Senior Expert - Environmental Law and Policy at International Centre for Research in Agroforestry

Job Description

Leadership

• Co-lead at least one project ensuring proper project management including timely project deliverables (staff, trainings, synthesis, tools, publications) and reporting as mandated by donor.
• Maintain cordial and effective communications with the project donor, notably the European Commission.
• Build and develop partnerships with forest institutions in implementing countries, regional bodies (IGAD, SADC, EAC) and ongoing initiatives (OFAC, GMES, BIOPAMA).
• Maintain and develop relationships with research, development and boundary partners involved in the implementation of relevant projects.

Scientific 

• Carry out legal research and analysis, critically analyses laws, legislative proposals and policy proposals relevant to SADC, EAC and ECCAS. There will be a special focus on data sharing policies, forest and environmental policies, intra-African timber trade, private standards and sustainable timber value chains.
• Carry out legal research and analysis of customary tenure systems and small-scale timber value chain, leading to an improved regulation framework of artisanal timber and tenure system in Cameroon and DRC.
• Design, coordinate and monitor the implementation of research activities in existing projects (notably, OFESA, RiOFAC and SILM).
• Oversee the development of a governance framework for data sharing endorsed by national forestry agencies in OFESA implementing countries.
• Oversee data analysis to generate information and understand the implications of the data, leading to preliminary on-line publications and analyses of relevant topics selected among a list agreed upon by participating countries and the EU.
• Coordinate the development of a 2023 synthesis report on the State of Forests in Eastern Africa focusing on key topics such as the status of restoration initiatives, deforestation/degradation of the water towers of East Africa.
• Support design and implementation of evaluation missions for EC SILM projects located in Francophone Africa
• Develop and distribute communication materials leading to enhanced awareness of the OFESA use and potentials, and informed decision making of national forest agencies, policy makers and other actors on the state of forests in Eastern Africa and Southern Africa.
• Contribute to develop tenure and forest landscape restoration tools resulting in a widespread adoption of FLR practices with improvements in sustainable land management practices and food security.
• Author technical reports, working papers, briefing notes, communication material and peer-reviewed journal articles relevant to VFI research themes.

Capacity building

• Provide technical and policy guidance to national and regional partners, local experts, government representatives, local communities, civil society’s organizations and private sector in order to support them in their responsibilities vis-à-vis international pledges and obligations (e.g. FLEGT, REDD+, etc.)
• Contribute to develop and implement the capacity building program through workshops and learning forums to raise capacity in, and awareness of the benefits of data sharing.
• Provide technical support to EC SILM projects, with emphasis on projects in Francophone African, ensuring productive working relations with implementing partners are forged
• Contribute to the development and distribution of Training/knowledge products Support the supervision of partners, consultants and interns involved in the implementation of the targeted projects
• Provide targeted technical support to stakeholders participating in projects activities.

Policy‐science dialogue

• Provide technical and policy guidance to national and regional partners, local experts, government representatives, local communities, civil society’s organizations.
• Actively liaise with governmental, civic and development stakeholders in project countries towards policy/strategy impact.
• Provide scientific and policy-relevant expertise to governments and support policy dialogues on issues relating to forest governance and regulation of natural resources.
• Initiate elaboration of various knowledge sharing products such as policy briefs and blogs and other publications dedicated to decision makers.

Resource mobilization

• Lead and contribute actively to fundraising by responding to relevant calls for proposals, contributing to joint proposals, and mobilizing resources through donor and partner networks.
• Strengthen existing partnerships and build new relations with potential donors.
• Contribute and/or participates in networking for resource mobilization in accordance with the CIFOR-ICRAF’s strategy.

Requirements

• A PhD. in law, environmental law, international law and policy, and natural resources management (land, forestry, biodiversity etc.).
• 7 years’ experience in development of legal and policy documents in the environment sector within an international research organization, university or development agency.
• An excellent understanding of the political, institutional and policy landscape relevant to Congo Basin countries decision making processes and law/policy development (essential).
• Record of contribution to complex legal and policy analysis and strategic thinking in advocacy or legal analysis (essential).
• Specialization in policy formulation, implementation and institutional capacities development with good comprehension about the formalization of small-scale timber value chain, sustainable land use and development of governance framework for data sharing (essential).
• Experience engaging in and informing national, regional and international policy processes.
• Experience of effective interaction with policy makers, donors, communities, civil society organizations, private sector.
• Experience in developing scientific reports and policy and/or communication products.
• Experience in proposal development/writing, partnership management fundraising.
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, with substantial time in Africa, particularly in field positions, is desirable.

Job Summary

• The Senior Expert - Environmental Law and Policy will contribute to the implementation of CIFOR-ICRAF, particularly VFI research priorities in Sub-Saharan Africa by providing scientific and policy-relevant expertise to governments, designing and supervising research projects, building partnerships and raising the visibility of research activities and results within relevant fora. The Senior Expert - Environmental Law and Policy will provide overall coordination for OFESA R.1 on the Development of a sustainable governance framework for the long-term service of the OFESA, CAFI-RoC 1.7 on Consolidating the legal framework for sustainable forest management and contribute to SILM Component 1 on technical support to EC SILM project. She/he will also play multiple roles in the implementation of bilateral projects, depending on the cases, including establishing and facilitating partnerships, managing budget, linking with project administrators, and liaising with donors.