Field Project Facilitator - Center for International Forestry Research

The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) envision a more equitable world where forestry and landscapes enhance the environment and well-being for all. CIFOR-ICRAF are non-profit, scientific institutions that conduct research on the most pressing challenges of forest and landscape management around the world. Using a global, multidisciplinary approach, we aim to improve human well-being, protect the environment, and increase equity.

Our work focuses on innovative research, developing partners’ capacity, and actively engaging in dialogue with all stakeholders to inform policies and practices that affect forests and people. Our work spans the globe, with expertise in the ‘global South’. Founded in 1993 and 1978 respectively, CIFOR-ICRAF began merging on January 1, 2019. They are members of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food secure future dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources.

CIFOR-ICRAF is looking for a Field Project Facilitator

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Overview

Over the past two decades, ‘integrative landscape approaches’ (ILA) have gained increasing prominence in the search for solutions to reconcile conservation and development trade-offs, and the term has evolved to encompass a wide variety of interpretations. Generally, ILA describe a management approach to reconciling conservation and development through interventions in different components of a landscape matrix, some of which are managed for conservation and others toward development goals. Simultaneously, ILA improve livelihoods and reduce pressures on biodiversity and environmental resources.Despite increasing traction of the landscape approaches, the implementation, and more importantly, evaluation of such approaches on the ground have proved elusive. COLANDS will specifically address this science-implementation gap and will formally operationalise the landscape approach. A broad constituency of partners and stakeholders in three countries (Burkina Faso, Indonesia and Zambia) will assess conceptual frameworks and further develop methods and tools to put the approach into practice.

Duties and responsibilities

Objectives of the assignment

The Field Project Facilitator, as part of the COLANDS project, will be locally based in Northern Ghana. The facilitator will coordinate with CIFOR scientists to organize and assist with implementation of data collection activities, contribute some analysis and communicate results. The facilitator will also coordinate and communicate with COLANDS research partners, participating communities, and relevant authorities and stakeholders in the region.

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Summary of responsibilities

The consultant will be involved in the implementation of four components of COLANDS:

• Multi-stakeholder consultation and operationalizing of the landscape approach
• Building capacity and tools to implement integrated approaches to landscape management
• Pilot testing of integrated landscape approaches
• Global and national policy recommendations.

The Field Project Facilitator will support all implementation processes in Northern Ghana, organize the necessary logistics and supervise fieldwork activities and locally recruited teams. This will include the following tasks:

• Support the CIFOR team to identify the appropriate landscape sites.
• Identify and assess existing relevant multi-stakeholder platforms, institutions and organizations in the project sites, based on secondary data and qualitative semi-structured interviews.
• Support CIFOR’s activities in the field: engagement with partners, local logistics, planning, meeting organization and administration for field work at project sites. This will include helping prepare transportation, lodging and materials for fieldwork; communicating CIFOR plans to research partners and communities; and informing CIFOR supervisors of research partners’ fieldwork plans to facilitate communication.
• Facilitate and participate in data collection activities to assist CIFOR research teams as needed.

Education, knowledge and experience

• Master’s degree in social science, development studies, agriculture, forestry, or equivalent fields