Consultant - Stakeholder Engagement, Policy and Knowledge Translation Specialist
Remote
About Us
CIFOR & ICRAF in action
Landscape Alliance transforms science into action, unlocking the power of trees, forests and agroforestry landscapes to advance planetary health and human well-being. It is the shared operating name of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), two independent International Organizations and CGIAR Research Centers working together through a common strategy, governance and leadership structure.
CIFOR and ICRAF bring together decades of scientific leadership in forests, trees, agroforestry, biodiversity, climate, food systems and livelihoods. CIFOR, headquartered in Bogor, Indonesia, advances research on forests and landscape management to inform policies and practices that improve human well-being, protect the environment and increase equity. ICRAF, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, harnesses the benefits of trees for people and the environment, generating knowledge that helps governments, development partners and farmers make farming and livelihoods more sustainable.
Overview
Healthy soils are the foundation of productive agriculture, resilient food systems, climate resilience and sustainable livelihoods. Yet many countries continue to face significant challenges in accessing reliable soil information and translating scientific evidence into policies, investments and management practices that improve soil health at scale.
The NORAD-funded Establishing an Ecosystem of Soil Data-Driven Services Initiative brings together governments, research institutions, regional organisations and development partners to strengthen soil data infrastructure, improve access to interoperable soil information, and support evidence-based decision-making across Africa. The initiative aims to strengthen national soil health frameworks, develop practical soil health use cases, build institutional capacity and ensure that soil health data is effectively translated into policies and investments that contribute to food systems transformation, climate resilience and sustainable land management.
Landscape Alliance is seeking an experienced Stakeholder Engagement, Policy and Knowledge Translation Specialist to provide strategic support across the initiative. Working closely with technical teams and partner organisations, the consultant will help ensure that scientific evidence is translated into practical guidance, policy processes and capacity development activities that strengthen the uptake and application of soil health knowledge at national, regional and international levels.
Job Description
The overall objective of this consultancy is to strengthen stakeholder engagement, policy influence and knowledge translation across the initiative, ensuring that technical outputs contribute to evidence-informed decision-making and support the implementation of national and continental soil health priorities.
Specifically, the consultant will:
- Strengthen stakeholder engagement across the initiative by designing, supporting and facilitating inclusive engagement processes that support the co-development of national soil health priorities, frameworks and use cases.
- Support policy engagement by strengthening collaboration with governments, the African Union Commission, CGIAR centres, development partners and other strategic stakeholders to ensure that project outputs contribute to national, regional and continental policy processes.
- Contribute to the translation of technical evidence into accessible knowledge products, including policy briefs, technical briefs, and guidance documents that support policy uptake and implementation.
- Increase the visibility and influence of the initiative by supporting engagement in regional and international policy processes and events, including the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (AFSH), CAADP, the Africa Food Systems Forum, UNCCD, UNFCCC, the UN Food Systems Summit and other relevant platforms.
Summary of responsibilities
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- The consultant will work across multiple technical workstreams within the initiative to strengthen the interface between science, policy and implementation.
- The role will support the planning and delivery of stakeholder engagement processes throughout the initiative, including stakeholder mapping, consultation design, workshop facilitation and multi-stakeholder dialogue. This will include organising and supporting workshops and consultations to identify and validate priority soil health challenges, policy gaps and opportunities for strengthening national soil health frameworks and soil data systems.
- Working closely with technical specialists, the consultant will contribute to the development, review and quality assurance of technical briefs, policy briefs, guidance documents, training materials and other strategic knowledge products. The consultant will provide oversight to ensure that technical outputs are clearly communicated, policy-relevant and tailored to the needs of decision-makers and implementing partners.
- Increase the initiative’s visibility and influence by supporting strategic engagement in regional and international policy processes, events, and platforms, including the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan, CAADP, the Africa Food Systems Forum, UNCCD, UNFCCC, the UN Food Systems Summit, and other relevant fora.
- The consultancy will also strengthen partnerships across the initiative through regular engagement with AUDA-NEPAD, the African Union Commission, national governments, research organisations, development partners and other strategic stakeholders. This includes supporting the Soil Health Monitoring Task Force and other technical working groups to ensure strong coordination and alignment with continental priorities.
Education, Experience and Technical skills
• The successful consultant will hold a postgraduate qualification in agricultural policy, environmental policy, natural resource management, soil science, food systems, climate policy, international development or a related discipline, together with at least eight years of relevant professional experience. • The consultant should demonstrate substantial experience working at the interface of science, policy and development, with a strong track record of translating technical evidence into policy processes, strategic partnerships and practical implementation. • Applicants should have proven expertise in stakeholder engagement, including the design and facilitation of participatory processes, stakeholder mapping, consultation methodologies, workshop design, multi-stakeholder dialogue and consensus-building. • Experience designing engagement strategies that support policy development and institutional change will be highly desirable. • Demonstrated experience building and leveraging strategic partnerships with continental and international organisations is essential. This should include experience working with organisations such as AUDA-NEPAD, the African Union Commission, CGIAR centres, national governments and development partners, and the ability to navigate complex institutional environments to strengthen collaboration and policy influence. • The consultant should possess a detailed understanding of key African agricultural and food systems policy frameworks, including the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan (AFSH), and wider continental priorities relating to climate resilience, sustainable land management and food systems transformation. Familiarity with international policy processes, including UNCCD, UNFCCC and the UN Food Systems Summit, will be an advantage.
Personal Attributes and Competencies
Excellent analytical, writing, facilitation and interpersonal skills are essential, together with the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and engage confidently with senior government officials, technical experts and international partners. • The successful candidate will also demonstrate strong experience in knowledge translation and strategic communications, with the ability to develop high-quality policy briefs, technical briefs, guidance documents, training materials and other knowledge products that communicate complex technical information to diverse audiences
Terms and conditions
• This is a consultancy position • The consultancy services shall be for 12 (twelve) months. • Work location: Home-based • Please submit your CV and cover letter in PDF format, using your name as the file name. • Provide three examples of relevant policy, stakeholder engagement, or knowledge products; submit these as PDFs. • We will acknowledge all applications but will only contact short-listed candidates.
To apply, please visit our career site at: https://www.landscapealliance.org/about/work-with-us/
To learn more about Landscape Alliance, please visit our websites at: https://www.landscapealliance.org/
Landscape Alliance promotes Gender Diversity – Applications from women professionals are encouraged.
Landscape Alliance is an equal opportunity employer. It fosters a multicultural work environment that values gender equality, teamwork, and respect for diversity.
