Mission and objectives

Who we are UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help empower people and build resilient nations. UNDP has been working in Liberia since 1977 in peace and in crisis times. UNDP is committed to helping Liberia achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) as well as the country’s national development priorities as set out in its newest Pro-Poor Development Agenda. UNDP provides technical assistance within the framework of the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) which is fully aligned with Liberia’s National development Agenda. What we do UNDP supports Liberia’s national development agenda and works closely with national institutions and local communities to promote, advocate and contribute to good governance, peace and security. Our work focuses on engendering national initiatives and strategies that help facilitate long-term development transformation in the lives of the people of Liberia. We offer global perspectives, complementary support and ideas on strategic development projects and capacity building in continued efforts to promote and protect human rights and improve environmental management. The end result of this transformation would be a country that is characterized by peaceful and inclusive politics and diversified economy, stable institutions, enforces the laws fairly, land tenure problems have been resolved, natural resources are efficiently managed and health and education standards have reached those of other middle income countries.

Context

Liberia is host to a forest cover of 6.6 million ha, which represents approximately 69% of the total landmass. The country is regarded as one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world, and one which contains the highest remaining portion (42%) of the Upper Guinea Forest, which is regarded as one of the three lungs of the world extending from Guinea into eastern Sierra Leone, and eastward through Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana into western Togo. The forest is characterized by high endemism, boasting over 2000 plant species, 600 bird species, 75 reptile species, and 150 mammal species. Liberia has joined many countries in the Global South that are enduring the deadly pinch of climate change in championing the importance of meeting a central financial pillar of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Biological resources are vital to humanity’s economic and social development. As a result, there is a growing recognition that biological diversity is a global asset of tremendous value to present and future generations. At the same time, the threat to species and ecosystems has never been so great as it is today. Species extinction caused by human activities continues at an alarming rate. In response, an international legal instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity was prepared and 168 countries ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Nevertheless, available evidence and decisions adopted by the Parties to the CBD indicate that the current levels of investment in biodiversity management are inadequate to achieve the 20 Aichi Targets defined in the CBD’s Strategic Plan for Biodiversity In recent decades, biodiversity finance tools and solutions have demonstrated their importance for achieving biodiversity goals and broader sustainable development objectives. Improved choice, design and implementation of effective, well-tailored finance solutions will strengthen countries’ chances of achieving national and global biodiversity targets. Biodiversity Finance Plans have become increasingly recognized as a relevant tool to help countries to identify and fill the biodiversity finance gap, including through the work of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative www.biofin.org. In December 2022, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework. This included numerous targets with relevance for financing. Target 19 on resource mobilization includes reference for countries to design and implement national biodiversity finance plans. The GEF created a global programme to support countries in designing a national Biodiversity Finance Plan. A Biodiversity Finance Plan includes a systems analysis of a country’s economy including mapping existing financing mechanisms, subsidies with potentially harmful impacts on nature, drivers of biodiversity loss and gain, public and private expenditures committed towards biodiversity objectives, and a country’s national financial needs for biodiversity. The biodiversity finance plan itself consists of a series of actions with the aim to significantly scale up available funding, green or phase out harmful finance flows, and improve the effectiveness of available expenditures. The programme allows for the active sharing of experiences across countries and includes a knowledge-sharing platform and the provision of continuous technical support to country teams.

Task Description

Under the overall supervision of the Project Manager the UN Volunteer will be responsible to: • Lead the process of engagement with project beneficiaries, including empowering and training the community volunteers and local communities on Sustainable Forest Management (SFM); • Facilitate the development of the implementation of forest management plans for all forests under Community Conservation Agreements and SFM; • provide technical support including training, and mentorship, and coordinate the activities of fifteen (15) community volunteers tasks with providing extension support to project beneficiaries, including farmers. • Provide backstopping, training materials and resources to build the capacity of forest management for local committees, eco-guards etc on use of GPS, ODK, mapping, inventory procedures etc • Provide technical input for carbon accounting for project interventions based on technical support from the Programme Coordinator and technical experts • Design and coordinate surveys analyzing biological data and continuous monitoring of the forest ecosystem; • With support from FDA Rangers, the staff will support forest patrols and monthly reporting on SFM interventions as well as report inappropriate harvests and other threats to forest conservation; • Ensure that a comprehensive database (clearly highlighting baseline information) on the principal species and uses for all timber and non-timber forest products are produced through community participatory mapping for resource planning and management; • Ensure equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms of resources within the CCA are in place and applied appropriately; • Prepare monthly reports against set targets and indicators with analysis of evidence of progress towards planned work and budget; • Ensuring stakeholders are involved at all appropriate levels; • Monitor and report on the implementation of project activities by project partners contracted by UNDP • Assist the Project Manager in the preparation of reports, and technical reports for submission to the Project Steering Committee/Board as required; Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/expected outputs: The Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) perspective is consistently applied, integrated, and documented in all activities throughout the assignment. Prepare a final statement highlighting the achievements in promoting volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, including reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in, and capacities developed

Competencies and values

– Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline – Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements – Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback – Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible – Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, -confident – Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships – Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Living conditions and remarks

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. Conditions of Service for national UN Volunteers The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment. Travel to duty station (if applicable) and a Settling-In-Grant will be provided in the event the duty station is not within commuting distance from the place of recruitment. The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as final repatriation (if applicable) and resettlement allowance for satisfactory service. Furthermore, in non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, a Well-Being Differential (WBD) will be provided monthly.