Forestry Officer

Organizational Setting

The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) is responsible for leading FAOs response to regional priorities for food security agriculture and rural development through the identification planning and implementation of FAOs priority activities in the region. It oversees the network of Country Offices and the Subregional Office for the Pacific Islands (SAP). It ensures a multidisciplinary approach to programmes identifies priority areas of action for the Organization in the region and in collaboration with Divisions Offices and Centres at headquarters develops promotes and oversees FAOs strategic response to regional priorities and the implementation of the Organizations strategies through programmes and projects across the region.

The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) leads the preparation of the Regional Conferences and the Statutory Bodies in the region.

The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) supports the formulation and implementation of the Country Programmes and Projects including Country Programming Frameworks (CPFs) and their contribution to the FAO Strategic Framework and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) at the country level advising Decentralized Offices on corporate priorities such as the Strategic Framework and on the incorporation of regional priorities into the Organizations Programme of Work and Budget.

The Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) develops and maintains relations with region-wide institutions including the Regional Economic Integration Organizations (REIOs) and participates in the United Nations Regional Architecture such as UN Regional Forums on Sustainable Development and UN Regional Collaborative Platforms and related mechanisms.

The post is located in the Forestry and Biodiversity Module of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (RAP) in Bangkok Thailand.

Reporting Lines

The Forestry Officer reports to the Senior Forestry Officer/Module Leader (Forestry and Biodiversity) RAP.

Technical Focus

Provision of applied technical support normative work and programme development and implementation in the area of sustainable management of forests including nursery management restoration and reforestation and silvicultural strategies that balance economic environmental and social functions and values. The role provides hands-on technical backstopping to field projects and government counterparts to translate FAOs regional priority on climate action biodiversity conservation and natural resources management for sustainable and resilient agrifood system transformation into sound forestry practice on the ground.

Key Results

Research technical analysis and project related services to support the delivery of programme projects products and services.

Key Functions

• Researches and analyses technical social economic environmental institutional and technology related information data and statistics and/or related policy issues to support the delivery of programme projects products and services.

• Produces a variety of technical information data statistics and reports as well as input for technical documents and web pages.

• Provides technical support/analysis to various assessments studies and initiatives and provides technical backstopping to field projects.

• Collaborates in the development of improved/updated tools systems processes and databases.

• Participates in multi-disciplinary teams and/or leads working groups/teams collaborates with other offices and agencies on work groups and committees and promotes best practices.

• Collaborates in provides technical backstopping to and ensures the quality/effectiveness of capacity development activities within Members such as policy support organizational development and individual learning events including preparation of related information learning materials and on-line tools.

• Promotes knowledge sharing and best practices at international meetings and conferences and influences partners in stakeholder consultations.

• Supports resource mobilization activities in accordance with the FAO Corporate Strategy.

  Specific Functions

• Supports on advising Country Offices on policies strategies and methods in the area of sustainable forest management in the context of Regional Priority 2 on Climate Action Biodiversity Conservation and Natural Resources Management and FAOs Strategic Framework 2022-2031 to enhance the multiple economic environmental and social functions of forests.

• Contributes to designing supporting and implementing normatives and technical activities related to sustainable forest management including forest management planning silviculture nurseries restoration and community forestry.

• Advises on forest-based value chains including timber and non-timber forest products with a focus on smallholder and community-based forestry value addition and market access that reinforce sustainable forest management objectives.

• Provides technical backstopping to field projects in the Country Offices including support to project formulation implementation monitoring of forestry interventions in close collaboration with country counterparts and FAO teams.

• Supports capacity development and regional knowledge exchange by generating compiling and disseminating technical guidance training materials and good practice examples including through regional workshops and knowledge platforms including the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission.

• Collaborates closely with other technical teams within the Organization and with external partners to ensure coherence and technical soundness of forestry interventions within broader landscape and rural development contexts.

• Contributes to resource mobilization and programme development by providing forestry expertise to the formulation of project proposals to donors such as the Global Environment Facility (GEF) the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and bilateral donors.
  
  

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree (Masters degree or equivalent) in forestry forest management forest sciences or a closely related discipline with a strong forestry focus.

• Five years of relevant experience in forestry with demonstrated technical work in sustainable forest management including management of natural and/or planted forests.

• Working knowledge (proficiency level C) of English and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic Chinese French Russian or Spanish).

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 particularly in field positions is desirable.

• Solid applied knowledge of forest management planning silviculture forest rehabilitation and restoration

• including nursery management and use of native and mixed-species systems.

• Knowledge of forest-based value chains including timber and non-timber forest products particularly in

• smallholder or community forestry contexts.

• Understanding of tenure participatory approaches and community forestry and experience working with

• Indigenous Peoples marginalized groups and local communities in forestry-related initiatives.

• Ability to support project formulation implementation and reporting processes including coordination with

• government counterparts project teams and partners.

• Proven experience providing technical support to forestry projects or programmes at national or sub-national level

• including involvement in project design implementation support or technical backstopping as well as liaison with

• government counterparts in forestry or natural resources agencies.

• Experience contributing technical inputs to project or programme formulation and resource mobilization

• efforts including preparation of concept notes project documents or supporting technical analyses for

• development partners climate finance mechanisms and/or bilateral donors is desirable.