African Forest Forum

Call for online regional facilitator:

Community of Practice on “climate change in the African forestry and wildlife sectors”

1.1 Background

Climate change is severely affecting agrifood systems[1] and related ecosystems and these combine to affect livelihoods, as demonstrated by the negative impacts on poverty, food security and nutrition. In addition, the agrifood systems also adversely affect climate change through unsustainable food production practices (FAO, 2022)[2]. In this context, climate change therefore presents unprecedented challenges to the survival of humans, animals, plant life and ecosystems (AUC, 2022)[3]. Particularly climate change is impacting forestry and wildlife sector. For instance, climate change influences a number of natural disturbances (insect outbreaks, invasive species, wildfires, and storms) that threaten forest health and consequently wildlife habitat. On the other hand, forests also offer great opportunities to address climate change. The continent requires considerable support to build the necessary climate resilience, adaptation and mitigation so that it can sustainably manage the agrifood systems that are key for meeting the growing demand for nutritious and safe food, and other agricultural products and services. Fortunately, several institutions, including AFF and FAO, have recognized this need and are developing initiatives to address climate change challenges in Africa.

In this regard, FAO developed a Strategy on Climate Change for the period 2022-2031[4] whose vision is “Agrifood systems are sustainable, inclusive, resilient and adaptive to climate change and its impacts and contribute to low-emission economies while providing sufficient, safe and nutritious foods for healthy diets, as well as other agricultural products and services, for present and future generations, leaving no one behind”. Under this strategy, the FAO’s support targets: (1) capacity development; (2) strategic partnerships; (3) inclusive approaches; (4) new policies, practices, and technologies and (5) improved access to financing. This strategy is structured around three pillars focusing on action at (i) global and regional, (ii) country and (iii) local levels. To guide the implementation of this strategy FAO developed for the period 2022-2025, the “FAO Action Plan for the Climate Change Strategy”[5] that defines, the action areas to be undertaken at global, regional, national and local levels to ensure agricultural and food related climate actions are effectively implemented and scaled up.

Coincidentally, the axes of the Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan of the African Union (2022-2032)[6] for the whole of Africa also focus on governance and policy reforms as well as pathways and means for transformative climate resilient development with the overall objective to “Build the resilience of African communities, ecosystems and economies, and supporting regional adaptation”.

 Moreover, the African Leaders Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change and Call to Action”[7] adopted at the latest Africa Climate Summit also include urgent collective actions relevant to food systems, natural resources, and environment.

Addressing climate change in forestry and wildlife sectors face many challenges including technical know-how, policy and regulatory issues (i.e., mainstreaming climate change into national / sectoral policy, strategies, programmes, projects and initiatives), institutional issues and financial challenges (mobilizing climate finance – national and external sources). Stakeholders (institutions and countries) have taken different initiatives to address these issues and have got different levels of achievements and are facing different difficulties / challenges.

In this regard, Communities of Practice (CoPs) can serve as an efficient and easily accessible way for peer-to-peer sharing of countries’ knowledge, experiences, expertise and lessons learned on past and ongoing interventions / initiatives to address climate change in the African forestry and wildlife sectors.

1.2 Rationale and purpose of the work

In the context of the 2024 annual work plan of the AFF-FAO collaboration on “Support to the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission (AFWC)”, AFF is recruiting one regional expert to moderate an online Community of Practice (CoP) on “Climate change in the African forestry and wildlife sectors.” The CoP will be hosted on a conducive Howspace platform and will involve both webinar series and web-based interactions. The online moderator is expected to encourage / engage and guide stakeholders to attend the webinar series and the web-based discussions and share their knowledge, experiences, best practices and challenges on addressing climate change in forestry and wildlife sector. At the end of each session, the moderator will synthesize views, lessons and recommendations to be posted on the CoP’s Howspace, easily accessible to all community members.

 The event will also provide a platform for sharing of knowledge products tailored to addressing climate change in African forestry and wildlife sector.

1.3 SCOPE OF WORK

The key tasks of this assignment are as follows:

  1. In collaboration with AFF, develop a concept note and elaborate a programme for the CoP, including topics for the online discussion forum;
  2. Promote the CoP, identify a wide range of stakeholders and start engaging them on the “Howspace” platform at least one week before the webinar sessions;
  3. Work with AFF Secretariat to tailor discussion topics in line with the thematic area of the CoP as well as the project outcomes.
  4. Identify and engage a broad range of stakeholders including relevant networks, individuals, and institutions with specific expertise and experiences on climate change in African forestry and wildlife sector, then invite them to participate to enrich the online discussion;
  5. Develop, in collaboration with AFF and selected resource persons, daily presentations on the selected topics to guide the online discussion;
  6. Actively guide the discussion to ensure it remains focused on the agenda, address all discussion questions and at the end of each session, draft and post a daily summary note.
  7. Daily tasks of the CoP’s moderator, to be done during the 2 to 3 hours daily webinar sessions starting from the 6th August 2024 for 2 weeks include:
    • Welcome participants to the virtual discussion;
    • Introduce the topic, prepare, and deliver presentations and/or facilitate their delivery by identified guest speakers and drive discussions to address any open/pending issues.
    • Provide encouragement/energizer to drive the discussion when no contributions have been posted, by posing/fielding questions, contacting members directly through the platform, posting complementary content such as documents, websites, and text.
  8. Propose and discuss with the CoP members plausible approaches and a strategy to sustain interactions on the platform after the two-weeks’ webinar series
  9. Continue the moderation of the discussions among community’s members on the web based Howspace at least two weeks after the end of the webinar series guided by the proposed sustainability strategy.
  10. Document key issues raised, and actions proposed from the CoP members.

1.4 DELIVERABLES

This assignment aims to deliver the following:

  • Useful resources for the e-discussion uploaded and shared regularly.
  • Daily summaries of the e-discussions
  • A strategy and action plan to sustain interactions and peer-to-peer learning among the community after the webinar sessions.
  • Final report of the assignment to be submitted one week after the end of the COP sessions. The outline of the report will be agreed upon with AFF.

1.5 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

The online discussion moderators must have the following qualifications and skills:

  • At least a master’s degree in forestry, wildlife, natural resource management or any related area, with experience in climate change, a PhD will be an added advantage.
  • At least five years’ working experience in sustainable forest / wildlife management in the context of climate change;
  • Proven skills and experience in writing technical reports and the like, on topics related to sustainable forest / wildlife management, climate change adaptation and mitigation.
  • Excellent communication skills in English. Knowledge of French is an added advantage.
  • Experience in moderating CoPs, climate negotiation, multi-stakeholders’ engagement and participatory actions or events are desirable.

1.6 DURATION OF ASSIGNMENT

The work is expected to take one (1) calendar month, commencing on 23rd July 2024. The online regional facilitator will work from own location but be in close consultation with relevant staff at the AFF Secretariat while keeping to an agreed delivery schedule.

1.7 DEADLINES

  • Applications must be received by the AFF Secretariat on or before 10 June 2024.
  • Consultancy activities must begin no later than 23rd July 2024.

1.8 HOW TO APPLY

Please email your application to AFF, attaching: (a) A cover letter stating how you meet the above qualifications and experience requirements; (b) An updated CV. Indicate the subject line: “Consultancy: Online regional facilitator for a Community of Practice on Climate change in the African forestry and wildlife sectors” to  d.gitonga@cifor-icraf.org with a copy to d.dayamba@cifor-icraf.org and exec.sec@afforum.org. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

For more information, download:

 

[1] includes crops and livestock, forests and land use, fisheries and aquaculture.

[2] FAO. 2022. FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031. Rome.

[3] African Union climate change and resilient development strategy and action plan (2022-2032).

[4] https://www.fao.org/3/cc2274en/cc2274en.pdf

[5] https://www.fao.org/3/cc7014en/cc7014en.pdf

[6] 41959-doc-CC_Strategy_and_Action_Plan_2022-2032_08_02_23_Single_Print_Ready.pdf (au.int)

[7] https://au.int/sites/default/files/decisions/43124-Nairobi_Declaration_06092023.pdf