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Terms of Reference

Title: Gender and Natural Resource Management Specialist

Thematic Area : Livelihoods

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Background
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Our aim is to influence policy and practices to meet livelihood challenges in the face of climatic and socioeconomic changes emerging in the HKH region.

To do this, ICIMOD bring together researchers, practitioners, and policy makers from the region and around the globe to generate and share knowledge, support evidence-based decision making, and encourage regional collaboration. ICIMOD delivers impact through its six Regional Programmes of Adaptation to Change, Transboundary Landscapes, River Basins, Cryosphere and Atmosphere, Mountain Environment Regional Information System, and Himalayan University Consortium.

These regional programmes are supported by the four Thematic Areas of Livelihoods, Ecosystem Services, Water and Air, and Geospatial Solutions, and underpinned by Knowledge Management and Communication. ICIMOD seeks to improve the lives and livelihoods of mountain women and men, now and for the future.

The Livelihood Thematic Area focuses on promoting diversified and sustainable livelihood options in the HKH region and strengthening social dimensions within the work of ICIMOD and its partners. It seeks to enhance understanding of the human-environment interface, rural-urban linkages, and driving forces of change and their underlying causes.

It also provides expertise on Strategic Institutional Functions (SIFs) such as gender, governance, poverty and inclusive development, and economic analysis to further ICIMOD’s goals. As mountain women and girls are often disproportionately affected by climate and socioeconomic changes, ICIMOD aims to strengthen its work on gender and social equity through the integration of, and increased focus on, gender analysis in its programmatic work and by making ICIMOD a more gender-sensitive workplace.

ICIMOD is looking for a gender expert with substantive conceptual and theoretical knowledge and understanding of gender issues in natural resource management, climate change, and social systems; who is capable of providing technical expertise integrating social and gender dimensions, perspectives and approaches into ICIMOD’s regional programmes, initiatives and thematic areas; and who has substantial experience conducting research and policy advocacy and ensuring gender-positive impacts.

Responsibilities and tasks
Under the overall supervision of the Livelihoods Theme Leader and in direct coordination with the Gender Strategic Institutional Function (SIF), the Gender and NRM Specialist will be responsible for integrating gender perspectives, concepts, methodologies, and action plans into the regional programmes, especially the Transboundary Landscapes and River Basins Regional Programmes, and supporting the implementation of the programmes of the Gender SIF.

The Gender and NRM Specialist will perform the following functions:
Research:
Collaborate with ICIMOD’s thematic areas and regional programmes and initiatives to integrate gender issues and analysis in the context of natural resource management into programme activities and thematic research
Develop and integrate gender-sensitive research methodologies, tools, and activities into the programmes and initiatives
Undertake field research and visits as required by programme activities Provide inputs for project and programme development and monitoring and evaluation in order to integrate gender analysis and outcomes into regional programmes and initiatives
Promote and scale out relevant gender concepts, approaches, and analytical frameworks for application in the context of the Hindu Kush Himalayas Produce and support the production of high-quality knowledge products on the gender dimensions of natural resource management and sustainable livelihoods and participate in advocacy initiatives
Participate in the annual review and planning process Training and Capacity Development:
Organize, conduct, and contribute to internal and external training events, workshops, and seminars on gender issues to strengthen the capacity of ICIMOD and its partners to integrate gender dimensions in their work and to share knowledge Identify capacity building/strengthening needs required for partners and design specific training programmes on gender and NRM for researchers involved in initiative activities
Support partners to include gender perspectives and dimensions in their work
Coordination:
Organize regional training events and workshops and coordinate with partners
Organize, actively participate in, and provide inputs to internal ICIMOD meetings concerning gender issues, research, and activities
Coordinate with and assist the Gender SIF to identify and implement gender-focused institutional programmes and work as a team player in ICIMOD to promote gender equality and support activities that promote institutional goals

Minimum Qualifications
PhD in social sciences or related field (e.g., sociology, anthropology, development studies, gender and women’s studies, geography, environmental studies)
At least 3-5 years of post- qualification experience in applying gender concepts, analysis, and approaches in development programmes, particularly in the fields of gender, forestry, water, and other natural resource management and rural livelihoods
Experience in qualitative and quantitative gender research methods as well as the development and implementation of gender analysis and conceptual research frameworks
Experience in and knowledge of mountain development and gender issues, preferably in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region
Experience with qualitative and quantitative gender research methods and the development and implementation of gender analysis and conceptual research frameworks in relation to gender-based research and policy initiatives

Competencies
Sound knowledge and understanding of gender, natural resource management, and development concepts, theories, analytical tools, approaches, and frameworks
Strong planning and organizing skills
Excellent conceptual and strategic research design skills and strong analytical skills
Proven track record of high-quality writing skills and publications on development, natural resource management, and gender issues
Excellent interpersonal skills and proven ability to work effectively across multicultural and multidisciplinary teams
Experience (at both the field and policy levels) and knowledge of gender issues in the HKH
Proven ability to think analytically and critically and to translate ideas, insights, and learning into action by promoting synergy and cooperation among programme teams
Excellent writing and verbal communication skills in English
Strong commitment to ICIMOD’s vision and mission and core values of equity, fairness, diversity, and empowerment of marginalized social groups
Motivated to travel to remote areas of the HKH region as required

Duty Station
The duty station is Kathmandu; frequent travel and field work in the region will be required.

Duration
Three years, of which the first six months is probation.

Starting Date
Starting date is as early as possible, preferably by 1 May 2015.

Remuneration
Salaries and benefits of ICIMOD are competitive compared to other regional organizations; remuneration is commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Gender and Equity Policy
Qualified and eligible women candidates and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply. ICIMOD implements a gender fair policy and is supportive of working women. It operates a Day-Care Centre at the campus and is committed to gender mainstreaming at the organisational and programmatic levels.

Method of application
Applicants are requested to apply online before 02 Mar 2015 through ICIMOD’s Online Application System.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

The post ICIMOD Vacancy Announcement: Gender and Natural Resource Management Specialist appeared first on NGO News, Latest NGO News, Fund for NGO, NGO News Update.

NGO News Report ::

Since 2008, every year an average of 27 million people globally were forced to leave their homes as a result of disaster, such as flood, windstorms, earthquake, or drought. The people who are compelled to move are particularly vulnerable and need special protection and assistance.

“Between 2008 and 2013, 46 million people were displaced by disasters in South Asia alone. In a densely populated region with 1.7 billion people, a single event can have massive consequences and trigger large-scale population movements for which we need to prepare. Displacement can have devastating effects on people’s lives”, insisted Prof. Walter Kaelin, Envoy of the Chairmanship of the Swiss/Norwegian-led Nansen Initiative.

“The protection gaps for those migrating in the context of disasters are clear and present, requiring an urgent and immediate response from states, the international community, and civil society”, said Anoop Sukumaran, Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN). “These challenges can only be addressed through strengthened and effective collaboration. The Nansen initiative provides a platform for advancing the protection agenda in a holistic manner based on effective partnerships”.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate change is predicted to further increase the frequency and intensity of disasters, raise sea levels, and change rainfall variability, threatening human settlements, infrastructure, natural resources and livelihoods and prompting even higher levels of population movements. Mountain regions like the Hindu Kush Himalayas are extremely vulnerable to climate change.

The meeting, entitled ’Climate Change, Disasters and Human Mobility in South Asia’, brought together more than 70 representatives of affected communities, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It was jointly organized by the Nansen Initiative, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), who hosted the event, and APRRN.

This meeting feeds into the Nansen Initiative’s bottom-up approach to better understand human mobility dynamics linked to disasters in South Asia and to identify how countries and communities adapt to climate change, and prepare and respond when a disaster strikes.

“With the rising frequency of natural disasters across the Hindu Kush Himalayas, building resilient communities, mitigating displacement, and providing social protections for the displaced are major concerns for governments and civil society in the region”, said Eklabya Sharma, Director of Programme Operations at ICIMOD.

“National policies on development, adaptation, poverty reduction, and disaster risk reduction must acknowledge the important role labour migration and remittances could play in meeting the adaptation needs and welfare requirements of remittance recipient households”, he added

The meeting’s outcomes contain a set of key messages for the Nansen Initiative intergovernmental South Asian Regional Consultation that will take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh in April 2015. They include the following:

· Call on governments in the region to work closely with civil society to develop national and regional policies to address the protection needs of displaced people and migrants in the context of disasters and climate change.

· Increase efforts on building resilience of communities living in disaster-prone areas to allow them to stay in their homes by strengthening community-based disaster risk reduction activities, like flood early warning systems and evacuation plans.

· Prepare for planned relocation in situations where environmental degradation puts people’s lives and livelihoods at risk, ensuring close consultation with all affected communities.

· Call for a research agenda to better understand the nexus between environmental factors and human mobility and to generate better data on the characteristics and needs of people on the move in the region.

The post Preparing for the increasing threat of climate change on population movements appeared first on NGO News, Latest NGO News, Fund for NGO, NGO News Update.