National Specialist for Mangroves sustainable management and REDD+

Organizational Setting

Mangroves are among the most productive ecosystems in the world and their high rates of net primary productivity deliver significant ecosystem goods and benefits to society, including support of coastal fisheries, shoreline stabilization, timber and non-timber forest products, protection from coastal storms and tsunami, and sequestration of atmospheric carbon. Recent research has drawn attention to the capacity of mangroves to store large amounts of organic carbon, which is of high value to international efforts to address climate change. Myanmar is one of the mangrove‐richest countries in the world, however rates of mangrove ecosystems loss remain high, in line with the overall context in South East Asia.

Responding to this challenge the UN-REDD Programme, in collaboration with and in support to the Government of Myanmar, developed a specific technical assistance on mangroves, the “Integrating mangroves sustainable management, restoration and conservation into REDD Implementation in Myanmar”. The overall objective of this UN-REDD mangroves Technical Assistance is the sustainable management, restoration and conservation of mangroves in order to contribute to the achievement of the National REDD Strategy in terms of emissions reductions and enhanced livelihoods of local communities.

The UN-REDD Programme convenes the role and technical expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to support countries in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD ). For further information on the UN-REDD Programme – visit the website here.

Within the context of the mangroves TA to Myanmar FAO has a specific leading responsibility for Output 2: Data generation for enhanced decision making and a comprehensive monitoring system of land-use and land-cover (LULC) change along coastal areas of Myanmar and co-lead Output 3: Strengthening of integrated and inclusive land use and forest planning in alignment with CC mitigation goals, with specific focus on the revision and implementation of District Forest Management Plans in Delta region.

Reporting Lines

The National Specialist will work under the overall supervision of the FAO Representative in Myanmar, the general supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme), and the direct supervision of Forestry Officer / UN-REDD Lead Regional Technical Adviser (RTA) for Myanmar, in liaison with the CTA of the NFI/NFMIS Myanmar project, and other relevant technical officers of the REDD /National Forest Monitoring (NFM) Cluster in FAO RAP and HQs (the UN-REDD FAO Myanmar Mangroves TA ‘task force’)

Technical Focus

The incumbent will coordinate the planning, implementation and reporting of the FAO work under the UN-REDD Technical Assistance: “Integrating mangroves sustainable management, restoration and conservation into REDD Implementation in Myanmar” through the following key functions :

• Plan, monitor and report on progress of the implementation of FAO work – in coordination and collaboration with the UN-REDD FAO Myanmar Mangroves task force;
• Ensure coordination within FAO teams and units and between FAO, the Myanmar Forest Department and other agencies and partners for effective delivery of results and outputs and the achievement of outcomes under FAO responsibility;
• Ensure close interaction with the UN-REDD mangroves TA in-country Project Management Unit (PMU) and alignment with other UN-REDD agencies (UNDP and UN Environment);
• Facilitate capacity development, knowledge generation, management and dissemination related to project outputs and results.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Develop and implement work plans, budgets and reports related to FAO work within the Myanmar UN-REDD mangroves TA, supporting the preparation of the related overall UN-REDD Myanmar mangroves TA documents with the PMU and sister agencies;
• Work with the UN-REDD FAO Mangroves TA ‘task force’ to ensure technical material as well as reports and other documentation to respond to donors or UN-REDD Secretariat is prepared within given deadlines;
• Coordinate and compile inputs to be received from other FAO units and teams, with special reference to relevant projects and initiatives in Myanmar (at least NFI/NFMIS project, GEF coastal project);
• Support the smooth flow of information from FAO to the PMU and vice versa;
• Coordinate FAO activities under Output 2 (Mangrove resources assessment and mapping) and Output 3 (integration of mangrove-related REDD interventions into district and local forest management plans) with special reference and technical support to community forestry (CF) in district forest management plans (DFMP) or other REDD implementation platforms in the Delta region and ensuring that FAO feedback to work under UNDP or UNEP leadership is provided to PMU and sister agencies within the given framework;
• Ensure consistency between project outputs in the areas of CF and DFMP and recent reforms and adaptations in the Forestry Department and with recent Mangrove related projects in Myanmar;
• Facilitate and arrange consultations and meetings in order to secure inputs from partners and multiple stakeholders;
• Support the work of consultants (national, international) including operational arrangements, meetings and the review of reports, work plans and translations (Burmese – English) as required;
• Support the organization of capacity building and training events;
• Support the Conflict Sensitivity Analysis activities in the target communities of the Delta Region;
• Perform any other duty as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University-level degree in Forestry, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Geography or a closely related field
• At least 5 years of work experience in Myanmar in coordination of programmes and projects in the area natural resource management
• Fluency in both English and Myanmar language, written and spoken
• Myanmar Nationality

FAO Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
• Strong inter-personal Skill

Technical/Functional Skills

• Ability to share knowledge and experience
• Active towards continuous personal learning
• Strong analytical skills to master new subjects
• Ability to manage priorities and meet deadlines
• Ability to work towards results based management and reporting
• Capacity for leadership and management
• Commitment to FAO´s mission and values

Selection Criteria

• Experience and knowledge of the REDD process in Myanmar is an advantage
• Basic knowledge of concepts of (National) Forest Monitoring is an advantage
• Proficiency (user level) of computer applications (Word, Excel, PPT, etc.)
• Knowledge in Mangroves ecosystems management, restoration and conservation
• Strong networks within Myanmar non-government organisations and Myanmar government agencies
• Experience working in/with government, international organizations, NGOs and subnational/civil-society organizations in Myanmar
• Experience in working with government agencies, UN-agencies or International NGOs

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: [email protected]
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/