Program Overview

Human society and the global economy are inextricably linked to forests. More than 1 billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods. And forest ecosystems play a critical role in stabilizing the climate; providing food, water, wood products, and vital medicines; and supporting much of the world’s biodiversity. WRI Indonesia plans to enhance support to Indigenous People and Local Community (IPLC) in securing their community forests and adopting forest-friendly livelihoods to reduce and reverse deforestation using Social Forestry schemes in 5 forest rich provinces, namely Aceh, West Sumatera, Jambi, East Kalimantan, and North Kalimantan. WRI Indonesia is collaborating with 2 local partners that have been working directly with IPLC in those regions. As stated in the project theory of change, we will implement 4 workstreams: 1) supporting community forest mapping, registration, and recognition, 2) improving IPLC capacity in managing and protecting their forest and adopting forest-friendly livelihoods opportunities, 3) supporting women and youth groups of IPLC to strengthen their influence and access to natural resource management, and 4) facilitating key stakeholders to provide meaningful support to IPLC in securing and managing their forests.

In West Sumatera, this program will support several Social Forestry Communities in (at least) 3 Forest Management Units (FMU), namely FMU Bukit Barisan, FMU Agam Raya, and FMU Pasaman. The program will be focusing its support for the post-recognition process especially to improve IPLC capacity (including women and youth) in managing and protecting their forest and adopting forest-friendly livelihood opportunities as well as gaining meaningful support from various stakeholders. Prior to this program, WRI Indonesia has implemented similar initiatives in Riau and another location to establish a role model, consisting of a recognition process of IPLCs/ community forests, as well as post-recognition e.g developing forest management plans and livelihood initiatives managed by IPLC group. WRI aims to enhance the model in the next phase while also scaling up the impact on other communities and locations.

In Riau, WRI Indonesia works in collaboration with multi-stakeholders to accelerate social forestry implementation, including recognition of the local and adat communities and their lands and forest resources. Once their land is tenure-secure, communities are more likely to be able to invest in their forest resources to sustainably manage their land. The shift towards commercializing forest products is a major transition, with local/Adat communities moving from subsistence harvesting to producing a product for the market, to managing the post-harvest processing and marketing of the product while also keeping the sustainability of their forest resources. The extent to which communities wish to move down the value chain of harvesting and processing products from their forests will vary depending on several factors, including their forest management plans and business plans as well as their interest in and capacity for managing different types of local enterprises. Therefore, WRI Indonesia is currently facilitating the development of small-medium scale community businesses through sustainable livelihood approaches.

Job Highlight

Community Development and Conflict Transformation Analyst will fully support the implementation of the social forestry program in Regional Riau and West Sumatera. He/ She will be a vocal point to assessing, mapping, analyzing, developing, and enhancing social and natural resources conflict transformation framework in West Sumatera and Riau. He/ she will also organize the social forestry communities in Pasaman District in developing conflict-responsive sustainable forest management and livelihood models.

Through direct supervision of the Riau-West Sumatera Senior Program Leader, this position will be based in Pasaman-West Sumatera and will liaise closely with Forest Based Livelihood Specialist, Research Analyst, Planning and M&E Coordinator, and other team members of WRI Indonesia, local government, communities especially social forestry group and other stakeholders. The responsibilities consist of (but are not limited to):

1. Lead analysis on conflict transformation based on specific needs and conditions in West Sumatera and Riau, which could consist of assessment and mapping of the potential/ existing conflict, development/ enhance conflict transformation frameworks, and design and organizing the conflict mediation process.
2. Support the Riau-West Sumatera Senior Program Lead to prevent any risk related to conflict, particularly in social forestry, and develop an effective strategy to resolve it.
3. Facilitate learning processes and capacity-building activities on the conflict transformation standard and procedure to the team (including partners and stakeholders).
4. Assist project team including partners and stakeholders to fulfill all data requirements for analysis, planning, and implementation of conflict transformation initiatives.
5. Ensure all conflict transformation implementations are in line with the concept/ preliminary analysis/ framework/ planning document agreed upon by the team, and vice versa, through closed coordination with the PM&E Coordinator.
6. Support the Riau-Wet Sumatera Senior Program Lead to engage with the key stakeholders to implement conflict transformation and social forestry agenda in the Regional Riau-West Sumatera program
7. Organize the social forestry communities in Pasaman District in developing conflict responsive- sustainable forest management and livelihood models through intensive coordination with Forest Based Livelihood Specialist.
8. Ensure all analysis, reports/documents and other evidence of achievement needed by the project are finalized and meet the requirement/ standard.
9. Support the Research and Communication task force to produce high-quality research and communication products, especially on conflict transformation and community development in West Sumatera as well as Riau.
10. Working closely with Regional Riau & West Sumatera team (Senior Program Lead, Operation Coordinator, PM&E Coordinator) to ensure the conflict transformation and community development implementation in targeted areas are high quality, accountable, and in line with other initiatives.

What You Will Do

Research and development (25%)

• Support research on conflict transformation and social forestry in Riau-West Sumatera, and its priority districts. 
• Working closely with The RDI and communication team to ensure all research and communication activities on conflict transformation and community development are implemented well.
• Facilitate learning processes and capacity-building activities on the conflict transformation standard and procedure to the team (including partners and stakeholders).

Program Implementation (45%)

• Lead analysis on conflict trnsformation based on specific needs and conditions in West Sumatera and Riau, which could consist of assessment and mapping of the potential/ existing conflict, development/ enhance conflict transformation frameworks, design, and organizing the conflict mediation process.
• Involved in data collection, analysis (quantitative and qualitative), mapping, reporting, and presentation.
• Organize the social forestry communities in Pasaman District in developing conflict responsive- sustainable forest management and livelihood models through intensive coordination with Forest Based Livelihood Specialist.
• Liaise closely with the Gender and Youth Taskforce to ensure gender and youth components are synchronized with program implementation in the targeted district
• Responsible for administration processes and activities in the field related to conflict transformation, including appropriate documentation, and reporting of the activities.
• Assist the establishment/ enhancement of land use governance institutions to support the implementation and development of Conflict Transformation framework/ standard in the targeted location.
• Support Riau Senior Program Lead and PM&E Coordinator to complete all of the program reporting and administration needed, particularly on conflict transformation and social forestry.

Stakeholder Engagement (20%)

• Support the Riau-West Sumatera Senior Program Leader to engage with the key stakeholders to implement conflict transformation and social forestry agenda in the Regional Riau-West Sumatera program.
• Develop a good relationship with communities and stakeholders to gain meaningful support in implementing social forestry programs both pre- and post-recognition in Pasaman District.
• Help liaise outreach and cultivates relationships with potential partners, and stakeholder for forest and land use work (including governments, private sectors, CSOs, foundations, and individual public figures).

General Support (10%)

• Contributing to cross-output implementation support of program in West Sumatera, Riau  and other areas.
• Provide other support as requested by WRI Indonesia.

What You Will Need

Required qualifications:

• Legally able to work in Indonesia.
• Have degree in a related field (master’s degree is preferred), preferably with coursework in conflict resolutions, environmental policy, social studies, forestry, and other relevant subjects.
• Minimum five years of professional working experience in conflict resolution, policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, community facilitation, and have an extensive network with government, and Civil Society Organization (CSO) in West Sumatera, Riau and other locations.
• Experience managing project in non-profit, government or private sector settings.
• Experience in conflict mediation is a plus.
• Demonstrate skills and knowledge to perform the assignment professionally.
• Experience working with stakeholder engagement or related position.
• Ability to work well in group/team as well as working individually.
• Willingness and ability to travel to remote areas.
• Fluent in Bahasa Indonesia and English.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Understanding of gender, land use, environmental issue, conflict resolution, and land governance issues in Riau and West Sumatera Province and its priority districts.
• Experienced in forum/working groups facilitation for stakeholders in province and district levels.
• Excellent in communication process to various stakeholders.
• Massive experience in similar initiatives in West Sumatera and or Riau province.

Contract Arrangement

Full-time with fixed-term employment agreement for up to December 2023.

What we offer:

• Salary that is commensurate with experience and skills
• Competitive and comprehensive benefit package
• Access to the WRI global network
• Opportunity to join and/or get involved in different working groups
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
• A chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization

Must have 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.

How to apply: In order to be formally considered, please submit an updated resume and cover letter through WRI career portal.

Application close: 1700 (DKI Jakarta local time), 6 March 2023. 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.

About Us

Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.  

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, Respect. 

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

WRI Indonesia is 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 work 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 Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States.

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.