Switch: Technical advisory on CE in Agrifood and Tourism in Central Asia

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Common information

Background:

Acted is an independent, international organization headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in Afghanistan in 1993, Acted now supports 20 million people across 43 countries worldwide in pursuit of its triple mandate as a humanitarian, environmental and development actor in response to the triple planetary crisis. 

Acted has been operating continuously in Central Asia since 1996, working to address the region’s main challenges and, as a result, has long standing partnerships with communities, government agencies, and development partners. In line with Acted's global "3Zero" Strategy: Zero Exclusion, Zero Poverty, Zero Carbon, Acted works across a broad range of sectors to foster inclusive and sustainable development, including Natural Resource Management (NRM), Climate Change Adaption (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) 

Background to the assignment:  

Through the EU Green Deal and Global Gateway, the EU is committed to supporting the transition of countries to a low-carbon, resource-efficient and Circular Economy (CE) while promoting Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) patterns. As part of this engagement, the SWITCH-Asia Policy Support Component (PSC) aims to enhance SCP progress through scaling up and mainstreaming SCP policy in 42 countries, including in Central Asia. 

SWITCH-Asia, in partnership with the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) and Acted, plans to: 

• Engage with relevant partners in Kyrgyzstan from government, private sector, civil society and academia to understand the opportunities for the implementation of SCP and CE practices at the nexus of the tourism and agrifood sectors, based on practical business cases. SWITCH-Asia has engaged with tourism actors when undertaking its analysis in 2022 and would need to build on the results of the agri-food analysis, anchoring itself however more in business practices. The Ministry of Economy would be particularly suited as a key partner for this analysis, convening other important Ministries such as the Ministries of Agriculture and the Department of Tourism. A policy document, identifying critical areas for development of Roadmap and pointing at important innovations, should emerge from this analysis, linked to the country’s new Green Economy Development Programme; 

• Through existing links in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, engage with Departments / Ministries of Tourism and key actors in the agrifood and tourism sectors to establish a first analysis of factors for implementation of SCP and CE. SWITCH-Asia grants would constitute a first key set of actors to engage with to identify entry points for SCP actors. The engagement process should find and implement pathways to encourage cross-ministerial dialogues between the Ministries of Tourism and Ministries of Agriculture, under the guidance of Ministries of Economy and Finance. 

• Increase awareness on opportunities for enhancing SCP and CE in tourism and agri-food sectors in Central Asia.

Description of the Assignment: 

Accordingly, Acted is looking for experienced candidates with relevant CE and SCP experience in the agri-food and tourism sectors to involve in each country. The candidates need to have expertise to engage in activities in the cross-roads of tourism and agriculture, as well as government and private sector, building bridges between these sectors and spheres of influence. They will be able to bring on board extensive networks in each country and build strong relations with each group of stakeholders. 

Qualification requirements

Senior Profile 1: Scenarios development specialist 

1. A master’s degree or higher in business and finance, economics, political science, public policy, environmental management or similarly relevant education certified by qualified university or additional 3 years of relevant professional experience; 

2. Minimum of 10 years of work experience in the areas SDGs, global and national governance issues, policy and advocacy; 

3. Experience in scenario development methodologies for multistakeholder groups 

4. Proven work experience in successfully designing and leading research and engagement efforts environment, tourism and/or agrifood related topics and issues; 

5. Experience in conceptualising and hosting stakeholder consensus building initiatives, engagement workshops and collaborative projects;  

6. Familiarity with Central Asia desirable. 

7. Excellent writing and oral communication skills; and 

8. Excellent English proficiency. 

Senior Profile 2: SCP and CE specialist 

1. A master’s degree or higher in business and finance, economics, political science, public policy, environmental management or similarly relevant education certified by qualified university or additional 3 years of relevant professional experience; 

2. Minimum of 10 years of work experience in the areas of SCP, circular economy, low emission development strategy, SDGs, global and national governance issues, policy and advocacy; 

3. Strong familiarity with agri-food and/or tourism sectors, their sustainability agenda and challenges; 

4. Proven work experience in successfully designing and leading research and engagement efforts on SCP in agrifood related topics and issues; 

5. Experience in conceptualising and hosting stakeholder consensus building initiatives, engagement workshops and collaborative projects;  

6. Excellent writing and oral communication skills; and Excellent English proficiency. 

Junior Profiles 

1. A master’s degree or higher in business and finance, economics, political science, public policy, environmental management or similarly relevant education certified by qualified university or additional 3 years of relevant professional experience; 

2. Minimum of 5 years of work experience in the areas of SCP, circular economy, low emission development strategy, SDGs, global and national governance issues, policy and advocacy; 

3. Strong familiarity with agri-food or tourism sectors, its sustainability agenda and challenges; 

4. Proven work experience in successfully designing and leading research and engagement efforts on SCP related topics and issues; 

5. Experience in supporting and coordinating stakeholder engagement workshops and collaborative projects;  

6. Experience with contributing to reports and summaries; and 

7. Excellent English proficiency and national languages as required.  

Duties

• Ability to organize and plan effectively; 

• Excellent communication and drafting skills; 

• Willingness to travel frequently; 

• Commitment to upholding Acted’s Code of Conduct and organisational policies; 

• Strong interpersonal, intercultural, networking and communication skills. 

Conditions

All interested candidates are required to submit CV and Cover Letter in English explaining their motivation to apply to Acted, and which role they are applying to, with the subject line “Switch: Technical advisory on CE in Agrifood and Tourism in Central Asia” to the following email address: kyrgyzstan.jobs@acted.org. The deadline for applications is 23:59 p.m., April 14, 2024.  

The positions will be based in the capital cities of the three countries of operations, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as per the candidates’ profiles.  

Acted offers an appropriate daily rate to those contracted as experts. Acted offers those who prefer to join as staff a competitive remuneration and benefits package, including comprehensive medical insurance, and opportunities for regional and international travel, training and promotion.  

The position is foreseen to start in May 2025 and subject to final agreement with SWITCH-Asia. 

Acted is an equal opportunities employer. Female and minority candidates are encouraged to apply.