Monday, May 20, 2013
EMPLOYMENT: IAMO SENIOR RESEARCHER OR POST-DOC
The Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO) is a leading international centre of expertise for the scientific analysis of agricultural, agribusiness and rural development in transition economies. The department of Structural Development of Farms and Rural Areas seeks to strengthen its capacity within its working group Entrepreneurial Strategies and Organization with an outstanding
Senior Researcher or Post-Doc
The Entrepreneurial Strategies and Organization group analyses the strategic adaption of actors in the agri-food sector in changing framework conditions that are induced by global driving forces, as well as transition-specific characteristics. Currently, the group focuses on analysing managerial strategies and farm performance, vertical coordination and farm cooperation, strategic decisions on input and output markets, investment, large farm management and agroholdings. Methodological approaches include computational economics (agent-based models; genetic algorithms; stochastic simulations), experimental economics, econometrics, as well as efficiency and productivity analysis. Results are expected to be published in high-quality international journals as well as disseminated to decision-makers in the business and policy spheres.
Deadline: June 15, 2013
EMPLOYMENT: Science Coordinator—AWARD (ICRAF)
The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) is an independent research institution which generates science-based knowledge about the complex role trees play in agricultural landscapes and rural livelihoods. Located in Nairobi, the Centre’s headquarters hosts African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), a preferred service provider of the CGIAR.
AWARD is a career-development program that equips top women agricultural scientists across sub-Saharan Africa to accelerate agricultural gains by strengthening their research and leadership skills through tailored fellowships. AWARD is a catalyst for innovations with high potential to contribute to the prosperity and well-being of African smallholder farmers, most of whom are women.
Since 2008, 325 women agricultural scientists from 11 sub-Saharan African countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia) have benefited from AWARD’s successful career development fellowships. AWARD recently launched a pilot program for women in five francophone countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte D’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal).
Main Purpose of the Job
AWARD requires expertise to provide strategic, tactical, and operational support to the AWARD Director in relation to four critical areas:
- Coordination of AWARD’s Science Cornerstone, including smooth implementation of the advanced science training (especially regarding research attachments) and training in science skills (research proposal and science writing, as well as presentation skills), and development of appropriate training material, including gender-responsiveness in agricultural research.
- Design and implementation of a specific training course on gender-responsiveness in agricultural research for development (ARD)that is focused on the collection and interpretation of gender-disaggregated data, preferably in partnership with renowned capacity-building institutions, and preferably to be delivered by African facilitators to be trained in this subject.
- Support for monitoring, evaluation, and reporting of the Science Cornerstone activities in AWARD’s Phase II grant.
- Representation of AWARD in science/research-related forums, with a view to building and strengthening AWARD’s partnerships with relevant sub-regional, regional, and international stakeholders in ARD in order to support the sustainability of the AWARD approach.
The Science Cornerstone is critical for AWARD’s success, particularly in the areas of gender-responsiveness in ARD, and in the planning and implementation of its advanced science training for AWARD Fellows, including research attachments, as well as the development of a strategic plan for sustainability. The AWARD Team requires support in the design, coordination, and implementation of these activities, including selection of partners and trainers, selection of host institutions and follow-up, planning and implementation of science skills courses, and organization of reflection/planning exercises.
Given the current Science Cornerstone team composition (the Science Coordinator is supported by a Science Cornerstone Officer and a Science Cornerstone Assistant), this role requires a full-time regionally recruited position.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the leadership of the AWARD Director, the AWARD Science Coordinator will:
- lead AWARD’s Science Cornerstone, particularly regarding its advanced science training for AWARD Fellows and the development of content for the AWARD Science Skills Courses
- supervise and guide the AWARD Science Cornerstone Officer and Science Cornerstone Assistant in smooth implementation of all Science Cornerstone activities
- supervise and guide the AWARD Science Cornerstone Officer and Science Cornerstone Assistant in monitoring and evaluation of all Science Cornerstone activities
- ensure timely and accurate reporting of all Science Cornerstone activities as per requirements/grants
- support the Director in the development of material and trainers to deliver a course on gender responsiveness in agricultural research, and assist the AWARD Team in developing a sustainability strategy with key African partners
Qualifications and Experience
- PhD in a field of science relevant to sub-Saharan African agriculture
- Minimum 10 years’ experience in the development and management of research and development (R&D) projects in Africa
- Proven experience in developing the skills and careers of scientists
- Proven experience in the M&E of science capacity building and science projects/programs
- Widely networked and well-regarded within the sub-Saharan African science system: universities, national agricultural research systems, research networks, etc.
- Experience in gender responsiveness in ARD, as well as work place inclusiveness
- Good written and spoken English. Good written and oral communication skills in French are highly desirable.
Terms of Offer
We offer a collegial, diverse, and gender-sensitive working environment, and we strongly encourage applications from qualified women. This position is on regional terms and will be for an initial period of three (3) years, renewable subject to nine (9) months’ probation period, assessment of performance, continued relevance of the position, and availability of resources.
How to Apply
Please prepare and submit:
- a cover letter illustrating your suitability for the position, and your salary expectations
- a detailed, up-to-date curriculum vitae
- the names of three referees, including addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, as well as fax details, if available
All correspondence will be via email only, addressed to the Human Resources Unit, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) at icrafhru@cgiar.org. Applicants should indicate “Application for Science Coordinator –AWARD” on their application cover letters and in the subject line of their email submissions.
Deadline: June 7, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Training Program on the Commons—Your input needed
The International Association for the Study of the Commons (IASC) is considering developing a training program on the commons, in collaboration with Countryside and Community Research Institute of the University of Gloucestershire (UoG), the Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales-UNAM, and the CGIAR Program on Collective Action and Property Rights Program (CAPRI).
This course grows out of a recognition that more training on commons issues will ensure that these issues have appropriate and informed voices and that the increasing number of researchers and practitioners addressing commons issues in their work have the necessary theoretical and empirical background. A tentative list of topics to be covered may be found below.
To help inform the design of this course we have produced a short survey, which we invite you to take either in English or Spanish. Your participation in the survey will help these organizations to design a training program that is suitable and interesting to potential participants.
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Proposed list of topics (tentative):
I. Introduction to the Commons.
II. Biodiversity and forests. Covering issues such as: ecological principles, biodiversity as a “commons”, forest rights, indigenous utilization, and the capacity for multi-functional use, Valuing biodiversity and influencing policy, and Carbon sequestration and the role of forests in climate change and environmental management
III. Water. Covering issues such as: water as a finite and shared resource, application of commons concepts to water management under different conditions (trans-boundary management; inter-basin movement; within catchment management), legal regimes, water rights, and ‘markets’ for water
IV. Marine resources. Covering issues such as: marine resources (fisheries, energy, minerals, navigation), Law of the Sea, Fisheries as closed and open access resources (includes range of case studies from different parts of the world), Regulating inshore and offshore fisheries as commons resources (inshore fisheries as community resources; social and economic impacts of regulatory regime change)
V. Advanced Commons Theory and Practice. Including Alternative approaches to commons management and governance, Game theory, 'new commons' and complex systems, Analyzing political and economic structures; exploring hierarchical systems
VI. Climate change and the management of global commons. Including climate as a shared resource, the science of climate change, international law, analyzing international institutions
Thursday, May 16, 2013
This Week’s Posts
EMPLOYMENT: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Coordinator: CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems. The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator will play an essential role in developing and integrating an outcome-based approach to research planning and the establishment of a performance management system. Deadline: May 31, 2013
EMPLOYMENT: Opportunities with the Land Policy Initiative (Addis Ababa). The Land Policy Initiative, a joint programme of the tripartite consortium consisting of the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank, and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has several vacancies in its Addis Ababa-based secretariat. Deadline: June 6, 2013
SCHOLARSHIP/EMPLOYMENT: University of Goucestershire Research Assistants (2) in Environmental Dynamics and Governance. The part-time position comes with four years of guaranteed tuition fee and supervision for undertaking a PhD in a suitable field of study relevant to the Countryside & Community Research Institute’s areas of interest. Deadline: May 31, 2013
CALL FOR PAPERS: Natural resources grabbing: Erosion or legitimate exercise of State sovereignty? A workshop on this theme will be held on the 4th and 5th of October, 2013, at the University of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy)Aula Magna del Rettorato. Deadline: June 15, 2013
TRAINING: International Legal Pluralism Course 2013. In August 2013 the Commission on Legal Pluralism will organize a course on Legal Pluralsim preceding the 17th IUAES conference in Manchester, UK. Deadline: May 31, 2013
PUBLICATION: Interventions for Achieving Sustainability in Tropical Forest and Agricultural Landscapes. A new CAPRi Working Paper from Peter Newton, Arun Agrawal, and Lini Wollenberg.
ONLINE RESOURCE: Journal of Peasant Studies Publications Freely Available. The Journal of Peasant Studies is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and has created a virtual special issue: '40 Classics in Peasant Studies'.
PUBLICATION: Interventions for Achieving Sustainability in Tropical Forest and Agricultural Landscapes
A new CAPRi Working Paper from Peter Newton, Arun Agrawal, and Lini Wollenberg:
The rapid expansion of commodity agriculture in tropical forest landscapes is a key driver of deforestation. To meet the growing demand from a more prosperous and expanding global population, it is imperative to develop sustainable commodity supply chains that support higher agricultural productivity, and that enable improved environmental, economic, and social outcomes. Interventions by community, market, and state actors can enhance the sustainability of supply chains by affecting where and how agricultural production occurs. These interventions—in the form of novel or moderated institutions and policies, incentives, or information—can influence producers directly or achieve their impacts indirectly by influencing consumer, retailer, and processor decisions. Global datasets were used to document the trends in deforestation and commodity agriculture production and a framework was developed to facilitate analyses of commodity supply chains across multiple interventions, commodities, and countries. The framework can be used to compare and explain the impacts of different types of supply chain interventions. The paper demonstrates how the framework can be used by generating hypotheses about decisions and choices of different actors and likely effects on commodity agriculture expansion.
CALL FOR PAPERS: Natural resources grabbing: Erosion or legitimate exercise of State sovereignty?
A workshop on this theme will be held on the 4th and 5th of October, 2013, at the University of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy)Aula Magna del Rettorato.
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The Theme addressed
The growing demand for natural resources has triggered a “race” to their exploitation and possession, especially in developing countries. This research project aims at addressing, from an international law perspective, this very complex challenge for the international community.
The more requested resources are water (freshwater and groundwater), land, forests, raw materials (oil, gas, mineral resources and precious stones), fisheries and genetic resources.
Among the “buyers” there are emerging economies and Western States, as well as multinational corporations and international financial institutions. While this demand creates investment opportunities in countries with a low attractive investment profile, on the other side, these initiatives often threaten local communities’ interests and environmental protection. In particular, they aggravate the risks of food, water and energy security and, in the long term, they may generate dangerous imbalances, if they strike at the roots the territorial sovereignty of host countries. Governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-state actors have a key role to play in promoting responsible investments and in developing procedural and substantive principles and rules that contribute to the establishment of a transparent and accountable natural resources governance.
The Call
We welcome submissions that describe new (previously unpublished), cutting-edge research in the following focus areas:
- The international legal framework: relevant customary and treaty law for the exploitation of natural resources
- Investment and Trade Law
- Environmental Law
- Human Rights Law
- Law of the Sea
- Energy Law
- The role of International Organisations
- Financial institutions, Development Banks and UN Agencies (such as, the International Fund for Agricultural Development – IFAD, United Nations Development Program – UNDP and others)
- The responses at the regional and domestic level (constitutional rights, customary law, reforms) on behalf of investor and recipient countries, and their interaction with the international legal order
- European Union partnerships and investment programs
- African, Asian and South American experiences
- The role of non-state actors
- Multinational corporations
- Non-governmental organisations
- Standard-setting associations
- The contractual dimension: the negotiation of private agreements and the protection of public interests
- Oil & gas contracts
- Bioprospecting contracts
- Investment contracts
- Agri-investment, land deals
Please submit to francesca.romanin@unimi.it a 500-word abstract in English, French or Spanish, with indication of the author(s), their affiliation and full contact information.
The Workshop
Selected papers will be presented at an international Workshop, which will be held in Cagliari (Sardinia) on the 4th and 5th October 2013. Each session of the workshop will be moderated by an invited keynote speaker and will include 3 additional contributors, selected through this call. There will be no registration fee for participants in the workshop.
Researchers and practitioners from developing countries are welcome and we will be able to contribute in part to their travelling and accommodation expenses in Cagliari.
The Publication
By January 2014, the Editorial Board (Professor Francesco Seatzu, Dr. Angelica Bonfanti and Dr. Francesca Romanin Jacur) will submit the selected papers for peer-review for inclusion in a collective publication by an international legal publisher.
Timeline
Closing date for abstracts’ submission: 15 June 2013
Acceptance of abstracts: 30 June 2013
Deadline for draft papers’ submission: 15 September 2013
Deadline for selected final drafts’ submission: December 2013
Organizing Committee
Francesco Seatzu, University of Cagliari; Angelica Bonfanti, University of Milan; Francesca Romanin Jacur, University of Cagliari
Should you have any questions about the call or the workshop, please contact Dr. Romanin Jacur at francesca.romanin@unimi.it.
Deadline: June 15, 2013
ONLINE RESOURCE: Journal of Peasant Studies Publications Freely Available
The Journal of Peasant Studies is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and, as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, the journal has created the virtual special issue: '40 Classics in Peasant Studies'. This collection highlights some of the key articles that have been published in the journal over the past four decades.
These articles are available for free until the end of 2013. Simply register on the website or sign in to access the free content.
TRAINING: International Legal Pluralism Course 2013
In August 2013 the Commission on Legal Pluralism will organize a course on Legal Pluralsim preceding the 17th IUAES conference in Manchester, UK.
The course will be about theories, knowledge and methodologies of legal pluralism. The purpose of the 3½-day course, which precedes the IUAES 17th World Congress, is to familiarize the participants with the current international debates and insights in socio-legal studies and legal pluralism and to offer them a comparative perspective allowing them to rethink their own research and practical work. At the center of the discussion will be issues pertaining to rights protection, gender, natural resource management and land tenure, and dispute management in the context of globalizing economic, political and legal developments.
More information (pdf). Note that although the deadline is listed as May 15th is has been extended to May 31.
Deadline: May 31, 2013
EMPLOYMENT: Opportunities with the Land Policy Initiative (Addis Ababa)
The Land Policy Initiative (LPI) is a joint programme of the tripartite consortium consisting of the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Its purpose is to enable the use of land to lend impetus to the process of African development. The programme is governed by a Steering Committee that meets periodically, while a joint secretariat implements day to day activities. The secretariat is assisted by an African Taskforce on Land.
After having developed the Framework and Guidelines (F&G) on land policy in Africa, and received the mandate from the African Union (AU) to use it in support of national and regional land policy processes, the LPI is now moving towards assisting AU Member States in developing or reviewing their land policies as well as in implementing and evaluating these policies.
LPI is currently accepting applications for the following positions at its Addis Ababa-based secretariat.
- Coordinator, Land Policy Initiative, P5
- Programme Officer (Monitoring & Evaluation), P4
- Economic Affairs Officer (Regional Land Expert), Two posts, P3
- Programme Management Officer, LPI, P3
- Communication Officer (Land Policy Advocacy), P3
Deadline: June 6, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
EMPLOYMENT: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Coordinator: CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems
The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Coordinator will play an essential role in developing and integrating an outcome-based approach to research planning and the establishment of a performance management system. This includes aligning WLE with ongoing reforms within CGIAR.
The job:
- provide guidance and support to each of the program’s Strategic Research Portfolios (SRPs) to design impact pathways and theories of change,develop quantifiable outcomes and establish verifiable processes for measuring progress against outcomes/impact pathways at various levels.
- work with WLE management to develop and implement monitoring, evaluation and learning processes at all levels of the program, fostering an evaluative learning culture, supporting reflection and examination, seeking evidence on which to make decisions, and encouraging experimentation and change.
The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Coordinator will be based at the headquarters of IWMI in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and report to the Acting Program Director – WLE.
Deadline: May 31, 2013
SCHOLARSHIP/EMPLOYMENT: University of Goucestershire Research Assistants (2) in Environmental Dynamics and Governance
The Faculty of Applied Sciences is looking to appoint to the Countryside & Community Research Institute (CCRI) an enthusiastic and suitably-qualified individual who will make a valued contribution to the activities of the CCRI and the Faculty. This will include providing support and assistance to a portfolio of externally-funded research projects, as well as developing and undertaking research towards their own PhD. We welcome applications from postgraduate students with disciplinary backgrounds in social or bio/geo-sciences, economics or related disciplines, with research experience and interests that align well with the work of the CCRI (see www.ccri.ac.uk).
The University is currently investing in a number of areas of research excellence, one of which is Environmental Dynamics and Governance, jointly led by the CCRI and the School of Natural & Social Sciences (SNSS). Active participation in the team that is consolidating and developing this research theme forms a key focus for the post, as well as making a contribution to the wider research, knowledge exchange and consultancy of the CCRI.
The part-time position comes with four years of guaranteed tuition fee and supervision for undertaking a PhD in a suitable field of study relevant to the CCRI areas of interest. It therefore provides a rare and exciting opportunity to undertake advanced study within a dynamic research environment. The CCRI is one of the leading social science rural research centres in the UK, with current programmes of research on rural community development, agro-food systems, resource governance, EU rural policies, and land use. It has an enviable track record in successful sponsored research for the UK Government and its agencies, the European Institutions and other EU member state governments. In addition to a commitment to providing a high quality evidence base for rural policy, CCRI strives to maintain international academic excellence through Research Council funding and publishing activities.
Deadline: May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 09, 2013
This Week’s Posts
EMPLOYMENT: The David and Lucile Packard Foundation Program Officer – Climate and Land Use. The foundation is seeking an individual to lead its work on Climate and Land Use, with a particular emphasis on work to reduce emissions associated with agriculture. Deadline: open
EMPLOYMENT: ODI Research Fellow, Gender and Climate Change. The Overseas Development Institute seeks a Research Fellow to work with ODI’s Social Development team and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), of which ODI is a founding partner. Deadline: May 17, 2013
CALL FOR PAPERS: Indian Institute of Management Bangalore Conference on Public Policy and Management. The special theme for the conference is INFRASTRUCTURE: Hard and Soft. The Conference committee invites papers analysing ‘Infrastructure’ from various perspectives as well as papers on public policy issues. Deadline: May 13, 2013
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Impact Economy Innovations Grant Fund. The Rockefeller Foundation and The Tony Elumelu Foundation invite proposals from organizations interested in receiving support for initiatives aimed at fostering Africa’s Impact Economy, specifically by aiding the growth of the Impact Investing industry and social enterprise sector. Deadline: May 31, 2013
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: ICID WatSave Awards 2013. The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) is inviting nominations for the WatSave Awards 2013 from across the world to recognize outstanding contributions to water saving/conservation in agriculture. Deadline: May 31, 2013
PUBLICATION: The impact of irrigation on nutrition, health, and gender. An IFPRI Discussion Paper reviews literature with insights for Africa south of the Sahara.
PUBLICATION: Resource conflict, collective action, and resilience: an analytical framework. A recent publication by several CAPRi-affiliated authors in the International Journal of the Commons.
ONLINE RESOURCE: Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa. A great deal of information from a March conference on this topic is now available on the conference website.
ONLINE RESOURCE: Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa
From 18-20 March a major international conference on “Political Economy of Agricultural Policy in Africa” brought together academics, policy makers, civil society actors and donor organisations to discuss what makes African governments invest in agriculture. A great deal of information from the conference, including articles, videos, and papers, are now available on the conference website. See, for example, the video clip below with Buba Khan explaining why agriculture in Africa must focus on women, youth and climate change.
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Impact Economy Innovations Grant Fund
The Rockefeller Foundation and The Tony Elumelu Foundation invite proposals from organizations interested in receiving support for initiatives aimed at fostering Africa’s Impact Economy, specifically by aiding the growth of the Impact Investing industry and social enterprise sector.
Grant Areas: The Africa Impact Economy Innovations Fund (IEIF) will fund projects that seek to:
• enable earlier stage capital solutions
• foster entrepreneurial ecosystems
• promote and establish impact investing industry infrastructure
• develop market ecosystems for specific sectors
• form leadership and networking platforms for common actions
Priority will be given to projects with specific geographic focus. Funding priorities of the IEIF are influenced by the directions set at the Impact Investing forum (IIF), held on April 5, 2013 and co-hosted by The Rockefeller Foundation, The Tony Elumelu Foundation, and The Bertha Center for Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Deadline: May 31, 2013
PUBLICATION: The impact of irrigation on nutrition, health, and gender
An IFPRI Discussion Paper reviews literature with insights for Africa south of the Sahara:
Agriculture in Africa south of the Sahara (SSA) is still largely rainfed. SSA also exhibits the lowest crop yields for major staples in the world, largely due to low use of irrigation and fertilizer. Rainfed agriculture poses growing production risks with increased climate variability and change. At the same time, smallholder irrigation in the region developed rapidly over the past decade, albeit starting from very low levels. In addition to largely demand-driven irrigation development by smallholders, there is a significant push by donors for large-scale irrigation development, as well as some push for smallholder irrigation. There has also been a long-standing debate about whether irrigation in SSA should be large scale or small scale to achieve its potential. However, given the potentially high rewards, but also high possibility of failure, the assessment of irrigation potential must go beyond large scale versus small scale to integrate concerns regarding environmental sustainability, resource use efficiency, nutrition and health impacts, and women’s empowerment. The hypothesis underlying this review paper is that how irrigation gets deployed in SSA will be decisive not only for environmental sustainability (such as deciding remaining forest cover in the region) and poverty reduction, but also for health, nutrition, and gender outcomes in the region. The focus of this paper is on the health, nutrition, and gender linkage. We find that to date, few studies have analyzed the impact of irrigation interventions on nutrition, health, and women’s empowerment, despite the large potential of irrigation to affect these important variables. Irrigation interventions may have differential effects on different members in the household and in the community, such as irrigators, non-irrigators, children, and women. Measuring and understanding such differences, followed by improving design and implementation to maximize gender, health, and nutrition outcomes, could transform irrigation programs from focusing solely on increased food production toward becoming an integral component of poverty-reduction strategies.
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