Join us in helping to renew economic thinking on development.

The socio-ecological crises we are experiencing and the fact that many of the planet’s limits are being exceeded are leading us to question our social and economic models, in particular the concepts of growth and development. At a local level, stakeholders are claiming alternative relationships with the environment, redefining their common existential needs and aspiring to changes in lifestyles. The buen vivir concept in Latin America, the Ubuntu philosophy in Africa or voluntary simplicity in Europe illustrate this broadening of social demand from well-being to good living and commoning. The alternative paths explored by the international community and governments rarely translate into decision-making processes or the implementation of policies. One of the obstacles is linked to the incommensurable dimensions of the interrelationships between societies and environments, challenging deliberation between stakeholders and policy makers. 

Your work will aim to support local initiatives in defining through action-research these aspirations to live together, and to foster dialogue between these initiatives and the various levels of public action to ensure scaling up. Based on different schools of thought that approach the relationship between society and the environment from different perspectives (e.g. ecological economics, the institutional school of commons, political ecology), you will analyse and support:

-The links between modes of production and consumption, and socio-economic well-being and the state of the environment;

-The role of the commons to frame interdependencies between humans and non-humans;

-The recognition and promotion of alternative local initiatives through public action;

-Forms of evaluation and taking account of the incommensurable values of interrelationships between societies and environments

 Two types of approaches are considered:

-Methodologies for consultation and deliberation, to support local stakeholders define the values and objectives of living together and integrate them into public action 

-Methodologies for the participatory evaluation of good living by stakeholders, and the contribution of local initiatives to redefining the systems of indicators used by public policies

Initially, you will be responsible for:
-Carrying out a state-of-the-art review of alternatives to development
-Contributing to partnerships in areas in the Global South where CIRAD and the SENS research unit are already present to analyse local initiatives
-Accompanying stakeholders at different levels to co-construct systems of indicators for evaluating living together.

Background :

· 8 years of higher education, with a PhD in economics: development economics and/or institutional economics and/or ecological economics and/or anthropological economics

· 2 to 5 years of professional experience in local governance, community project management and/or public policy analysis and participatory evaluation

· Some experience in a country in the Global South would be appreciated

Skills:

· Expertise in survey methods

· Expertise in evaluation methods

· Knowledge of post-development approaches

· Knowledge of participative (including deliberative) approaches

· Fluency in spoken and written French and English

Professional skills:

· Ability to work in a team and integrate interdisciplinary research issues

· Ability to work in different cultural and institutional contexts

· Ability to dialogue with public authorities and a wide range of stakeholders

· Strong motivation to work in countries in the Global South

· Autonomy and adaptability

Planned posting abroad (Latin America or the Indian Ocean) after one or two years in Montpellier.

Please include in your CV references from previous managers you authorise us to contact.

Benefits: You will receive a 13th month’s salary, plus, if you are working abroad, specific allowances depending on your location and family circumstances. You will also have comprehensive social insurance cover, regardless of your location.

Feel free to consult the Our Strengths page on our website : Nos-atouts