Green Cities Initiative Consultant

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• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture.
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply;
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

FAO’s commitment to environmental sustainability is integral to our strategic objectives and operations.

Organizational Setting

The Forestry Division (NFO) 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 Members, 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 Green Cities Initiative (GCI), which is coordinated by NFO, was launched during the 75th United Nations General Assembly in September 2020 and is an FAO Flagship Programme aiming at improving the urban environment and making a tangible impact on the lives of urban communities in 1,000 cities around the world by 2030. The vision of the GCI is to promote the use of urban and peri-urban forestry and agriculture, sustainable management of natural ecosystems and circular bioeconomy for green urban adaptation, increasing resilience, health and well-being of urban and peri-urban dwellers and supporting sustainable urban development.

The positions are located in the Greening Cities team, Forestry Division (NFO), at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy or other locations.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent is under the overall supervision of the Urban Forestry Officer and Coordinator of the Green Cities Initiative, as well as under the direct technical supervision from other Officers in the wider GCI team, as appropriate.

Technical Focus

The Green Cities Initiative Consultant will support the GCI team in the implementation and promotion of GCI and other sustainable urban development projects in selected countries/cities, in close collaboration with technical units from FAO headquarters, i.e. Plant Production and Protection Division, Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, Agrifood Systems and Food Safety Division, etc., regional and national offices, as well as partners who are working on sustainable and resilient urban food systems. The consultant will also provide analytical and technical support for the formulation, implementation and evaluation of policies, strategies, finance and communication in agriculture, forestry, bioeconomy, and natural resource management in the urban and peri-urban context.

Tasks and responsibilities

The Consultant will support the Green Cities Initiative and related programmes and projects and according to her/his specific background and skills will\:
• Participate in the development and monitoring of assigned programmes and projects, and provide technical support, identify problems and issues to be addressed and propose corrective actions, liaise with relevant parties, identify and track follow-up actions;
• Review and monitor the preparation of relevant project documents, substantial sections of reports, studies, and inputs to publications;
• Contribute to corporate exercises for planning, monitoring and reporting on results achieved through projects design, implementation support, sector studies, strategies, policy dialogue and capacity development activities;
• Contribute in the production of analytical tools, background papers, analysis, or concept notes;
• Provide support in the production of communication, advocacy materials and outreach activities;
• Assist in policy development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, corporate policies and procedures, development partners’ requirements and draft proposals;
• Undertake field missions as and when required;
• Perform any other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in forestry, agriculture, agricultural economics, natural resources economics, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in working in the agrifood systems sector, especially in urban and peri-urban agriculture, urban and peri-urban forestry, urban food systems, urban natural resources management, including analytical studies, and/or in the formulation and implementation investment projects in developing countries and/or countries in transition.
• Working knowledge (proficiency - level C) of English, French or Spanish and intermediate knowledge (intermediate proficiency - level B) of Arabic, Chinese, Russian.

FAO Core 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;
• Extent and relevance of experience in finance skills and policy formulation in agriculture;
• Ability to plan and organize own work, deliver results and meet deadlines;
• Ability to write clear and concise technical documents;
• Ability to perform well in cross-disciplinary teams;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Selection Criteria

• Proven experience data/ information collection and research and analysis;
• Extent and relevance of experience in technical fields related to agriculture, forestry, food systems in the urban context;
• Experience in designing policy recommendations and drafting policy briefs;
• Capacity to write documents and reports in a clear and concise manner;
• Strong writing skills in English language.

Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.

If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp

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