National Consultant on Guideline and Training (GCP/MON/018/GEF)

Organizational Setting:

Achieving food security for all is at the heart of FAO efforts – to make sure people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. The FAO-GEF partnership addresses critical challenges at the nexus between agriculture and the environment. FAO has a history of partnership with the Government of Mongolia (GoM), to eradicate poverty and malnutrition through the development of the agriculture sector. It has also been an active partner of the government in protecting the environment,promoting sustainable development and the disaster risk management strategies of the country.

The project “Promoting Dryland Sustainable Landscapes and Biodiversity Conservation in the Eastern Steppe of Mongolia” is part of a global program led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN-FAO), the Global Environment Facility 7th replenishment (GEF-7) Sustainable Forest Management Impact Program on Dryland Sustainable Landscapes (SFM/Drylands IP). In Mongolia, the project is led by FAO in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and will be executed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) in collaboration with the Ministry of Food agriculture and light industry (MoFALI) and other partners.

WWF works to sustain the natural world for the benefit of people and wildlife. Working with many others – from individuals and communities to business and government – WWF urgently seeks to protect and restore natural habitats, stop the mass extinction of wildlife, and make the way we produce and consume sustainable. As a part of WWF Network, WWF-Mongolia embraces the concept of being international and at the same time national. WWF-Mongolia focuses its efforts on critical conservation issues in 2 of the world’s outstanding places for biodiversity conservation, the Altai-Sayan Ecoregion in Western Mongolia and Amur-Heilong Ecoregion Complex in Eastern Mongolia.

Reporting Lines:

Consultant will work under the direct supervision of National project manager (NPM) and technical guidance by FAO-Lead Technical Officer (LTO) and WWF concerned experts in close collaboration with the MET, MoFALI, ALAMGaC, Institute of Geography and Geo-Ecology, Local government, International Land Management Specialist and National Land Management Specialist.

Technical Focus:

The objective of the project is to reverse and prevent dryland ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss through an inclusive, integrated landscape and value chain approach securing multiple environment benefits and sustainable, resilient livelihoods in the Eastern Steppe of Mongolia.

Tasks and responsibilities:

Specific duties will include:

• Review available guidelines and tools used for land management planning at national, aimag and soum levels to identify opportunities and needs to incorporate a landscape-level (or ecosystem) approach as well as LDN, climate change and biodiversity considerations; • Develop a detailed guideline for landscape-level integrated land management planning, assessment and monitoring complemented with LADA-WOCAT or other relevant tools; • Review current practices of harmonizing sector-specific management plans (forest management plan, pastureland management plan, integrated water resource management plan, protected areas management plan etc) into aimag and soum land management planning process and provide recommendation on further actions; • Conduct desktop review on efforts to introduce LADA-WOCAT tools and develop MONCAT in Mongolia under the Coping with Desertification Project (CODEP); • Ensure that missing elements of land degradation (LD) and biodiversity (BD) priorities are incorporated into aimag and soum level management plans and the important aspects of the Voluntary guidelines (VGGT) on tenure by FAO are reflected; • Develop a tailor-made training program in response to the needs of different stakeholders on landscape-level integrated land management planning, assessment and monitoring; • Conduct trainings on sustainable land management in support of Land degradation neutrality using LADA-WOCAT (MONCAT) or other relevant tools for all stakeholders and private sector including successful bidder • Ensure that capacity is built through training program among local stakeholders to continue project activities after the project ends; • Revive MONCAT tools and lead the process for identifying indigenous technologies to be used for land restoration in practice through the aimag and soum level land management planning; • Provide on-the-job guidance during the process of developing integrated land management plan for 3 aimags and 9 soums on the use updated guidelines and tools; • Provide recommendation or piloting sustainable land management technologies and approaches identified under MONCAT throughout implementation of integrated land management plans of aimags and soums; • Based on review of the national sustainable land management decision making support tools, including but not limited by LADA-WOCAT produce a road map on integration of tool-based sustainable land management planning and monitoring practice in order to facilitate the national commitment as well as to achieve project core target indicators for land degradation and restoration and CO2 emission reduction. • Review national and subnational LDN target/measures/indicators and provide in line with developed guideline for sustainable land management and monitoring; • Prepare and submit the progress and final report describing all findings and recommendations to MET, MOFALI. ALAMGAC and PMU in Mongolian and English; • Any other tasks that may be relevant to the position.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced degree in land management and related sciences; • A minimum of 10 years directly applicable experience working on integrated land management, including at least 5 years of experience in developing integrated land management plan and design of monitoring and evaluation tools; • Proven experience on land management related data analysis; familiarity with qualitative, quantitative and geographical information analysis tools; • Excellent command of language of spoken and written Mongolian and English. • Nationality of Mongolia or resident in the country with a regular work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Highly knowledgeable of participatory monitoring and evaluation processes; • Teamwork and strong soft skills including interpersonal, ethical, listening and communication skills, proactive, problem solving, self-organizing, planning, organizing, setting priorities and efficient use of time; • Experience in developing land management decision support tools (e.g. LADA-WOCAT or other relevant tools) or working with such is an asset; • In-depth knowledge of programme and project implementation is considered a strong asset; • Experience in international programme and project implementing organization is an asset; • Willingness to travel regularly in the field.