EFI was awarded by the European Commission with the project “Support to the EU Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) partnership agreements in developing countries” (EC project number:
EuropeAid/ENV/2006-124886/TPS). The project is funded by the European Commission, DFID from UK and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland. For the execution of this project EFI is looking for a team of key experts with main competence in:
Communication and process facilitation,
Forest governance and timber trade,
Chain of custody and customs.
The key experts report to the EFI FLEGT co-ordinator who will lead the team of experts, supported by an administrator.
This team will be part of the EFI policy analysis programme.
Qualifications
MSc or higher university degree in forestry or a related and suitable field.
The key experts should have at least 10 years of international working experience in their field of expertise, uding policy formulation, analysis and reform. Extended working experience in one or more of these
regions: South-East Asia, central and West Africa, tropical Latin-America.
Proven experience with participatory and consultative multi-stakeholder (government, industry, NGOs and rural communities) and intergovernmental processes. Ability of working with governments, industry, NGOs and rural communities.
Ability to deal with politically sensitive issues; good facilitation and negotiation skills.
Excellent communication, networking, writing and reporting skills.
Track record for creative and strategic thinking and pragmatic problem solving.
Demonstrated ability of working in multi-disciplinary teams and in multi-cultural environments.
Proficiency in at least 2, preferably 3, of the following languages: English, French and Spanish. Further languages will be a plus.
Duty station and travel
The key experts will be based at EFI headquarters in Joensuu, Finland, however partial remote work from home office
in Europe is possible.
All three positions will require frequent travel within Europe and extended travel to timber producing countries; mainly
tropical countries participating in the EU FLEGT process.
Employment conditions
EFI offers an inspiring, dynamic international and multicultural working environment, varying duties and opportunities
to learn new skills and a comprehensive health care package.
The work contracts are initially made for two to three years with a possibility of continuation. EFI offers competitive
salary and benefits packages.

Expected results
Forest sector governance in FLEGT partner countries improved through stakeholder consultative
processes, institutional, fiscal and legal reform, enhanced transparency and other relevant measures, e.g.
verification and monitoring missions.
Trade of licensed legal timber products to the EU from FLEGT partner countries supported by traceability
systems such as log tracking technologies, chain of custody systems and forest audit/ inspection and
improved customs capacity.
Forest governance and law enforcement systems objectively assessed in potential partner countries.
Multi-stakeholder consultations for FLEGT facilitated in potential partner countries.
Systems to underpin the verification of legality designed and functioning.
Stakeholders in Europe and potential partner countries well informed about FLEGT and the VPA
development process.
National processes to develop practical legal standard supported.
Expert tasks and responsibilities:
Communication and process facilitation
Communications and outreach
Oversee and edit the EFI FLEGT process website containing necessary and useful information for
participating and interested stakeholders – keeping the overall FLEGT process as transparent as possible.
Assemble and edit a periodic FLEGT newsletter involving stakeholders.
Identify communication and information gaps in the FLEGT process and fill these gaps appropriately
jointly with the team.
Manage media relations; prepare press releases.
Update, refine and extend existing FLEGT briefing notes and information material providing participating
countries and other stakeholders with needed information.
Assist other experts in preparation of training materials, e.g. for customs authorities and traders.
Process facilitation
Develop guidelines for Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) negotiations and integration of VPA
negotiations with possible on-going NFPs or other policy development processes.
Develop guidelines on how to carry out VPA negotiations and clarify how these are typically linked with
on-going NFPs or other policy development processes.
Develop guidelines on the structure and content of a typical VPA specifying the required level of detail.
Assist, moderate and facilitate individual VPA negotiations per request from EC, EU member
governments and timber producing countries.
Assist potential partner countries design and develop communication programme for VPA negotiations
process and for VPA implementation.
Assist partner countries design communication capacity building.
Reporting
Prepare donor progress reports jointly with EFI FLEGT team.
Assist the team in assembling and editing required base information to the FLEGT ad-hoc working group.
Execute other tasks as assigned.
Governance and timber trade
Forest governance
Analyse forest legislation in VPA countries and identify possible needs for adjustment of existing laws
and regulations or new ones to comply with the VPA requirements (policy analysis, formulation of
proposals and their justification).
Review effectiveness of key institutions in national forest sectors and interagency collaboration.

Assess transparency and accountability measures in national forest sectors and assess any anti-corruption
measures.
Assess the effectiveness of law enforcement, verification and monitoring systems in VPA countries.
Identify strengths and weaknesses and propose suitable reforms enabling a Legality Assurance System
(LAS) including independent monitoring.
Together with the chain of custody expert assist countries in designing an adequate LAS system and
preparing a LAS proposal – including the required multi-stakeholder consultations – answering all
requirements of the EC FLEGT briefing notes (legality definition and verification, chain of custody
systems, independent monitoring).
Timber and timber product trade
Compile and analyse statistics on domestic timber and timber products markets in VPA countries as well
as on international trade, specifically trade with the EU.
Elaborate and propose options for dealing with possibly illegal domestic markets in the VPA negotiations.
Analyse the issues of ‘circumvention’ (diversion of exports through non-VPA countries) and ‘laundering’
(re-export of illegal imports originating from non-VPA via VPA countries into the EU) and recommend
practical solutions addressing these issues.
Establish and maintain key contacts with trade authorities in other main timber markets – China, Japan
and USA. Stay informed how these countries deal with illegal timber imports.
Provide base information on eventual extending the VPA product coverage to flooring, furniture, paper
and other added value products.
Facilitation and reporting
Assist, guide and facilitate individual VPA negotiations per request from EC, EU member governments
and timber producing countries.
Assist in compilation of information on needed funding to execute a VPA and implement a LAS.
Provide input to the FLEGT ad-hoc working group.
Assist VPA countries in progress report preparation.
Assist in preparation of donor progress reports.
Execute other tasks as assigned.
Chain of custody and customs
Chain of custody and wood tracking systems
Analyse the existing chain of custody and tracking of timber and timber products in VPA countries and
the adequacy of the existing control arrangements, and prepare recommendations for their improvement.
Assist countries in designing an adequate LAS system and preparing a LAS proposal – including the
required multi-stakeholder consultations – answering all requirements of the EC FLEGT briefing notes
(legality definition and verification, chain of custody systems, independent monitoring).
Periodically assess LAS effectiveness during and after LAS implementation.
Monitor technological developments in chain of custody systems and timber tracking and their
applicability in VPA countries and prepare respective briefing notes and other material for VPA countries.
Customs
Analyse VPA country customs procedures and verify how they are applied. Identify reform needs to
comply with LAS and handling of legality licenses.
Identify and assist VPA stakeholders in elaboration of needed action, e.g. EU customs road map, enabling
EU customs to handle VPA country legality licenses. Assist EC in customs negotiations with EU member
governments.
Assist preparation of VPA country customs guidelines as well as EU member country customs guidelines
on handling legality licenses.
Prepare training materials for customs authorities and traders.

Organize and conduct customs and trade capacity building efforts, e.g. train customs authorities in
international timber classification labelling norms and the FLEGT licensing scheme.
Facilitation and reporting
Assist, guide and facilitate individual VPA negotiations per request from EC, EU member governments
and timber producing countries.
Assist in compilation of information on needed funding to execute a VPA and implement a LAS.
Provide input to the FLEGT ad-hoc working group.
Assist VPA countries in progress report preparation.
Assist in preparation of donor progress reports.
Execute other tasks as assigned.
Interested candidates are requested to send an application letter and CV by email as soon as (preferably not later than 21
September 2007) possible to Niina Jokinen, EFI FLEGT Administrator, phone: +358-10-773.43.49, email:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For more information about the posts contact Ralph M. Ridder, EFI FLEGT Coordinator, phone +358-10-773.43.19,
email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.