Indonesia: Palm oil program support Consultant

Palm oil program support Consultant

Reports to:Senior Manager for Sustainable Agriculture, Southeast Asia

Location:Indonesia

Commitment: 15 December 2014 (ASAP) – 30 June 2015

Consultancy summary:

The consultant will fulfill assignments that support RA’s work in the palm oil sector in the Country. Duties include: coordinating the implementation of project activities under the guidance of the Senior Manager; supporting the development of new program activities, writing and compiling reports on project activities, meetings, and related events; conducting research, conveying this and building a library of relevant literature; conducting interviews and building relationships with NGO, producer/trader/manufacturing and governmental stakeholders in the Palm Oil community of interest; researching existing documentation on palm in Indonesia, the representation of Rainforest Alliance at select events, and other duties as assigned.

Project Summary:

Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organization that works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior.

For Indonesia we are looking for a consultant (individual consultant, or individual employed by a consultancy organization) to support several projects focused on enhancing sustainability in oil palm plantations.

Activities, duties and responsibilities

· Whenever applicable coordinate (on behalf of the RA senior project manager) the planning and implementation of project activities;

· Implement specific project activities, in accordance with the agreed workplans;

· Compile project reports;

· Conduct stakeholder interviews;

· Build relationships with NGO, producer/trader/manufacturing and governmental stakeholders in the Palm Oil community of interest;

· Conduct and convey research on relevant topics;

· Create virtual library with relevant documentation;

· Support Rainforest Alliance’s Palm Oil strategy;

· Collect information about production, the industry, trends and markets as needed;

· Support the dialogue with relevant stakeholders to promote the principles of the Sustainable Agriculture Network Standard;

· Attend events and meetings as needed;

· Support the development of new projects to grow RA’s work in the country.

Deliverables:

• Updated work-plans for the projects;

• Progress reports of implementation activities and meetings to the RA line-manager and in line with donor requirements;

• Draft project reports;

• Virtual library with relevant literature on the palm sector;

• Reports on visits, meetings and events.

Qualifications:

• University degree in tropical agriculture, biology, forestry or related disciplines;

• Knowledge of technical, economic and social aspects in sustainable agriculture;

• Excellent inside knowledge of local oil palm sector;

• Knowledge of value chains of other commodities is an advantage;

• Excellent facilitation and organisation skills;

• Good proficiency of English in writing and speech is essential;

• Knowledge of integrated pest management is a plus;

• Experience with SAN and RA is an asset.

To Respond:

E-mail: nfirda@ra.org. Please use the following format in the subject line: first name and last name, title of consultancy in which you are interested. Please include:

· A cover letter addressing consultant experience, availability, and consultancy rate(s); the letter should be no longer than two pages;

· Be eligible to complete field work within Indonesia;

· A list of relevant previous engagements;

· Updated CV(s) for personnel on the engagement; and

· Two prior engagement references with contact details of the referee

Rainforest Alliance expects to award this opportunity by 15 of December 2014. Only final candidates will be contacted for best and final proposals. Please note local and/or regional candidates will be treated preferentially.