Project Manager, Governance of Forest Initiative- Washington DC

Organization: World Resources Institute

Position Title: Project Manager, Governance of Forest Initiative

Location: 10 G Street NE, Suite 800, Washington, DC, 20002, US

Hours and Compensation: full time

Application Deadline: not given

Organization Overview

The Governance of Forests Initiative (GFI) is a project housed in WRI’s Institutions and Governance Program (IGP). However, as a cross topic project (forests, governance, and climate) we work closely with our colleagues both in other projects in IGP and across the institute, including in the People and Ecosystems Program and in the Climate and Energy Program.

GFI’s goal is to strengthen land use laws and practices that impact forests to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and increase communities’ rights to natural resources. We seek to improve the participation, transparency, and responsiveness of government practices that impact forest land allocation and use in Brazil, Cameroon, and Indonesia, as well as globally though international instruments. We produce knowledge on pressing forest governance challenges; generate constructive dialogue on how to improve governance of land and forests; and advance reforms from local to global arenas. The GFI’s theory of change involves two major strategies:

• International Strategy: GFI seeks to influence international policy processes and financial flows in order to generate increased demand and support for good governance of forests at the global level. Key influence targets include the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and Forest Investment Program (FIP); the UN Collaborative Programme on REDD (UN-REDD); and the currently diffuse network of international practitioners and experts working on issues relating to forest governance.

• Country Strategy: GFI seeks to empower civil society in forest-rich countries to carry out evidence-based research and advocacy for needed governance reforms at the national and subnational level. The project is currently supporting civil society partners in Brazil, Indonesia, and Cameroon. Additional countries may be considered in the future.

The analytical foundation of both strategies is the GFI Framework of Indicators (GFI-FI), which provides a generic methodology for assessing and monitoring forest governance on the ground.

Responsibilities

Project Leadership/Planning

• Lead project administration activities including budgeting, staffing and planning.
• Identify fundraising opportunities, proposal development, grant reporting, and donor relationship management.
• Supervise GFI staff including day-to-day management and annual reviews.
• Provide overarching quality control for GFI publications and other outputs, as well as input to other WRI projects working on issues or in countries related to GFI.
• Work with other projects and programs in the institute, such as The Access Initiative’s Forestry Commission, Global Forest Watch, and the Land and Resource Rights project to increase collaboration and effectiveness of all governance, climate and forest related activities.

Country Strategy Implementation

• Help develop and implement country-specific strategies for Brazil, Indonesia, and Cameroon.
• Designate and oversee “country leads” to implement country-specific strategies and manage partner relationships.
• Provide strategic guidance and decision-making on expanding GFI.
• Manage the expanding global network of GFI partner organizations and collaboration with partners in other relevant projects, such as TAI and Global Forest Watch.
• Lead global research and analysis that ties together experiences and lessons from the different GFI countries.

International Strategy Implementation

• Provide leadership for the development and implementation of work focused on international and multi-lateral processes, such as UNFCCC, Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, Forest Investment Program, UN-REDD Programme, and the REDD+ Partnership.
• Work with other groups in WRI, as well as partners, to develop and implement a coherent vision and outputs relating to international processes, e.g., UNFCCC, FCPF, etc.

GFI Tool Development

• Provide conceptual leadership for the development of new analytical tools, frameworks and/or research stemming from the GFI-FI.
• Cultivate and engage with a growing international community of experts and practitioners interested in forest governance assessment and monitoring.
• Convene strategic meetings with regional partners to advance a governance agenda.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in public policy, environmental resource management, law, economics, development studies, or other relevant field.
• Minimum 5 years relevant experience working on issues related to forest governance and policy processes in developing countries. Direct in-country experience is preferred.
• Experience engaging with and convening civil society in developing countries.
• A sound understanding of international processes relating to REDD+, especially those relating to the UN and the World Bank.
• Excellent writing, research and qualitative analytical skills
• Proven ability to manage a team and a project including to:

Develop and implement project strategies and adapt as opportunities and circumstances unfold; Motivate staff, manage contractors, and ensure that expected deliverables are completed on time; and Deliver on-the-ground results on time and on budget.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with teams of individuals and colleagues at all levels inside and outside the organization.
• Fluent in English. Ability to communicate in Portuguese, French and/or Bahasa Indonesia is a plus.
• Willingness to travel extensively.

Salary and Benefits

Commensurate with qualifications and experience.

How to Apply

Qualified applicants should apply online at www.wri.org/careers. All applications must be submitted online through this career portal in order to be formally considered.