Jobs at The United Nations Development Programme - 10 Positions

Preamble

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) is the programme of the UN organization, which promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.

In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a role in development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local communities.

In all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct. Engaging in volunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich their understanding of local and social realities, as well as create a bridge between themselves and the people in their host community. This will make the time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

Brief Project Description

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is mandated by the General Assembly to assist Member States with the prevention of illicit drugs, crime and terrorism by providing legal technical assistance and criminal justice capacity-building activities.  In the context of global counter-terrorism efforts, UNODC provides technical assistance to requesting countries in addressing the legal and criminal justice aspects of countering terrorism. The delivery of specialized technical assistance is led by its Terrorism Prevention Branch (TPB), jointly with the UNODC Country Office for Nigeria.  Since 2012, UNODC has been actively engaged with the Nigerian Government in providing counter-terrorism assistance through a programme endorsed by the Government and implemented in partnership with the European Union and other international partners, entitled “Partnership on Strengthening Criminal Justice Responses to Terrorism”. The Programme’s objective is to help Nigerian criminal justice entities to strengthen their capacity to undertake rule of law-based and human rights-compliant measures against terrorism. The Programme has focused on: enhancing the capacity of national criminal justice officials to implement counter-terrorism measures, especially the successful investigation and prosecution of terrorism in accordance with rule of law and with due respect for human rights; reinforce international criminal justice cooperation; strengthen inter-agency collaboration in the criminal justice responses to terrorism among relevant national entities; and reinforce knowledge and analysis of relevant domestic legislation.  

Organizational Context

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) mission is to make the world safer from drugs, crime and terrorism. In the context of global counter-terrorism, the UNODC is mandated to provide assistance to requesting countries in their efforts to address the legal and criminal justice aspects of countering terrorism.  Specialized assistance delivery is led by its Terrorism Prevention Branch (TPB).  Since 2003, the Terrorism Prevention Branch has been mandated by the General Assembly to promote the ratification of the 19 universal legal instruments against terrorism, assist with the legislative incorporation of these treaties, provide capacity building training to criminal justice officials to strengthen their criminal justice responses to terrorism, and promote international cooperation in criminal matters related to terrorism.  

The Terrorism Prevention Branch implements its technical assistance delivery jointly with UNODC field offices including the UNODC Country Office in Nigeria.  The UN Volunteer will be posted in Abuja, Nigeria at the UNODC Country Office and support substantive and organizational coordination of UNODC programme activities for strengthening Nigeria's criminal justice measures against terrorism. This will also entail supporting UNODC’s partnerships in Nigeria with Nigerian government agencies and relevant members of the international community based in Abuja. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under The Overall Guidance Of The UNODC Representative And The Supervision Of The Nigeria CT Programme Coordinator, The UN Volunteer (National Programme Officer, Counter Terrorism) Will Carry Out a Diverse Work Plan Entailing Specified Assignments In The Following Main Areas

• Provide support for the substantive and organizational liaison with the project’s national counterpart entities and officials, and with international partners with field presence in Nigeria;
• Participate in and contribute to the planning, preparations for, implementation and coordination of project activities;
• Participate in and contribute to project management, especially in ensuring project reporting, promoting project visibility, partnership building and mobilizing support;
• Provide support for carrying out the project administration, such as project implementation monitoring and budget management.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: 

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/Expected Output

• Excellent substantive and organizational liaison ensured with the project’s national counterpart entities and officials, and with the international partners with field presence in Nigeria.  Effective and timely oral and written communications.  Excellent networking;
• Timely and good quality substantive and organizational contributions for the planning, preparations for, implementation and coordination of project activities. Various written substantive products. Planning and execution of organizational details;
• Timely and good quality contributions for the project management, especially in ensuring project reporting, promoting project visibility, partnership building and mobilizing support.  Various written products.  Networking;
• Timely and effective support for carrying out the project administration, such as project implementation monitoring and budget management;
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies

• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Highest standards of integrity, discretion and loyalty.

Functional Competencies

• Communication and negotiation skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• Possesses strong interpersonal skills;
• Result oriented outlook;
• Strong interpersonal skills, including. excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills, team and networking skills.

Education

• University degree (Bachelors degree) in Law, Criminology, Social Sciences, International Relations or related fields;
• An advanced university degree (Masters degree) is desirable.

Experience

• A minimum of two years professional work experience in criminal justice or related disciplines;
• Familiarity with rule of law, criminal justice, crime and terrorism prevention;
• Evidence of ability to think strategically; to express ideas clearly; to work independently and in teams; sense of cultural and gender sensitivity.
• A strong commitment to UN development work; commitment to work on Counter Terrorism; an interest in adapting to varied physical and professional environments; and a desire to work with people with different language, national and cultural backgrounds.

Computer Skills

• Experience in handling web-based management system
• Proficiency in Standard Computer Software (Word, Excel, Database, PowerPoint, Internet)
• Strong aptitude for learning computer based financial and program management software for monitoring programs
• Experience in the usage of ATLAS (Finance Application Access Module) will be an advantage.

Language Skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Conditions Of Service
A 12-month contract; monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) intended to cover housing, basic needs and utilities, equivalent to N94, 914; Settling-in-Grant (if applicable) equivalent of one month VLA, i.e. Naira 94,914 for a 12-month assignment if candidate is recruited from outside the duty station, or pro-rated if assignment is shorter than 12 months; life, health, and permanent disability insurance; return travel (if applicable); Resettlement Allowance for satisfactory service.

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Background

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests through offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. REDD+ (“plus”) goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Nigeria's forests, which currently extend over 9.6 million hectares, have been rapidly declining over the past decades. The current deforestation rate, estimated at 3.7%, is one of the highest in the world. The Federal Government of Nigeria, reinforced by pioneering efforts from Cross River State, began to engage in REDD+ in 2009 and signed an agreement with the UN-REDD Programme in August 2012.  In February 2015, Nigeria’s REDD+ Readiness Programme was extended through 2016, following two years of stakeholder engagement with little progress towards a REDD+ strategy.  It envisions a two-track approach to achieve REDD+ readiness in Nigeria, based on: (i) the development of institutional and technical capacities at Federal level, and (ii) consolidating four key UNFCCC requirements for REDD Readiness on a pilot basis in Cross River State: the four Warsaw Framework elements of Strategy, Safeguards Information System, Forest Monitoring System, and Forest Reference Levels for carbon. 

Nigeria’s REDD “readiness” programme entails the participatory development of a national REDD+ Strategy.  As a pilot state, Cross River State will develop a REDD+ Strategy that will both inform the national strategy and serve as a model for other states.  The Strategy will comprise policy reforms, investment priorities, and a related REDD+ implementation framework, with due monitoring and safeguard systems, as called for under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  The REDD+ Strategy intends to enhance the value of standing forests and to incentivize sustainable forest management through a multi-stakeholder approach and a green development perspective.ja

Duties and Responsibilities

The Objective Of The Knowledge Management Consultant Will Be To Provide Technical Knowhow For Capacity Assessment And For Planning, Design And Implementation Of The Learning And Knowledge Sharing Aspect Of The Project. Activities Should Be Dedicated To Capturing Best Practices And Lessons Learned, And Raising The Visibility Of The Project – Both Internally And Externally. The Consultant Would Also Be In Charge Of Mainstreaming Cross-cutting Issues Into The Integrated Analysis Which Would Be Integrated Into The Final Report. Other Objectives Are

• Improve the quality of management decision-making by ensuring that reliable and secure knowledge, information and data is available through the service lifecycle;
• Enable the service provider to be more efficient and improve quality of service, increase satisfaction and reduce the cost of service by reducing the need to rediscover knowledge;
• Ensure that staff have a clear and common understanding of the value that their services provide to customers and the ways in which benefits are realized from the use of those services;
• Maintain a Service Knowledge Management System (SKMS) that provides controlled access to knowledge, information and data that is appropriate for each audience;
• Gather, analyse, store, share, use and maintain knowledge, information and data throughout the service provider organization.

The consultants will develop a knowledge management strategy document for the REDD+ programme and also carry out the following specific tasks, among others:

• Work proactively with programme and project teams to identify opportunities for capturing and sharing knowledge, and disseminating information about major progress and results;
• Develop a REDD+ events calendar, ensuring that major events are identified early; supports senior management and relevant programme teams to develop and manage messages and information material to ensure the success of major events;
• Advise the project on branding and publications policy and also assist in their dissemination;
• Develop contacts database with key print and electronic media (including radio, TV, news websites and blogs) to supply them with newsworthy material about the REDD+ programme work in the country;
• Ensure that all outreach information material to be used by the media is written in a way that concepts and issues can be readily understood by the public;
• Research and identify media stories, writes and edits media releases, and feature stories within tight timeframes which consistently meet agreed corporate standards;
• Produce video documentary for capturing project results;
• Prepare National Factsheet/Case Studies to promote national projects results and activities;
• Ensure that media is informed about key workshops/seminars and project outputs; provide training to journalists on REDD+ programme;
• Support organizing the launch of the REDD+ Strategy.

Competencies

• Excellent interpersonal skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• Excellent Team building skills;
• Excellent communication and writing skills;
• Strong analytical skills;
• Working knowledge of the following computer applications: MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); Adobe Acrobat; and one or more web based meeting application.

Education

• Advanced University Degree in Social Sciences or other related field.

Experience

• At least 10 years of experience in the knowledge products management;
• Experience in at least two of the focus areas of Knowledge Management to be covered by this post, with experience in more than two a strong advantage;
• Demonstrated experience in networking and coordination, preferably in or related to agriculture and forest product enterprises;
• Knowledge and experience managing complex multi-stakeholder partnerships;
• Proven experience in drafting reports and action plans;
• Some experience in natural resource management, environmental policies and/or forest-climate linkages is highly valuable;
• Proven track record of working with governmental and non-governmental institutions.

Language
Fluent in English.

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Background
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests through offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. REDD+ (“plus”) goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Nigeria's forests, which currently extend over 9.6 million hectares, have been rapidly declining over the past decades. The current deforestation rate, estimated at 3.7%, is one of the highest in the world. The Federal Government of Nigeria, reinforced by pioneering efforts from Cross River State, began to engage in REDD+ in 2009 and signed an agreement with the UN-REDD Programme in August 2012.  In February 2015, Nigeria’s REDD+ Readiness Programme was extended through 2016, following two years of stakeholder engagement with little progress towards a REDD+ strategy.  It envisions a two-track approach to achieve REDD+ readiness in Nigeria, based on: (i) the development of institutional and technical capacities at Federal level, and (ii) consolidating four key UNFCCC requirements for REDD Readiness on a pilot basis in Cross River State: the four Warsaw Framework elements of Strategy, Safeguards Information System, Forest Monitoring System, and Forest Reference Levels for carbon. 

Nigeria’s REDD “readiness” programme entails the participatory development of a national REDD+ Strategy.  As a pilot state, Cross River State will develop a REDD+ Strategy that will both inform the national strategy and serve as a model for other states.  The Strategy will comprise policy reforms, investment priorities, and a related REDD+ implementation framework, with due monitoring and safeguard systems, as called for under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  The REDD+ Strategy intends to enhance the value of standing forests and to incentivize sustainable forest management through a multi-stakeholder approach and a green development perspective.

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests through offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. REDD+ (“plus”) goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Nigeria's forests, which currently extend over 9.6 million hectares, have been rapidly declining over the past decades. The current deforestation rate, estimated at 3.7%, is one of the highest in the world. The Federal Government of Nigeria, reinforced by pioneering efforts from Cross River State, began to engage in REDD+ in 2009 and signed an agreement with the UN-REDD Programme in August 2012.  In February 2015, Nigeria’s REDD+ Readiness Programme was extended through 2016, following two years of stakeholder engagement with little progress towards a REDD+ strategy.  It envisions a two-track approach to achieve REDD+ readiness in Nigeria, based on: (i) the development of institutional and technical capacities at Federal level, and (ii) consolidating four key UNFCCC requirements for REDD Readiness on a pilot basis in Cross River State: the four Warsaw Framework elements of Strategy, Safeguards Information System, Forest Monitoring System, and Forest Reference Levels for carbon. 

Nigeria’s REDD “readiness” programme entails the participatory development of a national REDD+ Strategy.  As a pilot state, Cross River State will develop a REDD+ Strategy that will both inform the national strategy and serve as a model for other states.  The Strategy will comprise policy reforms, investment priorities, and a related REDD+ implementation framework, with due monitoring and safeguard systems, as called for under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  The REDD+ Strategy intends to enhance the value of standing forests and to incentivize sustainable forest management through a multi-stakeholder approach and a green development perspective.

Responsibilities

The Team Leader will be the primary contact throughout the assessment, coordinate the overall analytic effort, and be responsible for editing and final compilation of the Issues and Options report. The Team leader will carry out the following tasks:

• Review and assess technical reports from the national consultants, literature from relevant studies, synthesize the results from these works, identify gaps that need to be filled, and where required, propose recommendations in key areas of improvements to ensure that key elements are captured for the eventual development of the Issues and Options report (I & O report) to be considered for the delivery of REDD+ and an eventual REDD+ strategy;
• Liaise with other consultants, key institutions and partners with the view to drawing, synthesizing and inputting information for the development of an I & O report. The synthesis should include the baseline overview of the drivers of deforestation building on the studies on the drivers of deforestation, the analyses of the direct drivers (through the private sector and sustainable forest management analyses), indirect drivers (through the private sector and the policy and legal analyses) and barriers to the (+) activities in REDD+;
• Identify and formulate priority issues and options that will feed into the comprehensive report (technical, strategic, policy, sectoral etc) to address deforestation and forest degradation including on the interrelationship amongst the various issues and options outlined;
• Assess the technical feasibility, risks and sustainability of proposed interventions or options identified in the I & O report;
• Provide a clear reasoning and justification on key issues and options that have been derived through evidence-based analytical work and how addressing these can and would benefit CRS/Nigeria in the long term to promote REDD+;

Identify Cross-cutting Topics With The Objective To Bring Together The Issues That Cut Across All The Key Analyses As Well As An Analysis Of Federal And Cross River State Stakeholder Institutional Capacity.This Will Include

• Rudimentary screening (using a SWOT methodology or something similar) as related to REDD+ programmes to confirm key stakeholders and identify and assess their critical capacity needs;
• Analysis of critical capacity needs of key stakeholders in policy development, technical, and financial areas;
• Summary of the current role of local governments and local institutions in the development and implementation of REDD+ and analysis of potential to strengthen these roles. In doing this, identify, differentiate, and describe the roles and activities of local, state, and national-level stakeholder interests in REDD+ with respect to the implementation of key strategic objectives and options for REDD+ implementation including government, civil society, private enterprise, international organizations, donors, communities, and other relevant stakeholder groups;
• Summary of roles and identification of opportunities to increase inter-MDA (ministries, departments, and agencies) collaboration on climate change and other programming to strengthen REDD+ readiness;
• Summary of planned donor program/activities and identify opportunities for integration, synergy, how such initiatives can be upscaled in a coordinated manner in order to contribute to the objective of REDD+ in CRS/Nigeria etc. and identify what coordination and/or collaboration would be useful.This may include, e.g., the NEWMAP Project, the FCPF, and others.
• Actively collaborate with the UN-REDD team and key stakeholders to ensure optimization of key and strategic opportunities required for the development of the I & O report;
• Coordinate and finalize a comprehensive I & O report for REDD+ strategy development in CRS/Nigeria;
• Based on the issues and options report, in consultations with the UN-REDD team, national consultants and stakeholders, prepare to a Policy Note with other consultants to provide a broad overview of how deforestation and forest degradation would be addressed;
• Contribute, support and participate in the preparation of a Climate Change and REDD+ meeting with high level Government officials and stakeholders that endorses the policy direction and vision outlined in the Policy Note;
• Work with the national REDD+ team to prepare Terms of References for Thematic Working Groups for the development of the CRS REDD+ strategy;
• Participate, facilitate and contribute to key thematic group meetings and national dialogue processes as may be required;
• Undertake any other action or work necessary to complete the assignment.

Competencies

• Excellent writing skills;
• Good interpersonal skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• Excellent Team building skills;
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of climate change, REDD+ process, especially the mitigation policies, technologies and climate finance as well as analytical skills and experience in preparing technical and/or policy-relevant reports and papers.

Education

• An advanced degree in forestry, land management, natural resources management or development-related subjects based on the technical requirements of the assignment.

Experience

• At least 10 years of experience in successfully managing assessments of similar scope and scale related to related to natural resource management;
• Traceable records of similar consultancies;
• Experience, and knowledge of the REDD+ mechanism, and preferable evidence of similar work in other countries;
• Experience with the United Nations system;
• Proven experience in drafting reports and action plans.

Language
Fluent English.

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Background
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests through offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. REDD+ (“plus”) goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Nigeria's forests, which currently extend over 9.6 million hectares, have been rapidly declining over the past decades. The current deforestation rate, estimated at 3.7%, is one of the highest in the world. The Federal Government of Nigeria, reinforced by pioneering efforts from Cross River State, began to engage in REDD+ in 2009 and signed an agreement with the UN-REDD Programme in August 2012.  In February 2015, Nigeria’s REDD+ Readiness Programme was extended through 2016, following two years of stakeholder engagement with little progress towards a REDD+ strategy.  It envisions a two-track approach to achieve REDD+ readiness in Nigeria, based on: (i) the development of institutional and technical capacities at Federal level, and (ii) consolidating four key UNFCCC requirements for REDD Readiness on a pilot basis in Cross River State: the four Warsaw Framework elements of Strategy, Safeguards Information System, Forest Monitoring System, and Forest Reference Levels for carbon. 

Nigeria’s REDD “readiness” programme entails the participatory development of a national REDD+ Strategy.  As a pilot state, Cross River State will develop a REDD+ Strategy that will both inform the national strategy and serve as a model for other states.  The Strategy will comprise policy reforms, investment priorities, and a related REDD+ implementation framework, with due monitoring and safeguard systems, as called for under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  The REDD+ Strategy intends to enhance the value of standing forests and to incentivize sustainable forest management through a multi-stakeholder approach and a green development perspective.

Duties and Responsibilities

• To identify issues and opportunities for investment in the forest and natural resource sector—including agriculture and agroforestry (crops and NTFPs), energy, and mining/quarrying, and roads—from landscape and ecosystem services perspective. This will include identifying emerging trends and potentially serious threats to forest cover;
• To assess the technical feasibility, risks, and the potential and/or actual impact of existing or proposed opportunities (interventions or options) on the resource base, especially with respect to sustainability, stability, productivity, and livelihoods;
• To document the previous, on-going and planned activities in sustainable forest management with relevance to REDD+ implementation in Nigeria. Thus the purpose of this is to bring together as much of these sustainable forest initiatives as possible and in so doing assemble a clearer picture of those initiatives in terms of their activity types, activity locations, implementing institutions, activity durations, implementation methods and benefits and indicate those that could support REDD+ delivery.

The Natural Resource Specialists Will Carry Out The Following Tasks

• Review and assess information, literature and studies in the forest and natural resource sector—including agriculture and agroforestry, energy, and mining/quarrying, and infrastructure (roads) sectors to outline sources of emissions coming from these sectors.This will include reviewing recent and past efforts to identify drivers of deforestation and forest degradation;
• Identify issues requiring attention for inclusion in the issues and options paper, gaps to be filled, and key investment opportunities from a landscape and ecosystem services perspective. The report should draw from prior analyses, including the Drivers Study, the National Communications, and other studies noted in Annex B. Identify and—to the degree possible—fill any gaps in forest, carbon, resource, and/or land use information relevant to the development of a REDD+ strategy for Cross River State.Identify the follow-up analysis needed;
• Prepare a comprehensive Technical Report on Landscape/Ecosystem approach (including agriculture and agroforestry (crops and NTFPs), energy, mining/quarrying, and infrastructure) for inclusion in the national Issues and Options section of the report and CRS REDD+ strategy and;
• Assess the technical feasibility, risks, and the potential and/or actual impact of existing or proposed opportunities (interventions or options) on the resource base, especially with respect to sustainability, stability, productivity, and livelihoods. Provide analyses on specific issues, e.g. banana farming, oil palm, cocoa, quarrying/mining, logging, road infrastructure, etc. and how to address them.
• In line with points 1-4above:
• Review and document relevant information on previous, on-going and planned sustainable forest management related REDD+ initiatives in CRS;
• Identify and analyse the ongoing and planned activities in terms of complimenting REDD+ implementation in CRS;
• Identify with further analysis the possible gaps and challenges to be addressed if any, with a view to further improving the effectiveness of these initiatives for delivery of REDD+;
• Recommend approaches that would facilitate up-scaling of such initiatives in a coordinated manner in order to contribute to the objective of REDD+ in CRS/Nigeria;
• Synthesize the results from works above and make recommendations in key areas of improvements including the efforts already made or being undertaken by the initiatives themselves and identify those to be considered for the delivery of REDD+.

Competencies

• Broad knowledge of climate change mitigation and/or adaptation in Nigeria ;
• Broad knowledge of political and economic development in Nigeria and how REDD+ fits in with that;
• Excellent organizational skills;
• Excellent writing skills;
• Good interpersonal skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• Excellent Team building skills.

Education

• Advanced degree in agriculture, forestry, or other relevant natural resource management-related subject.

Experience

• At least 7 years of experience that aligns with the technical requirements of the assignment;
• Demonstrated experience of similar consultancies (to be verified through traceable records);
• Experience, and knowledge of the REDD+ mechanism, with evidence of similar work in other countries preferred;
• Experience in Africa;
• Experience with the United Nations system preferred;
• Demonstrated experience in drafting reports and action plans.

Language
Fluent in English.

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Background
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests through offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. REDD+ (“plus”) goes beyond deforestation and fore st degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Nigeria's forests, which currently extend over 9.6 million hectares, have been rapidly declining over the past decades. The current deforestation rate, estimated at 3.7%, is one of the highest in the world. The Federal Government of Nigeria, reinforced by pioneering efforts from Cross River State, began to engage in REDD+ in 2009 and signed an agreement with the UN-REDD Programme in August 2012.  In February 2015, Nigeria’s REDD+ Readiness Programme was extended through 2016, following two years of stakeholder engagement with little progress towards a REDD+ strategy.  It envisions a two-track approach to achieve REDD+ readiness in Nigeria, based on: (i) the development of institutional and technical capacities at Federal level, and (ii) consolidating four key UNFCCC requirements for REDD Readiness on a pilot basis in Cross River State: the four Warsaw Framework elements of Strategy, Safeguards Information System, Forest Monitoring System, and Forest Reference Levels for carbon. 

Nigeria’s REDD “readiness” programme entails the participatory development of a national REDD+ Strategy.  As a pilot state, Cross River State will develop a REDD+ Strategy that will both inform the national strategy and serve as a model for other states.  The Strategy will comprise policy reforms, investment priorities, and a related REDD+ implementation framework, with due monitoring and safeguard systems, as called for under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  The REDD+ Strategy intends to enhance the value of standing forests and to incentivize sustainable forest management through a multi-stakeholder approach and a green development perspective.

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of the Policy, Legal and Regulatory (PLR) analysis is to provide stakeholders at both Federal and CRS levels: 

• Practical and innovative PLR interventions to ensure the successful implementation of REDD+ (i.e., short to medium terms arrangements to reduce deforestation); 
• Justification for how addressing these PLRs can and would benefit CRS and Nigeria in the long term; and
• Clarification of priority PLR issues development for implementing REDD+.

To Achieve These Objectives, The Consultants Will Carry Out The Following Specific Tasks, Among Others

• Review and assess information, literature and studies on key Federal and Cross River State (CRS) policies, laws, regulatory frameworks and instruments in the land use sectors as well as sectors that are linked to the successful implementation of REDD+;
• Review recent and past efforts to identify policy and legal (indirect) drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.Identify gaps or weaknesses in these efforts and the follow-up analysis needed.This will build on the Participatory Governance Assessment and the Drivers Study.This will include assessing the status of REDD+, forest carbon and (in coordination with the finance analysis) forest carbon finance policy and legal frameworks in Nigeria;
• Summarize local, state and national policy and legal framework(s) relevant for REDD+ implementation, including roles and responsibilities of the different levels of government;
• Review existing definitions of carbon ownership and how these relate to different categories of land rights or other rights issues/concerns (with focus on local communities and forest reserves/protected areas) related to REDD+ readiness;
• Based on the review conducted under the above points, identify and assess gaps in PLR instruments and frameworks that may affect the implementation of the REDD+ (e.g. conflicting policies);
• Identify forest and other sector policies and processes that are being or should be considered and aligned with the climate change policy framework, such as agriculture, land use, property rights/land tenure, etc.

Provide Recommendations Or Proposals On

• How to optimize policy, legal and regulatory instruments (e.g., policy harmonization) to ensure effective and robust implementation of REDD+ including on financing, benefit sharing, safeguards, carbon rights, conflict management, forest governance, measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems, and Reference Emission Levels/Reference Levels amongst others;
• In recognition that some policy or actions may require time to adjust—practical and innovative PLR interventions to ensure the successful implementation ofREDD+ at both Federal and CRS levels (that is, short to medium terms arrangements to be undertaken to achieve the designed goals in reducing deforestation);
• Provide clear reasoning and justification through the evidence-based analytical workon how addressing these PLRs can and would benefit CRS and Nigeria in the long term to promote REDD+ (i.e., feasibility, risks, and sustainability of the proposed interventions); and
• In collaboration with other consultants identify and formulate priority PLR issues that will eventually feed into an issues and options report and a future CRS and Federal REDD+ Strategy.

Competencies

• Good interpersonal skills;
• Excellent writing skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• Excellent Team building skills.

Education

• Advanced degree in law/environmental law and a degree or equivalent experience in a natural resource- or development-related subject.

Experience

• At least 7 years of experience that aligns with the technical requirements of the assignment;
• Demonstrated experience of similar consultancies (to be verified through traceable records);
• Experience, and knowledge of the REDD+ mechanism, with evidence of similar work in other countries preferred;
• Experience in Africa;
• Experience with the United Nations system preferred;
• Demonstrated experience in drafting reports and action plans.

Language
Fluent in English.

go to method of application »

Background
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests through offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. REDD+ (“plus”) goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Nigeria's forests, which currently extend over 9.6 million hectares, have been rapidly declining over the past decades. The current deforestation rate, estimated at 3.7%, is one of the highest in the world. The Federal Government of Nigeria, reinforced by pioneering efforts from Cross River State, began to engage in REDD+ in 2009 and signed an agreement with the UN-REDD Programme in August 2012.  In February 2015, Nigeria’s REDD+ Readiness Programme was extended through 2016, following two years of stakeholder engagement with little progress towards a REDD+ strategy.  It envisions a two-track approach to achieve REDD+ readiness in Nigeria, based on: (i) the development of institutional and technical capacities at Federal level, and (ii) consolidating four key UNFCCC requirements for REDD Readiness on a pilot basis in Cross River State: the four Warsaw Framework elements of Strategy, Safeguards Information System, Forest Monitoring System, and Forest Reference Levels for carbon. 

Nigeria’s REDD “readiness” programme entails the participatory development of a national REDD+ Strategy.  As a pilot state, Cross River State will develop a REDD+ Strategy that will both inform the national strategy and serve as a model for other states.  The Strategy will comprise policy reforms, investment priorities, and a related REDD+ implementation framework, with due monitoring and safeguard systems, as called for under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  The REDD+ Strategy intends to enhance the value of standing forests and to incentivize sustainable forest management through a multi-stakeholder approach and a green development perspective.

The Engagement Of Private Sector Is Imperative For a Number Of Reasons

• Forestry includes operations across a range of sectors in Nigeria and Cross River State. The private sector can, and is encouraged, to play an important role in enhancing REDD+ and sustainable, long term returns on investments in forest resources;
• The private sector can contribute to REDD+ initiatives through its range of expertise and as part of the solution to mitigating climate change by addressing key drivers of deforestation and forest degradation across key sectors and in REDD+ value chains;
• Some private enterprises impact directly on deforestation and forest degradation through activities such as agriculture, forestry, infrastructure, etc and on REDD+ value chains;
• Private sector engagement in REDD+ can bring additional financing to the public sector financing that presently comprises all of the funding for REDD+ in Nigeria; and
• The private sector is key in designing and implementing market-based mechanisms such as carbon trading in voluntary or compliance markets.

This analysis will assess the role of private sector in the implementation of REDD+ and identify strategic opportunities and entry points for private sector engagement. The outputs of this consultancy will be integrated into REDD+ Strategy development, used to enhance private sector engagement in REDD+ processes, and position private sector actors as key collaborating partners in the implementation of a sustainable REDD+ mechanism as it continues to evolve.

Duties and Responsibilities

There are two core objectives of this analysis of REDD+ private sector investment opportunities in Nigeria:

• To identify opportunities for engaging private sector to contribute to achieving REDD+ results, that is, by reducing the impact on forests through better regulation/legislation or economic incentives and/or possibly through private sector contribution to REDD+ finance.This entails developing an understanding of the nature, feasibility and magnitude of potential private sector REDD+ investment opportunities in Cross River State and at the national level in Nigeria. This can potentially build on previous UN-REDD Programme work on multiple benefits in Nigeria (see Background Documents);
• To understand the potential role of the private sector in REDD+ and assist with private sector capacity building to contribute to REDD+ in Nigeria. This second objective is two-fold: (i) to increase awareness and understanding of REDD+ within the private sector, and (ii) to increase the level of understanding about the private sector amongst REDD+ stakeholders;
• The tasks set forth below to accomplish these two objectives include a broad survey of private sector businesses that have an impact on deforestation and/or forest degradation, or could potentially contribute to REDD+.  To strengthen the contribution of the second objective, the assignment will help identify possible avenues for enhancing private sector engagement. This is important, too, because the enabling conditions for private sector engagement and the emergence of inclusive markets—competitive markets that extend choice and opportunity to address REDD+ issues—are not yet in place.

The Consultants Will Carry Out The Following Specific Tasks, Among Others

• Provide a baseline overview of the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Nigeria and identify any interventions—especially those involving the private sector—that have been proposed or employed to tackle these drivers. The drivers’ analysis should both focus on direct drivers of deforestation and indirect drivers (including e.g. subsidies to farmers or other forms of incentives to currently add pressure on forests);
• Identify the key private sector players in sectors particularly sectors whose activities impact on deforestation and those that could be relevant in identifying solution. Sectors such as agriculture, mining, forestry, trade, energy, banking and finance amongst others, their type of and potential interventions in the REDD+ value chain, their interests and motivations;
• Map key bank and non-bank financial actors in the Nigerian financial system and the relevant services they provide;
• Describe the terms and conditions under which finance and investment are provided to actors in the key sectors identified above (e.g. for debt products: sectors/activities lent to, size/maturity/interest rate of loans, collateral requirements, repayment terms, social and environmental risk policies, etc.);
• Identify key on-going REDD+ (related) initiatives that are supported by the private sector including the form and nature of their support (e.g. corporate social responsibility, on the ground investments, clean technology);
• Develop a ‘long-list’ of possible private sector REDD+ interventions that would address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation from across multiple sectors and identify what enabling environment (i.e. incentives) will have to be provided by the state/federal government to make it (economically) attractive;
• Develop a framework using multiple criteria to highlight the private sector REDD+ investment opportunities with the most potential in the short to medium term. The criteria may include the following (among others): GHG abatement potential/environmental impact, level of community/gender benefits and poverty reduction, clarity of land tenure, scalability/potential size of opportunity, unit size of opportunity, relative cost, commercial viability, ease of implementation, return ‘break-even time’, opportunity cost, likely government interest, compatibility with current livelihoods, risks related to permanence/leakage, and risks and/or difficulties associated with land tenure;
• Identify a short-list of stakeholders (using a ranking system) who are relevant to the highest scoring potential opportunities, and interview them to deepen understanding of the constraints, opportunities and critical enabling steps necessary for implementation;
• Interview representatives from financial actors identified above to assess constraints and opportunities to finance high scoring REDD+ activities based on the ranking system described above under point 7;
• Prepare a summary identifying, classifying and prioritising potential sub-national and national private sector REDD+ investment opportunities in Nigeria, describing critical constraints to these investments, and recommending possible next steps;
• Produce a summary of opportunities and constraints of the Nigerian finance sector to provide finance and investment for private sector REDD+ activities;
• Provide a listing of on-going private sector contributions to REDD+ as well as an estimation ofpotential private sector contribution to REDD+ related programmes or initiatives, and if possible, the delivery mechanisms for the amounts provided;
• Outline and assess challenges private sector faces or likely to face in the implementation of REDD+;

Recommend strategies that should be developed or promoted to enhance private sector engagement in REDD+ including those that may be relevant to:

• Incentives to the private sector in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation;
• Development of special instruments to facilitate public-private-partnerships such as risk sharing instruments, enterprise development and innovative facilities;
• Identification of priority sectors/areas that the private sector can engage in (e.g. REDD+ smart ventures, technologies and opportunities);
• Identification of potential role(s) for companies and corporations in REDD+ implementation;
• How an enabling environment can be created to enhance private sector engagement in REDD+ with considerations of the existing privileges and incentives for investments including from regulatory, policy and institutional points of view;
• How to make a strong business and economic case to the private sector to invest in REDD+;
• How to initiate or build on existing platforms to promote dialogue and partnerships around REDD+ investment opportunities;
• How private sector can practice and/or facilitate observation of REDD+ safeguards particularly in the areas of managing risks, ensuring full and effective participation of the private sector and respect for the knowledge and rights of communities; and
• A roadmap for engaging private sector including developing an agenda for a follow-on REDD+ private sector engagement workshop for early in 2016. Building on the analysis and recommendations from the review workshop, the industry/private sector workshop will likely bring together a cross-sectoral group of key experts and business leaders to build momentum, discuss developing systems and approaches, and clarify next steps for REDD+ private sector investment in Nigeria.The cross-sectoral group will collectively combine knowledge of the forest and agriculture sectors (and any other relevant drivers of deforestation and forest degradation), the private sector, improving agricultural productivity, lowering risk, promoting sustainable supply chains, increasing community-level benefits, and related social, legal and institutional issues.
• Present report to stakeholders on the findings, conclusions, and preliminary recommendations of the analytical work at a workshop;
• Incorporate stakeholder comments in a final report;
• Prepare a Policy Brief on Private Sector Engagement with the Support of the UN-REDD team.

Competencies

• Excellent writing skills;
• Good interpersonal skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• Excellent Team building skills.

Education

• Advanced degree in a relevant social and nature science, public or business administration or a development-related subject.

Experience

• Extensive experience in developing and strengthening small- and medium-size agricultural and forest product enterprises and producer groups, including community-level farm and forest enterprise;
• At least 10 years of experience in the private sector, carbon finance and markets, investment analysis and development of Public-Private-Partnerships (PPPs);
• Some experience in natural resource management, environmental policies and/or forest-climate linkages is highly valuable;
• Proven track record of working with governmental and non-governmental institutions;
• Proven experience in drafting reports and action plans.

Language
Fluent in English.

go to method of application »

Background
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests through offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. REDD+ (“plus”) goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Nigeria's forests, which currently extend over 9.6 million hectares, have been rapidly declining over the past decades. The current deforestation rate, estimated at 3.7%, is one of the highest in the world. The Federal Government of Nigeria, reinforced by pioneering efforts from Cross River State, began to engage in REDD+ in 2009 and signed an agreement with the UN-REDD Programme in August 2012.  In February 2015, Nigeria’s REDD+ Readiness Programme was extended through 2016, following two years of stakeholder engagement with little progress towards a REDD+ strategy.  It envisions a two-track approach to achieve REDD+ readiness in Nigeria, based on: (i) the development of institutional and technical capacities at Federal level, and (ii) consolidating four key UNFCCC requirements for REDD Readiness on a pilot basis in Cross River State: the four Warsaw Framework elements of Strategy, Safeguards Information System, Forest Monitoring System, and Forest Reference Levels for carbon. 

Nigeria’s REDD “readiness” programme entails the participatory development of a national REDD+ Strategy.  As a pilot state, Cross River State will develop a REDD+ Strategy that will both inform the national strategy and serve as a model for other states.  The Strategy will comprise policy reforms, investment priorities, and a related REDD+ implementation framework, with due monitoring and safeguard systems, as called for under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  The REDD+ Strategy intends to enhance the value of standing forests and to incentivize sustainable forest management through a multi-stakeholder approach and a green development perspective.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Objective Of The Knowledge Management Consultant Will Be To Provide Technical Knowhow For Capacity Assessment And For Planning, Design And Implementation Of The Learning And Knowledge Sharing Aspect Of The Project. Activities Should Be Dedicated To Capturing Best Practices And Lessons Learned, And Raising The Visibility Of The Project – Both Internally And Externally. The Consultant Would Also Be In Charge Of Mainstreaming Cross-cutting Issues Into The Integrated Analysis Which Would Be Integrated Into The Final Report. Other Objectives Are

• Improve the quality of management decision-making by ensuring that reliable and secure knowledge, information and data is available through the service lifecycle;
• Enable the service provider to be more efficient and improve quality of service, increase satisfaction and reduce the cost of service by reducing the need to rediscover knowledge;
• Ensure that staff have a clear and common understanding of the value that their services provide to customers and the ways in which benefits are realized from the use of those services;
• Maintain a Service Knowledge Management System (SKMS) that provides controlled access to knowledge, information and data that is appropriate for each audience;
• Gather, analyse, store, share, use and maintain knowledge, information and data throughout the service provider organization.

The consultants will develop a knowledge management strategy document for the REDD+ programme and also carry out the following specific tasks, among others:

• Work proactively with programme and project teams to identify opportunities for capturing and sharing knowledge, and disseminating information about major progress and results;
• Develop a REDD+ events calendar, ensuring that major events are identified early; supports senior management and relevant programme teams to develop and manage messages and information material to ensure the success of major events;
• Advise the project on branding and publications policy and also assist in their dissemination;
• Develop contacts database with key print and electronic media (including radio, TV, news websites and blogs) to supply them with newsworthy material about the REDD+ programme work in the country;
• Ensure that all outreach information material to be used by the media is written in a way that concepts and issues can be readily understood by the public;
• Research and identify media stories, writes and edits media releases, and feature stories within tight timeframes which consistently meet agreed corporate standards;
• Produce video documentary for capturing project results;
• Prepare National Factsheet/Case Studies to promote national projects results and activities;
• Ensure that media is informed about key workshops/seminars and project outputs; provide training to journalists on REDD+ programme;
• Support organizing the launch of the REDD+ Strategy.

Competencies

• Excellent interpersonal skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• Excellent Team building skills;
• Excellent communication and writing skills;
• Strong analytical skills;
• Working knowledge of the following computer applications: MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint); Adobe Acrobat; and one or more web based meeting application.

Education

• Advanced University Degree in Social Sciences or other related field.

Experience

• At least 10 years of experience in the knowledge products management;
• Experience in at least two of the focus areas of Knowledge Management to be covered by this post, with experience in more than two a strong advantage;
• Demonstrated experience in networking and coordination, preferably in or related to agriculture and forest product enterprises;
• Knowledge and experience managing complex multi-stakeholder partnerships;
• Some experience in natural resource management, environmental policies and/or forest-climate linkages is highly valuable;
• Proven track record of working with governmental and non-governmental institutions;
• Proven experience in drafting reports and action plans.

Language
Fluent in English.

go to method of application »

Background
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests through offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. REDD+ (“plus”) goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Nigeria's forests, which currently extend over 9.6 million hectares, have been rapidly declining over the past decades. The current deforestation rate, estimated at 3.7%, is one of the highest in the world. The Federal Government of Nigeria, reinforced by pioneering efforts from Cross River State, began to engage in REDD+ in 2009 and signed an agreement with the UN-REDD Programme in August 2012.  In February 2015, Nigeria’s REDD+ Readiness Programme was extended through 2016, following two years of stakeholder engagement with little progress towards a REDD+ strategy.  It envisions a two-track approach to achieve REDD+ readiness in Nigeria, based on: (i) the development of institutional and technical capacities at Federal level, and (ii) consolidating four key UNFCCC requirements for REDD Readiness on a pilot basis in Cross River State: the four Warsaw Framework elements of Strategy, Safeguards Information System, Forest Monitoring System, and Forest Reference Levels for carbon. 

Nigeria’s REDD “readiness” programme entails the participatory development of a national REDD+ Strategy.  As a pilot state, Cross River State will develop a REDD+ Strategy that will both inform the national strategy and serve as a model for other states.  The Strategy will comprise policy reforms, investment priorities, and a related REDD+ implementation framework, with due monitoring and safeguard systems, as called for under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  The REDD+ Strategy intends to enhance the value of standing forests and to incentivize sustainable forest management through a multi-stakeholder approach and a green development perspective.

The Engagement Of Private Sector Is Imperative For a Number Of Reasons

• Forestry includes operations across a range of sectors in Nigeria and Cross River State. The private sector can, and is encouraged, to play an important role in enhancing REDD+ and sustainable, long term returns on investments in forest resources;
• The private sector can contribute to REDD+ initiatives through its range of expertise and as part of the solution to mitigating climate change by addressing key drivers of deforestation and forest degradation across key sectors and in REDD+ value chains;
• Some private enterprises impact directly on deforestation and forest degradation through activities such as agriculture, forestry, infrastructure, etc and on REDD+ value chains;
• Private sector engagement in REDD+ can bring additional financing to the public sector financing that presently comprises all of the funding for REDD+ in Nigeria; and
• The private sector is key in designing and implementing market-based mechanisms such as carbon trading in voluntary or compliance markets.

This analysis will assess the role of private sector in the implementation of REDD+ and identify strategic opportunities and entry points for private sector engagement. The outputs of this consultancy will be integrated into REDD+ Strategy development, used to enhance private sector engagement in REDD+ processes, and position private sector actors as key collaborating partners in the implementation of a sustainable REDD+ mechanism as it continues to evolve.

Duties and Responsibilities

There are two core objectives of this analysis of REDD+ private sector investment opportunities in Nigeria:

• To identify opportunities for engaging private sector to contribute to achieving REDD+ results, that is, by reducing the impact on forests through better regulation/legislation or economic incentives and/or possibly through private sector contribution to REDD+ finance.This entails developing an understanding of the nature, feasibility and magnitude of potential private sector REDD+ investment opportunities in Cross River State and at the national level in Nigeria. This can potentially build on previous UN-REDD Programme work on multiple benefits in Nigeria (see Background Documents).
• To understand the potential role of the private sector in REDD+ and assist with private sector capacity building to contribute to REDD+ in Nigeria. This second objective is two-fold: (i) to increase awareness and understanding of REDD+ within the private sector, and (ii) to increase the level of understanding about the private sector amongst REDD+ stakeholders.

The tasks set forth below to accomplish these two objectives include a broad survey of private sector businesses that have an impact on deforestation and/or forest degradation, or could potentially contribute to REDD+.  To strengthen the contribution of the second objective, the assignment will help identify possible avenues for enhancing private sector engagement. This is important, too, because the enabling conditions for private sector engagement and the emergence of inclusive markets—competitive markets that extend choice and opportunity to address REDD+ issues—are not yet in place.

The Consultants Will Carry Out The Following Specific Tasks, Among Others

• Provide a baseline overview of the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Nigeria and identify any interventions—especially those involving the private sector—that have been proposed or employed to tackle these drivers. The drivers’ analysis should both focus on direct drivers of deforestation and indirect drivers (including e.g. subsidies to farmers or other forms of incentives to currently add pressure on forests)
• Identify the key private sector players in sectors particularly sectors whose activities impact on deforestation and those that could be relevant in identifying solution. Sectors such as agriculture, mining, forestry, trade, energy, banking and finance amongst others, their type of and potential interventions in the REDD+ value chain, their interests and motivations;
• Map key bank and non-bank financial actors in the Nigerian financial system and the relevant services they provide.
• Describe the terms and conditions under which finance and investment are provided to actors in the key sectors identified above (e.g. for debt products: sectors/activities lent to, size/maturity/interest rate of loans, collateral requirements, repayment terms, social and environmental risk policies, etc.).
• Identify key on-going REDD+ (related) initiatives that are supported by the private sector including the form and nature of their support (e.g. corporate social responsibility, on the ground investments, clean technology);
• Develop a ‘long-list’ of possible private sector REDD+ interventions that would address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation from across multiple sectors and identify what enabling environment (i.e. incentives) will have to be provided by the state/federal government to make it (economically) attractive.
• Develop a framework using multiple criteria to highlight the private sector REDD+ investment opportunities with the most potential in the short to medium term. The criteria may include the following (among others): GHG abatement potential/environmental impact, level of community/gender benefits and poverty reduction, clarity of land tenure, scalability/potential size of opportunity, unit size of opportunity, relative cost, commercial viability, ease of implementation, return ‘break-even time’, opportunity cost, likely government interest, compatibility with current livelihoods, risks related to permanence/leakage, and risks and/or difficulties associated with land tenure.
• Identify a short-list of stakeholders (using a ranking system) who are relevant to the highest scoring potential opportunities, and interview them to deepen understanding of the constraints, opportunities and critical enabling steps necessary for implementation.
• Interview representatives from financial actors identified above to assess constraints and opportunities to finance high scoring REDD+ activities based on the ranking system described above under point 7.
• Prepare a summary identifying, classifying and prioritising potential sub-national and national private sector REDD+ investment opportunities in Nigeria, describing critical constraints to these investments, and recommending possible next steps.
• Produce a summary of opportunities and constraints of the Nigerian finance sector to provide finance and investment for private sector REDD+ activities.
• Provide a listing of on-going private sector contributions to REDD+ as well as an estimation ofpotential private sector contribution to REDD+ related programmes or initiatives, and if possible, the delivery mechanisms for the amounts provided;
• Outline and assess challenges private sector faces or likely to face in the implementation of REDD+;

Recommend strategies that should be developed or promoted to enhance private sector engagement in REDD+ including those that may be relevant to:

• Incentives to the private sector in reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation;
• Development of special instruments to facilitate public-private-partnerships such as risk sharing instruments, enterprise development and innovative facilities;
• Identification of priority sectors/areas that the private sector can engage in (e.g. REDD+ smart ventures, technologies and opportunities);
• Identification of potential role(s) for companies and corporations in REDD+ implementation;
• How an enabling environment can be created to enhance private sector engagement in REDD+ with considerations of the existing privileges and incentives for investments including from regulatory, policy and institutional points of view;
• How to make a strong business and economic case to the private sector to invest in REDD+;
• How to initiate or build on existing platforms to promote dialogue and partnerships around REDD+ investment opportunities;
• How private sector can practice and/or facilitate observation of REDD+ safeguards particularly in the areas of managing risks, ensuring full and effective participation of the private sector and respect for the knowledge and rights of communities; and
• A roadmap for engaging private sector including developing an agenda for a follow-on REDD+ private sector engagement workshop for early in 2016. Building on the analysis and recommendations from the review workshop, the industry/private sector workshop will likely bring together a cross-sectoral group of key experts and business leaders to build momentum, discuss developing systems and approaches, and clarify next steps for REDD+ private sector investment in Nigeria.The cross-sectoral group will collectively combine knowledge of the forest and agriculture sectors (and any other relevant drivers of deforestation and forest degradation), the private sector, improving agricultural productivity, lowering risk, promoting sustainable supply chains, increasing community-level benefits, and related social, legal and institutional issues;
• Present report to stakeholders on the findings, conclusions, and preliminary recommendations of the analytical work at a workshop;
• Incorporate stakeholder comments in a final report;
• Prepare a Policy Brief on Private Sector Engagement with the Support of the UN-REDD team.

Competencies

• Excellent writing skills;
• Good interpersonal skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• Excellent Team building skills.

Education

• Advanced degree in a relevant field.

Experience

• At least 7 years of experience that aligns with the technical requirements of the assignment;
• Demonstrated experience of similar consultancies (to be verified through traceable records);
• Experience, and knowledge of the REDD+ mechanism, with evidence of similar work in other countries preferred;
• Experience in Africa;
• Experience with the United Nations system preferred;
• Demonstrated experience in drafting reports and action plans.

Language
Fluent in English.

go to method of application »

Background
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests through offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. REDD+ (“plus”) goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

Nigeria's forests, which currently extend over 9.6 million hectares, have been rapidly declining over the past decades. The current deforestation rate, estimated at 3.7%, is one of the highest in the world. The Federal Government of Nigeria, reinforced by pioneering efforts from Cross River State, began to engage in REDD+ in 2009 and signed an agreement with the UN-REDD Programme in August 2012.  In February 2015, Nigeria’s REDD+ Readiness Programme was extended through 2016, following two years of stakeholder engagement with little progress towards a REDD+ strategy.  It envisions a two-track approach to achieve REDD+ readiness in Nigeria, based on: (i) the development of institutional and technical capacities at Federal level, and (ii) consolidating four key UNFCCC requirements for REDD Readiness on a pilot basis in Cross River State: the four Warsaw Framework elements of Strategy, Safeguards Information System, Forest Monitoring System, and Forest Reference Levels for carbon. 

Nigeria’s REDD “readiness” programme entails the participatory development of a national REDD+ Strategy.  As a pilot state, Cross River State will develop a REDD+ Strategy that will both inform the national strategy and serve as a model for other states.  The Strategy will comprise policy reforms, investment priorities, and a related REDD+ implementation framework, with due monitoring and safeguard systems, as called for under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  The REDD+ Strategy intends to enhance the value of standing forests and to incentivize sustainable forest management through a multi-stakeholder approach and a green development perspective.

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of the Policy, Legal and Regulatory (PLR) analysis is to provide stakeholders at both Federal and CRS levels: 

• Practical and innovative PLR interventions to ensure the successful implementation of REDD+ (i.e., short to medium terms arrangements to reduce deforestation); 
• Justification for how addressing these PLRs can and would benefit CRS and Nigeria in the long term; and
• Clarification of priority PLR issues development for implementing REDD+.

To Achieve These Objectives, The Consultants Will Carry Out The Following Specific Tasks, Among Others

• Review and assess information, literature and studies on key Federal and Cross River State (CRS) policies, laws, regulatory frameworks and instruments in the land use sectors as well as sectors that are linked to the successful implementation of REDD+;
• Review recent and past efforts to identify policy and legal (indirect) drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.Identify gaps or weaknesses in these efforts and the follow-up analysis needed.This will build on the Participatory Governance Assessment and the Drivers Study.This will include assessing the status of REDD+, forest carbon and (in coordination with the finance analysis) forest carbon finance policy and legal frameworks in Nigeria;
• Summarize local, state and national policy and legal framework(s) relevant for REDD+ implementation, including roles and responsibilities of the different levels of government;
• Review existing definitions of carbon ownership and how these relate to different categories of land rights or other rights issues/concerns (with focus on local communities and forest reserves/protected areas) related to REDD+ readiness;
• Based on the review conducted under the above points, identify and assess gaps in PLR instruments and frameworks that may affect the implementation of the REDD+ (e.g. conflicting policies);
• Identify forest and other sector policies and processes that are being or should be considered and aligned with the climate change policy framework, such as agriculture, land use, property rights/land tenure, etc.;

Provide Recommendations Or Proposals On

• How to optimize policy, legal and regulatory instruments (e.g., policy harmonization) to ensure effective and robust implementation of REDD+ including on financing, benefit sharing, safeguards, carbon rights, conflict management, forest governance, measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems, and Reference Emission Levels/Reference Levels amongst others;
• In recognition that some policy or actions may require time to adjust—practical and innovative PLR interventions to ensure the successful implementation ofREDD+ at both Federal and CRS levels (that is, short to medium terms arrangements to be undertaken to achieve the designed goals in reducing deforestation).

• Provide clear reasoning and justification through the evidence-based analytical work on how addressing these PLRs can and would benefit CRS and Nigeria in the long term to promote REDD+ (i.e., feasibility, risks, and sustainability of the proposed interventions); and
• In collaboration with other consultants identify and formulate priority PLR issues that will eventually feed into an issues and options report and a future CRS and Federal REDD+ Strategy.

Competencies

• Good interpersonal skills;
• Excellent writing skills;
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• Excellent Team building skills.

Education

• Advanced degree in law/environmental law and a degree or equivalent experience in a natural resource- or development-related subject.

Experience

• At least 10 years of experience that aligns with the technical requirements of the assignment;
• Traceable records of similar consultancies;
• Experience, and knowledge of the REDD+ mechanism, and preferable evidence of similar work in other countries;
• Experience with the United Nations system;
• Proven experience in drafting reports and action plans.

Language
Fluent in English.