Consultancy: Systematic review on diversification to manage climate-related risks and promote adaptation
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Background
Bioversity International is the world’s largest organization researching agricultural biodiversity. We strongly believe that agricultural biodiversity can provide key contributions to solutions for global issues related to food security, poverty, climate change, and environmental degradation. We undertake, encourage and support research and other activities aimed at improving the well-being of present and future generations of people, by enhancing conservation and the deployment of agricultural biodiversity on farms and in forests, with special emphasis on the needs of developing countries. The organization is active in over 100 countries worldwide, and has more than 350 staff working from some 18 country offices. It is one of 15 centres supported by the Consortium of the International Agricultural Research Centres (CGIAR).
Consultancy
Bioversity International seeks to engage the services of a consultant within the framework of the CGIAR Research Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) to conduct a systematic review on the role of diversification in enhancing the management of risk resulting from climate change and adaptation to progressive climate change. The systematic review aims at understanding existing knowledge in relation to these two research questions:
• How does biotic diversification contribute to managing climate risk and to adaptation to climate change at the level of the field and the farm?
• How does economic diversification at the household level contribute to managing climate risk and adaptation to climate change?
Based in Rome, Italy and reporting to the Senior Scientist, Genetic Diversity, under the overall supervision of the Research Director, the consultant will be responsible for:
• Finalizing the review protocol in collaboration with the team involved in the review;
• Conducting the review, including:
- Searching for studies, both in peer reviewed journals and grey literature,
- Selecting relevant studies
- Extracting and synthesizing the data;
• Presenting the results of the review to the team at a workshop and gathering their feedback;
• Integrating a final report on the results of the review, highlighting knowledge gaps and future research needs, incorporating feedback from the team;
• Delivering the outputs as follows:
- The final review protocol produced and approved by the review team, by middle January, 2012;
- An executive summary of the final review prepared by 11 March 2012;
- A draft report on the systematic review released by 30 Mar 2012.
- The results of the review presented at a workshop in early April, 2012;
- A final report submitted in mid-April, 2012.
Qualifications and Competencies
• Masters degree in a relevant field.
• Familiarity with the fields of climate change, biodiversity, and diversification.
• Proven capacity to conduct detailed literature search using different search engines.
• Demonstrated competency in analysis and synthesis of information.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
Terms and conditions
• This is an international consultancy opportunity for a period of three months. All consultancy fees and conditions will be administered in line with Bioversity’s approved policy for consultants and includes a competitive fee and health and travel insurance unless otherwise provided.
• Bioversity is an equal opportunity employer and strives for staff diversity. Women and candidates from developing countries are encouraged to apply.
• Bioversity International, Bioversity for short, is the operating name of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) and the International Network for Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP).