Programme Officer – Protected Areas Management

Expected start date:	01 November 2017
Type of contract:	Fixed-term (12 months with possibility of renewal)
Closing date:	16 October 2017

BACKGROUND

The current position is to work with IUCN’s Regional Office for Western and Central Africa (PACO). It will be based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The post holder will provide support to regional institutions in charge of protected areas in the Western and Central African region under the supervision of the unit’s head. The provision of support to regional organisations in the area of protected area management through the regional Observatory for protected areas is funded through the IUCN regional program for protected areas and biodiversity from several donors. The post holder will contribute to developing synergies between concurrent projects in close coordination with other IUCN staff within the secretariat, other IUCN staff seconded within parent organisations as well as directly with partners in order to ensure effective implementation and monitoring of regional policies for protected areas. The post holder will ensure that IUCN’s tools and knowledge products are promoted and made available to partners and conservation actors. That regional partners can benefit from IUCN members’ capacity and from the contributions of the IUCN commissions. That the countries receive support in the implementation of the Rio agreements, towards the sustainable development goals Agenda 2030 and the Paris agreement.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The post holder will work under the direct supervision of the Coordinator for the Regional Programme for Protected Areas. She/He will also contribute to the management of the Regional Observatory for Protected Areas. As a PACO staff, the post holder will contribute actively to the implementation and development of the Regional Programme for Protected Areas, develop knowledge of the Union, and provide support to IUCN members and partners. The position entails regular interactions with peers from regional partners, national administrations, and regional organisations on complex issues. Occasional interactions with highest external contacts on complex and policy issues. Intensive international and regional travels. Responsibility over work planning, budget and expenses.

1. Project implementation: The post holder will be responsible for the execution of donors’ contracts under the guidance and supervision of the program manager. The tasks include :

Ensure the implementation of projects in accordance with project documents, agreed work plans and IUCN procedures
Oversee the implementation of BIOPAMA Observatory for protected areas
Assist WEAMU and ECOWAS in the implementation and monitoring of their environmental policies in relation to protected areas and natural resources management
Oversee an action fund dedicated to PAME data management through IMET and EoH on over 100 protected sites
Produce common yearly workplans to provide support to WAEMU, ECOWAS, RAMPAO, ECOFAC and RAPAC in agreement with their needs
Supervise studies, researches and analysis as required
Coordinate the edition of the State of Protected Areas reports
Reach out to economic actors outside the sector of environment and acquire their commitment in protected area valorisation
Develop the program’s full M&E regional framework in coordination with BIOPAMA’s global coordination and the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). Ensure the timely documentation of indicators. Ensure that all data pertaining to the program’s activities are collected and analysed at sufficient standard
Coordinate the coordination of field support funded by the action funds
Ensure that IUCN knowledge products and tools are provided to IUCN members and partners as needed, with the required support, in collaboration with IUCN PACO, global programs and commissions
Ensure that the project and the program’s achievements are efficiently and timely communicated to partners and to the conservation community. That BIOPAMA beneficiary’s communication strategy are effectively executed with support and contribution from BIOPAMA and PACO
Inform on a permanent basis the program coordinator and PACO management team of all development in the execution of the program

2. Represent effectively the IUCN and its partners:

Assist with maintaining strong relationships with relevant IUCN partners, maintaining communications, efficient collaboration and a spirit of service to the project’s beneficiaries.
Provide technical support to IUCN partners and project beneficiaries

3. Administrative and finance management:

The post holder will ensure compliance with the donors’ and IUCN’s procedures.
Conduct procurement process, interact with service providers, and monitor deliverables
Liaise with PACO Finance Officers regarding compliance with donors’ contractual and financial requirements;
Support the provision of financial reporting to donors by providing the finance department with the relevant project/programme information on a timely basis;
Support the Technical Coordinator to regularly review, analyse and monitor the project financial reports and communicate any over/under expenditure observations to the Technical Coordinator on a timely basis;
Coordinate the procurement process of project assets and ensure all processes are in line with the IUCN Internal Control systems and donor requirements.

4. Monitoring and evaluation

Ensure that the project develops and effectively implements an M&E framework, in line IUCN guidelines and procedures as well as that required by the donor
Ensure that all the information related to the implementation of projects is adequately filed, organized and updated for easy access;
Identify and use lessons to inform future practice;
Document and share lessons and experiences, as appropriate

REQUIREMENTS

• Specific skills and experience required

Minimum of a post-graduate (M.Sc.) academic studies, preferentially Higher degree of specialised academic studies in environmental law, natural resource management, ecology - related discipline
At least 5 years’ experience with project and program responsibility
Demonstrated expertise and experience with protected area management and specifically with the PAME framework.
Strong communication and presentation skills and an ability to prepare appropriate and timely reports to a wide range of audiences and cultures.
Time management skills including an ability to work effectively under pressure and to meet deadlines.
Awareness and an ability to acknowledge and respect different cultures, and to engage appropriately with people of different backgrounds.
Fluent writing and speaking literacy in both English and French, A high level of competency in those languages is also required. An adequate level of fluency in another language of the region (e.g. Portuguese, Arabic ) would be an additional asset

Desired skills and experience

1. Extensive experience with protected area management systems, particularly management effectiveness.

Experience in biodiversity and/or protected areas information management, ideally involving terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, at national and/or regional levels.
Peer reviewed publications in the general field of protected area systems, biodiversity conservation, wildlife management,
Hands on experience with PAME tools on the field and/or with their analysis
Excellent general knowledge of the IUCN guidelines and tools relating to site based conservation and relating to capacity developments
Active member of a commission will be a distinct advantage

2. Functional knowledge of information technologies

Experience (preferably a formal qualification) in GIS and spatial analysis techniques. Specific knowledge and experience in the use of tools for on-line publishing of geospatial data and metadata would be an asset, as well as experience in the use of any of the component tools of the RRIS, i.e. PostGIS, GeoServer, GeoNode, Drupal
General ICT knowledge and experience, internet user interfaces as well as spatial analysis and development of decision support tools, including experience in developing detailed user requirements in collaboration with stakeholders, translation of needs expressed by decision-makers into data and information/analysis needs to develop decision-support tools

3. Experience in the development and implementation of capacity development programmes and training

Formal training and/or experience with coaching techniques
Formal training or demonstrated experience in education engineering, training design, training for adults, competency approach
Experience with the organisation of workshops and training sessions

4. Knowledge and understanding of the roles and functions of institutions

Extensive and practical knowledge of main environmental agreements and environmental policies. Participations in relevant foras, such as CBD conference of parties, regional meetings with focus on protected areas, policies and capacity building.
Demonstrated experience working through and in support of regional and national institutions. An extensive existing network in the sector across the WCA region would be a great advantage.
Demonstrated excellent interpersonal and networking skills, including the ability to work in a multi-cultural environment, and to establish effective working relationships both within and outside the organization with a diversity of stakeholders.
Experience in communicating and collaborating with management agencies, academic institutions and local, national and regional stakeholders to achieve agreed collective outcomes
A good knowledge of major donors procedures.
Advanced negotiation skills. Training and experience in conflict resolution, influence and/or change management at individual and organisational level.
Experience in organizing meetings, events, international foras

General characteristics desired

Demonstrated commitment to achieving biodiversity conservation and livelihoods goals, in collaboration with others.
Demonstrated high level skills in project planning, overseeing implementation and evaluating progress, including work planning, financial management, and monitoring and evaluation.
Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment, to think laterally and to resolve complex issues in a dynamic and changing environment.
A team player who is able to contribute effectively to collaborative issues, and to demonstrate innovation and leadership, as appropriate.
A good understanding of IUCN’s mission and a general attitude of being of service to others.

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: http://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 1,300 Member organisations and some 15,000 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

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