Catholic Relief Services is currently recruiting for a Technical Advisor II Landscape Restoration Policy And Learning in Maseru, Lesotho: Full job description and employment application form can be obtained by request from [email protected] with subject line: JD Request – TA II – LRP
Job Summary:
Degradation of land is a leading cause of hunger and poverty. The vast majority of people living in developing countries depend on agriculture for their food and income, and 80% of smallholder farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture and are especially vulnerable to environmental changes affecting water and soil. As climate change, poor farming practices, and other factors degrade productive land, more than a billion people live on fragile and degraded land that cannot produce sufficient crops to meet their food and livelihood needs. By exacerbating resource scarcity, land degradation leads to food insecurity and poverty, escalates conflict and triggers migration and displacement. CRS has identified and implemented successful, evidence-based models for land restoration that reduce hunger and improve livelihoods of farming families. As part of its Vision2030, CRS aims to build relationships with a diverse array of local and global partners, to revitalize landscapes at scale, thereby addressing a root cause of poverty and laying the foundation for the prosperity and dignity of generations to come.
You will provide technical advice, guidance, and support to operationalize the Landscapes and Livelihoods Strategic Platform vision at the country level in the Lesotho program. This includes relationship building with key stakeholders, assisting CRS and partner staff to understand the enabling environment for land restoration, seeking opportunities to connect community-level implementation to achievement of national level land restoration goals, and enhancing communication and visibility of CRS’ role in promoting a global, people-center land restoration agenda. Your technical knowledge, relationships, advice and guidance will contribute to determining the success of CRS and its platform allies to achieving landscape restoration at scale.
Roles and Key Responsibilities:
- Contribute to the development and implementation of the country-level strategies, standards, tools, and best practices that effectively engage partners, donors and governments in landscape restoration.
- Together with the Landscape Restoration Roadmap Director and key country program staff, and building upon what has already been done in-country, map key public and private stakeholders, including donors; assess national climate change and restoration commitments; analyze agricultural/environmental/climate policies and programs;
- Together with team, contribute to the development of a value proposition for CRS landscape restoration approaches.
- Identify and represent CRS within key national and regional platforms dedicated to landscape restoration and related areas. Develop strong relationships with key government actors. Where platforms don’t exist, identify, and build coalitions of like-minded multisectoral actors to develop and operationalize strategies to scale landscape restoration.
- Contribute to knowledge management and learning (in-country, regional and global) capturing and sharing lessons learned and best practices, supporting communication strategies, research and internal report development.
- Ensure coordination of activities with other related in-country, regional and global initiatives
- Use data to understand obstacles to uptake and related enabling environment/policy constraints. Build partner advocacy and representational capacity to connect local action to national goals to influence change. Support programmatic team to evaluate and address issues related to the enabling environment.
- Represent CRS at national and regional restoration events, seeking out speaking opportunities/panel participation. Represent CRS at global events as appropriate.
- Contribute to capacity strengthening initiatives in landscape restoration programming for CRS staff and platform members through helping develop learning and training strategies and agendas/curriculums, conducting trainings and workshops, and mentoring and coaching.
Basic Qualifications
- Master’s Degree in Natural Resource Management, Agronomy, Agro ecology or field(s) related to Landscape Restoration desired.
- Minimum of five years relevant international working experience in an advisory or management role with progressive responsibilities, ideally with an international NGO, with minimum of three years working for programming interventions in Sustainable Agriculture or Natural Resource Management.
- Experience and understanding of national government institutions, internal workings and agricultural and environmental policies.
- Significant leadership experience and capacity to build relationships leading to alliances. Ability to motivate and bring together diverse actors.
- Experience and skills in networking and facilitating inter-institutional coordination among donors, peer organizations, faith-based and civil society partners. Understanding of partnership principles, with emphasis in the agricultural sector.
- Well-connected and knowledgeable of key actors among donors, public sector, farmer organizations and private sector.
- Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Web Conferencing Applications, information and budget management systems, knowledge-sharing networks.
Required Languages – English and Sesotho fluency required, strong demonstrated writing skills in English also required
Travel– Must be willing and able to travel up to 30 %.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Excellent relationship management skills with ability to influence and get buy-in from people not under direct supervision and to work with individuals in diverse geographical and cultural settings.
- Strong strategic, analytical, problem-solving and systems thinking skills with capacity to see the big picture and ability to make sound judgment
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Strong presentation, facilitation, training, mentoring, and coaching skills
- Proactive, resourceful and results-oriented
Key Working Relationships:
Internal HQ Landscape Restoration Roadmap Director, Senior and Regional Technical Advisors, Country Program Agricultural Staff, Lesotho Head of Programs and Lesotho Country Representative, Lesotho ICM Support project staff
External Will coordinate actions with diverse allies including Church partners, government Ministries and Agricultural Research organizations, Academia, Private Sector, Donors and Multilateral institutions, financial institutions, Farmer organizations and Civil Society, consultants
SUBMISSION
Please note that the position is only open to applicants who are Citizens of Lesotho. Interested Basotho candidates should submit their CV and cover letter indicating salary expectations, no later than 23rd April 2021 at 17:00 by email to [email protected] with the subject line: TECHNICAL Advisor II LRP CRS LS. If the subject line does not indicate the position, the applicant will not be considered. HARD COPY APPLICATIONS NOT ACCEPTED. ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED.
Please be advised that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, all successful candidates will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and their personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate their behaviors related to the above safeguarding-related topics.
CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.