UNDP Jobs - 61704- Consultant - Sustainable Land Management (SLM ) Po

Consultant - Sustainable Land Management (SLM ) Policy Expert

Location :

APia, SAMOA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

07-Dec-2015

Application Deadline :

25-Nov-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

30 working days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

30 working days

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The Government of Samoa signed SMSMCL Project Document in October 2013. The primary objective of the project is to strengthen local capacities, incentives and actions for integrated landscape management in order to reduce land degradation and greenhouse gas emissions and promote nature conservation whilst enhancing sustainable local livelihoods. In order to achieve this objective the project will support local household and wider community actions to reduce pressures on natural resources from competing land uses in the wider landscape.

The project has two outcomes and four outputs:

Outcome 1:

Communities and farmers are able to undertake and benefit from integrated land and water management on their traditionally owned land;
Output 1.1: Landowners engaged in farming in the targeted communities increase village land area under Sustainable Land Management practices;
Output 1.2: Community leaders in targeted villages endorse participatory action plans and engage in sustainable land management practices on village land.

Outcome 2:

Strengthened national enabling environment to promote integrated landscape management through local households and communities;
Output 2.1: National agencies involved in land use activities are able to effectively coordinate field interventions using a multi-sectoral approach;
Output 2.2: Policy makers and key stakeholders have an increased knowledge of Sustainable Land Management through services and training.

On behalf of the Government of Samoa and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, UNDP is now recruiting an expert to contribute to outcome 2: a Sustainable Land Management Policy expert.

Duties and Responsibilities

The primary focus of the project will be to strengthen national legal and institutional capacities to support community and landscape level sustainable land management nationally. The project will seek to strengthen not only government institutional that have mandates on SLM, but also other relevant sectors, NGOs, academia and the private sector. Systematic national capacity enhancement on SLM for policy makers, communities, private sector, and NGOs will be a key target for the project. The tasks of the expert will include, but are not limited to:

The SLM policy expert will support the project team to review existing land use policies and identify relevant policy coordination mechanisms that can be put in place to ensure that SLM is reflected in the relevant sectoral policies and regulation.

The expert will support the project team to increase and reinforce institutional collaboration at the national level amongst government agencies that have direct relevance to SLM, especially among the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of Public Works and Infrastructures, Samoa Water Authority, Lands Transport Authority and Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development to manage multi-use landscapes through combined efforts, shared technical resources and to agencies to boost collaborations thus strengthening multi-sectoral approach.

An assessment of the need for a specific national SLM information system in line with information system for national Environment Management Strategy, and the need for an SLM database, with recommendations for best options considering existing UNCCD and MNRE databases, should be done. If and when such a system is developed, it should be accessible to all stakeholders in English and Samoan languages for national and local authorities and local communities.

Conduct a review of SLM existing literature including a completion report of SLM Capacity Enhancement (small-scale) project and make recommendations for project planning and implementation. This include the review of SLM data and information and database management to improve on SLM clearing house mechanism across sectors.

A Review of the effectiveness and the SLM related methodology of the current and on-going programs (Govt & private sectors), how effectively the programs addressed responsibilities especially towards capacity building and challenges, its main achievements and overall impact as well as the remaining gaps to inform the project and incorporate into the project planning and implementation at all levels.

Review existing policies and strategies on Land Use Management in Samoa, including results of NAP consultations on land degradation and draft a National Land Use Management Plan for Samoa based on the findings from above-mentioned reviews.

It is essential that the consultant ensures that the SLM policies and plans developed under this assignment are aligned with ongoing projects and initiatives in Samoa, in particular the revised ridge-to-reef CIM plans (BECA International, 2011), the MWCSD Village Development Plans and the Samoa Tourism Authority Tourism Development Area (TDA) management plans. Many existing projects, programmes, and activities are implementing community-level subprojects of the types that SMSMCL expects to implement and compliment. Most also have land management and climate resilience awareness, education, and promotional campaigns in communities and in the mass media. The expert will ensure coordination between SMSMCL and these projects.

Competencies

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP mission, vision and values;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Good inter-personal and teamwork skills, networking aptitude, ability to work in multicultural environment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Post graduate in natural resource management or related fields specializing in sustainable land management.

Experience:

A minimum of 5 years experience in land management, with in-depth understanding of land issues as well as community-based natual resource management;
Experience in leading multi-disciplinary and multi-national teams to deliver quality products in high stress an short deadline situations;
Familiar with SLM approches in Pacific and / or developing countries either through project management and/or implementation or through consultancies in evaluation of land related projects;
Highly knowledgeable of participarty monitoring and evaluation processes.

Language:

Fluency in English (oral and written) is a requirement.