Commercial Forestry Advisor

Job Description

Project: USAID Green Annamites Project
Position: Commercial Forestry Advisor (Full Time)
Duty station: Da Nang
Starting time: November 2018

PROJECT BACKGROUND

Forests play a critical role in Vietnam by protecting watersheds, preventing soil erosion, mitigating climate change, and building resilience for communities. They are also home to rare and endemic species found nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately, Vietnam’s forests, and the species that live in them, are depleting at an alarming rate due to conversion into other economic uses, as well as from activities of surrounding forest-dependent populations who lack alternative economic means. Forestry plantations and in particular FSC-certified Acacia forestry plantations are playing an important role in the rural economy of the central provinces of Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue. 

The USAID Green Annamites project (GA) supports Vietnam’s transition to climate-smart, low-emission, and resilient development that protects people, landscapes, and biodiversity in Quang Nam (QN) and Thua Thien Hue (TTH) provinces with three main tasks:

• Increase application of low emission land-use practices: conserve the existing carbon sink; stop emission from small scale deforestation and degradation, and unsustainable agricultural practices; and increase carbon sequestration from restoration of degraded landscapes.
• Strengthen biodiversity conservation: mitigate threats to the globally significant biodiversity in central Vietnam, including poaching and activities that destroy habitats for wildlife and cause habitat fragmentation (e.g., deforestation, forest degradation, and conversion of natural forest into plantation)
• Increase resilience for vulnerable communities: ensure that results of activities supported under the two other components are not affected by climate change impacts. Build resilience for vulnerable communities particularly in regards to their livelihoods.

Key program targets include improving the livelihoods of 20,000 forest dependent people; improving biodiversity of over 400,000 hectares of natural forest, mobilizing at least $20 million in public and private resources for sustainable livelihoods and forest conservation; avoiding and/or removing the equivalent of at least 6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere; 20 institutions with improved capacity to address sustainable landscapes issues; and 20 institutions with improved capacity to assess or address climate change adaptation.

The project has taken a value chain development approach to help improving rural income in the project target areas. Currently, the USAID Green Annamites program (GA) is working with small holders, government counterparts and private companies to support the improved management of acacia plantations and its marketing on approximately 5,000 hectares. The Program is facilitating partnerships with companies in the wood industry to create a more enabling environment for long-term acacia rotations under FSC certification. This approach will help increase income for local people and reduce their dependence on unsustainable use of forest and other natural resources in QN and TTH.

WORK BACKGROUND

ECODIT is seeking for a full-time Advisor on FSC- certified acacia plantations to provide technical support for Project activities until July 2020. The position will be based in Tam Ky, (Quang Nam Province) or in Danang, and will work in both, Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces. The Advisor is expected to spend at least 40% of its time in the field. The Advisor shall conduct all activities and prepare deliverables under the overall supervision of the Deputy Chief of Party (DCOP).

Under the GA program, commercial forestry is understood as forestry (acacia) plantations owned by small holders that add up to more than 100 hectares. These are not necessarily continuous forests, but are located within the same commune /district.

The Commercial Forestry Advisor (CFA) will provide technical leadership on the GA support to FSC-certified acacia plantations. The Advisor will coordinate its activities with the GA technical team, in particular with the Task1 and Task 2 leaders, as well as with the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) team.

The CFA position reports to the Chief of Party (COP) or his/her designee. He/She will be responsible for the technical supervision of the USAID Green Annamites-supported initiatives on FSC-certified acacia. This includes providing technical assistance and field support to the GA team to ensure smooth implementation and adherence to the FSC principles and criteria. When requested, the CFA could provide technical assistance to implementing partners (grantees and subcontractors). The CFA will provide support to the Task 1 and Task 2 leaders in assessing and reviewing all the deliverables to be completed by the GA awardees. The CFA will also work closely with other GA Key Personnel to identify emerging opportunities for scaling up the FSC certified acacia value chain with private or government funding mobilization, small holder participation and positive impact on forest conservation. S/he will perform and support other tasks, activities, and project reporting requirements as requested by the COP.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall supervision of the Project’s COP, the CFA’s key roles and responsibilities include the following:

• Lead the technical supervision and implementation of the USAID Green Annamites-supported initiatives on FSC-certified acacia. This includes the provision of technical advice to the GA team and to the GA implementing partners, when required.
• Lead the design of new partnership opportunities to scale up the FSC certified acacia value chain, with mobilization of private or government funding and small holder participation.
• Draft Statements of Work (SOWs) and/or Requests for Quotations for consultants, subcontractors, and grantees to implement commercial forestry-related activities, and review and participate in the evaluation of quotations and/or applications received.
• Work closely with the GA team members as needed to prepare deliverables, develop work plans and project approval documents, and foster a rapid and smooth implementation of the approved work plans under each of the GA acacia-related awards.
• Assist the COP and other staff members to anticipate, identify and address risks, issues and gaps in the implementation of the acacia-related activities, in a timely and compliant fashion and report these to his/her supervisor.
• Support the monitoring and evaluation process of all the GA acacia related and provide inputs for the successful implementation of the Project’s Environment Management and Monitoring Plan (EMMP), the communication strategy and the gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) action plan.
• Contribute to and lead other tasks or activities as requested by the COP.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in the forestry sector, with 3-5 years of experience on sustainable forest management and FSC certification.
• Background education on forestry or agriculture, with Master’s level degree in forestry, natural resources management, environmental economics or other related fields.
• Sound project management experience and experience working with smallholders, governmental institutions, NGOs, private sector and communities.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills in English and Vietnamese
• Previous work experience on forestry plantations in Quang Nam and/or Thua Thien Hue provinces is desirable.
• Experience on improved livelihoods or income generating activities for rural small holders is an advantage

This position requires frequent travel within the Quang Nam and Thua Thien Hue provinces, at least 40% of the time.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit:

• A cover letter
• An updated CV, and
• Three references.

By October 25th , 2018 to the following address: [email protected]

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted; no phone calls please.