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Project Officer for the “Sahel Opportunities” project_in Ghana

Vacancy #:   5442
Unit:   Burkina Faso Programme Unit (CM)
Organisation:   International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location:   Ghana Project Office, Accra, Ghana
Reporting to:   Coordinateur Régional du projet “Opportunités au Sahel”
Work percentage:   100%
Grade:   P1
Expected start date:   01 August 2023
Type of contract:   Fixed-term (5 months with possibility of renewal)
Closing date:   11 October 2020
BACKGROUND
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is a union of Members made up of governments and civil society organizations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organizations with the knowledge and tools necessary for human progress, economic development and nature conservation to be carried out in harmony. Established in 1948, IUCN has grown over the years to become the largest and most diverse environmental network in the world. It has the experience, resources and weight of its 1,300 Member organizations and the skills of more than 13,000 experts. Today it is the international authority on the state of nature and the world's natural resources and on measures to preserve them. Our experts are divided into six Commissions, dedicated to species conservation, environmental law, protected areas, economic and social policies, ecosystem management, and education and communication.

As part of the implementation of its global mandate to combat desertification, the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) contributes to resolving these problems related to Desertification / Land Degradation and Drought through capacity building, sharing of successful experiences, technology transfer, provision of scientific support, awareness raising, resource mobilization and provision of assistance to countries for implementation policies at the national, sub-regional, regional and international levels. Thus, in its 2018-2030 strategic framework, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification aims "for a future that avoids, minimizes and reverses desertification / land degradation and mitigates the effects of drought in affected areas for all levels and strives to achieve a land degradation neutral world in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, within the framework of the Convention”.

It is within this framework that the Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Italian Ministry of the Environment, Land and Sea (IMELS) have agreed on funding for the implementation of the Project: "Creating land of opportunity: transforming livelihoods through landscape restoration in the Sahel" called "Project of opportunities in the Sahel". The Program of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in Burkina Faso will provide oversight responsibility for its implementation in three countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana and Niger. The overall objective of the project is to make a significant and sustainable contribution towards landscape restoration in the Sahel while creating income-generating activities for local communities in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Niger. Specifically, the project aims to achieve the following results: (1) Promote landscape restoration and facilitate the sustainability of these actions through the creation of land-based jobs and income-generating opportunities for rural populations across the Sahel, particularly benefiting women and youth; (2) Promote and strengthen the enabling environment for leveraging investments for landscape restoration benefiting local communities in selected countries in the Sahel; and (3) Improve the livelihoods of rural communities by establishing sustainable production of high-value drylands products to connect local producers to international markets.

In order to ensure the effective implementation of the contractual agreements relating to the project, IUCN is recruiting a Project officer for Ghana with exceptional talents and abilities.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Major Responsibilities
The project officer in Ghana will be placed under the direct supervision of the Regional Coordinator of the “Sahel Opportunities Project” based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. He / she will be responsible on the one hand for the technical and administrative implementation of the project and on the other hand to promote the achievements of the project and ensure consistency with related initiatives. Under the direct supervision of the Regional Project Coordinator, the project officer in Ghana is the primary project manager in the country, technically and financially, and ensures consistency with regional implementation.

Specific duties
1. Project planning and implementation
• Supervise and coordinate the development and implementation of all project activities in Ghana in collaboration with the Regional Project Coordination;
• Work closely with other IUCN staff in Ghana;
• Work closely with the project's implementing partners in the field;
• Ensure good collaboration with the national administrations and those responsible for other projects under execution or under development in the area of intervention, in particular the implementing partners in order to create the necessary synergies or implement joint initiatives;
• Maintain good working relations with decentralized technical services, local authorities (administration and customary), as well as organizations and other actors intervening in the project area;
• Ensure regular exchanges of information with those responsible for the same project in Burkina Faso and Niger, as well as with the Regional Coordination of the project in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso;
• Develop appropriate mechanisms for the involvement of communities in project activities;
• Prepare ToR and coordinate the work of consultants;
• Implement the recommendations of the Steering Committee in the project component in Ghana;

2. Project management
• Plan quarterly and annual activities and the related budget in collaboration with other partners and ensure its implementation ;
• Prepare the technical and financial reports of the project within the contractual deadlines;
• Participate in the development of an appropriate system of monitoring, evaluation and internal learning of project performance in close relation with the regional coordination of the project;
• Work in close collaboration with the other responsible for the regional coordination of the project;
REQUIREMENTS
  • 1. Minimum requirements
University degree (at least a Master’s Degree) in one of the fields of environment and rural development;


• Have at least 5 years of experience in the field of sustainable management of natural resources, particularly in the field of environmental governance;

• Have an excellent knowledge of the environmental, political, economic and social context of environmental management in Ghana;

• Have proven experience in technical, administrative and financial management;

• Have proven experience in project development and management, as well as in fundraising;

• Have an excellent level of spoken and written English and a good practice of French;

• Have a usual practice of computer tools and software for office and electronic communication;

• 2. Other criteria

• Skills for communication and working in multidisciplinary and multilingual teams

• A great capacity for organization, synthesis and writing of reports.

• Knowledge of at least one of the local languages in Ghana would be an asset

• Knowledge of agro-silvopastoral microenterprise development would be an asset

• Have good capacity to stay in the field, sometimes in difficult conditions;
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.

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