Research Associate - Institutions, tenure, and carbon rights at World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)

Job Summary

The position aims to enable effective implementation of integrated restoration, livelihood and carbon projects in East and Southern Africa including the GEA Temasek and HSBC CAM projects being designed, implemented in six countries. The Research Associate will undertake research on tenure, institutions and carbon rights and provide the necessary technical support needed by the project implementers. This will enable smallholder farmers to engage and benefit equitably from carbon markets. The research Associate will also contribute to ensuring inclusive and equitable benefit sharing mechanisms are developed and adopted as well as facilitate evidence-based decision making. He/she will also entail provision of technical, research, and project support to restoration, livelihood and carbon projects in Kenya, in close working relationship with the principal investigator, project manager and other scientist in GEW theme, Africa Directorate and country office.

Job Description

Research support

• Support institutional assessment, gender, tenure and rights related analysis studies.
• Support value chains analysis, and other economic and socio-economic assessment in support of project implementation. 
• Collect, analyse and summarize research data, conduct literature review and assist / prepare technical papers, policy briefs manuals, guidelines, training and workshop reports and other documents.
• Publish scientific articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals on related topics.
• Contribute to development, validation and deployment of various protocols and tools.
• Support the development and testing/ roll out of the integrated landscape guidelines for refugee settings.

Extension Support

• Facilitate and support action research and co-learning activities with IPs, lead farmers and community facilitators
• Provide technical trainings and other support to IPs and other stakeholders on FMNR, ANR, tree planting and management
• Support in the community sensitization, engagement and contracting of farmers to participate in carbon markets and maintain a data base

Monitoring, evaluation and Reporting

• Provide support to PMEL processes; i) working with other CIFOR ICRAF staff build the capacity of the implementing partners and lead farmers to establish baseline conditions and track outputs and option uptake; ii) participate in quarterly monitoring and review exercises providing relevant background work and documentation
• Support implementation of impact assessment strategy including supporting and coordinating quality control in socio economic baseline and endline data collection processes and complementary qualitative follow-up investigation, as well as disseminate the findings

Programme management

• Organize workshops, conferences on projects and grants, and the training of the partners
• Prepare papers, power points, posters, and other forms for presentation in the meetings, workshops, etc.
• Contribute to proposal writing and project design

Personal capacity development

• Explore PhD studies and develop proposal

Requirements

• An MSc in a field related to environmental, social, forestry and agriculture sciences; landscape management, rural livelihoods, climate change mitigation/adaptation, or other discipline relevant to landscape governance. 
• Over 7 years-experience in programs coordination and management with three (3) years of supervisory experience in an agricultural, forestry or environmental organization.
• Experience in data collection and analysis; research and writing; raining; community engagement; & communication.s
• Experience in conceptualizing, developing and implementing scientific research; training materials and manuals to train different stakeholders.
• Expertise and skills in Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learnings (documentation of key successes in a project).