Background
Duties and Responsibilities
- Function as a ‘strategic advisor’ to the regional project coordinator with respect to policies, relationship with countries, beneficiary communities and service providers, project direction and strategic orientation, planning (both annual and strategic), monitoring of results, project reporting, communication & outreach
- Play a pivotal role, with support of other experts from the project team, national structures and collaboration of experts from the IUCN, in the achievement of key project outputs, including the coherence between local development and conservation-oriented initiatives development, strengthening information sharing among stakeholders and disseminating useful lessons.
- Collaborate with other experts in the team, and national experts from the IUCN in the completion of other project outputs, including land-use planning, land conflict prevention, local consultations in protected area riverine communities, private sector engagement in PA managenemt, among others.
- Within the expert’s domain of work, support the other experts of the project team, national structures and IUCN experts in the completion of the project outputs linked to protected area planning and management in a general way.
- Promote the inter-community dialogue and improve the synergy between local development initiatives and those focusing on conservation in buffer and transition zones of the WAP Complex, through the identification of protected area management effectiveness relevant to WAP as a complex.
- In consultation with local communities, local authorities, civil society stakeholders and institutional structures at the national level, implement concrete and viable proposals for enhancing the effectiveness of land-use planning at all levels of the territory around the WAP Complex.
Specific Tasks
- Provide technical advice to the Project’s Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) and the national teams of the project within own field of experience.
- Work with the NIT in directly coordinate the implementation of a sustainable regional level co-ordination mechanism within the WAP protected area system
- Coordinate the activities of relevant technical assistance service providers in the area of protected management
- In particular with respect to the expert’s role as strategic advisor, assistance with the following tasks will be provided:
- In particular, work with national teams to plan for and insure the delivery of key project outcomes linked to protected area management effectivenes
Competencies
- Experience in a GEF project
- Qualifications in terms of providing strategic direction to a team and in ensuring technical supervision
- Excellent communication skills and team dynamics
- Ability to work in multicultural environments
- Ability to maintain good relationship
- Ability to work independently.
Required Skills and Experience
- Hold an advanced degree in the area of biology, ecology, wildlife or forest conservation/management, or closely related field with appropriate background
- Mastery of MS office package, ArcView and internet
- Excellent level of English and working knowledge of French (read and spoken)
- At least 10 years practical work experience in biodiversity conservation, protected area or natural ecosystems management in different contexts throughout the world
- Practical work experience with biodiversity indicators and in implementation of the ecosystem approach, MEET and other tools related to PAs management and conservation
- Experience with GIS is a plus
- Experience in planning, organizing and facilitating international meetings and workshops ;
- Experience in working and interacting with peoples of many and diverse cultures and interests