UNOPS Job Vacancy: Provincial Officer, Riau

Vacancy code VA/2015/B5506/8061
Position title Provincial Officer, Riau
Department/office AEMO, MMOH, Myanmar
Duty station Pekanbaru, Riau, Indonesia with field travel as relevant, Indonesia
Contract type Local ICA Support
Contract level LICA-7
Duration 12 months (possibility for extension)
Application period 22-Jul-2015 to 05-Aug-2015

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS’ mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner. Within these three core areas of expertise, UNOPS provides its partners with advisory, implementation and transactional services, with projects ranging from building schools and hospitals, to procuring goods and services and training local personnel. UNOPS works closely with governments and communities to ensure increased economic, social and environmental sustainability for the projects we support, with a focus on developing national capacity. Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts, always satisfying or surpassing partner expectations. 

Background Information - Indonesia

UNORCID (United Nations Office for REDD+ Coordination in Indonesia) is the UN System focal point for REDD+ in Indonesia, and serves as a coordinating body and knowledge institution. Building on the competitive advantage and domain expertise of ten UN Partner Agencies (UNDP, UNOPS, ILO, FAO, UNEP, UNESCO, WFP, UNU, UNODC and UN Women), UNORCID provides decision-makers and stakeholders at the national and local levels with relevant information and tools to support successful REDD+ implementation. UNORCID was inaugurated on 17 November 2011 by the UN Secretary General, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Republic of Indonesia and the UN System in September 2011. UNORCID coordinates UN System expertise in support of on-the-ground activities undertaken by the Government of Indonesia and other stakeholders, and works closely with Government counterparts at all levels to strengthen implementation. UNORCID has province offices in REDD+ implementing provinces of Central Kalimantan and Jambi at this time and is likely to open more similar offices as REDD+ implementation accelerates in tandem with the Government of Indonesia.

The 2014 fire episodes (March-February in Riau/September-October in Central Kalimantan) underline a long term, dramatic increase in fire vulnerability within the Indonesian peat landscape.  While in Central Kalimantan, continued degradation of peat in the ex-Mega Rice Project areas remains a dominating factor (closely followed by clearing land for palm oil and other crop production), the situation in Riau is more complex, centered around the socio-economic dynamics of smallholder palm oil development and large-scale plantations. Additionally, Aceh and West Kalimantan are increasingly vulnerable to fires, experiencing significant peat and forest fire episodes each year related to land access issues.

Initial field assessments under the partnership between the Center for Climate Risk and Opportunity Management in Southeast Asia Pacific (CCROM-SEAP) at the Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB), the Earth Institute at Columbia University (CU) and the UNORCID, as well as results from a roundtable discussion in December 2014 on the dynamics of peatland fires in Riau, organized by UNORCID, provided substantial new insights and showed that the emergence of independent smallholder growers in Riau, as opposed to large-scale estates, have led to major shifts in land use, supply chains and demographics in the area.  The process of smallholder palm oil development itself is fuelled by changes in palm oil legislation, which have provided the opportunity for the establishment of milling operations without plantations, the provision of feedstock and the facilitation of independent cultivation of palm oil by smallholders outside contract farming arrangements. This also occurs alongside the inability and/or unwillingness to control encroachment in particular in production forest areas. Smallholder developments are being financed by small and medium-sized urban investors (<500 hectares), which is further facilitating their expansion.

The problematic nature of this land conversion is that the land being opened up by smallholders for palm oil development is located on drained peat land, which overlaps with areas of high fire incidence. Overall, such increased clearing and drainage has led to the collapse of peat dome and peat hydrology, causing increases in drainage depth and water holding capacity of peat landscapes.

To address the capacity of local government to better mitigate the risk of fires as well to support the national level implementation of recently enacted National Standard Operating Procedures (POSNAS) for peat and forest fires, IPB, CU and UNORCID, have developed a climate-based and web-hosted Fire Risk System (FRS) to provide government agencies with a fire risk forecast required to initiate critical preparatory action to prevent fires. The system is based on analysis of historical and predicted rainfall, sea surface temperature and an assessment of fire vulnerability (based on biophysical and socio-economic factors).

With early anticipation of fire hotspots, governments will be able to tailor preventative actions to the appropriate level of fire risk for a specific location in Indonesia. Additionally, local governments will be able to undertake proper mobilization of resources and preparation measures 2-3 months prior to the predicted fire outbreak.  Such initiatives must be location specific and targeted to the specific dynamics of a village, district or province. Ultimately, this early warning system will be a powerful tool for policymakers at all levels of Indonesian government to not only reduce the incidence of forest and peat land fires but systemically mitigate the vulnerability of areas to fires. In addition, the information from FRS can be used to benchmark fire vulnerability year-after-year in order to measure reductions in fire vulnerability. Fire vulnerability maps, which are automatically updated as new data become available, inform decision makers of the most appropriate areas for peat land rehabilitation.

Also, the climate prediction part of the tool can be used for agricultural development, assisting local officials working with farmers to plan cropping patterns and anticipate drought years.

Through the Generating Anticipatory Measures for Better Utilization of Tropical Peat lands (GAMBUT) Project, enhanced capabilities to the FRS will include the development of an SMS and e-mail-based alert system as well as the automation of data analysis and risk calculation as new data become available.

Background Information - Job-specific

The Provincial Officer will be based in Pekanbaru, Riau. The function of the Provincial Officer will be both technical and administrative, serving as the primary point of contact for provincial officials within the government. Additionally, the Provincial Officer will be responsible for coordinating the workshops and training exercises.

 

Functional Responsibilities

Key responsibilities of the Provincial Officer are:

• Supporting provincial government to tailor preventive actions to the appropriate level of fire risk and undertake proper mobilization of resources and preparation measures 2-3 months prior to the predicted fire outbreak
• Coordinating and overseeing  District Officers and facilitating Expert Consultants
• Mainstreaming fire vulnerability planning into POSNAS and developing national guidelines for provincial officials
• Streamlining prevention activities in line with current regulatory frameworks, specifically Law 23/2014
• Technical assistance provided to provincial governments, the satuan kerja pemerintah daerah (SKPDs) in annual budgeting and planning processes
• Supporting the enforcement of the recommended action plans for key short-, mid- and long-term actions developed by the Provincial Government
• Supporting the development of a Vulnerability Mapping Toolkit 
• Supporting coordination of Vulnerability Mapping Approach trainings, Policy Development Trainings and Option Identification Workshops across the province
• Facilitating the expansion of the FRS to include SMS and e-mail-based alert system and automated capabilities
• Supporting the initiation of a Pilot Incentive and Penalty Scheme Programme

Education/Experience/Language requirements
a. Education  
Masters degree in Management, Forestry, Agriculture, Environmental, Political or Social Sciences is required. Bachelor degree with additional 2 years of relevant experience is considered as equivalent.

b. Work Experience

• At least 1 year of working experience in tropical forest and peat fire management and/or environmental science/sustainable natural resource management is required.
• Experience in Project Management is required.
• Experience coordinating work between different sectors and stakeholders, particularly with civil society and government networks would be desirable.
• Experience in communications would be an asset.
• Experience in planning and facilitation in capacity-building workshops would be an advantage.
• Experience in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), Forestry ,Environmental Science, Natural resource management and Agriculture would be preferable.

c. Language
Fluency in Bahasa Indonesia and the English language is required.

Competencies

Key Competencies
Communications
Speaks and writes clearly and effectively. Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience. Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Accountability
Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honours commitments; Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Client Orientation
Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients’  point of view. Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect. Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions. Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems. Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects. Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Analytical
Conceptual and analytical capacity to monitor complex and interlinked issues.

Empowers Others
Strategic Orientation; Delegates responsibility, clarifies expectations, and gives staff autonomy in important areas of their work; Encourages others to set challenging goals; Holds others accountable for achieving results related to their area of responsibility; Genuinely values all staff members’ input and expertise; Shows appreciation and rewards achievement and effort; Involves others when making decisions that affect them.

Integrity
Demonstrates the values of the United Nations in daily activities and behaviours. Acts without consideration of personal gain. Resists undue political pressure in decision-making. Does not abuse power or authority. Stands by decisions that are in the Organization’s interest, even if they are unpopular. Takes prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour.

Creativity
Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; Offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by traditional approaches.

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type:Local Individual Contract Agreement
Contract level:LICA-7
Contract duration:12 months (with possible extension)

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: HERE

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