Socio-economic and Gender Expert

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO's goal is to achieve food security for all and ensure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With 195 members - 194 countries and the European Union, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide and has started working in Viet Nam since 1978 with its Representation (Country Office) opened in Ha Noi. At the country level, the Country Programming Framework (CPF) for Viet Nam has been serving as the basis for FAO’s works in Viet Nam for the period of 2022-2026. Climate Change Response, Disaster Resilience and Environmental Sustainability is one of the four FAO strategic priorities under the CPF. The Country Office (CO), with technical support from RAP GEF team, has successfully mobilized significant resources from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to address the issues related to transboundary water, climate change, environment, biodiversity and ecosystem restoration in Viet Nam. FAO Vietnam, in partner with the Department of Water Resource Management (DWRM), is formulating the GEF-8 project “Enhancing water security, biodiversity and resilience of livelihoods through integrated water resources management and ecosystem restoration in Viet Nam’s Red River basin”, of which the Concept Note has been endorsed by the GEF Secretariat.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent reports to the Lead Technical Officer of the project and the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) in Viet Nam, and is put under the daily supervision of the CC-DRR Programme Officer.

Technical Focus

The Socio-Economic and Gender Expert will support the social and gender analysis in the context of the project focus, as well as coordination with other consortium members.

Tasks and responsibilities

1. Environemental and social Safeguards: • Review, analyse, and document socio-economic data for the Red River basin; • Draft text for background and baseline sections of the ProDoc on relevant socio-economic indicators of target sites in the Red River basin; • Based on a detailed description of the project, develop environmental and social criteria to be used during the identification and selection of priority activities. • Support to establish a clear understanding of the institutional requirements, roles and responsibilities for adopting and implementing the ESMF/ESMP. Importantly, this should include a thorough review of the authority and capability of institutions at different levels (e.g. local, district, governorate and national) and their capacity to manage and monitor ESMF/ ESMP implementation. • Identify all relevant potential environmental risks and social concerns that may arise as a result of the project; • Propose realistic and effective arrangements to develop the capacity to manage environmental and social due diligence processes and activities in the project, including identification of the required resources and technical assistance measures to establish and maintain capacity for the project duration and beyond; • Support to developproposal (incl. timeline, budget, organizational requirements, required trainer profiles and expertise) for building and enhancing the capacity of the institutions responsible for implementing the ESMF/ESMP that will be included in the projcet document. • Support to define the requirements for technical assistance to FAO, civil society organizations (CSOs), service providers and public sector institutions to implement, manage, supervise, observe or support the implementation of the ESMF/ ESMP. • Support to estimate a realistic budget to be allocated for timely implementation of the ESMF/ ESMP in the project execution phase (as per detailed budget).

2. Gender analysis: • Compile a gender analysis based on literature review and the field data collected to understand the underlying gender dynamics in the context of LDN to address socio-economic drivers and barriers to change and issues faced by rural women that hamper SLM and restoration of target landscapes; • Based on the gender analysis, develop a Gender Action Plan (GAP) with specific entry points for gender mainstreaming into project design and implementation to ensure that women, men, youth and all relevant social groups can equally benefit from project interventions; • Facilitate gender-focus working groups and other gender and social specific stakeholder interventions for the preparation of the gender analysis and associated gender action plan that will be included in the projcet document; • Perform a gender screening in support of the identification of potential value chains and target beneficiaries within the SLM production systems. • Contribute to the cost-effectiveness analysis of the proposed SLM technologies and approaches through gender lenses; • Support the drafting (provide inputs and review other sections for gender and socio-environmental elements) of the Prodoc sections relevant including a gender-responsive results framework; • Ensure that gender considerations are mainstreamed throughout the PPG process by using gender lenses to review supporting baseline reports and project document; • Provide assistance with the identification of any negative implications/risks (i.e. creating/contribution to community issues that can have negative repercussions on women) and provide mitigation solutions.

3. Ethnic minorities: • Compile and analyse data on ethnic minorities in the target areas. • Draft a section for the ProDoc summarising the analysis of data of ethnic minorities, in particular their livelihoods and vulnerabilities in the context of climate change and natural resource management. • Develop an engagement plan for ethnic minorities tailored for the project implementation.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Master or specialized degree in Sociology, Anthropology, Social and Economic Sciences, Environmental Management or related field, specifically in Viet Nam; • At least 10 years of relevant work experience in SLM and community based natural resource management, gender and socio-environmental analysis and grassroots and government/ NGO stakeholder consultations; • Working knowledge of English; • National of Viet Nam or resident of the country with a valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Demonstrated experience and good knowledge of the national SLM policy framework, climate change related agenda and mitigation/adaptation activities; • Experience in facilitating consultative processes and negotiating with high-level decision makers and wide range of other stakeholders in the area of natural resources management; • Ability to interact tactfully and effectively with multiple institutional actors in diverse sectors and at diverse levels; • Proven capacity to conduct fieldwork and ability to work in teams and establish working relationships central and local government institutions and civil society organizations; • Good command of computer skills (MS Word, Excel, Power point, Internet); • Previous experience working on GEF projects or other international donors’ projects highly preferable; • Understanding of FAO policies and programmes is considered a strong asset.