|
Country Coordinator, Stabilizing Land Use Project
|
BACKGROUND
IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges. IUCN’s work focuses on valuing and conserving nature, ensuring effective and equitable governance of its use, and deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and development. IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects all over the world, and brings governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best practice.
To support the delivery of its programmes in West and Central Africa and Eastern and Southern Africa Regions, IUCN is launching a new project entitled “Stabilizing Land Use: PA categories V and VI as landscape mechanisms for enhancing biodiversity in agricultural land, ecological connectivity and REDD+ implementation”. The goal of the project is to demonstrate conservation and development benefits in targeted landscapes in four African countries, including Ghana, DR Congo, Tanzania and Uganda through better use of Protected Area categories V and VI (or other appropriate area based conservation mechanisms), and facilitate alignment with and integration of project outcomes, lessons and knowledge into national, sub-national and landscape policies and strategies. This project will also increase biodiversity conservation potential of agricultural and forest land in 4 African countries by enhancing and expanding the role of PA categories V and VI, and other conservation measures including the full IUCN PA Matrix of governance types. The Project will build on and/or enhance existing local and national initiatives and governance structures and processes to facilitate conservation of biodiversity and forest ecosystems at the sub-national levels. The project will also develop and/or promote appropriate local and national institutional arrangements and mechanisms to promote dialogue and reduce conflicts linked to natural resource management.
To enable successful delivery of the project in Ghana, IUCN is seeking a talented, motivated, experienced and visionary person to fill the position of Country Coordinator.
To support the delivery of its programmes in West and Central Africa and Eastern and Southern Africa Regions, IUCN is launching a new project entitled “Stabilizing Land Use: PA categories V and VI as landscape mechanisms for enhancing biodiversity in agricultural land, ecological connectivity and REDD+ implementation”. The goal of the project is to demonstrate conservation and development benefits in targeted landscapes in four African countries, including Ghana, DR Congo, Tanzania and Uganda through better use of Protected Area categories V and VI (or other appropriate area based conservation mechanisms), and facilitate alignment with and integration of project outcomes, lessons and knowledge into national, sub-national and landscape policies and strategies. This project will also increase biodiversity conservation potential of agricultural and forest land in 4 African countries by enhancing and expanding the role of PA categories V and VI, and other conservation measures including the full IUCN PA Matrix of governance types. The Project will build on and/or enhance existing local and national initiatives and governance structures and processes to facilitate conservation of biodiversity and forest ecosystems at the sub-national levels. The project will also develop and/or promote appropriate local and national institutional arrangements and mechanisms to promote dialogue and reduce conflicts linked to natural resource management.
To enable successful delivery of the project in Ghana, IUCN is seeking a talented, motivated, experienced and visionary person to fill the position of Country Coordinator.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Under the supervision of the Regional Forest Program Coordinator for West and Central Africa, the National Coordinator will be responsible for overall implementation and delivery of the project in Ghana, facilitating in-country operational planning and successful timely delivery of agreed country plans, country level performance monitoring, learning and reporting, and enabling project contribution to, integration in and alignment with national conservation and development priorities, specifically ensuring that project results, lessons and knowledge are captured, packaged and up-scaled into the national policies and strategies, and made available as contributions to regional and global agendas. The Project Coordinator will also ensure that project country strategies are adapted and implemented in ways to demonstrate sound contributions to key national and international Commitments under Aichi Targets 7 and 11, REDD+ programs and poverty reduction and sustainable development agendas. Also, he/she should ensure that project outcomes are fed into current debates and challenges related to the implementation of international Conventions like the CBD Aichi Targets, REDD+/INDCs, FIP, etc.
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Project Coordinator will have the following specific responsibilities:
Project management and implementation
-Overall in-country technical and financial management of the project;
-Ensure full compliance of project implementation, management and reporting to donor requirements and IUCN standards as per organizations policies and in internal implementation arrangements;
-Ensure that project activities are delivered on-time, on-budget, and on-track to showcase the achievement of the projects’ objectives, contractual obligations and the IUCN-PACO Forest Program programmatic objectives;
-Lead and facilitate in-country project operations planning, monitoring and learning;
-Prepare and submit technical and financial reports on time and following agreed formats and standards;
-Ensure that all project records and sources of verification are documented, finalized and stored in format and content that demonstrate achievements and ensure accountability of project;
-Provide technical assistance to relevant partners and colleagues to ensure that the achievement of targets, results and deliverables is on time and reflect the expected quality and technical standards;
-Support the activities of the Forest and other thematic Programs by searching and synthesizing information on innovative themes and issues relevant to the work of the Program;
-Work in synergy with other Country Coordinators of the Stabilizing Land Use Project to facilitate program delivery, exchange of experiences and lessons learned as well as capitalizing on the results of the project at the national, regional and international levels;
-Regularly update IUCN’s databases with project data.
Knowledge generation and analytical work
-Ensure that all project information is appropriately documented through an established communications schedule to support stakeholders involvement and project delivery;
-Promote exchange of policy, strategic and technical information with key conservation and development partners in Ghana;
-Be proactive in seeking and delivering innovative solutions and technical information to relevant partners and colleagues;
-Develop and support exchange and sharing of knowledge and lessons learned from the project to ensure timely and quality delivery of knowledge products to specific audiences;
-Ensure effective information flow between all those engaged in or affected by the implementation of the project;
-Establish files to ensure that information on the progress of the project is appropriately documented and whenever necessary shared to appropriate audience.
Program and project development
-Assist in identifying opportunities for Program and project development in line with the IUCN 2017-2020 Program, PACO 2017-2020 Work plan and the PACO Forest Strategy for 2017-2020. This will entail the following key responsibilities;
oIdentify conservation and development priorities relevant to IUCN and the needs of IUCN Members and Commissions in the Ghana and beyond;
oBuild partnerships with relevant Government and Non-government Organizations as well as Private sector, including IUCN Members and Commissions to establish functional networks and joint initiatives to promote fundraising to complement the implementation of the activities of the Project in Ghana.
oLead and/or support fundraising efforts from national and international donors to develop project activities
oCarry out in-country situation analyses and diagnosis for developing relevant and coherent project proposals.
Other responsibilities
As requested by the PACO Regional Forest Program Coordinator, the Project Coordinator shall:
-Represent IUCN during strategic, political and technical meetings, seminars, conferences, etc;
-Where appropriate, supervise additional staff, consultants and interns;
-Carry out additional tasks as may be requested.
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Project Coordinator will have the following specific responsibilities:
Project management and implementation
-Overall in-country technical and financial management of the project;
-Ensure full compliance of project implementation, management and reporting to donor requirements and IUCN standards as per organizations policies and in internal implementation arrangements;
-Ensure that project activities are delivered on-time, on-budget, and on-track to showcase the achievement of the projects’ objectives, contractual obligations and the IUCN-PACO Forest Program programmatic objectives;
-Lead and facilitate in-country project operations planning, monitoring and learning;
-Prepare and submit technical and financial reports on time and following agreed formats and standards;
-Ensure that all project records and sources of verification are documented, finalized and stored in format and content that demonstrate achievements and ensure accountability of project;
-Provide technical assistance to relevant partners and colleagues to ensure that the achievement of targets, results and deliverables is on time and reflect the expected quality and technical standards;
-Support the activities of the Forest and other thematic Programs by searching and synthesizing information on innovative themes and issues relevant to the work of the Program;
-Work in synergy with other Country Coordinators of the Stabilizing Land Use Project to facilitate program delivery, exchange of experiences and lessons learned as well as capitalizing on the results of the project at the national, regional and international levels;
-Regularly update IUCN’s databases with project data.
Knowledge generation and analytical work
-Ensure that all project information is appropriately documented through an established communications schedule to support stakeholders involvement and project delivery;
-Promote exchange of policy, strategic and technical information with key conservation and development partners in Ghana;
-Be proactive in seeking and delivering innovative solutions and technical information to relevant partners and colleagues;
-Develop and support exchange and sharing of knowledge and lessons learned from the project to ensure timely and quality delivery of knowledge products to specific audiences;
-Ensure effective information flow between all those engaged in or affected by the implementation of the project;
-Establish files to ensure that information on the progress of the project is appropriately documented and whenever necessary shared to appropriate audience.
Program and project development
-Assist in identifying opportunities for Program and project development in line with the IUCN 2017-2020 Program, PACO 2017-2020 Work plan and the PACO Forest Strategy for 2017-2020. This will entail the following key responsibilities;
oIdentify conservation and development priorities relevant to IUCN and the needs of IUCN Members and Commissions in the Ghana and beyond;
oBuild partnerships with relevant Government and Non-government Organizations as well as Private sector, including IUCN Members and Commissions to establish functional networks and joint initiatives to promote fundraising to complement the implementation of the activities of the Project in Ghana.
oLead and/or support fundraising efforts from national and international donors to develop project activities
oCarry out in-country situation analyses and diagnosis for developing relevant and coherent project proposals.
Other responsibilities
As requested by the PACO Regional Forest Program Coordinator, the Project Coordinator shall:
-Represent IUCN during strategic, political and technical meetings, seminars, conferences, etc;
-Where appropriate, supervise additional staff, consultants and interns;
-Carry out additional tasks as may be requested.
REQUIREMENTS
|
• A minimum of Master’s degree in a relevant disciplines, including forestry, natural resources management and biodiversity conservation, environmental policy and management, social sciences, development studies or related fields ; • At least 5 years of professional experience in conservation, forest and natural resources management- especially on locally controlled forest, Climate change/REDD+, Forest Landscape Restoration, or sustainable development; • Experience in project management • Solid knowledge of conservation, climate change, land tenure and governance, and sustainable development policy issues and how they fit into the national policy and socioeconomic development agendas. • Excellent report writing skills; • Proven experience in fundraising • Experience in creating and facilitating dialogue, partnerships and synergies; • A strong delivery-oriented work ethic with the ability to meet competing demands and challenging timelines; • Strong written and spoken English and a working knowledge of French; • Demonstrated professional computer literacy and ability liaise and work with multiple country teams remotely through online platforms and/or through email. |
APPLICATIONS
Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.
Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
About IUCN
IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.
Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.
IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.
Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.
www.iucn.org
https://twitter.com/IUCN