Jobs - 22946- Policy Analyst - Capacity Development and Mainstre

Policy Analyst - Capacity Development and Mainstreaming for Sustainable Land Management Project (Re-advertisement)

Location :

Georgetown, GUYANA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

30-Sep-2011

Application Deadline :

04-May-11 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

One month (fourteen (14) 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

Land degradation in Guyana, while perhaps not highly visible at this stage, has been increasingly occurring and the potential exists for it to expand, corresponding to an increase in the exploitation of natural resources and coastal erosion. Change in land use has been due to a rapid upsurge in economic activity over the last ten years, in particular the sectors of forestry, mining, agriculture with the expansion in state land leases for agriculture and commercial activities.
Guyana’s principal vulnerabilities stem from the low-lying nature of its populated seacoast which makes it vulnerable to flooding from sea level rise, intense precipitation and breaches of the sea defences. Factors which contribute to land degradation are loss of forest and vegetation due to inappropriate logging, forest fires, irresponsible mining and urbanization; improper land management; changing climatic patterns and coastal erosion due to flooding.

Guyana’ response to the threats of land degradation has been the implementation of the Capacity Development and Mainstreaming for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Project. The objective of the SLM Project is to establish an enabling environment to combat and reverse land degradation through a participatory process of mainstreaming of SLM into national development strategies and processes.

The overall goal of the Project is to contribute to maintaining and enhancing of ecosystem health, integrity, stability, and functions by strengthening the enabling environment for SLM at the institutional and systemic levels through increased and enhanced national capacity to respond to issues related to SLM. The SLM Project has completed four (4) baseline technical studies under capacity development and has commenced the mainstreaming of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) into national, policies, strategies and plans.

The four (4) baseline studies are:

A National Diagnostic and Pilot Assessment of Land Degradation.
A Bio-physical and social Assessment of the sub-Demerara Watershed, an important watershed area with eight sub-basins that recharge groundwater supply for the City and the coast.
Valuation study of eco-system services in a pilot area with multiple land uses.
A Framework for a fully functional and integrated Early Warning System. (A Draft
National Early Warning System and related communication protocol has been completed by the United Nations Development Programme and the Civil Defence Commission.)

It is fundamental for SLM Policy to be integrated into a framework for sustainable management of land and land based resources. The draft National Land Use Policy, 2007 to be updated by the Development of Land Use Planning Project provides the framework for mainstreaming SLM Policy component into a national policy. This is highly relevant as Guyana is a country dependent on the sustained use of natural resources.

The Need for the Integration of Sustainable Land Management within the context of a National Land Use Policy
There is need to integrate Sustainable Land Management Policy into a National Land Use Policy and Plan. It is crucial that exploitation of natural resources does not lead to land degradation which reduces the health, integrity, stability and functions of eco-systems, thereby reducing the quality of land and its resources.
Further, Guyana needs to align its national policies, development strategies, national and plans with sustainable land management policy to support the country’s obligation to reduce land degradation as part of the national and global strategy to the UNCCD.

The implementation of the Capacity Development and Mainstreaming for Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Project has received six (6) months extension to its three (3) year cycle to facilitate the completion of mainstreaming SLM Policy into a National Land Use Policy. It is proposed that this effort be undertaken in collaboration with the recently initiated Development of Land Use Planning Project. The Development of Land Use Planning Project commenced in January with three (3) key experts, an Urban and Regional Planner, a Land Use Specialist and a Database Specialist. The draft National Land Use Policy and Plan and three Regional Land Use Plans are to be completed during a twenty-two (22) month period.

This Consultancy is expected to draft an SLM Policy component for incorporation into the existing Draft National Land Use Policy, 2007 at the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission. The updated National Land Use Policy will then be considered in the formulation of the National Land Use Plan and the three (3) Regional Land Use Plans.

Duties and Responsibilities

Specific Tasks:

Discuss and agree on the final set of Tasks and a Workplan with the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys within one (1) week of award of the Contract.
Submit a draft Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Policy component incorporated in the draft National Land Use Policy, 2007.
Present the Draft SLM component to a focused stakeholder consultation with the land, natural resources, energy and environmental Agencies.
Finalise and submit a SLM Policy component (in the draft National Land Use Policy), and a Stakeholder Consultation Report for the consultations completed with various Agencies.

Key Deliverables:

Workplan for the activities to achieve the drafting of the Sustainable Land Management Policy and the Code of Practice for Sustainable Land Management in the Mining Sector.
Stakeholder Consultation report for the Draft Sustainable Land Management Policy and the Code of Practice.
Final Report consisting of the Draft Sustainable Land Management Policy component within the updated draft National Land Use Policy.

Objective:

To integrate sustainable land management policy component into a draft National Land Use Policy.

Competencies

Research and analysis:

Analyses ongoing trends, evolving needs and emerging issues to identify appropriate responses for capacity building.

Conceptual innovation:

Ensures that the design of policies are appropriate to regional and country social and development context.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Masters Degree in Environmental Law, Natural resources or related field

Experience:

Policy development level with knowledge and understanding of the UNCCD, environmental and natural resource management issues in Guyana.

Language Requirement:

Fluency in English