Forest strategy technical assistant

Employer: Société Forestière de la Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations
The Société Forestière is a specialized subsidiary of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC), which is a French public institution established in 1816. The CDC plays a significant role in France's economic development by managing various savings funds and investing in projects of general interest.
The Société Forestière focuses on sustainable forest management. Its mission is to manage the forest and land assets entrusted to it by optimizing the economic, environmental, and social value of these natural spaces. The Société Forestière is also called upon to advise international funders on forest development matters.
Location: Chisinau, Moldova
Contract Duration: 1 year, renewable based on needs and results
Context:
Representatives of the Government of the Republic of Moldova (GoM) and the French Development Agency (AFD) have chosen to jointly undertake a Policy Based Lending (PBL) scheme to support GoM’s reform efforts to strengthen the forestry sector. These reform endeavours were jointly developed in the form of Policy Reform Measures (PRMs) contained in a Reform program proposed by the Société Forestière and approved by Government of the Republic of Moldova.
The Policy-Based Loan (PBL) is planned to be disbursed in two equal tranches of EUR 20 million: the first tranche in 2024 and the second in 2025. The PBL only covers the first two years of a reform programme that will span a 5-6 year period.
Some specific milestones will trigger disbursements. The milestones are organized around six broad Policy Reform Measures (PRM) that form the objectives for Phase 1 (2024-2025) in the Policy Matrix :
• Adoption of the new Forest Code
• Institutional Reform
• Promotion of biodiversity, carbon capture and adaptation to climate change
• Promotion of sustainable forest-based economic development
• Implementation of the National Afforestation Programme
• Enhancement of national capacity in forest management
These milestones are defined through detailed indicators and milestones in the PBL’s Policy Matrix. Disbursement of the AFD loan is conditioned on the achievement of milestones defined in the Matrix.
To facilitate and boost the implementation of the reform agreed under the program, the Société Forestière will provide technical assistance as far as is needed and possible. The goal is that all 19 reforms of the programme should be progressively implemented over the period 2024-2029.
The technical assistance team lead by the Société Forestière will report to a Programme Steering
Committee whose members are Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Finance and French
Development Agency.
The National Technical Assistant will be part of this multidisciplinary team (including a project
manager based in Paris). She/he will be based in Chisinau within the Ministry of Environment,
and her/his role will be strategic to ensure:
- a good comprehension of technical assistance needs of Ministry of Environment in
implementing the reform programme,
- providing technical expertise and capacity building to the Ministry of Environment and
other public stakeholders,
- communication and cooperation between Ministry of environment and others
stakeholders of the forestry sector (Moldsilva, other donors, etc.).
Key Responsibilities:
1. Liaison and Coordination:
 Act as the main contact point between the Moldovan Ministry of Environment
and the Société Forestière.
 Work closely with the project manager of the technical assistance team based
in Paris.
2. Needs Assessment:
 Identify and gather expertise needs from the Ministry for the effective
implementation of reforms.
 Prepare TORs for short-term technical assistance experts.
3. Research and Studies:
 Conduct research and studies related to the reform program.
 Prepare and/or review TORs for studies, assessments and consultancies as
required to implement the reform programme.
 Assist the government in identifying and contracting the needed expertise.
4. Reporting:
 Regularly report to the Société Forestière on the progress of the reforms in the
field (every week by videoconference).
 Co-produce reports for the Programme Steering Committee (including
monitoring of the implementation of the reform, and evaluation of the impacts
of the reform).
5. General Secretariat and Logistics:
 Perform the general secretariat duties for the technical assistance.
 Coordinate and organize various meetings, expert missions, study trips, and
field visits.
Qualifications and Skills:
 Advanced degree in project management, forestry science, international development, or related fields.
 Minimum of 5 years of experience, including international experience in forestry sector or development project management.
 Well-versed in public policy.
 Proficiency in English and Romanian. Knowledge of French is an asset.
 Excellent communication, organization, and coordination skills.
 Ability to effectively interact with different national and international stakeholders.
 Analytical mindset, autonomy, and teamwork capability.
Conditions:
 Position based in Chisinau.
 Competitive remuneration by salary portage or provision of personnel from a local organization.
 Travel to the field in Moldova and for meetings in Paris may be required.
To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to [Société Forestière – xavier.baumont@forestiere-cdc.fr].
Application deadline: [December 2023].
Société Forestière is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women and minority group members.