Summary
Date Posted: Tuesday, July 12, 2022 , Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
Consultants to conduct situational analysis (“state of play”) of Nature-based Solutions
1. Background
Farm Radio International, a Canadian non-profit organization, enables African rural communities’ to meet their rights to information and communication through the innovative use of radio, mobile phones, other digital tools and traditional face-to-face methods. Together with broadcasting and project partners, we help increase access for tens of millions of small-scale farmers and people in rural areas across the continent to life-changing information and facilitate strengthening and amplifying their voices in their own development. FRI is committed to gender equality and inclusion (GEI) as we are well-placed to facilitate ongoing dialogue to contribute to the transformation of inequitable gender norms and relations of power and the advancement of human rights, especially those of women.
Climate change and biodiversity loss are two of the most defining environmental crises that challenge the world today. Nature-based solutions (NbS) are gaining increasing attention as a means to harness the power of nature to help solve these twin crises. If appropriately implemented, NbS can accelerate progress towards a greener, more equitable, gender responsive and socially inclusive future.
In April 2022, Farm Radio began implementation of a 5-year, multi-country project about gender inclusive nature-based climate solutions (NbS) with financing from Global Affairs Canada. The project will use Farm Radio’s interactive local radio programming to achieve enhanced rural community climate action using locally-relevant, gender-inclusive NbS. This project will help to create a common understanding of how NbS can be used to prepare for and adapt to changing climate risks and impacts, while simultaneously protecting and restoring local biodiversity and ecological services. It will also offer a means for local communities (particularly women and youth) to identify and express their adaptation needs, expand access to NbS information across Sub-Saharan Africa; support rural communities in learning about, customizing and applying NbS for climate adaptation; increase the responsiveness of decision makers to the needs and experiences of local communities on NBS; and raise Canadian awareness of, and engagement with these solutions.
The project will focus on six countries, including Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda and Zambia and reach a combined potential audience of at least 3.2 million rural listeners, including 1.4 million women and 1.2 million youth. In an effort to further amplify our reach, the radio programming materials developed and piloted in the 6 countries of focus will be made available to another 200+ radio stations, in an additional 20 countries, through Farm Radio’s extensive network of radio producers and broadcasters across Africa. In total, the project aims to reach a combined target audience of 25 million people across sub-Saharan Africa. An estimated 50,000 individuals will interact and engage with the programs at least 1 million times over the life of the project. In Canada, the public education and engagement program will reach an estimated 300,000 people.
1. Purpose
FRI intends to conduct a situational analysis, or ‘state of play’, in the focused countries to further understand the state of knowledge, practice and policy with respect to nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation. The national level situational analysis will identify key stakeholders working in this space in-country, alongside relevant policies, plans, strategies, and programs/projects that support nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation. The national level situational analysis will also review and summarize the key climate risks, impacts, and vulnerabilities in the country, as well as any national adaptation priorities that promote nature-based solutions or an ecosystem-based approach to adaptation
The ‘state of play’ analysis will also contribute in identifying relevant indicators and a methodology to conduct project monitoring and evaluation on NBS. In addition, the assessment will serve as a baseline starting point for the project’s contribution to influencing decision making on climate change, specially nature-based solutions related policies, programs, strategies, investments etc. A similar endline ‘state of play’ assessment is expected to reveal changes or shifts that may be attributed in part to the activities of the project.
Based on the outcomes of the national level ‘state of play’ assessment, Farm Radio International will conduct a community level state of play in selected geographies and ecosystems in the countries.
2. Scope of work
The Consultant will conduct a national level ‘state of play’ on Climate Change adaptation and NBS to guide design and implementation of high-impact radio series in rural communities in the project countries. Farm Radio will engage one consultant per country for these assignments . The consultant will work closely with the FRI Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning (MERL) team, FRI’s NBS specialist and consultants, and a National Advisory Panel (NAP) to develop/review the methods, tools and data collection and reporting on the national ‘state of play.’ The consultant will complete the following activities:
• Participate in an online webinar on proposed data collection tools and methods as provided by FRI. Review and provide feedback.
• Conduct a comprehensive and gender-inclusive desk review on:
o Key climate hazards, risks, impacts and vulnerabilities of pressing concern to rural populations in-country, especially women, girls and youth
o Locally / nationally / globally significant biodiversity found in-country and key drivers and threats to such biodiversity, especially as relevant to women, girls and youth
o Key ecoregions, ecosystems, landscapes and protected areas most at risk to climate change and climate variability
o Key initiatives in-country with a focus on the conservation, restoration or sustainable management of ecosystems as a means to reduce the effects of climate change and climate variability (e.g., NbS for climate change adaptation)
o Key ecological knowledge systems – including local, indigenous, endogenous, feminist or traditional – that can support NbS for climate change adaptation
o National policies, plans and strategies that support or promote NbS for climate change adaptation, including but not limited to: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) or NAP Frameworks, National Adaptation Communications (for Ghana and Burkina Faso, specifically) National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), and other relevant policies, plans and strategies.
o Key actors (including women’s rights, feminist and women’s environmental organizations) working in the space of NbS for climate change adaption in-country
o Case studies and examples of rural communities successfully adopting and implementing actions to protect, conserve, restore or sustainably manage ecosystems
• Coordinate and complete any key informant interviews as necessary to fill-in any gaps in understanding
• Summarize findings and results as part of a National State of Play Report on Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation in the country. A report outline will be provided by FRI (to ensure consistency across countries) and the final report is expected to be no longer than 20 pages (not including Annexes).
• Present key findings of the report to the National Advisory Panel in-country
• Incorporate feedback and revise the national State of Play Report based on comments received from the National Advisory Panel as well as the FRI team.
• Provide recommendations to FRI on completing the community-level state of play to elicit community input and experience on key issues raised in the national state of play report
• Other, as may be identified with the Consultant 3. Timing (Level of Effort): 12 days
4. Location: It is understood that the consultant is based in the chosen country, during the period of the agreement.
5. Deliverables
Inputs into methodology and tools – By July 20, 2022
First draft report from desk review and key informant interviews – By August 1, 2022
Second draft report – after review by FRI, NBS International Consultant and NAP: By August 3, 2022
Final Report: By August 7, 2022
6. Qualifications
• At least a master’s degree in Environmental Science, Social Science, Geography, etc, or any other relevant field of study
• At least five years of experience in conducting research in NBS, climate change adaptation, natural resource management, or environmental studies
• Demonstrated knowledge of climate risks, impacts and vulnerabilities across diverse ecological zones of the country
• Demonstrated experience in conducting KIIs with high-level stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to gather credible data and information and synthesize into a simple, coherent and comprehensive report to inform program implementation
• Critical analysis and strategic thinking skills.
• Written and verbal presentation as well as interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to work under pressure
• Demonstrated written and analytical skills in program design.
• Strong attention to detail and quality.
• Ability to present results with any GIS applications will be a plus.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: Postgraduate Degree

Job application procedure
FRI values diversity and inclusion. Women, people with disabilities, and members of other equity-seeking or marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply. Accommodations are available on request in all aspects of the recruitment process.
FRI is an equal opportunity employer. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. To submit your application, send your CV and financial proposal to jobapps@farmradio.org clearly indicating “NBS Situational Analysis xxxCountry” in the subject line, replacing xxxCountry with the name of the country you intend to complete the assessment in. Deadline for submission is July 18, 2022.
No phone calls please.

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