Open Call

Northern Europe Regional Representative

Dear IFSA World,

IFSA wishes to announce the open call for the position of Regional Representatives for Northern Europe. This is a call for enthusiastic and self-motivated individuals who will serve for the term 2023/24 starting from September 2023 till August 2024.

Introduction

IFSA Officials volunteer to contribute to the IFSA Network. This can take many forms: from being the FAO representative for IFSA members to exploring your creative side in designing for social media, to connecting with the Local Committees in your region and helping them engage in international IFSA activities and cross-national meetings. Whether you are interested in communication, capacity development, or policy, IFSA offers a wide range of opportunities.

Depending on the position you take on, you will spend anywhere from a few hours to several hours per week on your tasks. You will not do this alone, IFSA has around 50 Officials who communicate in an online network consisting of Officials, alumni, consulting members, etc. You will frequently attend or organize online meetings related to your fellow Officials’ work or to annual events like the International Forestry Students’ Symposium (IFSS) or Interim taking place halfway through every IFSA term. There is always someone to share your volunteering experience with or to simply chat about the forestry world!

To gain more insight into what it is like to become an Official position check out https://ifsa.net/get-involved/become-an-ifsa-official/

 

Job description

Background

Regional Representatives are in charge of managing IFSA at the regional level, promoting networking and opportunities and providing a link between the rest of IFSA and the Local Committees (LCs).

Tasks and Responsibilities

  • Establish a network of representatives from each LC
  • Host monthly “Coffee hour” with LC representatives
  • Coordinate activities in the region (eg. events, exchanges between LCs)
  • Manage region social media and share IFSA News and activities with the region
  • Act as first contact point for LC members in the region
  • Ensure that LC information is updated in the membership database
  • Support the organization of the Regional Meeting
  • Get in touch with inactive LCs and try to reactivate them
  • Help with the application process for new LCs

Workload

  • Approximately 5 hours per week
  • Try to check your inbox every single day and reply to any needs, which need your attention as soon as possible.

Before applying for a position, we strongly advise you to get in touch with the Membership Councilor (membership.councilor@ifsa.net) and/or the current two Regional Representatives of Northern Europe (northern.europe@ifsa.net).

 

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for an IFSA Official position, you first need to ensure that you comply with the requirements.

The application consists of a motivation letter (max. 800 words) and a video (max. 2 minutes).

 

Requirements

In order to apply for an official position you MUST comply with these requirements:

  • You need to be a member of an IFSA Local Committee and either be an active student or have graduated no longer than one year ago.
  • Proficiency in English, as it is the official language of IFSA and therefore the only means of communication between Officials.
  • Good internet connection: given the fact that all the work as an Official is done remotely, a good internet connection is crucial to effectively accomplish your tasks.
  • Access to a Computer or tablet.

 

Motivation letter

The motivation letter should cover all the following points and be no longer than 800 words. Note that these points correspond to the criteria that are used to evaluate the motivation letter.

  • What is your background?
    • Introduction: name, age, country, university, current studies
    • LC of membership
  • What is your previous experience in IFSA at the international level (participation and/or organization of IFSA international meetings, IFSA partner events, commissioner or official position)?
  • What is your previous experience in IFSA at the regional and local level (participation and/or organization of regional events, activity in own LC, position held in own LC)? [Only relevant for Regional Representatives or applicants without international experience]
  • Why are you interested in applying for this position?
  • What is your understanding of the position you are running for?
    • Role of the position
    • Tasks of the position
    • Functioning of the position within the Department/Commission
  • What are your overall plans for the IFSA term?
  • Consideration of required skills
  • Optional: Workplan for the term

 

Video

Record a video (max. 2 minutes) where you introduce yourself and present the main points from the motivation letter.

Some tips for the video:

  • If the video is longer than 2 minutes, just shorten it talking about the key points from your letter; the other points are covered by the letter;
  • Ensure good lighting
  • Make sure the sound is clear and has good volume so the video is easy to understand (no background noise/music)

 

IFSA Membership verification

The IFSA membership needs to be verified in order to apply for an official position.

You should use one of the following systems:

  • Member verification on the website is currently under reconstruction, so please do use the method below.
  • LC Verification letter. A verification letter from your Local Committee (LC) signed by the President of your LC, verifying that you are a member of the LC in PDF format. In case you are the President of your LC, ask the Vice President to sign it. Here you can find a template for the verification letter.

Deadline

The deadline is 8th April 2023 for the application. 

 

Application procedure

In order to apply you need to fill this form: https://forms.gle/ZsAxwyhX7QRYbrjq7

 

The application form includes:

  • Personal information
  • The motivation letter in PDF format (max 800 word).
  • A video (max 2 minutes)
  • IFSA membership verification

Applications that do not follow this procedure (eg. late, incomplete or not sent through the form) will not be considered.

In case of technical issues with the submission of the application, please send an email to opencall@ifsa.net specifying the problem that you are encountering.

 

Good luck with your application,

The IFSA Board.