development and implementation of environment, ecosystems conservation and management related activities, projects and programmes.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION