CALL FOR INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL APPLICATIONS FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF ONE (01) FORESTRY AND MAPPING ADVISOR FOR THE CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT IN TERRITORY PLANNING (CAFI AT) OF THE DEUTSCHE GESELLSCHAFT FÜR INTERNATIONALE ZUSAMMENARBEIT GmbH BASED IN YAOUNDE.

 

A. GENERAL CONTEXT

The Capacity Building Project for Territorial Planning (CAFI AT Project) is one of the four projects in the start-up phase of the CAFI-Cameroon Partnership, formalized by the signing of the Letter of Intent between the Cameroonian Government and the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) on October 8, 2024 in Hamburg. This strategic partnership, which is aligned with the orientations of the National Development Strategy 2020-2030 (SND30) in terms of sustainable development, focuses on reducing deforestation, improving territorial governance and promoting inclusive economic growth.

Indeed, Cameroon, whose forests cover more than two-thirds of the national territory, plays a key role in preserving the Congo Basin’s ecosystems. However, these forests are highly threatened by deforestation. Among the many factors, agriculture alone, mostly in the form of small-scale, extensive farms, accounts for more than 60% of this deforestation. This pressure is amplified by rapid population growth, which generates increased land needs for agricultural production, housing, and infrastructure. In this context, without a coherent management framework, this dynamic exacerbates the growing fragmentation of forest landscapes, accentuating biodiversity loss and territorial vulnerability.

Faced with these challenges, land use planning appears to be an essential lever for organizing the balanced distribution of land uses, preserving forests while ensuring food security and economic development. Co-financed by CAFI and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the CAFI AT project aims to reconcile the imperatives of economic growth and the preservation of forest ecosystems, based on sustainable, inclusive and intersectoral territorial planning. Implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), in close collaboration with MINEPAT, MINDDEVEL, MINFOF and the CTD, the project operates in the Central, South and Littoral regions, with four pilot municipalities highly exposed to land and forest pressures: Ngambé-Tikar, Mfou, Melong and Akom 2.

The CAFI AT project adopts an integrated, intersectoral and multi-level approach, drawing on synergies with other CAFI interventions in Cameroon (notably the “Grand Mbam”, “intersectoral coordination” and “support for FODECC” projects).

The achievement of its strategic objectives is conditioned by the effective implementation of the actions planned within the framework of the five operational products formulated as follows:

1. Support for the development of legal instruments for implementing the 2011 AT guidance law is effective.

2. The tools for regional planning are finalized, popularized and made sustainable.

3. The pilot regional councils are supported for better planning and sustainable development of the territory.

4. The PLADDTs are developed in four pilot municipalities.

5. The methodology tools of the third National Forest Inventory are developed and tested.

To this end, the CAFI AT project is currently looking for a Forestry and Mapping Advisor based in Yaoundé .

 

B. AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND ATTRIBUTIONS

Reporting to the senior technical advisor, the post holder will have the following responsibilities:

 

• Support the finalization of the methodology of the third National Forest Inventory;
• Support the implementation of some geographical and ethnobotanical characterization studies;
• Support the training of MINFOF staff in dendrometry and prospecting;
• Support the implementation of a pilot IFN to test and refine the validated methodology;
• Support the development of tools for presenting the evolution, occupation of space and historical forest cover by Region;
• Support the creation of a standardized cartographic database which includes the sectoral zoning plan for synthetic maps at the Municipality level;
• Support regions in developing an inventory and mapping of land concessions acquired by title or customary arrangement (active land and frozen land);
• Participate in the development of agropastoral soil suitability maps on the identified pilot sites;
• Make available and accessible the databases and mapping of the SRADDTs of the three Regions, in order to facilitate the development of PLADDTs at the municipal level.
• Establish a GIS (Geographic Information System) database;
• Prepare the TDRs and contribute to the organization of workshops;
• Perform all other tasks assigned by the line manager.

 

C. QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

 

Qualification

• Have at least a Bac + 4 level diploma in Forestry, Geography, Geomatics, environmental sciences or in a related field.

 

Professional experience

• Have at least 5 years of professional experience in the fields of mapping, forest cover preservation and natural resource management;
• Have experience in applied geography in spatial analyses and in all stages of mapping;
• Have experience in developing cartographic databases;
• Having experience working with MINFOF is an asset.

 

Other knowledge/skills

• Have good knowledge of data collection, analysis and processing;  
• Have in-depth knowledge of planning and land use planning tools; 
• Have a good knowledge of the issues and actions of sustainable development;
• Have a good knowledge of forest protection and management of Protected Areas;
• Have a good command of Geographic Information Systems; 
• Have mastery of mapping and spatial analysis software such as QGIS, ARCGIS, Envi, Global Mapper, Google earth PostGIS;
• Have excellent organizational, analytical, design and writing skills;
• Be able to work effectively under pressure and meet strict deadlines;  
• Have a very good working knowledge of the use of information and communication technologies (corresponding software as well as telephone, fax, e-mail, Internet) as well as computer applications (such as MS Office); 
• Have an independent and structured working method as well as an interest in acquiring new skills;
• Be able to work in a multicultural environment; 
• Be able to work independently while collaborating with other professionals;
• Have very good written and oral command of French and a good knowledge of English. 

 

 

Contract start date : November 15, 2025 

Deadline for receipt of application files : October 16, 2025

Contract period : Fixed-term contract (02 years)

Duty Station : Yaoundé, Cameroon 

Internal job classification : Band 4, under the hierarchical supervision of the Principal Technical Advisor

 

 

D. COMPOSITION AND SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

 

  1. Composition of application files:

– Cover letter mentioning the candidate’s current place of residence;

– CV + 3 professional references

 

 2. Submission of application files  :  

All applications will only be received via the GIZ Cameroon recruitment platform:  .

APPLY HERE: https://apply.workable.com/giz-kamerun/j/C1B1D8C940/

 

Female applicants are strongly encouraged.

 

NB: Recruitment at GIZ is free of charge and does not involve mediation. Any fraudulent information detected will result in the application being removed from the current and future recruitment processes. Only selected candidates will be contacted. Unsuccessful applications will be destroyed six months after the publication date.