National forestry financial specialist (NRAP review)

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.

• 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 staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

Organizational Setting

Vietnam’s National REDD Action Programe (NRAP) for 2017-2030 was approved by the Prime Minister with Decision No 419/TTg -QD dated April 5th, 2017. This is a policy document with a multi-sectoral approach and the overall goal to: Contribute to protecting and improving the quality of the existing natural forests, expanding the forest area, and improving the quality of plantation forests; linking with the implementation of national goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, forest protection and development, green growth; mobilizing international support, getting access to carbon markets; and improving people’s lives and the country’s sustainable development. (NRAP, 2017 Overall Goal). The main content of the NRAP focuses on developing and finalizing the policies and measures responses to the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.
The NRAP is split into two periods: 2017-2020 and 2021-2030. It can be said that the first period is readiness phase towards achieving REDD results and expanding forest cover to 42%; whereas the second period is the maturity phase where the objective shifts to “integrate fully REDD into sustainable forestry development programmes”, and forest cover by 45%. The second phase further speaks to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) emissions reduction target of a 15.8% unconditional reduction target and 43.5% conditional target. The LULUCF contributes 3.5% against the baseline scenario (unconditional), and 5% for conditional.
The NRAP decision, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)’s mandates the responsibility to “Review and evaluate the Programme implementation results for the period 2017- 2020 and propose to the Prime Minister for amendment and adjustment for the period 2023-2030″ (point l, item 6.2.1, Article 1). Therefore, a review of the NRAP implementation is proposed to be undertaken, as a first step towards informing the NRAP for the next period. In addition, after 5 years of REDD implementation, the context of both international negotiation processes and national circumstances have changed.

Reporting Lines

The incumbent will work under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in Viet Nam, the direct supervision of the Assistant FAOR-Programme in the FAO Representation in Viet Nam. Operationally and technically, the incumbent will work with the responsible Forestry Officer (based in RAP), the National Coordinator, the Forestry Expert as well as other colleagues within the UN-REDD team.

Technical Focus

The incumbent will be responsible for reviewing and evaluating the financial aspects of the NRAP implementation over the past years (2017-2022), providing recommendations to enhance the NRAP’s financial sustainability, efficiency, and alignment with national and international financial and environmental goals for the next part of the implementation period (2023-2030) including assessment of the potential integration of NRAP into broader sectoral strategies.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Evaluate the NRAP measures for implementation (Section 5 of the Decision 419/QD-TTg 2017).
• Review and assess the 2018-2020 Action Plan of NRAP implementation (Decision No 5264/QD-BNN dated 28/12/2018- Part 3-Item 3: Resource Mobilisation Solutions; Part 4 and Annex III and Annex IV: Capital demands).
• Analyze the existing NRAP with a focus on financial aspects, including funding mechanisms, budgeting, financial management, and resource allocation.
• Review and assess the situation of the allocated funds from the Government for NRAP implementation, the situation of the resources mobilasation both international and domestic sources for NRAP implementation.
• Assess the feasibility and sustainability of financial mechanisms and funding sources.
In addition:
• Support the identification and outlining of challenges and bottlenecks that hinder the successful execution of the points above
• Support in drafting recommendations for adjustments and improvements including recommendations to enhance financial management, resource mobilization, and investment in the NRAP Implementation Plan for the next implementation period and integration into broader national strategies (such as the National Forestry Development Strategy (VFDS 2021-2030, Decision No 809/QD-TTg, etc.)
• Support consultations with key stakeholders, including government agencies, financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, and localities.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in the related field of finance and forestry economics.
• Possess at least 10 years of work experience, including a minimum of 5 years in the forestry industry, with a focus on forestry finance. Experience as an incumbent in forestry finance.
• Working knowledge of English
• National of Vietnam or resident of the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical/Functional Skills

• Experience working in UN agencies/INGOs/ international organizations/NGOs or in an international context is an asset.
• Ability to take ownership and accountability for assigned processes and to work autonomously.
• Excellent writing skills
• Very good knowledge of the MS Office applications, Internet and office technology equipment.

Selection Criteria

• Advanced degree as an asset
• Intensive knowledge of the institutional and legal framework of Viet Nam
• Demonstration of experiences from drafting/formalization and evaluation/assessment of national policies/ strategies
• Strong experience providing strategic advice and dealing with the government and development partners
• Good understanding of REDD
• Experience engaging a range of stakeholders in Viet Nam on environmental issues is an advantage

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

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing).
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.
• Only language proficiency certificates from UN accredited external providers and/or FAO language official examinations (LPE, ILE, LRT) will be accepted as proof of the level of knowledge of languages indicated in the online applications.
• For other issues, visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

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

FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT