Reference number: 2464
Job status: In-progress
Job category: Local Position
Duty station: Colombo, Sri Lanka but transferable to Matale on need basis
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CIFOR-ICRAF
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) envision a more equitable world where trees in all landscapes, from drylands to the humid tropics, enhance the environment and well-being for all. CIFOR and ICRAF are non-profit science institutions that build and apply evidence to today’s most pressing challenges, including energy insecurity and the climate and biodiversity crises. Over a combined total of 65 years, we have built vast knowledge on forests and trees outside of forests in agricultural landscapes (agroforestry). Using a multidisciplinary approach, we seek to improve lives and to protect and restore ecosystems. Our work focuses on innovative research, partnering for impact, and engaging with stakeholders on policies and practices to benefit people and the planet. Founded in 1993 and 1978, CIFOR and ICRAF 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.
Researcher – Sustainable Landscape Management Officer for the GCF Knuckles project
Overview
ICRAF along with the Ministry of Irrigation Sri Lanka is implementing a project titled “Strengthening Climate Resilience for Subsistence Farmers and Agricultural Plantation Communities Residing in the Vulnerable River Basins, Watershed Areas and Downstream of the Knuckles Mountain Range Catchment of Sri Lanka” in the Knuckles region of Sri Lanka with the funds received principally from the Green Climate Fund (GCF Knuckles project). The project aims to build sustainable land management with improved ecosystem services in uplands and enhanced economic and livelihood options to the affected communities that will ultimately improve the adaptive capacity to the expected climate change.
The proposed position will support building a sustainable land management framework for the implementation of GCF Knuckles project that will further assist Sri Lanka in developing policies on land management at country level. In particular, this position is to assist the project management with the field and secondary data collection and management, data quality checking, pre-processing and spatial analysis, facilitation of FGDs and interviews to identify best bet options and associated necessities across contexts and landscape restoration as part of SLM framework and contribute to land use planning processes. He/she will collaborate closely with other CIFOR-ICRAF colleagues under SLM team, as well as government partner institutions.
Duties and responsibilities
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Science production
- Support
the overall research and project implementation on SLM (Sustainable Landscape
management) and the land use planning process.
- Support
other project staff on stakeholder mapping of potential contributors/users in
sustainable land management.
- Collect,
compile, pre-process and manage spatial and non-spatial data in connection with
SLM and land use planning process at institutional and watershed level through
interviews, FGDs, workshops, and technical analysis.
- Be
informed on primary (i.e. ecosystem functions and services: water, carbon and
biodiversity) and secondary data collection (i.e. ecosystem functions and,
services: water, carbon and biodiversity, High conservation value (HCV),
degraded areas, fire risk areas and other environmental hazards climate;
climate and hydrology; watershed characteristics.
- Lead
and facilitate series of FGDs process at watershed and sub-basin level on
issues of soil and water management, climate-resilience land use and forestry
practices and restoration.
- Collaborate
with the other staff to organize workshops, training, FGDs and other meeting
forum related to SLM and land-use planning.
- Contribute
to the development of governance structure for land development and other
development processes at watershed and divisional/district level, if requested.
- Facilitate
collaboration among the stakeholder institutions, local government, local
stakeholders and experts appointed in developing, implementing and evaluation
on SLM and land use planning process.
- Engage
with government and non-government organizations at watershed and
divisional/district level in many topics related to SLM and other local
development initiatives associated with sustainable land uses.
- Support
in developing context-appropriate innovation platforms at community level in
the project area.
- Liaising
with PMU staff and SIDT managers, supporting necessary program planning,
development and implementation under sustainable land management in the project
area.
- Support
to develop and promote adoption of dashboard and information system of SLM.
- Provide
support on training materials and guidelines on SLM.
Human capital
- Support
in research activities for students and interns on SLM, including facilitating
and evaluating their work.
- Contribute
to strengthening the capacity of partners on SLM at national and sub-national
levels, including facilitating and organizing training, workshops, and other
events in collaboration with partners and country teams.
Game-changing solutions
- Represent
the organization in engaging with public, private, and smallholder farmers in
various events – as a resource person, participant, and other relevant capacities,
particularly on SLM.
- Contribute
to local and national discussions on SLM of expertise in close coordination
with the supervisor and Sri Lanka senior researchers.
Structural capital
- Support
the daily management and implementation of the project activities, especially
on sustainable land management.
- Identify
and inform ICRAF project manager and PI on the successes, challenges and
lessons learned from the planned activities.
- Monitor
the activities regularly and contribute to project reporting, monitoring, and
evaluation in collaboration with other team members and project partners.
- Support
the project team leaders to ensure accountability processes to donor(s) by
contributing to timely submissions of reports and activities on the ground.
- Participate
in periodical adaptive management reviews of implementation.
- Maintain
records on stakeholder engagements (e.g. prior notice, list of attendances and
contacts, gallery of photos, agenda & minutes preparation).
- Track
the follow-up actions of the decisions taken in the meetings.
- Provide
monthly summary reports comprising type of engagement/meeting, decisions taken,
progress of follow up actions and remarks, and contribute to the annual donor
reporting as required.
Education, knowledge and experience
• Master level degree in Land-use Planning/Sustainable land management/Geography or a degree in any other relevant field.
• Minimum of 3-years’ experience in sustainable land management, land-use planning, remote sensing, GIS and technology transfer to planners and technical partners along with teamwork (priority will be given for those who had worked on time bound projects successfully).
• Knowledge and experience in communication/agriculture/forestry/agroforestry systems/geography/hydrology/watershed & landscape management and participatory nature-based solutions will be an added qualification.
• Demonstrated experience in managing multiple implementation activities and budgets will be an added bonus.
Terms and conditions
• This is a Locally Recruited Staff (LRS) position. CIFOR-ICRAF offers competitive remuneration in local currency, commensurate with skills and experience.
• The appointment will be for 1 (one) year with the possibility of extension contingent upon performance, continued relevance of the position and available resources.
• The duty station will be in Colombo, Sri Lanka but transferable to Matale on need basis.
To apply, please visit our career site at: https://www.cifor-icraf.org/about/work-with-us/
To learn more about CIFOR-ICRAF, please visit our websites at: https://www.cifor-icraf.org
CIFOR-ICRAF promotes Gender Diversity – Applications from women professionals are encouraged.
CIFOR-ICRAF is an equal opportunity employer. It fosters a multicultural work environment that values gender equality, teamwork, and respect for diversity.
Application process
The application deadline is 07 Feb 2025
We will acknowledge all applications, but will contact only short-listed candidates.
