Assistant Provincial CF Partnership Coordinator (APCFPC), 2 positions at Kampong Thom province At The Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC)

RECOFTC is an international nonprofit organization working towards a future where resilient communities with respected rights thrive in forest landscapes that they manage sustainably and equitably. We take a long-term, landscape-based and inclusive approach to supporting local communities to secure their land and resource rights, stop deforestation, find alternative livelihoods and foster gender equality. We have more than 37 years of experience working with people and forests and have built trusting relationships with partners at all levels. As a trusted, honest broker, we occupy a distinct position as an international organization that supports, informs, and brings together governments, communities, businesses, academia and civil society organizations. Our innovations, knowledge, and initiatives enable countries to foster good forest governance, mitigate and adapt to climate change and achieve the UN Global Goals.

RECOFTC operates in the Asia-Pacific region, with country program offices in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Viet Nam.

In Cambodia, RECOFTC is supporting community forestry (CF), community protected area (CPA), and community fisheries (CFi) development. Our activities, implemented from the national to community levels, contribute to supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation, promoting gender equality and social inclusion, improving governance and respect for rights, and increasing economic benefit for CF, CPA and CFi. Currently, RECOFTC Cambodia implements project activities in eight provinces – Kampong Thom, Preah Vihear, Kratie, Stung Treng, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat, Battambang and Siem Reap.

RECOFTC Cambodia is currently seeking applications for two Assistant Provincial Community Forestry Partnership Coordinators (APCFPCs) for the Community-led Action for Sustainable Forest (CASFor) and ‘Enhancing community forestry organizational capacity to manage forests in Prey Lang Extended Landscape’ (ECFOC-MF-PLE) projects respectively. These positions are open to Cambodian nationals. The selected candidates will be offered 24-month contracts and will be based in Kampong Thom province, Cambodia. An offer of employment is subject to funding confirmation of the project by FAO as the leading organization of the CASFor project and USAID Conserve as the donor of ECFOC-MF-PLE.

Background of the projects

CASFor

The Community-led Action for Sustainable Forest or CASFor project is implemented by a consortium of four organizations – RECOFTC, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with FAO as the lead partner of the consortium. The CASFor program is implemented in cooperation with two government ministries – the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment. CASFor aims to promote the sustainable management of local forest resources while building resilience and providing livelihoods and ecosystem services to local communities and contributing to national commitments and global action on climate change.

ECFOC-MF-PLE

The ‘Enhancing community forestry organizational capacity to manage forests in Prey Lang Extended Landscape’ or ECFOC-MF-PLE project provides technical support and coordination to target CFs in the development, implementation and monitoring of the direct grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Conserve project.

Specific tasks and duties

Both assistant coordinators will be members of the RECOFTC Cambodia team and work under the direct supervision of their respective Provincial Community Forestry Partnership Coordinator (PCFPC) and the overall guidance of their Field Operation Manager.

For each project, the respective APCFPC is responsible for day-to-day support to target communities to plan, implement, monitor and report their activities.

Specific tasks and duties include:

• Assist in the coordination, development and delivery of project milestones, including work planning, material development and dissemination, reporting and budgeting
• Under the supervision of the PCFPC, assist in selecting CFs in developing grant proposals, milestone tables, activity plans and budgets in accordance with the requirement of grant proposals and in submitting delivery milestones to the USAID Conserve project.
• Assist the PCFPC in developing action-oriented training plans enabling CFs to implement grant proposal activities
• Support as resource person/facilitator to deliver capacity development on community forestry and related topics
• Monitor project activities, inputs, outputs and costs of each community forestry activity aligning with project interventions, and perform expenditure report checking against planned budgets to ensure expenses are accurate and transparent
• Assist in the collection, development, adaptation, documentation, translation and dissemination of training and extension materials, including manuals and case studies
• Assist in planning, facilitating and supporting provincial community forestry networks and their communication and networking with other provinces and the national Community Forestry Network, and link them to the Provincial Community Forestry Program Coordination Committee and the National Community Forestry Program Coordination Committee
• Assist the Forestry Administration cantonment to organize meetings of the Provincial Community Forestry Program Coordination Committee and help ensure active participation of local non-governmental organizations and community forestry network representatives
• Assist the relevant commune authority, local Forestry Administration and CF network to provide technical backstopping and monitor the existing CF Development Fund, including CF credit operation and mini trust fund, ensuring the funds are managed and used in compliance with regulations
• Assist the PCFPC in collecting and reviewing CF credit records, including borrow and payback records, case books and financial reports, and in regularly updating the CF credit database
• Regularly coordinate, confer and share respective project lessons and experiences with the CF network and the Provincial Community Forestry Program Coordination Committee of other provinces
• Help with the preparation of six-monthly and annual reports
• Participate in the monitoring and evaluation activities of the project and RECOFTC program
• Prepare budget request for implementation of field activities and perform expenditure check and clearance
• Perform other tasks as assigned by the Field Operation Manager and the Country Director, Cambodia Office

Qualifications and experience

The Assistant Provincial Community Forestry Partnership Coordinator should have the following qualifications and experience:

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in forestry, natural resource management or related field with specialization in environmental and/or rural development
• Minimum three years of working experience in CF, CPA, CFi or community-based natural resource management
• Ability to communicate and maintain harmonious relationships with government agencies, local authorities and communities
• Experience in planning, budgeting, implementing, monitoring, reporting, coordinating, networking and facilitating, including development of training and extension materials
• Experience in adult learning, training, facilitating and applying participatory tools and methodologies in working with rural communities
• Possess leadership abilities, able to take on and solve problems quickly and efficiently
• Able to work independently with minimum supervision
• Proficient in the use of software such as MS Office tools Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook
• Willingness to travel regularly within the province, including overnight stays in villages and occasionally to other provinces and Phnom Penh
• Must be a Cambodian national

Desirable

• Experience in land and forestry legislation and regulations in Cambodia
• Knowledge and practical experience in implementing community forestry guidelines
• Knowledge and experience in mapping using GPS and GIS
• Experience working with rural communities in partnership with the Forestry Administration, nongovernmental organizations and local authorities

RECOFTC’s core values

At RECOFTC, our core values are the foundation of our culture and guide all our work. In addition to job-specific skills and experience, the applicant should possess the following characteristics, attitudes and skills:

• Embrace innovation
• Adapt to and learn from challenges
• Nurture commitment, responsibility and ownership
• Collaborate with partners and stakeholders
• Commit to sustainability
• Cultivate participation, gender equality and social inclusion
• Prioritize well-being