Careers Vacancy

Student Assistant – Youth Lead Scholars Cohort 2: Deep Connections Fellowship for Young Indigenous Leaders

1.     CONTRACT CONDITIONS    

Name: Student Assistant – Youth Lead Scholars Cohort 2: Deep Connections Fellowship for Indigenous Young Leaders.
Type of consulting: Consulting agreement with payments tied to the deliverables specified in the payment schedule.
Type of contract: Total amount
Contract period: 5 months * June – November
Location: Hybrid or Panama City, Panama FSC Indigenous Foundation Offices: Calle Gustavo Lara, Building 155 A/B, City of Knowledge, Clayton
Person in charge: Direct reporting to the Project Lead at the FSC Indigenous Foundation

2.     INFORMATION FSC INDIGENOUS FOUNDATION

In 2019, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) created the FSC Indigenous Foundation (FSC-IF) as the operational office of the Indigenous Peoples Standing Committee (PIPC). FSC-IF, a private interest foundation under Panamanian law, aims to secure Indigenous Peoples’ rights and promote sustainable forest-based solutions across 300 million hectares of Indigenous forests. Our vision is to integrate Indigenous values, rights, livelihoods, ecosystem services, and territories into forest governance, climate change policies, and market systems.

We are Indigenous Peoples, guided by ancestral knowledge, practices, values, and respect for Mother Earth. As FSC-IF, we provide Indigenous-based solutions shaped by these traditions. We own and lead these solutions to global challenges, with FSC-IF serving as the platform to design, manage, and scale them through multi-sector partnerships. Rooted in Indigenous values and practices, FSC-IF addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by Indigenous Peoples in achieving self-development, self-governance, and self-sufficiency. Our approach differs from traditional organizational planning, reflecting our unique cultural and traditional ways of thinking and acting.

We are committed to supporting Indigenous values:

Respect for Mother Earth: We manage lands, waters, and ecosystems with great care, recognizing we borrow them from future generations.
Respect for Ancestral Knowledge: We honor our ancestors by sustainably and respectfully managing the resources provided by Mother Earth.

3.     CONTEXT

Indigenous youth leadership is deeply rooted in the history and culture of Indigenous communities. Traditionally, youth have been key bearers of scientific knowledge, cultural values, and defenders of ancestral lands. As they grow, they are expected to take on leadership roles, actively participating in ceremonies and community affairs.

In recent decades, Indigenous youth activism has surged, driven by the fight for land rights, cultural preservation, environmental care, and justice. They are taking on leadership roles in community organizations, advocating for Indigenous rights and cultural revitalization.

The FSC-IF and USAID launched the “Youth Lead Scholars Cohort 2: Deep Connections Fellowship for Indigenous Young Leaders” to support young Indigenous leaders and their communities. The Indigenous Youth Leadership Scholarship aims to foster new Indigenous leaders by enabling their participation in the 2024 One Young World Summit in Montreal, Canada. This summit will gather young leaders from over 190 countries and 250 organizations focused on accelerating social impact.

These young Indigenous leaders will engage in dialogue, workshops, and networking with global youth leaders for four years. They will also receive guidance from influential political, business, and humanitarian leaders.

After the Summit, participants will become One Young World Ambassadors and join the FSC-IF Youth Community. They will return to their communities equipped and motivated to make a difference, having formed networks with other young leaders and strategic partners to support their initiatives.

4.     OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY

General objective

The Student Assistant, under the supervision of the Project Lead, will oversee and enhance the implementation and documentation of the Youth Lead Scholars Cohort 2: Deep Connections Fellowship for Indigenous Young Leaders, ensuring mentoring, participation, and promotion of scholarship recipients.

Specific Objectives:

  1. Develop actions to support the mentoring processes for selected scholarship recipients before and after their participation in the One Young World Summit.
  2. Facilitate the participation of selected scholarship recipients in the One Young World Summit in September, in Montreal.
  3. Support the creation of audio-visual materials to promote the Program and document the experiences of the scholars.
  4. Promote the creation of a network of young Indigenous leaders.

5.     ACTIVITIES

Activities:

  • Organize and systematize applicants information in various formats, creating a database with all attached documents.
  • Develop and present a support and follow-up plan for scholarship recipients, including pre-and post-event support.
  • Assist with strategic logistical arrangements to ensure the effective participation of Indigenous youth in the Summit and related mentoring activities.
  • Address queries and concerns from applicants throughout the scholarship process.
  • Support the creation of communication materials to promote the scholarship recipients and the network of young Indigenous leaders.
  • Facilitate the establishment of a network for young Indigenous leaders.
  • Provide periodic progress reports on various activities.
  • Prepare a comprehensive report including best practices, improvement opportunities, and recommendations for future implementation.

6.     DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT METHOD:

DELIVERABLES | DELIVERY TIME |WAY TO PAY

Work plan and activity schedule of all the consultancy. Support and Monitoring Plan for young Indigenous leaders with scholarships | June – July | 20%

First activity report detailing the initial implementation of the Support and Monitoring Plan | July – August | 20%

Proposal for the formation of the FSC-IF Indigenous Youth Network. Second activity report. | August – September | 20%

Third activity report | September – October | 20%

OYW Final Report | October – November | 20%

7.     MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND REQUIRED SKILLS

  • Professional or Bachelor’s degree in social or administrative sciences or related fields.
  • At least one year of experience in developing actions or projects for Indigenous Peoples, including data management, event coordination, and activity monitoring.
  • Experience with initiatives or projects targeting organizations or groups of Indigenous youth is preferred.
  • Strong interpersonal communication, coordination, organizational, and planning skills.
  • Proficiency in MS Office, communication platforms (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, etc.), and other computer programs.
  • Demonstrated cultural awareness and sensitivity to diverse values, viewpoints, and approaches relevant to FSC-IF. Active members of Indigenous Peoples are encouraged to apply.
  • Ability to meet established deadlines effectively.
  • Excellent skills in systematizing information and expressing oneself both in writing and orally.

8.     HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates, please send your CV and Motivation Letter to procurement.fscif@fsc.org by 09 June 2024 (17:00 Panama Time). In the subject line, please include: “STUDENT ASSISTANT – YOUTH LEAD SCHOLARS COHORT 2”.

Note: This consultancy is contingent upon funding availability.

9.     INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS, PATENTS, AND OTHER PROPRIETARY RIGHTS

The Indigenous Foundation shall hold all intellectual property and proprietary rights, including but not limited to patents, copyrights, and trademarks, for all products, processes, inventions, ideas, know-how, documents, and other materials prepared or collected by the consultant during the course of this consulting engagement. The consultant acknowledges and agrees that these products, documents, and materials constitute work performed under the Indigenous Foundation’s engagement.

10.  CONFIDENTIALITY

The consultant agrees that all information or documentation provided and/or produced for the purposes of the consultancy will remain confidential and will not be disclosed without prior authorization from FSC-IF, both during and after the consultancy.

Additionally, the consultant agrees to refrain from making public statements on behalf of FSC-IF, engaging in actions, or representing FSC-IF in any media during the term of the contract.

11.  CONFLICT OF INTERESTS

In the event of a potential conflict of interest, management will gather all relevant information and may question the parties involved. If a conflict of interest is determined to exist, appropriate steps will be taken to resolve it.