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Cambodia’s forest resources have undergone significant change, in earlier years as the result of civil war and social dislocations and more recently as a result of the evolving role of forest resources with respect to the country’s development priorities, prevailing levels of poverty and a dependence on forest resources. Estimates for 2014 indicate that Cambodia’s forest cover is at 49.48 percent with a high deforestation rate that requires urgent intervention measures to curb. The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) recognizes that on the basis of its national circumstances, ongoing development priorities and commitments to agro-business, mining and other concessions and requirements, forest resources will continue to decline in the short term. This trend can be reversed with the implementation of the approaches developed under the National REDD+ Strategy (NRS) that lead to a reduction in the impacts of the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation.
REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries) is a global policy initiative under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to tackle climate change threats by addressing emissions from the forest and land use sector. The goal of REDD+ is to prevent forest degradation and deforestation, and promote forest conservation, sustainable management and forest enhancement through policy approaches and positive incentives to developing countries.
Cambodian national development policies, strategies and programmes have incorporated REDD+ as part of their strategic agendas. Following decisions adopted by the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP), REDD+ implementation in Cambodia has three consecutive phases: Readiness, Implementation, and Results-Based Payments (RBP) of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction emissions from forestry and land use. Cambodia is currently at the end of its Readiness Phase, and plans to transition to the Implementation Phase in 2018. Guided by the Warsaw Framework for REDD+, Cambodia is establishing four interconnected elements as part of its national REDD+ architecture: 1) a National Strategy or Action Plan (NRS), 2) a National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS), 3) a Safeguards Information System (SIS), and 4) a Forest Reference Emissions Level/ Forest Reference Level (FREL).
Between 2008-2016 the Cambodia REDD+ Program achieved important milestones and learned important lessons, including the need to mainstream REDD+ into existing and planned national government policies, frameworks and plans related to sustainable development, resilient agriculture, conservation, and low carbon development pathways. The RGC has taken significant measures to address climate change in the context of sustainable development, and to improve national coordination mechanisms that will have positive impacts on the sustainable management of forest resources. A National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD) has been established to address sustainable development issues. The government recognizes that the sustainable management of forest resources will make an important contribution to local livelihoods, generate co-benefits, and build resilience against extreme climate change-induced events.
Over the past five years important progress has been made in establishing a NFMS and FREL with international technical support from various multilateral and bilateral sources. A national forest definition and land use classification was established along with activity data. A National Forest Inventory was designed and a field manual also developed. Historical forest inventory data was collected and analysed to develop country emission factors for preparation of the initial FREL, which was submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat in January 2017. A database and monitoring platform were developed and datasets have been collected and reviewed to facilitate land use interpretation, a national GHG inventory, a review of national circumstances to review the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. Land use and land use change assessments have been completed for the years 2006, 2010 and 2014. It is foreseen that time series data will be updated for the year 2016 to provide up-to-date information on land use and land use change for the Biennial Update Report (BUR) and technical annex on REDD+. Land use data is currently not accurate enough to assess forest degradation (for reporting on the activity of reduced emissions from forest degradation).
The Cambodia FCPF Readiness Project
In 2008, World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility’s (FCPF) Readiness Fund was established to support developing countries to implement REDD+. The Government of Cambodia selected UNDP as the delivery partner for its initial readiness grant of $3.8 million, which began implementation in 2013 and will continue until mid-2017. In 2016 Cambodia successfully applied for additional funding from the FCPF Readiness Fund, which will support the country’s continuing efforts to prepare for REDD+ implementation. This project will deliver the second tranche of FCPF readiness funds with the amount of $5 million to further develop and enhance the Cambodian government’s capacities for tackling the deforestation and forest degradation as well as for measuring, reporting and verifying (MRV) emission reductions.
The project is divided into four components:
- Effective national management of REDD+ readiness, stakeholder engagement and capacity building;
- Development of REDD+ implementation framework;
- Improved capacity to manage REDD+ at subnational levels;
- National forest monitoring system with capacity for implementation.
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Duties and Responsibilities
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Summary of key functions:
- Support the day-to-day management of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) project through provision of technical advice, including coordination across agencies and with other programmes;
- Provide technical advisory inputs and project oversight
- Develop and strengthen Partnership and coordination with United Nations Agencies and Government and Development partners to support the implementation of REDD+ programme;
- Facilitate knowledge building activities among stakeholders;
1. Support the day-to-day management of the FCPF project through provision of technical advice, including coordination across agencies and with other programmes related to REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and sustainable management of forests, conservation of forest carbon stocks and enhancement of forest carbon stocks)
- Develop annual and quarterly work plans, budgets and reports, following United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) rules and regulations;
- Prepare Terms of References (TORs), identify and evaluate experts, and review reports produced, following UNDP rules and regulations;
- Provide close and regular backstopping to the project manager, Chair of REDD+ Taskforce Secretariat, REDD+ MRV (measuring, reviewing and verification) specialist, and senior members of the REDD+ Team and other implementing entities for the implementation of various components of the REDD+ programme;
- Provide advice to the project manager, the Chair of REDD+ Taskforce Secretariat and other members of the REDD+ Team in coordinating and supervising activities of national and international experts and consultants to secure timely production of planned outputs and the review of these outputs;
- Advise the project manager, the Chair of REDD+ Taskforce Secretariat, Deputy and National Programme Director to coordinate and liaise with stakeholders – including line ministries, development partners, civil society, indigenous peoples and the private sector;
- Ensure coordination with other international, regional and national REDD+ initiatives;
- Provide advisory support to the REDD+ Taskforce to strengthen the communications with its members;
- Provide mentoring and coaching to taskforce secretariat members on project management, oversight, coordination, planning and reporting.
2. Provide technical advisory inputs and project oversight
- Provide strategic guidance to ensure that REDD+ outcomes are fully achieved in the context of a national policy approach under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).
- Organize high level policy dialogues on REDD+; Provide support and technical advice to the development of policy options and strategy for the design and implementation of the FCPF project to the Government of Cambodia and other development actors including support on the development of:
- National REDD+ Strategy development
- REDD+ policy and measures options
- Design and testing of REDD+ approaches
- Grievance redress mechanisms
- National REDD+ fund design and potential REDD+ incentive allocation options
- Other elements of National REDD+ development, as required
- Supervise and oversee an international MRV technical specialist for the outcome 4 activities
- Provide timely quality information and technical advice to the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), UN Country Team, implementing partners, line ministries and other partners to ensure effective development and delivery of the FCPF project;
- Communicate on a regular basis with the regional technical advisor to coordinate regional and global technical advisory inputs, including through coordination and accompaniment of backstopping missions;
- Lead the preparations of progress reports to the FCPF, following relevant UNDP and FCPF rules and guidance;
- Provide technical support for project monitoring and evaluations;
- Develop concept notes and TORs for all technical outputs, following UNDP rules and regulations.
3.Develop and strengthen Partnership and coordination with UN Agencies and Government and development partners to support the implementation of REDD+
- Lead coordination with other REDD+ initiatives;
- Lead communication between different government agencies, national and international initiatives and stakeholders.
- Provide advice to REDD+ taskforce on UNFCCC negotiations relating to REDD+;
- Provide strategic guidance to strengthen coordination and communication of relevant stakeholders;
- Coordinate institutional capacity assessments of relevant national, provincial and local entities along the REDD+ supply chain; and
4.Facilitate knowledge building focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Share knowledge on REDD+ by documenting lessons learnt and best practices from the REDD+ piloting and contributing to the development of knowledge based tools (including policies, strategies, guidelines, etc.);
- Utilize UNDP Cambodia’s social media presence to build and maintain the profile of the FCPF project, including the provision of blogs and news articles for use in print and social media channels.
- Support the development of communications strategies for REDD+ and provide technical guidance to implement the communications strategies.
Impact of Results
It is anticipated that the work of the Technical Specialist will have the following impacts:
- FCPF project implemented following all relevant UNDP rules and regulations, and in close coordination with other UNDP Country Office environment projects and programmes;
- FCPF project is delivered on time and to budget;
- REDD+ become a key development priority;
- High visibility of the REDD+ programme;
- Partnership and relationship of key stakeholders on REDD+ built and enhanced;
- REDD+ Programme outcome are fully achieved resulting in transformative change;
- Built strong bases for the sustainability of the REDD+ programme;
- Effective coordination of stakeholders on REDD+ and related issues;
- The REDD+ Secretariat is functioning effectively;
- Information gained from the development and implementation of the National REDD+ Programme in Cambodia is shared at both the country and international levels;
- Understanding among stakeholders of a national policy approach to REDD+ implementation is understood vis-à-vis REDD+ voluntary carbon market projects;
- Information gained from the development and implementation of the FCPF project in PNG is shared at both country and international levels; Enhanced capacity within Cambodia to further develop and implement a national approach to REDD+.
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Competencies
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Corporate Competencies:
- Promoting Ethics and Integrity / Creating Organizational Precedents
- Building support and political acumen
- Building staff competence, Creating an environment of creativity and innovation
- Building and promoting effective teams
- Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
- Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
- Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
- Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning
- Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking
Functional Competencies:
Advocacy / Advancing Policy Oriented Agenda: analysis and creation of messages and strategies
- Creates effective advocacy strategies
- Contributes to the elaboration of advocacy strategies by identifying and prioritizing audiences and communication means
- Performs analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses
- Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for advocacy work
Building Strategic Partnerships: Identifying and building partnerships
- Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to the UN’s mandate and strategic agenda related to REDD+
- Sensitizes UN Partners, donors and other international organizations to FCPF’s strategic agenda, identifying areas for joint efforts
- Develops positive ties with civil society to build/strengthen FCPF’s mandate
- Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners
- Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments
- Takes responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved
Resource Mobilization: Implementing resource mobilization strategies
- Analyzes information on potential bilateral donors and national counterparts to recommend a strategic approach
- Identifies and compiles lessons learned
- Promotes and encourages country office action with local missions of donor countries as well as appropriate government authorities for increased contribution to UNDP resources, including cost sharing modalities
- Identifies country needs and develops proposals to be presented to donors and governments
- Develops a resource mobilization strategy at the country level
Innovation and Marketing new Approaches: Developing new approaches
- Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals
- Generates for regional and innovative ideas and effective solutions to problems
- Looks at experience critically, drawing lessons, and building them into the design of new approaches
- Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations
- Documents successes and uses them to project a positive image
- Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking
- Makes the case for innovative ideas from the team with own supervisor
Promoting Organizational learning and Knowledge Sharing: Developing tools and mechanisms
- Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
- Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms
- Develops and/or participates in the development of tools and mechanisms, including identifying new approaches to promote individual and organizational learning and knowledge sharing using formal and informal methodologies
Job Knowledge and Technical Expertise: In-depth knowledge of the Subject-matter
- Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
- Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff
- Continues to seeks new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit
- Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally
- Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
- Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments
Global Leadership and Advocacy for FCPF’s Goals: Analysis and creation of messages and strategies
- Creates effective global advocacy messages/strategies
- Contributes to the elaboration of a global advocacy strategy by identifying and prioritizing audiences and messages
- Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses
- Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level
Client Orientation: Contributing to positive outcomes for the client
- Anticipates client needs
- Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider
- Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective
- Keeps the client informed of problems or delays in the provision of services
- Uses discretion and flexibility in interpreting rules in order to meet client needs and achieve organizational goals more effectively
- Solicits feedback on service provision and quality
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Required Skills and Experience
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- Master degree in Forestry, Natural Resource Management, or other relevant discipline.
- Minimum 7 years of working experience in forestry, natural resource management and/or community development, with experience in Cambodia preferable;
- Knowledge of UNDP policies and procedures and of developing and experience implementing UNDP environment projects at the country level, including quality assurance processes and Social and Environmental Standards screening;
- Track record of timely delivery of environment-related projects in a developing country context, including the design and implementation of monitoring and evaluation processes;
- Experience of working in multinational teams to implement programmes involving multiple stakeholders and different funding and implementing agencies;
- Knowledge on the UNFCCC negotiations, decisions and guidelines for national systems in the context of REDD+, as well as national and international best practices within REDD+ and other natural resource management initiatives.
- Fluency in written and spoken English
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