UNOPS Job Vacancy: Research Coordinator - Jakarta, Indonesia

Background Information - Job-specific

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 fueled 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 Fire Risk System 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.

Based in the UNORCID Head Office in Jakarta, the Research Coordinator will work directly under Project Manager in close collaboration with all UNORCID personnel. S/he will be expected to maintain and strengthen relationships with key donor and government counterparts, as well as relevant UN agencies and other actors including from the private sector.

Functional Responsibilities

The Program Team based in Jakarta will consist of a Project Manager and the Research Coordinator with an administrative support team. The Research Coordinator’s primary function will be to provide technical guidance and support to the Project Manager, as well as liaise with government officials at the national, provincial and district level. S/he will also support the development of workshop, training and technical materials. The core management team based out of Jakarta will also be responsible for overseeing activities of the implementing partners. In particular, under IPB as a lead implementer, two provincial level officers and eight district officers who will be based in each of the project provinces and districts. The functions of these provincial and district officers will be both technical and administrative, serving as the primary point of contact for provincial and district officials within the government. Additionally, these officers will be responsible for coordinating the workshops and training exercises.

Key responsibilities of the Research Coordinator 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 Provincial and District Officers and Expert Consultants
• Mainstreaming fire vulnerability planning into POSNAS and developing national guidelines for provincial and district 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
• Overseeing the enforcement of the recommended action plan (F8K) for key short-, mid- and long-term actions developed by the Provincial Government in Riau
• Formulating guidelines for provincial-based spatial planning for fire vulnerable areas in one of the 4 provinces as part of Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA)
• Developing a Vulnerability Mapping Toolkit for each province
• Supporting coordination of Vulnerability Mapping Approach trainings, Policy Development Trainings and Option Identification Workshops across the province’s districts
• Expanding the FRS to include SMS and e-mail-based alert system and automated capabilities
• Supporting the design and initiation of a Pilot Incentive and Penalty Scheme Programme.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

• Master’s Degree in Forestry, Agriculture, Environmental, Political or Social Sciences is required. A Bachelor’s Degree with additional 2 years of relevant experience in environmental science/sustainable natural resource management is considerabel 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.
• At least 1 year of experience in research, in development sector, in green economy is required.
• Strong analytical skill is required.
• Experience coordinating work between different sectors and stakeholders, particularly with civil society and government networks would be an advantage.
• Experience in communications is an advantage.
• Working experience in Indonesia would be an asset.
• Working experience related in forestry, evironmental activities, agriculture and or reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation would be significal asset.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, Sharepoint, etc) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages is required.

c. Language

• Fluency in English, written and spoken is required

• Knowledge of Bahasa Indonesia is an asset but is not a requirement

Competencies

Core 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.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: International Individual Contractor Agreement (IICA)
Contract level: IICA-1
Contract duration: 1 year (possible extension subject to satisfactory performance and fund availability) 

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

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. 

About the Organization 

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.

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

Background Information - Indonesia
The UN Office for REDD+ Coordination in Indonesia (UNORCID) has been established based on the MoU signed by the UN System and the Government of Indonesia (GoI) with a comprehensive mandate to support the GoI and numerous stakeholders in implementing Indonesia’s REDD+ and related priorities. To date, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNOPS, ILO, UNODC, WFP, FAO, UNU, and UN Women have joined as additional parties to the MoU.
Under the leadership of the Executive Office in the Jakarta Head Office, UNORCID comprises four sections: 1) Policy and Strategy, 2) Partnerships and Coordination, 3) REDD+ Thematic Advisory, and 4) Green Economy. UNORCID also has province offices in the country’s designated REDD+ pilot province (Central Kalimantan) and the pioneer province Jambi.

Based in the UNORCID Head Office in Jakarta, the Outreach Officer will work directly under the supervision of Partnerships and Coordination Section Head and in close collaboration with all colleagues at the Office, especially those from UNORCID’s substantive units. S/he will also collaborate with other UN Agencies undertaking REDD+ activities, as well as government entities and relevant civil society stakeholders both in the public and the private sector to support the REDD+ agenda through outreach and awareness raising.

Closing Date: 12 July 2015

APPLY HERE