Safeguards Expert

Oleh /

Position Title          : Safeguards Expert
Program                    : Jurisdictional REDD+ (JREDD+) – Riau Province
Location                    : Riau Province, Indonesia (provincial and field-level coordination required)
Duration                   : 12 months
Reports To               : UNEP, Safeguard Working Group Cluster Led by Provincial Forestry Office

  1. Background

The Jurisdictional REDD+ (JREDD+) program in Riau Province aims to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation while ensuring respect for human rights, biodiversity protection, equitable benefit-sharing, and the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Adhering to environmental and social safeguards, including Indonesia’s SIS-REDD+, is essential for accessing results-based payments and issuing high-integrity carbon credits under standards, such as  the policies of ART-TREES (www.artredd.org), VCS Jurisdictional and Nested REDD+ (JNR), and  Green Climate Fund.

To ensure compliance and credibility, a dedicated Safeguards Expert is needed to support the Government of Riau Province in collaboration with stakeholders to design, monitor, and report on the implementation of safeguards across all JREDD+ activities, supporting alignment with national frameworks and international requirements.

  1. Objectives
  • To develop and operationalize a comprehensive safeguards framework for the JREDD+ program in Riau, supporting compliance with the Indonesia national safeguards system (SIS-REDD+), and ART-TREES, with the goal of registration with ART-TREES and access to results-based payments (RBPs).
  • To ensure measures are in place so that environmental and social risks are identified, mitigated, and monitored effectively throughout the JREDD+ program lifecycle.
  • To build capacity of Riau Province government agencies and stakeholder, such as the Safeguard Working Group Cluster, to develop, operate and monitor the safeguards framework.
  1. Scope of Work

The Safeguards Expert will work in close coordination with UNEP, the Riau Province Government/Provincial Forestry Office and Safeguards Working Group Cluster, and UNEP-WCMC to deliver the following activities:

A. Preparation and assessment

  • Provide inputs to ART-TREES concept note, including safeguards sections.
  • Conduct a rapid gap assessment of the Indonesia SIS-REDD+ and the Riau latest Summary on Safeguards against the ART-TREES safeguards (v. 3.0) and confirm the requirements for a new JREDD+ program in Riau Province (e.g. next SoS, FPIC, benefit sharing, etc); develop a skeleton of section 7 of the TREES registration document (TRD).  #
  • Linked to the rapid assessment, review other relevant safeguards policies and status of projects in Riau (e.g. GCF, VCS for projects, Verra JNR, etc), and develop a set of recommendations for nesting of safeguards approaches.
  • Based on the rapid assessment and nesting recommendations, prepare a proposed safeguard workplan (including consultation plans) for Riau Province and relevant materials (e.g. presentation) for a workshop with Riau Government and stakeholders (e.g. Safeguards Working Group Cluster) to present the results of the assessment and proposed workplan, and build capacity on ART-TREES.
  • Finalise workplan and liaise with consultants working on stakeholder mapping; ensure consultation plans for STRADA and JREDD+ program are reflected in the workplan.

B. Safeguards Framework and ART-TREES registration

  • Confirm with Riau Government and UN-REDD how many TREES Monitoring Reports (TMRs) will be submitted for the JREDD+ Program and when.
  • Based on skeleton TRD and assessment, and in collaboration with relevant agencies and members of the Safeguards Working Group Cluster, prepare a draft of the safeguards section of the TRD and TMR for the Riau JREDD+ Program.
  • Support meeting/s of the Safeguards Working Group Cluster to compile data, review documents and fill gaps in the TRD; participate in calls with UN-REDD, Ministry and/or ART-TREES Secretariat as needed.
  • Support the preparation of materials (e.g. presentations, info briefs) on the TRD and TMR for consultation workshops, e.g. FPIC, as needed; participate in review/validation workshop on the TRD and/or TMR.
  • Help to finalise safeguards sections of the TRD and TMR, including reviewing for consistency with other sections, for submission to Government for review/approval

C. Benefit and Risk / Impact Assessment

  • Coordinate with other consultants/experts working on the Strategic Environmental Assessment (KLHS) and gender action plan of STRADA, as well as Benefits Sharing Plan, GRM and FPIC process for the J-REDD+ Program; review drafts and provide safeguards inputs to these plans as needed.
  • Review the draft J-REDD program document / DRAM / PDD from a safeguards perspective, providing written feedback and prepare documentation on Program social and environmental benefits and risks using a simple table format; these should cover  potential social and environment benefits and risks related to the Program actions/interventions, and propose measures to enhance benefits and reduce/mitigate risks.
  • Prepare materials on benefits & risks to feed into consultation/FPIC process as needed, in coordination with team working on FPIC/consultations for the J-REDD+ program.

D. Safeguard Monitoring and Reporting

Based on the preparation phase and rapid assessment, determine when the next Riau submission to the SIS-REDD+ and SoS are required (e.g. to cover 2025 for the J-REDD+ program); integrate SIS and SoS submission into the safeguards workplan for Riau Province if needed.

  • Based on the needs for the TMR/s for the J-REDD+ program review the SIS-REDD+ table for Riau Province and prepare a supplementary reporting template to ensure that J-REDD+ safeguards information can be compiled in alignment with ART-TREES needs.
  • Working with the Safeguards Working Group Cluster, pilot the collection of data for the TMR/s, using the SIS-REDD+ APPS and the supplementary reporting template.
  • Based on this piloting, develop an outline for safeguards guidance or toolkit, for strengthening the application, monitoring and reporting of safeguards information for Riau Province, including considerations for stakeholder participation. The proposal for the guidance/toolkit should include an outline of key content and proposed timelines for regular reporting, and be presented to the Safeguards Working Group Cluster for their feedback.
  1. Deliverables / Outputs
No Deliverable Description Timeline
A  

A.1 Inputs to ART-TREES concept

 A.1 Inputs to safeguards section of ART-TREES concept note and check for consistency with other sections Months 1-3
A.2 Rapid gap assessment against the ART-TREES safeguards and confirmed list of requirements

 

 A.2 Rapid assessment through a skeleton filling out of section 7 of TRD, and list of requirements to be met based on ART-TREES v3.0 and SIS-REDD+
A3 Brief recommendations for nesting of safeguards approaches A.3. Brief document with list of recommendations for nesting needs related to safeguards in Riau Province
A.4 Safeguards workplan for Riau Province prepared, presented and finalised

 

 A.4 Safeguards workplan including all relevant consultation plans prepared, along with presentation materials and participation in workshop/capacity building session to discuss; safeguards workplan finalised.
B B1.  Draft of the safeguards section of the TRD and TMR for the Riau JREDD+ Program. B1. Draft of safeguards section of TRD and TMR (after confirming 1 or more TMRs) prepared in collaboration with Riau SG Working Group Cluster Months 3-12
B2. Materials/participation in meeting/s of the Safeguards Working Group Cluster,  UN-REDD, Ministry and/or ART-TREES Secretariat

 

 B2. Participation in and materials for meetings of Riau SG Working Group Cluster, UN-REDD partners, Ministry and ART-TREES to discuss and compile information for TRD/TMR

 
B3.  Materials on safeguards sections of TRD and TMR and participation in review/validation workshop on the TRD/TMR.

 

 B3. Materials such as presentations, info briefs, written inputs for consultation workshops related to TRD/TMR and J-REDD+ program, e.g. FPIC, as needed, and for review/validation workshop on the TRD and/or TMR.
B4. Final draft safeguards sections of the TRD and TMR, including review of consistency with other sections, for submission to Government B4. Integrating feedback, final draft safeguards sections of the TRD and TMR, including review of consistency with other sections, for submission to Government for review/approval; address final comments from Govt/expert reviewers.
C C1. Safeguards inputs/review of STRADA Strategic Environmental Assessment (KLHS) and gender action plan, plus J-REDD+ Benefits Sharing Plan, GRM and FPIC process/reports C1. Written safeguards inputs/review of STRADA Strategic Environmental Assessment (KLHS), gender analysis and gender action plan, plus J-REDD+ Program’s draft Benefit Sharing Plan, GRM review/documentation and FPIC process and reports. Months 3-12
C2. Safeguards inputs/review of draft J-REDD program document / DRAM / PDD

 

 C2. Written safeguards inputs/review of the draft J-REDD+ Program document or equivalent, such as DRAM / PDD
C3. Table of J-REDD+ Program social and environmental benefits and risks, proposed benefits enhancement and risk reduction measures

 

 

 C3. Documentation (e.g. in table) of J-REDD+ Program’s potential social and environmental benefits and risks, together with proposed benefits enhancement and risk reduction measures
C4. Materials on benefits & risks for inclusion in other documents/presentations C4. Materials such as presentations or summaries on benefits & risks to feed into consultation/FPIC process as needed and other documents, such as Program document.
D D1. Clarification on next Riau submission to the SIS-REDD+ and SoS (and/or national SOI); integrated into Riau safeguards workplan  if needed.

 

 D1. Clarification on whether/when next Riau submission to the SIS-REDD+ and SoS (and/or national SOI if national ART submission); integrated into Riau safeguards workplan if needed. Months 3-12
D2. Supplementary reporting template to provincial SIS-REDD+ table for J-REDD+ safeguards information

 

 D2. Supplementary reporting template (e.g additional to provincial SIS-REDD+ table) for compilation of J-REDD+ ART-TREES safeguards information
D3. Supplementary template improved after piloting and data compiled for the TMR

 

 D3. Working with the Safeguards Working Group Cluster, pilot the collection of data for the TMR/s, using the SIS-REDD+ APPS and/or the supplementary reporting template; integrate lessons learned to improve the reporting template.
D4. Draft and refined outline for safeguards guidance or toolkit for application, monitoring and reporting of safeguards information for Riau Province D4. Outline for safeguards guidance or toolkit for strengthening the application, monitoring and reporting of safeguards information for Riau Province, including stakeholder participation and covering: outline of key content and proposed timelines for regular reporting; presented to the Safeguards Working Group Cluster for their feedback and refined
  1. Expected Outcomes
  • Provincial actors have enhanced knowledge and capacity to implement and oversee safeguards in alignment with SIS-REDD+ and ART-TREES.
  • Riau Provincial Government and Safeguards Working Group Cluster are supported to further develop the safeguards framework and prepare documents and activities for the J-REDD+ program’s registration with ART-TREES.
  • Next steps are identified and agreed for strengthening safeguards application, monitoring and reporting in Riau Province, taking into account nesting needs, national SIS-REDD+ requirements and ART-TREES.
  •  Environmental and social benefits and risks of the J-REDD+ Program  are effectively identified, along with enhancement/mitigation measures, and the various components of the J-REDD+ program (e.g. safeguards, benefit sharing, FPIC process, rights of IPLCs, etc) are well-aligned.
  • Multi-sector and multi-stakeholder participation in the design, implementation and monitoring of the J-REDD+ Program and other REDD+ activities in Riau Province are promoted.
  1. Qualifications
  • Master’s degree in Environmental Science, Social Development, Forestry, Natural Resource Management, or related field.
  • Minimum 7 years of experience in safeguards design, environmental and social risk assessment, or REDD+ implementation.
  • Familiarity with international safeguard standards (e.g., ART-TREES, CCB, IFC Performance Standards) and national systems (e.g., SIS-REDD+).
  • Experience working with Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and multi-stakeholder platforms.
  • Strong analytical and reporting skills; ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams.
  • Fluency in Bahasa Indonesia and English is required; local language skills are an advantage.

To apply, directly send your CV to ajeng@pili.or.id  and ajeng.m.putri@gmail.com  for a confidential discussion. Please be informed that only shortlisted applicants will be notified.

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