National Consultant - Forest Surveyor

VA NO. FAO/PRJ/SC/16-2020

Functional  Title:

National Consultant -  Forest Surveyor   

Type of Contract:

Consultancy /Personal Service Agreement (National Consultancy/PSA.NAT)

Grade / Level:

C – Level/Category

Number of Post (s) :

10 (Ten)

Duration :

05 Months

Extendable / Renewable:

Extendable, Based on Satisfactory Performance & Budget Availability

Probationary Period:

Initial 3 Months

Project / Programme / Unit: 

Community Based Sustainable Land and Forest Management in Afghanistan (GCP/AFG/084/GFF) – Project

Duty Station:

Kunar, Paktia, Ghazni, Bamyan & Badghis  - With Possible Domestic Field Missions within the Country

Sub – Station:

Nil

DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES:

Organization Settings:

Through its Country Offices, or FAO Representations, FAO assists governments to develop policies, Programmes and projects to address hunger, food security and malnutrition, and provides technical support for the sustainable development of their agricultural, livestock, animal health, and irrigation and forestry sectors as well as emergency preparedness and response. The activities of the FAO Representation include design and implementation of country-tailored field Programmes, liaison with local donor representatives and active public awareness raising and outreach activities related to the mandate of FAO.

FAO assistance in Afghanistan achieves its objectives through capacity development and direct project implementation in four specific areas of FAO’s technical expertise: 

• Better governance through improved capacity for policy planning, land reform, decentralization, and management of common natural resources;
• Fostering expansion of irrigation and field water management; 
• Intensive agriculture for surplus commercialization, value chains development, and job creation;
• Supporting vulnerable farmers for improved food and nutrition security, resilience, and emergency response to natural and man-made disasters and climate change.

Project Background:

The General Directorate of Natural Resources Management (GD-NRM) of MAIL offers services in Natural Resource Management (NRM) and they promote community-based NRM initiatives so that local communities can benefit from natural resources in a fair and equitable way. The mission of the General Directorate of NRM is restoration, protection, and conservation of forests, rangelands, natural vegetation and ecological areas. They are doing this by introducing prudent use approaches and mechanisms, by training communities in watershed management and soil conservation, by combatting desertification and improve ecological balance. Ideally this will all result in reduced natural disasters, healthy environments, agriculture and livestock sector development and food security.

Climate Change, Gender and Capacity Development are cross-cutting issues across FAO Afghanistan’s Country Programme Framework, and several projects in the CPF focus specifically on these issues. Women, for example, are empowered to have access to productive resources especially through specific projects aimed at transferring technology to female-friendly agricultural businesses. Similarly, climate change adaptation is tackled through Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) projects, improved governance of common resources, or the promotion of renewable energy.

The key outputs of the project are: i) enhanced capacity of national and sub-national government institutions for SLM/SFM; ii) enhanced capacity of local communities in Badghis, Bamyan, Ghazni, Kunar and Paktia Provinces for developing and implementing community based SLM/SFM plans; iii) improved management of 10,000 ha of High Conservation Value Forests (HCVF) and 20,000 ha of other forest types to increase biodiversity conservation; iv) improved management of 200,000 ha of degraded rangelands in order to reduce land degradation, increase biodiversity conservation; and, v) improved knowledge to inform planning and implementation of SLM/SFM practices.

FAO holds the ultimate responsibility for the implementation of the project, the delivery of the planned outputs and the achievement of the expected outcomes. The project will be managed and implemented by FAO and directly executed by MAIL and its partners. MAIL/GD-NRM is the lead implementing agency for the project and other line ministries such as the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD), the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), the Independent General Directorate of Kuchi (IDGK) and Kabul university will be part of the project steering committee and will be closely involved in the project implementation cycle as per the Project Document and Government Cooperation Project Agreement signed with MAIL.

Technical Focus:

The main objective of the project, “Community Based Sustainable Land and Forest Management in Afghanistan” is to support integrated, community-based approaches to Sustainable Land Management/Sustainable Forest Management (SLM/SFM) in Afghanistan for promoting biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and rangeland productivity.

Key Results:

The project activities are implemented successfully, timely and effectively in conformity with the objectives of the project. The incumbent is responsible to conduct extensive field survey to measure forest plots and collect ground-survey data.

Main Purpose:

The National Consultant - Forest Surveyor will work as a part of the GEF-6 project (GCP/AFG/084/GEF) on Community-based Sustainable Land and Forest Management in Afghanistan. The main objective of the project is to support integrated community-based approaches to SLM/SFM in Afghanistan for promoting biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and rangeland productivity. The project has four components: i)capacity building at national, sub-national and district-levels for SFM/SLM (ii) biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration in forest landscapes (iii); community-based rangeland management (iv); and knowledge management and M&E .Under the components 1 and 2, the key activities include: piloting national forest and rangeland inventory, assessment of soil organic carbon, and assessment of biodiversity. The key activities under this assignment is to conduct ground-survey to measure forest/rangeland plots, data entry, store and analyses data based on the methodology developed for a national forest/rangeland inventory and a national-scale biodiversity assessment.

Under the FAO-GCP/AFG/084/GEF project, ten (10) qualified Forest Surveyors will be required to conduct ground-survey activities for measurement of forest/rangeland plots. The post is Based in Provinces, particularly in Kunar, Paktia, Ghazni, Bamiyan and Badghis.

Supervision Received/Exercised:

The National Consultant - Forest Surveyor will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Afghanistan, under direct supervision of the National Forest Monitoring Specialist, Senior Technical Advisor, and National Project Manager, and in close collaboration with counterpart authorities and other national staff.

The Forest Surveyor will work as a member of the field survey team formed with representatives from provincial project personals, from government counterparts and technical departments in MAIL/GD-NRM, and from other institutions.  

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Attend capacity development trainings on forest/rangeland inventory and biodiversity assessment;
• Support in preparation of ground-survey activity planning and preparation
• Prepare and follow-up mission plan and day-to-day operational plan for ground-survey
• Measure forest/rangeland plots following the methodological guidelines and protocols for forest/rangeland inventory and bio- diversity assessment (floral and faunal diversity)
• Support in conducting regional and provincial training on ground survey methods for forest/biodiversity assessment
• Measure forest/rangeland plots and/or measure biodiversity, and record and store plot data
• Support in data entry and data analyses
• Work under direct technical supervision of International Forest Monitoring expert 

Other Activities:

• Perform other related duties as may be required by the international Forrest inventory expert, STA and National Project Manager.

Expected Outputs:

• Forest/Rangeland inventory plot measurement
• Quality control and quality assurance activities
• Bio-physical and socio-economic surveys
• Mission reports

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS (TECHNICAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATION)

Education:

• University degree in Forestry, Geography, Environment, Natural Resource Management, Agriculture, Horticulture or closely related field.

Work Experience:

• At least Three (03) years of progressively responsible project support services, community based sustainable land management, forest management, survey, data collection and reporting  experience;
• Basic knowledge about climate change, geography and sustainable management issues in Afghanistan, including the political, institutional and socio-economic contexts;

Other Technical/Functional Skills:

• Ability and willingness to travel extensively in remote or inaccessible areas to conduct ground-survey;
• Have necessary motivation to work as a team through creating a supportive environment; and
• Knowledge of common UN administrative and financial rules and regulations;
• Ability to organize work systematically, set priorities and meet deadlines;
• Ability to structure and convey information in an appropriate format and timely, ensuring accuracy and consistency;
• Good IT skills, especially in Geographic Information System and MS Office applications, and proficiency in using internet search engines and other relevant online tools;
• Experience or familiarity in organizing stakeholder meetings/workshops with national participants;
• Good writing skills in English
• Good computer skills with extensive experience in word processing, spreadsheets, and other software application

Language Skills:

• Good knowledge of English and local languages, both spoken and written skills.

• Core competencies: FAO core competencies include: Understanding FAO’s mandate and its global context; planning, organizing, and delivering quality results; communicating to build understanding and support; working together in teams and partnerships; engaging in continuous learning.
• Operational Effectiveness: Working independently, structuring tasks, establishing priorities and adhering to deadlines. Show a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail. Contribute ideas and suggestions for process improvement.
• Client Orientation: Focus on results for the client. Attend to inquiries from internal and external clients in an effective, timely and courteous manner. Treat clients with courtesy and respect even when working under pressure. Express a high level of professionalism.
• Interpersonal Communications and Teamwork: Work effectively and efficiently with staff at all levels, listen to others and openly share own ideas. Express sensitivity, cultural empathy and respect for diversity. Productively handle differing views and opinions and strive for achievement of shared goals. Respond positively to feedback.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINE:

Interested Afghan nationals should complete the FAO Personal History Form (PHF) and submit it along with their application letter and CV to the email address below, clearly mentioning the vacancy number and post title (National Consultant - Forest Surveyor - FAO/PRJ/SC/16-2020) in the subject line of the email; otherwise, your email will not be considered for further process.

FAOAF-vacancies@fao.org

NOTE: Applicant who failed to attach the FAO Personal History Form (PHF) to their Application will not be considered for further process.

The above required documents can also be submitted in writing (marked “Confidential” and clearly indicating on the sealed envelope the Vacancy Announcement number and position title) to: the Assistant FAO Representative (Administration), FAO Representation, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Jamal Mina, Opposite Kabul University, Kabul, Afghanistan.

The FAO PH Form can be downloaded using the following internet link:

http://www.acbar.org/applicationform

The last date for receiving applications is 09 August 2020. Please note that applications received after closing date will not be given consideration. Only short listed candidates whose applications respond to the above criteria will be contacted for test/interview.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce gender diversity;
• People with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply;
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality;
• Candidates endorsed in the selection process for this vacancy announcement will be considered for the FAO NSHR Roster for a period of two years. The Roster is used to fill other similar positions at the same or lower grade, and in the same or another duty station inside the country;
• FAO reserves the right not to make an appointment, to make an appointment at a lower grade, or to make an appointment with a modified job description.
• Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency.
• The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing);
• Candidates who wish to apply for the positon should indicate their preferred duty station(s) in their application letter (or email);
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the interview/test;
• Application received after closing date will not be given consideration;
• Please make sure to sign the first page of your PHF while applying for the vacant post;
• Do not forget to write the post title and VA number on subject of your email, or your application will be ignored;
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments;
• Email will only be sent to the interviewed candidates.