Land Tenure Specialist, Rome, Italy

The Partnerships Division (PSP) is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the identification, strengthening and stewardship of strategic partnerships with non-state actors in support of FAO's Strategic Objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including parliamentarians, civil society, private sector, academia and research institutions, family farmers’ and indigenous peoples’ organizations, through developing capacities, fostering dialogues, sharing knowledge, scaling up programmes and advocating for FAO’s corporate positions.  It ensures that multi-stakeholder processes and engagements at global, regional and country level are an integral part of FAO’s work, and provides targeted support to ensure secure tenure rights and capacity development (including through e-learning programmes) to contribute to the SDGs.  It drives the development of FAO’s blended finance models, mobilizes resources from the private sector to advocate responsible agricultural investments and sustainable development to move the 2030 agenda forward, and promotes the Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI).  The Division has the lead responsibility for the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT), the UN Decade of Family Farming (2019-2028), the FAO Policy on Indigenous Peoples, and the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact.

Within its Land Tenure Unit (PSPL), the Organization will hire a Land Tenure Specialist (Level B) to work on a joint initiative that aims at preparing a Global Land Governance Report (GLGR) led by FAO, the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) / UN-Habitat and the International Land Coalition (ILC) and supported by several other partners, among which bilateral and multilateral donors and development partners.  In this regard, PSPL is the technical unit in charge of developing the GLGR, together with GLTN and ILC.  The assignment requires the discharge of duties full-time from FAO headquarters in Rome, potentially with duty travels.  Any possibility of eventual extensions would be subject to compliance with the FAO Manual, a continuing demand for the services, the availability of FAO budget resources, and satisfactory performance of the incumbent.  Only individuals meeting or exceeding the requirements of the Vacancy Announcement will be contacted and interviewed.

The objectives of the GLGR are to make available an evidence-based report on the status of land tenure and governance issues in selected countries and regions^[1], as a reference point for policy makers, linking the global development agenda with country commitments in the frameworks of the VGGT and the SDGs. The GLGR will be a tool for advocacy and policy engagement targeting strategic spaces including the UN High Level Political Forum (UNHLPF), where National Voluntary Reviews (NVRs) are presented and discussed annually against these frameworks.  The GLGR will also seek to inform fora such as the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Africa Land Policy Conference, engaged in the effective implementation of the above frameworks.

More specifically the report will seek to:

• Ascertain / document the state of land governance and tenure in selected countries and regions, while demonstrating and advocating for the relevance of land tenure governance to promote food security, reduce poverty, address gender inequality in land rights, manage natural resources sustainably, adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects, build peace, social-economic and ecological resilience and, in general, to meet the SDGs.
• Elevate the discourse and build awareness at the highest political level on the importance of land in combatting poverty and addressing other global challenges.
• Scale up policy engagement.
• Strengthen coordination of initiatives and stakeholders, and foster a community of practice.
• Help mobilize support / resources for the land sector, including for the publication of the GLGR.

Reporting Lines

The Land Tenure Specialist will work under the general guidance of the Director of the Partnerships Division and the supervision of the Head of the Land Tenure Unit, in close collaboration with the Focal Point for the GLGR, the Land Tenure Unit, and the concerned FAO decentralized offices at regional, sub-regional and country level, as well as with other technical divisions / units involved in governance of tenure, administration and management of land and other natural resources.The Land Tenure Specialist will also coordinate joint efforts with the GLTN / UN-Habitat and the ILC, and act as a member of the Secretariat coordinating the elaboration of the Global Land Governance Report (GLGR).

The assignment will concentrate on facilitating the collection of concrete evidence, documents, reports, inputs and data related with land and tenure governance from a selection of countries, plus liaison and coordination of drafting efforts, and actual drafting of the Global Land Governance Report (GLGR) in collaboration with a number of diverse internal (FAO) and external stakeholders and partners.The Land Tenure Specialist will work closely with FAO staff and non-staff collaborators, GLTN / UN-Habitat and ILC partners, providing strategic and technical support / analysis to the GLGR initiative; facilitating dialogue and processes to contribute to knowledge exchange and the collection of good practices related to the GLGR; draw lessons and prepare reports documenting field experiences; participate in working groups, workshops and events, and collaborate with other departments and partner institutions; contribute to the preparation of clear and concise GLGR.

Specifically, the Land Tenure Specialist will:

• In close coordination with the designated Focal Point, liase with the ILC and GLTN / UN-Habitat the elaboration of the Global Land Governance Report.
• Coordinate the collection of data and documentation regarding the preparation of the GLGR.
• Liaise with concerned FAO decentralized offices to gather data concerning the preparation of the GLGR, which may include technical reports, photos, videos and related material.
• Coordinate with technical officers and consultants in the Land Tenure Unit (PSPL) and other relevant technical divisions in FAO headquarters to draw lessons from the VGGT implementation programme regarding its impact on land policy and legal frameworks, land institutions, tenure rights, land administration and land management.
• Collect and analyze case studies that highlight success stories, lessons learned regarding governance of tenure.
• Coordinate with the GLTN and the ILC the elaboration of the Global Land Governance Report, including the preparation of the outline, and drafting.
• Participate in meetings of the Land Tenure Unit as needed.

The Land Tenure Specialist will be expected to deliver in a timely manner, according to schedule: information, including country reports and other material relevant for the preparation of the GLGR; preliminary and advanced drafts of the GLGR.

• University degree in a discipline relevant to land tenure and its administration, land and property law, development, communication for development, economics, social or rural development, gender issues, or international cooperation.
• At least five years of relevant experience in interventions mainstreaming VGGT principles and practices in an international development setting, land tenure reform, land administration, tenure governance, land governance, land-based investments, land economy, land policy and law.
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of one of the other FAO languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian), preferably French. For PSA, working knowledge of English will be sufficient.

• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Technical / Functional Skills

• Experience in analysing and integrating diverse information from various sources, mastery in preparing technical reports and communication materials in the field of land tenure and land administration within the context of the VGGT.
• Ability to provide assistance in the organization of workshops, technical meetings and other multi-stakeholder events.
• Excellent proven writing skills in the English language.