Deadline: 30 September 2021
Location: Jakarta
Job Type: Full Time
Program Overview
WRI Indonesia is a national entity (Yayasan) associated with the World Resources Institute (WRI), a global environmental research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. WRI works with various stakeholders in the natural resources sector to support policy and management that are both profitable and sustainable. WRI work with leaders in more than 50 countries for more than 30 years, with offices in the United States, Brazil, China, Europe, India, and Indonesia. Launched in early 2014, WRI Indonesia builds on WRI’s 10-year history in the country and strengthens our impact on the ground. In the short-to-medium term, WRI Indonesia aims to expand its presence and portfolio to include projects in the climate, energy, as well as city and transportation programs.
Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU)
The Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) is an initiative that focuses on an integrated, sustainable transformation of global food and land use systems to support the delivery of global agreements including the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. The Coalition brings together stakeholders across businesses. The approach will consider the many dimensions and perspectives of biodiversity, climate, agriculture, and food production, rural prosperity, supply chain management, product formulation, diets, health and nutrition, loss and waste, and security of supply. The project works under the umbrella of Indonesia’s Low Carbon Development alongside its sistering initiatives such as Indonesia Intact Rainforest Partnership (IIRP), Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land Use, and Energy (FABLE) Consortium, and beyond. In this second phase, the project is based on five workstreams based on the major expected outcomes: (1) improved food quality (securing availability of healthy, nutritious, and locally diverse food), (2) improved food supply & access throughout the agriculture and seafood value chains, (3) reduced per capita food loss and waste, both from supply and demand side, (4) nature conservation and restoration in sustainable jurisdictions, backed by permanent moratoriums, and (5) integrated, comprehensive, spatially explicit land use and marine planning at national and sub-national levels. In addition to working at the national level with engagement with the decision makers and stakeholders on the Action Partnership and the formulation of Action Roadmaps to operationalize the Action Agenda, FOLU Indonesia also focuses its work on deep dive in selected provinces.
Marine Trends
WRI Indonesia also recognized the importance of the long-term health and regenerative ability of its ocean toward achieving low carbon development. In such a context, WRI Indonesia is developing knowledge products on the trends in marine resources and fisheries management. The report seeks to aggregate the best available data and provide analysis on the marine fisheries statistics, trends in politics, and government policy with the aim to provide evidence for decision making. The report also seeks to instigate collaboration across partners in the marine resources and fisheries management as well as continue to track changes of such management.
IDRC Think Climate Indonesia
WRI Indonesia is also working on an IDRC Think Climate Indonesia project, supported by IDRC and the Oak Foundation. The initiative is structured with the approach, among others, to increase availability and access of data and evidence generation by think tanks and deepening research capacity. WRI Indonesia will develop a research product on The Role of Social Forestry in Climate Adaptation and Food Security: Evidence from Riau Province, Indonesia. Through this research, we can determine best practices for sustainable and inclusive community-based forests management and for the restoration of food subsistence and livelihood opportunities that rely on forest resources. The findings are expected to drive discussion on proven field practices in the implementation of social forestry and agroforestry and what they contribute to the transformation toward sustainable food systems, and further help influence better food policy at the local level with local relevancy and interest, beyond the political stir from national policy, including through FOLU Indonesia coalition instigated also by WRI Indonesia
Job Summary
The Research Assistant will report to the Environmental Economic Researcher and the FOLU Manager at WRI Indonesia. He/she will provide support in implementing analysis on topics related to the abovementioned projects. This encompasses the responsibility to engage in research, engagement, and development of communication materials. He/she must be able to communicate clearly with external stakeholders involved in the research, such as fellow think tanks or universities, local CSOs, and the government. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, creative, a good communicator, and has a strong understanding of related themes and research methodology. The candidate should be able to adapt to the team culture that is fast-paced, innovative, analytical, and focused on delivering results.
Job Responsibilities
The main areas of responsibility of the Research Assistant will include the following:
Research and Knowledge (60%)
Undertake robust and unbiased research across the three projects to inform policymakers and the public audience. This also includes writing and data gathering.
Support in quality assurance of knowledge products to assure the deliverables/outputs of the projects are met, in coordination with the Environmental Economics Researcher.
Support the collaboration and coordination with government at the national and sub-national level, partner organization and staff across WRI Indonesia, WRI Global, and international offices.
Work with other research teams in authoring or co-authoring knowledge products, peer-reviewed or otherwise, and other communication documents.
Disseminate research progress and findings including delivering public presentations.
Project/Program Management (20%)
Assist project-related engagements and administration, including administrative paper works related to the projects (i.e. TORs, agreements, contracts, work authorizations, and purchase orders);
Participate in meetings and workshops with partners and prepare relevant concept notes as part of delivering workplan activities.
Support regular reports to the global team as well as to the management team.
Engagement and Outreach (20%)
Support the organizing necessary engagement and outreach with them, including with the Director of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of National Development Planning, and other relevant line ministries/agencies.
Support the organizing of internal and external meetings, workshops, conferences, and dissemination activities related to the FOLU Coalition including delivering public presentations.
Contribute to outreach and communication of knowledge products of FOLU to WRI and the general audience.
Attend, participate in, and document meetings and conferences with key stakeholders related to the formulation of the Action Roadmap or other research activities.
WRI is committed to ensuring gender equity across our program portfolios. As such, you may be expected to support attention to gender where appropriate.
Other duties may be assigned, including occasional business travels to Indonesian provinces where WRI Indonesia projects for FOLU are located.
Job Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Legally able to work in Indonesia;
A bachelor or master's degree in a related field, preferably with coursework in food and land use system, agriculture/fisheries/livestock (social-economics), supply chain and logistics, corporate sustainability, with a keen interest in social research.
Minimum two years of work experience on issues related to the environment, food and land use, health and nutrition, biodiversity, public finance, and/or governance, with project implementation, project management, and financial management experience;
Direct hands-on experience in conducting desk and field research, writing reviews and reports in the relevant area;
Proven analytical research skills;
Inter-personal skills, working with people from a variety of backgrounds;
Well organized and maintain a high attention to detail;
Excellent oral and written communication skills;
Self-motivated and able to work independently and as a team player;
Ability to write and speak in an organized, clear, and articulate manner for a wide range of audiences, including government, private sector, and local NGOs;
A detail-oriented and organized thinker who can juggle multiple, competing priorities; and
Ability to travel when needed.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience working in the area of social research.
Professional fluency in Bahasa Indonesia and English.
Interest and experience in food system, land use, climate change, energy, or other natural resources issues.
Capacities in making use of spatial and non-spatial data, command of statistical and/or econometric tools.
International experience or prior work in a global organization preferred.
Key Performance Indicator
Research
Draft publication plan for expected knowledge products and contribute to providing expected research work as requested by BAPPENAS as the lead government partner (40%)
Draft at least 6 blog posts and/or 6 op-eds on FOLU topic with relevant team, including knowledge products derived from expected research works (40%)
Represent WRI Indonesia in public events and media (20%)
Project/program management
Support in organizing FOLU regular meetings, such as FOLU Talk, monthly meeting with partners and ambassadors, etc (50%)
Support and build relations with BAPPENAS and other relevant ministries/agencies and stakeholders (25%)
Support regular report (20%)
Take part in FOLU Global regular meeting (5%)
Engagement and Outreach
Support outreach and engagement with the identified key actors, including preparing materials for outreach and engagement conducted on behalf of the FOLU team, network, and ambassadors (100%)
Must have the authorization to work in Indonesia to be eligible for this position.
Final candidates might be required to take a writing test and to produce two writing samples when needed.
Remuneration: Remuneration is commensurate with experience and skills. WRI offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package.
Qualified applicants should apply online through the WRI career portal in order to be formally considered.
Application close: 1700 (Jakarta Time), 30 September 2021. We will close the advert earlier when the best candidates are identified at earlier dates.
This is a locally engaged position; Indonesian nationals are encouraged to apply.
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