Forest economics specialist

Organizational Setting

The Forestry Division leads FAO's work in promoting sustainable forest management and providing leadership on the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of forestry, including its contributions to poverty reduction and food security and nutrition. It liaises with member countries, civil society and the private sector in aspects ranging from development of effective forest policies to forest conservation and management issues, and strengthens the role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Division also collects analyses and disseminates information on the world's forest resources and on the production, trade and consumption of wood and non-wood forest products. The posts are located in the Sustainable Forestry and Value Chain Innovation and Investments (SFVCI&I) stream. The team provides technical support, capacity development, guidelines, advisory and facilitation services to member countries to recognize the value of services provided by forest ecosystems and improve the scale and sustainability of forest value chains.

FAO International Consultants and Call purpose:

The purpose of this Call for Expression of Interest is to provide FAO with a list of qualified candidates to support and enhance its program of work. Assignments pursuant to this Call for Expression of Interest may be at the Organization’s headquarters in Rome (Italy), home based, or on field missions, as required. The Organization frequently engages experts to work on short-term projects as international consultants. The functions of a consultant are results-oriented and normally involve analysing complex issues, directing seminars or training courses, preparing documents for conferences and meetings, or writing reports on matters within their area of expertise.

An international consultant is engaged by the Organization to provide expertise, skills or knowledge for the performance of a specific task or piece of work, which would be short-term by nature. The assignment may involve full-time or part-time functions similar to those of staff members. The assignment can be from 1 month up to 11 months. The possibility of further extension is subject to satisfactory performance and depending on the resources and needs of the Organization.

The purpose of this call is to attract talents with experience and background in the areas of Forest Policy, Economics, Finance, Technology Innovation and Sustainable Forest Value Chain Development

Reporting Lines

The international specialist(s) will be working under the overall supervision of the SFVCI&I Team Leader, and the direct supervision of the Forestry Officers (Forest Economics and Finance, and Forest Policy).

Technical Focus

The incumbent(s) will contribute to the implementation of FAO’s Strategic Framework, and in particular the program priority areas of “green innovation for better production” and “scaling up investments”. Specifically, the SFVCI&I team is looking for international consultants with experience and working knowledge on thematic areas related to:

• Value chain analysis
• Governance and institutional arrangements for sustainable and efficient forest value chains
• Innovation and digital technologies for sustainable forest production and post-harvesting services
• Economics of forestry and of landscape restoration
• Planted forests
• Forest finance
• Forest policy
• Partnerships development and resource mobilization
• Knowledge management and outreach

Tasks and responsibilities

• Provide technical assistance on Forest Policy, Economics, and Finance
• Provide technical assistance in the field of sustainable forest value chain development, value chain analysis and financing schemes
• Support the design of institutional settings and/or frameworks for monitoring and reporting of national and international commitments, strategies, and plans.
• Develop approaches and tools to assess, monitor, and promote forest value chain interventions, including through the promotion of inclusive finance, social protection, decent employment, and inclusive business models.
• Research and summarize relevant data sources, organizations, and studies
• Prepare technical reports;
• Organize and conduct both online and in-person consultations with experts at the national and international levels, as needed;
• Plan and develop capacity building tools and activities including expert exchanges, workshops, online training, etc.;
• Provide direct support to countries through capacity building and mentoring;
• Contribute to the design and formulation of Sustainable Forest Value Chain Development project proposals for FAO TCP, GEF, and GCF, bilateral donors and private sector, and
• Perform other related duties as required

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree (for consultants, a University degree is not required for Personal Services Agreements or PSAs) in the fields of Economics, Social Sciences, Statistics, Business, Communications, Forestry, Agriculture or related studies
• At least 1 year for level C and 5 years for level B of relevant work experience in one or more of the following areas: Forest Economics, Forest Policy, Forestry Statistics, Sustainable Development, Agribusiness, Value Chain Analysis, Knowledge Management, or related areas at national or international level
• Working knowledge of English, French or Spanish and limited knowledge of one of the other two, or of Arabic, Chinese or Russian (for Consultants). Working knowledge of English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese or Russian (for PSAs)

Selection criteria

• Extent and relevance of work experience in economic analysis or policy analysis of forestry/environmental/sustainability issues
• Extent and relevance of work experience in value chain analyses
• Good presentation and writing skills with demonstrated records of publications and papers
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work an advantage
• Experience in the use and management of geospatial information an advantage

FAO Core Competencies

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