Range Ecology and Management Specialist

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports the 2030 Agenda through its Strategic Framework, promoting efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agrifood systems for better production, nutrition, environment, and life, leaving no one behind.
FAO Country Offices, guided by the Strategic Framework, provide policy advice, technical assistance, and core services to countries in FAO’s mandated areas. These offices implement country-specific priorities outlined in their Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), ensuring efficient operations with adequate human and financial resources.
FAO Ethiopia country office in close collaboration with Ministries of Agriculture (MoA) and other relevant government institutions implement various interventions aimed at promoting sustainable food systems, providing related technical assistance and policy advice, enhancing access to knowledge and technology, promoting seed systems and genetic resources and supporting appropriate and timely response to food security challenges and emergencies.
FAO developed a cross-border project entitled Pastoralism and Livestock Adaptation to Climate Change in East Africa which is also called PLACE Africa project. The project aims to contribute to the development of sustainable climate resilient pastoral systems in Eastern/Horn of Africa that have the ability to improve the livelihoods of pastoral communities. The direct beneficiaries of the project are the pastoralist and other actors in and around the Karamoja and Mandera clusters of South Ethiopia and Somali Regions, respectively. This project conceptualizes pastoralism in a three-dimensional approach with regard to value chain development: the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. the environmental pillar prioritizes conserving the environment and promoting harmonized policies and initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, protecting and conserving biodiversity and their habitats, and promoting the sustainable use of transboundary natural resources. Rangeland management and restoration that leads to enhanced availability of pasture for livestock feeding is one component under the environmental pillar.
To support effective implementation, the Range Ecology and Management Specialist will collect and analyse primary and secondary data which involves participatory mapping of the communal rangelands; participatory identification of indigenous pasture and forage varieties; and mapping of locations affected by invasive plants in the Mandera Cluster of the Somali and Karamoja Cluster of South Ethiopia regions. The outputs of this assignment are expected to advice rangeland related interventions under the environmental pillar of the PLACE Africa project.

Reporting Lines

The Range Ecology and Management Specialist will work under the overall supervision and guidance of the FAO Representative in Ethiopia, and and the direct supervision of Livestock Country Team Lead.

Technical Focus

Through participatory approach collect and analyse both primary and secondary data to map communal rangelands; identify indigenous pasture and forage varieties; and map locations affected by invasive plants in the Mandera Cluster of the Somali and Karamoja Cluster of South Ethiopia regions to advice rangeland related interventions under the environmental pillar of the PLACE Africa project.

Tasks and responsibilities

In particular, the incumbent will be responsible for fulfilling the following specific tasks: 
•     Facilitate participatory mapping of the communal rangelands and identify the existing policies and practices of rangeland management.
•     Facilitate identification of indigenous pasture and forage varieties in South Ethiopia and Somali Regions Seed Enterprises.
•     Support identification/selection of community groups for community led forage seed multiplication.
•     Facilitate mapping (supported by GIS and other relevant tool/s) of the specific locations affected by invasive plants and the species involved 
•     Provide essential technical support in developing strategies to control the spread of invasive plant species and to restore degraded rangelands
•     Assist creation of centralized and harmonized database (indigenous pasture and forage varieties, invasive species and ecological condition of the rangelands and final report with key findings and recommendation rangeland restoration plans and integrated management strategies as well as outline roles, responsibilities, and policy needs.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements 
  
•     A master’s degree in Range Ecology, Rangeland Management, Forage/pasture management, Livestock feed and feed management, Natural Resources Management, or related field. 
•     At least 5 years of relevant experience in rangeland ecology, pasture assessment, forage management, or natural resource management in arid and semi-arid lands.
•     Proven experience in conducting field-based ecological assessments including Participatory mapping of rangelands and land use, Identification of indigenous forage and pasture species and Mapping of invasive species and degraded areas.
•     Strong track record in data collection, analysis, and reporting of both primary and secondary ecological data.
•     Demonstrated experience working with pastoralist communities, government agencies, and NGOs in similar contexts.
•     Working knowledge of English and local languages
•     National of Ethiopia or has a valid residence permit

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

•     Work experience in more than one location or area of work and extent and relevance of the experiences in rangeland/pasture/forage/feed management. 
•     Skilled in plant identification (especially indigenous African forages, pasture and invasive weeds).
•     Solid understanding of climate-resilient rangeland management approaches.
•     Knowledge of ecosystem services, land degradation neutrality, and rehabilitation methods.
•     Proficiency in GIS and remote sensing tools for mapping vegetation, land use, and invasive species.
•     Ability to design and lead participatory rural appraisal (PRA) or similar community-based data collection tools.
•     Proficiency and flexibility in using statistical software, especially R, Stata, SPSS, SAS or similar (preferably open-source) software.
•     Excellent analytical, communication, and facilitation skills.
•     Willingness to travel frequently within the target regions and open to work with other relevant units.

Selection Criteria

•     A PhD is an added advantage.