Job Title: Stakeholder Engagement with Evidence and Process Specialist

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Job Level: Senior Specialist

Application Deadline: 20 January 2024

Partner: CIFOR ICRAF

About CIFOR ICRAF:

CIFOR ICRAF, a global leader in sustainable development and natural resource management, is seeking a dynamic and experienced Stakeholder Engagement with Evidence and Process Specialist to join our team in Nairobi, Kenya. As a Stakeholder Engagement Specialist, you will play a pivotal role in leading and supporting projects globally, employing evidence-based engagement processes to inform decision-making for enhanced outcomes in natural resource management and sustainable development.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Design and Project Management:
   • Lead strategic stakeholder engagement processes, including mapping and facilitating consultation processes for diverse stakeholders.
   • Project manage co-design processes using human-centered design methods, especially for decision dashboards.
   • Facilitate workshops globally and at local and national levels.
2. Strategic Relationship Building:
   • Oversee structured engagement and strategic relationship building with various stakeholders over time.
   • Explore and introduce new engagement methods and processes, expanding approaches within the team.
3. Capacity Building:
   • Build capacity of engagement focal points in projects and country offices.
   • Develop and deliver training materials to enhance team capabilities.
4. Research and Knowledge Production:
   • Design and implement research around stakeholder engagement with evidence.
   • Contribute to scientific writing and co-author publications.
5. Communication and Reporting:
   • Write and present to effectively communicate outputs and outcomes of the work.
6. Contextual Design:
   • Understand and strategically design contextually appropriate evidence or interventions for specific project cases.
   • Analyze and synthesize evidence, making it accessible for project planning, targeting, monitoring, and policy influence.
7. Additional Responsibilities:
   • Represent SPACIAL at meetings and SHARED events.
   • Contribute to policy engagement and influence work.
   • Support resource mobilization and contribute to funding proposals.
   • Present/communicate SHARED to internal and external audiences.
   • Contribute to the Spatial Data Science & Applied Learning Lab (SPACIAL) team meetings.
   • Contribute to the wider CIFOR-ICRAF community.
   • Any other tasks related to the SPACIAL unit.

Requirements:

• Minimum of a Master’s degree in Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources, Governance, Economics, Social Science, or related field with an understanding of landscape management.
• At least 7 years’ experience in research/development projects in the global south with expertise in stakeholder engagement.
• Policy engagement or policy impact work experience.
• Project development, management, and budgeting skills.
• Research synthesis for a policy or practice audience.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in facilitating and mediating diverse spaces and contentious forums with government, civil society, or NGO actors, ideally around landscapes and resources.

Terms and Conditions:

• This is a Globally Recruited position. CIFOR-ICRAF offers competitive remuneration in local currency commensurate with skills and experience.
• The duty station will be in Nairobi, Kenya CIFOR-ICRAF Offices.

Expert Tips To Be A Successful Applicant for Stakeholder Engagement with Evidence and Process Specialist:

1. Demonstrate Global South Experience:
   • Highlight your extensive experience working in research/development projects in the global south, showcasing a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in this context.
2. Emphasize Stakeholder Engagement Expertise:
   • Clearly articulate your expertise in stakeholder engagement and facilitation across multiple countries, providing specific examples of successful projects and their impact.
3. Showcase Policy Engagement Impact:
   • Illustrate your impact in policy engagement or policy impact work, emphasizing your ability to drive change through evidence-based decision-making.
4. Highlight Project Management Skills:
   • Showcase your project development, management, and budgeting skills, providing examples of successful project implementations.
5. Illustrate Research Synthesis Skills:
   • Demonstrate your ability to synthesize research for a policy or practice audience, showcasing your skills in translating complex information into actionable insights.
6. Detail Experience in Facilitating Diverse Spaces:
   • Provide detailed examples of your experience in facilitating and mediating diverse spaces and contentious forums, especially with government, civil society, or NGO actors.
7. Illustrate Contribution to Scientific Writing:
   • Showcase your contribution to scientific writing and co-authoring publications related to stakeholder engagement with evidence.
8. Highlight Human-Centered Design Experience:
   • Emphasize your experience in co-design processes using human-centered design methods, specifically for decision dashboards.
9. Illustrate Capacity Building Success:
   • Provide examples of your success in building the capacity of engagement focal points in projects and country offices, demonstrating your commitment to team development.
10. Showcase Contextual Design Skills:
    • Highlight your ability to strategically design contextually appropriate evidence or interventions for specific project cases, emphasizing the impact of your tailored approaches.

Sample Cover Letter – Stakeholder Engagement with Evidence and Process Specialist

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to express my interest in the Stakeholder Engagement with Evidence and Process Specialist position at CIFOR ICRAF, as advertised. With a Master’s degree in Agriculture and over 7 years of experience in research and development projects in the global south, I am confident in my ability to contribute to the success of your team.

Throughout my career, I have successfully led strategic stakeholder engagement processes, facilitating diverse consultations and ensuring a deep understanding of stakeholders’ needs and priorities. My expertise in human-centered design methods, especially for decision dashboards, aligns perfectly with the innovative approach CIFOR ICRAF values.

One of my key strengths is my experience in facilitating workshops globally and at local and national levels. I have overseen structured engagement and built strategic relationships with various stakeholders, demonstrating my commitment to fostering collaboration for enhanced outcomes in natural resource management.

My contribution to scientific writing and co-authoring publications, coupled with my ability to synthesize research for a policy audience, positions me as an ideal candidate for this role. I am excited about the opportunity to further contribute to CIFOR ICRAF’s mission and objectives.

Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of discussing how my skills and experiences align with the goals of CIFOR ICRAF in more detail.

Sincerely,

[Your Full Name]

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1: What is the duty station for this position? A1: The duty station for this Globally Recruited position is in Nairobi, Kenya, at CIFOR-ICRAF Offices.

Q2: Can I apply if I do not have a Master’s degree? A2: A Master’s degree in Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources, Governance, Economics, Social Science, or a related field is a minimum requirement for this position.

Q3: Is remote work an option for this role? A3: The position is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and does not offer remote work options.

Q4: What is the application deadline? A4: The application deadline for this position is 20 January 2024.

Q5: How competitive is the remuneration for this role? A5: CIFOR-ICRAF offers competitive remuneration in local currency commensurate with skills and experience.

Q6: Are there opportunities for career development within CIFOR-ICRAF? A6: Yes, CIFOR-ICRAF is committed to the career development of its employees, providing opportunities for growth within the organization.

Q7: What does the role entail in terms of policy engagement? A7: The Stakeholder Engagement with Evidence and Process Specialist will actively contribute to policy engagement and influence work.

Q8: How does CIFOR-ICRAF support resource mobilization? A8: The selected candidate will play a role in supporting resource mobilization and contribute to funding proposals.

Q9: Are there opportunities for international travel in this role? A9: Given the global nature of the position, international travel may be required.

Q10: How diverse is the CIFOR-ICRAF community? A10: CIFOR-ICRAF is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

Possible Stakeholder Engagement with Evidence and Process Specialist Interview Questions With Answers:

1. Question: Can you provide an example of a successful stakeholder engagement process you have led in the global south?
   • Answer: Certainly. In my previous role, I led a stakeholder engagement process in [specific country], bringing together diverse stakeholders to address [specific issue]. This resulted in [positive outcome], showcasing the effectiveness of my approach.
2. Question: How do you ensure inclusivity in stakeholder consultations?
   • Answer: I prioritize inclusivity by [specific method], ensuring that all relevant stakeholders are actively involved in the decision-making process. For instance, in [project name], we employed [strategy] to ensure representation from various perspectives.
3. Question: Can you share an example of a challenging workshop you facilitated and how you addressed it?
   • Answer: In [project name], I faced the challenge of [specific issue] during a workshop. I addressed it by [solution], ensuring that the workshop continued smoothly, and we achieved our objectives.
4. Question: How do you stay updated on cutting-edge pedagogy in stakeholder engagement?
   • Answer: I stay updated by [specific method], regularly attending conferences, webinars, and collaborating with experts in the field. This ensures that I integrate the latest pedagogical approaches into my work.
5. Question: Can you provide an example of a project where you successfully built the capacity of engagement focal points?
   • Answer: In [project name], I played a key role in building the capacity of engagement focal points by [specific method], resulting in [positive outcome], demonstrating my commitment to team development.
6. Question: How do you approach strategic relationship building with stakeholders over time?
   • Answer: I approach strategic relationship building by [specific approach], ensuring consistent communication and addressing stakeholders’ evolving needs. This was evident in [project name], where we maintained strong relationships with stakeholders over several years.
7. Question: Can you discuss a situation where you strategically designed contextually appropriate evidence for a specific project case?
   • Answer: Certainly. In [project name], I strategically designed evidence by [specific method], tailoring it to the unique context of [location]. This resulted in [positive impact], showcasing the effectiveness of the contextual design.
8. Question: How do you contribute to policy engagement and influence work?
   • Answer: I contribute to policy engagement by [specific method], actively participating in [relevant activities], and leveraging evidence to influence policy decisions. This was evident in [project name], where our contributions led to [policy impact].
9. Question: How do you handle contentious forums with government, civil society, or NGO actors?
   • Answer: I handle contentious forums by [specific approach], fostering open dialogue and finding common ground. In [project name], I successfully navigated a contentious forum by [specific action], ensuring constructive discussions.
10. Question: How do you balance research synthesis for a policy or practice audience?
    • Answer: I balance research synthesis by [specific method], ensuring that complex information is presented in a digestible format for a policy or practice audience. This approach was effective in [project name], where our synthesized research informed [specific outcome].

Best wishes on your application! We look forward to welcoming a talented and diverse individual to our team at CIFOR ICRAF.