Democratic Republic of the Congo: Climate Fellow, US Forest Service International Programs

Your mission:

The US Forest Service Office of International Programs, with the financial support of the US Department of State, seeks a Climate Fellow for placement in the office of the National REDD+ Committee of the Republic of the Congo (RoC), based in Brazzaville. Your mission will be to help evaluate and strengthen the country’s REDD+ monitoring and evaluation system and recommend needed improvements adapted to the REDD+ process in RoC. As part of that effort, you will advise senior government leadership on RoC’s climate response mechanisms, including the existing REDD+ monitoring and evaluation system; help build the capacity of technical expert counterparts in the areas of climate change response and REDD+; and undertake any other measures identified and consistent with the objective of strengthening implementation of the REDD+ process in Congo.

Background and context:

The Republic of Congo has been committed to the REDD+ process since 2008 with the aims of: (i) contributing to the fight against climate change, (i) reducing poverty; and (iii) promoting a green economy, a pillar of the country's sustainable development. Congo is a member of three major multilateral platforms supporting REDD+ readiness, namely: the Forest Carbon Partnership Fund (FCPF) of the World Bank, supported by an initial $3.4 million grant, and United Nations REDD+ (UN-REDD), supported by a $4 million grant, and the Central Africa Forest Initiative (CAFI).
As a result of this support, the Republic of Congo launched in January 2010 the development of its REDD+ Readiness Preparation Proposal (R-PP), which contains the main strategic, technical, financial and methodological aspects recommended for implementation of REDD+ project preparation.
In 2015, a mid-term evaluation of the process was carried out and the evaluation report produced was validated at the national level by all stakeholders and internationally by Congo’s financial partners. As a result of the evaluation, a request for additional funds ($5.2 million) was submitted to the FCPF to continue implementing the tools recommended in the REDD+ preparation document. Thus, evaluating the existing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms is necessary to properly implement the REDD process. It is also an opportunity to ensure any necessary reframing of the country’s REDD work program and the annual budget currently being implemented.

Congo submitted its Emissions Reduction Program Document (ER-PD) for consideration by the FCPF Carbon Fund at its June 2017 meeting. Should this proposal be accepted, Congo will embark on an ambitious REDD+ program, and be eligible for substantial results-based payments based on tons of emissions reductions achieved.

Congo also included REDD+ as a major mitigation strategy in its Nationally Determined Contribution, submitted to the UNFCCC in 2015.
It is in this context that these terms of reference for the recruitment of a Climate Fellow to help evaluate the existing monitoring and evaluation of the REDD + process in the Republic of Congo are put forward.

Your profile:

• You possess an advanced university degree in an area related to the management of natural resources (forestry, environment, geography, ecology, etc.), the management of development programs, or other related fields;

• You have demonstrable experience of at least five years in the REDD+ process, preferably in the developing country context;

• You have demonstrable experience with the development of forest monitoring, reporting and verification systems;

• You have demonstrable experience in monitoring and evaluating development or investment projects in the natural resources sector;

• You speak and write French and English with working fluency;

• You are able to motivate and train technical counterparts and partners;

• You have strong diplomatic and representational skills;

• You have good mastery of relevant computer applications and desktop tools;

• You have American citizenship (preferred).

Position duration and location:

You will be based, beginning in summer 2017, for a period of 18-24 months in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo with periodic travel inside the country and the broader region as needed. An internationally competitive benefits package is offered, including housing and other recognized benefits and allowances.

Candidates are requested to send a cover letter and resume by July 15, 2017, to the following address: ipjobs@meticorp.com.