PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A LOCAL POSITION FOR S. AFRICA NATIONALS OR THOSE WITH THE RIGHT TO WORK IN S.AFRICA

BACKGROUND:

The IUCN Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) operates in twenty-four countries in the Horn of Africa, eastern Africa, southern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean. IUCN ESARO engages directly in biodiversity conservation in the region through its innovative thematic programme, Conservation Areas and Species (CAS). The CAS programme draws on evidence-based and best practice approaches to enhance the conservation and management of biodiversity and ecosystems in Eastern and Southern Africa. CAS operates through a “One Programme” approach working closely with IUCN members and Commissions to engage in a diverse set of biodiversity conservation actions ranging from the implementation of field projects to influencing policy and institutional frameworks at local, national, regional and global levels. The CAS programme is focused on enhancing management effectiveness, governance and equity of protected and conserved areas, strengthening multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder engagement to improve biodiversity conservation at landscape and seascape level, and supporting effective local community engagement in biodiversity conservation. The thematic programme also contributes to building the capacity of IUCN Members and partners, as well as the ESARO Secretariat to tackle new and emerging biodiversity conservation challenges in the region and to implement relevant international conventions, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) , Convention on Illegal Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. The programme also links closely to relevant work and regional priorities of Regional Economic Communities, the African Union and the United Nations Environment Assembly.

IUCN ESARO seeks to recruit a highly qualified Programme Assistant to help with management of grants under the SADC TFCA Financing Facilities. A summary of the SADC TFCA Financing Facility is as follows:

SADC TFCA Financing Facility:

The development and establishment of a regional and sustainable Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) financing mechanism is a major component of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) TFCA programme (2013). The initial funding by the German Government (BMZ through KfW) shall be EUR 12 million (plus an additional commitment for EUR 11 million to be made available in the near future) for an initial financing cycle of up to 6 years. The intention is to leverage additional funds from various partners, including further commitment from Germany, in order to reach an operational funding volume of approximately EUR 100 million in the medium to long term.

The SADC TFCA Financing Facility (FF) is intended to foster closer collaboration between stakeholders supporting TFCAs and provide the basis for longer-term and more sustainable funding opportunities to develop all TFCAs. The SADC TFCA FF will be fully aligned with the objectives of the SADC Programme for TFCAs (2013) aiming at contributions to various objectives and goals in other relevant SADC strategies and protocols.
Through the TFCA Financing Facility, investments in tangible measures strengthening ecological, economic, cultural and institutional connectivity within SADC TFCAs will be leveraged in a flexible, demand-and performance driven way. The measures shall integrate three dimensions:
improved habitat connectivity, especially for elephants and large carnivores as flagship species (“species” dimension),
improved management effectiveness and governance of TFCAs and protected areas PAs (“habitat” dimension) and
improved livelihoods for communities affected by human-wildlife co-habitation (“people” dimension)
The SADC TFCA FF will contribute towards: (i) faster implementation of projects, (ii) better dissemination and multiplication of innovative approaches, (iii) a pipeline of bankable projects, ready for funding and able to absorb additional funds, (iv) faster response and reaction to upcoming challenges, crises or opportunities, (v) better coordination and harmonisation of national, bilateral and multilateral programmes. Further, the financing mechanism shall contribute to the institutional development of TFCAs, including the preparation and constitution of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), treaties and other legal documents as required.

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Programme Assistant will provide administrative, financial and logistical support to the SADC TFCA Financing Facility (TFCA FF) Project Management Unit (PMU) staff in the implementation of SADC TFCA Financing Facility Programme. The Programme Administrator will ensure that all administrative workflows within TFCA FF are executed accurately, efficiently, on time and in accordance with IUCN and donor policies and procedures. The position carries substantial responsibilities that require a broad range of skills and the ability to exercise considerable judgment, initiative and independence. She/he also works closely with the Admin & Finance team and ensures that payments and budgets are managed appropriately. The Programme Administrator backstops the other Program Assistants and Admin Assistants where necessary.

DUTIES

The Programme Assistant will be responsible for the following main duties. Administrative support to the TFCA FF PMU focusing on the following;
Support the programme team with meeting minutes and follow-up action points from Programme or Project meetings
Support the Senior Programme Officer with meeting summaries and follow up on action items from grantees calls
Support the programme team by drafting summary session reports and key outcomes for workshops and conferences
Support the establishment and maintenance of an efficient records system in a manner that allows easy access and retrieval. This includes maintaining donor and other contractual records and final project deliverables as well as key documents for each grant. Ensure inclusion of relevant information in the Project Portal.
Establish and maintain a proper inventory of project assets register, including numbering, recording, and reporting;
Establish and maintain a proper inventory of all contracts issued in the project (including grant contracts) with relevant disbursement timelines, and ensure entry into the Project Portal;
Initiate and prepare disbursements in accordance with activities and budgets of approved contracts;
Assist with the tracking of grant contract requirements and follow up with grantees as needed
Support Senior Programme Officer in review of proposals as per request
Provide support to the Programme team in the preparation and monitoring of quarterly and annual workplans and budgets.
Assist in the preparation and timely submission of technical and financial reports to donors and auditors
Manage the TFCA FF calendar of events
Maintain database of partners and key government contacts and develop email lists as relevant.
Contribute to the communication of project outputs, i.e. help with publications and other write-ups and profiling, on request of the SPO.

Logistics;
Coordinate and assist in making travel arrangements for national and international consultants/ experts and programme staff of the TFCA FF Team for all their domestic and international project- related travels, including preparing Travel Authorizations and Advances, preparing a travel folder per trip and compiling the travel expense claim in accordance with IUCN timelines and procedures;
Provide logistical support to programme activities (trainings, meetings, conferences and workshops) making sure that all aspects and details of such events are covered. This includes coordination of all aspects of travel, accommodation and conferencing facilities and potentially preparing relevant background documentation and publicity materials for the event.
Support programme staff on the ground during trainings, meetings, conferences and workshops to ensure smooth execution of these events.

Procurement;
Arrange for procurement of equipment, supplies and services as required in accordance with the project work plan;
Make budget checks for requisitions, POs and all contracts to ensure alignment with budgets;
Assist in drafting contracts for local and international experts and consultants, and sub-contracting institutions;
Manage clearance processes for Purchase Orders (POs) and all contractual arrangements for works and services (including consultant contracts and sub-contracting institutions). This includes preparation of clearance documents, obtaining approval in accordance to Internal Control System (ICS) procedures;
Track disbursements for consultants/specialists engaged by the projects; in accordance with the respective contract

Supports knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the TFCA FF Programme Unit and with other ESARO Programmes focusing on the following:

Participation in the trainings for the operations/ projects staff on programme;
Contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
Provide technical support and advice on finance and administrative issues to colleagues as needed.