Protected Areas Coordinator, BIOPAMA Programme
The EU-funded Biodiversity and Protected Area Management Programme (BIOPAMA) is aimed at improving the long-term conservation of biodiversity in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands region and enhancing the capacity of existing institutions and networks involved in biodiversity conservation and protected area management. BIOPAMA began in March 2012 in close collaboration with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (EC-JRC) and the German Agency for International Collaboration (GIZ).
During the last few decades, African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) governments have increased their efforts in establishing protected areas. In Africa protected areas cover slightly over 2 million km² or 7% of the continent’s 30 million km²; in the Caribbean they cover 70,000 km² representing 29% of this region; in the Pacific close to 1,466,000 km² are under protection, mostly represented by large marine parks and Community Managed Protected Areas in coastal and marine areas. In spite of these efforts, the rate of the loss of biodiversity hasn't slowed down. Many of the protected area systems of ACP countries are not achieving the objectives for which they were created, particularly in terms of conserving key species and maintaining natural ecosystems and the services they provide.
The BIOPAMA programme will address this challenge through capacity building, using the possibilities and opportunities offered by the Convention on Biological Diversity, and in particular, it’s Programme of Work on Protected Areas (POWPA). The BIOPAMA programme will assist involved countries in developing a framework for improving technical and institutional approaches to conservation through capacity building and regional cooperation. It will contribute to the conservation of indigenous biodiversity and to the maintenance of the ecological services provided by protected areas, particularly for the benefit of local people who are highly dependent on the use of natural resources for their livelihoods, and also for wider social benefits. While similar efforts will unfold in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, the current position only pertains to the insular Caribbean.
By improving access to and availability of relevant data and information on biodiversity, climate, natural resource management, governance and socioeconomic issues, the BIOPAMA programme aims to enhance the management of protected areas (terrestrial and marine) and national systems of protected areas. BIOPAMA will establish a Regional Observatory in the Caribbean to enable the provision of relevant data and information to assist in better planning and decision-making as well as exchanging knowledge. BIOPAMA will also develop a regional capacity building programme in partnership with existing institutions, such as regional training centres, in order to train Caribbean decision makers and protected area managers, and increase support for protected areas, to enable effective and equitable management of well governed protected areas. This programme will also support the updating and expanding of curricula on conservation and protected areas, as well as developing tools to solve regional conservation issues.
IUCN is implementing BIOPAMA through its Global Protected Areas Programme (based at IUCN Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland), in close collaboration with its European Regional Programme, four of its regional offices and two commissions: the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and the Species Survival Commission (SSC). The current position will work with IUCN’s Regional Office for Mesoamerica and the Caribbean Initiative (ORMA-CI), which is located in San José, Costa Rica, and holds responsibility for BIOPAMA’s activities in the Caribbean. It is foreseen that the Protected Areas Coordinator will spend an initial induction period at the Regional Office in Costa Rica and will thereafter undertake his/her duties from a Caribbean location, reporting to the Senior Protected Areas Advisor Officer who is based at ORMA-CI.
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Oversee the implementation of the Caribbean region component of the BIOPAMA programme, including planning, coordinating and leading related activities, in collaboration with the Jose Courrau, Senior Protected Areas Officer and other Regional Office staff. This will also involve close liaisons with the global BIOPAMA Programme Manager within the IUCN Global Protected Areas Programme (GPAP), as well as with project partners, in particular the EC-JRC and GIZ.
In collaboration with the ORMA-CI office, oversee the implementation of project activities undertaken in the participating countries, including liaising with national governments and regional experts, providing technical support and advice, delivering training activities, organizing workshops and coordination meetings, supervising and supporting consultancies and other sub-contracted activities, and preparing awareness and outreach materials.
Oversee and, where appropriate, contribute to capacity needs assessments and to the design, evaluation and implementation of capacity building efforts, projects and programmes.
Identify the need and prepare TORs for consultants’ inputs, as required, in collaboration with the Senior Protected Areas Officer. Oversee the recruitment and hiring of consultants, and supervise and manage the inputs of consultants and the delivery of agreed outputs.
Ensure all BIOPAMA-related expenditure (including travel, procurement and sub-contracting arrangements) complies with EC financial procedures and regulations, and follows the administrative and financial rules of ORMA-CI.
Maintain close coordination with the manager of the BIOPAMA Protected Areas Observatory in the Caribbean, once he/she has been appointed (2014). This coordination may include periodic meetings and regular communications.
Monitor and regularly report on progress in relation to planned goals and objectives, and agreed milestones in each country and each programme component. Identify and address issues that require attention; identify potential risks and opportunities for project implementation and propose mitigation measures and strategic actions, as needed.
Prepare six-month and annual written reports on delivery/performance of the project overall, covering issues such as project activities, outputs and outcomes, and staffing, including short-term consultancies.
Maintain linkages with other relevant regional and national projects dealing with the management of biodiversity and protected areas to ensure synergies and avoid duplication of efforts, as well as identify opportunities for collaboration with other management agencies and donors to extend the project to additional countries in the region.
Ensure lessons learnt and best practice derived from the BIOPAMA programme contribute to the knowledge base of all partners, and are disseminated, as appropriate, as IUCN’s “knowledge products”.
Identify opportunities for communication of BIOPAMA results and related news in cooperation with communications persons in ORMA-CI and IUCN-HQ.
Maintain linkages with, and contribute to, other relevant programmes and projects undertaken by ORMA-CI as agreed with the Senior Protected Areas Officer.
Institutional support:
Participate in ORMA-CI technical staff meetings and other Regional groups, task forces and committees as required, especially those related to BIOPAMA.
Participate in Global IUCN bodies and others that fall within the specific scope of protected area management.
Contribute to IUCN’s regular publications such as newsletters, website and annual report.
Provide overall input into ORMA-CI programmes, projects, activities and initiatives and offer advice on emerging initiatives, especially related to the Caribbean and/or to protected areas challenges.
Act as ORMA-CI’s liaison person for protected area issues in the Caribbean, ensuring information flow and opportune and fluid communications with Caribbean IUCN member organizations and regional allies concerning BIOPAMA and related themes.
Remain attentive to complementary funding opportunities and means of strengthening the work of BIOPAMA.
Adherence to the IUCN Code of Conduct.
Respect for people from different nationalities, cultures, ethnicities, religion, gender, sexual orientation as well as the young and elderly.
Responsible for exercising utmost care and judgement to ensure the assets belonging or entrusted to IUCN are not misused or wasted.
Avoid all instances of conflict of interest in one’s dealings.
Commitment to help conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure the sustainable use of natural resources.
Location: Insular Caribbean (in an ACP country). Extensive travel in the Caribbean region will be required. Initial location will be in San José, Costa Rica to serve as an induction period.
REQUIREMENTS
• This role requires the following personal attributes:
• Accepts Responsibility: Willing and able to bear high levels of responsibility by making timely decisions and being accountable;
• A Learner: Willing to learn on the countries, cultures and development/environmental issues of the region, as well as on the way IUCN operates, positions itself and evolves;
• Adaptation: Willing to adapt to regional norms without compromising personal beliefs and principles;
• Openness: Communicates honestly, openly, and consistently. Shares information appropriately and ensures that views of all members of the team are freely expressed;
• Positive Attitude: Encourages a positive rather than negative viewpoint;
• Integrity: Maintains the highest standard of personal conduct in performing all duties;
• Commitment: Committed to making the project a success. Willing and able to work for the best interests of the project;
• Can handle stressful situations well: Willing and able to deal with problem situations and is always mentally prepared;
• People Skills: Able to build productive working relationships with other staff and partners based on respect and good rapport, is able to listen well and never assumes one knows best;
• Judgment: Able to evaluate information quickly, identify key issues and formulate conclusions based on sound, practical judgment, experience, and common sense;
• Organized: Well prepared, organized and able to carry out all responsibilities and action items in a purposeful way; can plan ahead and keep track of work plans in order to monitor progress in project execution; is able to store and manage information in an orderly manner.
• Dependable: Can be relied upon to get the job done at the expected time, or to give advanced prior notice if deadlines are not to be met;
• Proactive: Proactive rather than reactive, and able to avoid mistakes that could/should be anticipated.
• Education:
• Minimum of a post-graduate (M.Sc.) qualification in natural resource management - or - a degree, certificate or diploma in an ecology- related discipline plus experience in protected areas management, wildlife management or similar.
• Work Experience:
• At least 5 years’ experience in biodiversity and/or protected areas management, ideally involving terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, at national and/or regional levels, preferably in the Caribbean region.
• Experience in communicating and collaborating with management agencies, academic institutions and local, national and regional stakeholders to achieve agreed collective outcomes.
• Competencies:
• 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 experience in undertaking capacity needs assessments and in designing capacity building programmes.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment, to think laterally and to resolve complex issues in a dynamic and changing environment.
• Strong communication and presentation skills and an ability to prepare appropriate and timely reports to a wide range of audiences and cultures. A high level of competency in the English language is required. An adequate level of fluency in Spanish is not a requirement but would be an additional asset.
• Awareness and an ability to acknowledge and respect different cultures, and to engage appropriately with people of different backgrounds.
• Time management skills including an ability to work effectively under pressure and to meet deadlines.
• A team player who is able to contribute effectively to collaborative issues, and to demonstrate innovation and leadership, as appropriate.
• Computer skills, including internet navigation and various tabulation and spreadsheet applications.
• 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.
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).
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: http://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
During the last few decades, African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) governments have increased their efforts in establishing protected areas. In Africa protected areas cover slightly over 2 million km² or 7% of the continent’s 30 million km²; in the Caribbean they cover 70,000 km² representing 29% of this region; in the Pacific close to 1,466,000 km² are under protection, mostly represented by large marine parks and Community Managed Protected Areas in coastal and marine areas. In spite of these efforts, the rate of the loss of biodiversity hasn't slowed down. Many of the protected area systems of ACP countries are not achieving the objectives for which they were created, particularly in terms of conserving key species and maintaining natural ecosystems and the services they provide.
The BIOPAMA programme will address this challenge through capacity building, using the possibilities and opportunities offered by the Convention on Biological Diversity, and in particular, it’s Programme of Work on Protected Areas (POWPA). The BIOPAMA programme will assist involved countries in developing a framework for improving technical and institutional approaches to conservation through capacity building and regional cooperation. It will contribute to the conservation of indigenous biodiversity and to the maintenance of the ecological services provided by protected areas, particularly for the benefit of local people who are highly dependent on the use of natural resources for their livelihoods, and also for wider social benefits. While similar efforts will unfold in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, the current position only pertains to the insular Caribbean.
By improving access to and availability of relevant data and information on biodiversity, climate, natural resource management, governance and socioeconomic issues, the BIOPAMA programme aims to enhance the management of protected areas (terrestrial and marine) and national systems of protected areas. BIOPAMA will establish a Regional Observatory in the Caribbean to enable the provision of relevant data and information to assist in better planning and decision-making as well as exchanging knowledge. BIOPAMA will also develop a regional capacity building programme in partnership with existing institutions, such as regional training centres, in order to train Caribbean decision makers and protected area managers, and increase support for protected areas, to enable effective and equitable management of well governed protected areas. This programme will also support the updating and expanding of curricula on conservation and protected areas, as well as developing tools to solve regional conservation issues.
IUCN is implementing BIOPAMA through its Global Protected Areas Programme (based at IUCN Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland), in close collaboration with its European Regional Programme, four of its regional offices and two commissions: the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) and the Species Survival Commission (SSC). The current position will work with IUCN’s Regional Office for Mesoamerica and the Caribbean Initiative (ORMA-CI), which is located in San José, Costa Rica, and holds responsibility for BIOPAMA’s activities in the Caribbean. It is foreseen that the Protected Areas Coordinator will spend an initial induction period at the Regional Office in Costa Rica and will thereafter undertake his/her duties from a Caribbean location, reporting to the Senior Protected Areas Advisor Officer who is based at ORMA-CI.
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Oversee the implementation of the Caribbean region component of the BIOPAMA programme, including planning, coordinating and leading related activities, in collaboration with the Jose Courrau, Senior Protected Areas Officer and other Regional Office staff. This will also involve close liaisons with the global BIOPAMA Programme Manager within the IUCN Global Protected Areas Programme (GPAP), as well as with project partners, in particular the EC-JRC and GIZ.
In collaboration with the ORMA-CI office, oversee the implementation of project activities undertaken in the participating countries, including liaising with national governments and regional experts, providing technical support and advice, delivering training activities, organizing workshops and coordination meetings, supervising and supporting consultancies and other sub-contracted activities, and preparing awareness and outreach materials.
Oversee and, where appropriate, contribute to capacity needs assessments and to the design, evaluation and implementation of capacity building efforts, projects and programmes.
Identify the need and prepare TORs for consultants’ inputs, as required, in collaboration with the Senior Protected Areas Officer. Oversee the recruitment and hiring of consultants, and supervise and manage the inputs of consultants and the delivery of agreed outputs.
Ensure all BIOPAMA-related expenditure (including travel, procurement and sub-contracting arrangements) complies with EC financial procedures and regulations, and follows the administrative and financial rules of ORMA-CI.
Maintain close coordination with the manager of the BIOPAMA Protected Areas Observatory in the Caribbean, once he/she has been appointed (2014). This coordination may include periodic meetings and regular communications.
Monitor and regularly report on progress in relation to planned goals and objectives, and agreed milestones in each country and each programme component. Identify and address issues that require attention; identify potential risks and opportunities for project implementation and propose mitigation measures and strategic actions, as needed.
Prepare six-month and annual written reports on delivery/performance of the project overall, covering issues such as project activities, outputs and outcomes, and staffing, including short-term consultancies.
Maintain linkages with other relevant regional and national projects dealing with the management of biodiversity and protected areas to ensure synergies and avoid duplication of efforts, as well as identify opportunities for collaboration with other management agencies and donors to extend the project to additional countries in the region.
Ensure lessons learnt and best practice derived from the BIOPAMA programme contribute to the knowledge base of all partners, and are disseminated, as appropriate, as IUCN’s “knowledge products”.
Identify opportunities for communication of BIOPAMA results and related news in cooperation with communications persons in ORMA-CI and IUCN-HQ.
Maintain linkages with, and contribute to, other relevant programmes and projects undertaken by ORMA-CI as agreed with the Senior Protected Areas Officer.
Institutional support:
Participate in ORMA-CI technical staff meetings and other Regional groups, task forces and committees as required, especially those related to BIOPAMA.
Participate in Global IUCN bodies and others that fall within the specific scope of protected area management.
Contribute to IUCN’s regular publications such as newsletters, website and annual report.
Provide overall input into ORMA-CI programmes, projects, activities and initiatives and offer advice on emerging initiatives, especially related to the Caribbean and/or to protected areas challenges.
Act as ORMA-CI’s liaison person for protected area issues in the Caribbean, ensuring information flow and opportune and fluid communications with Caribbean IUCN member organizations and regional allies concerning BIOPAMA and related themes.
Remain attentive to complementary funding opportunities and means of strengthening the work of BIOPAMA.
Adherence to the IUCN Code of Conduct.
Respect for people from different nationalities, cultures, ethnicities, religion, gender, sexual orientation as well as the young and elderly.
Responsible for exercising utmost care and judgement to ensure the assets belonging or entrusted to IUCN are not misused or wasted.
Avoid all instances of conflict of interest in one’s dealings.
Commitment to help conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure the sustainable use of natural resources.
Location: Insular Caribbean (in an ACP country). Extensive travel in the Caribbean region will be required. Initial location will be in San José, Costa Rica to serve as an induction period.
REQUIREMENTS
• This role requires the following personal attributes:
• Accepts Responsibility: Willing and able to bear high levels of responsibility by making timely decisions and being accountable;
• A Learner: Willing to learn on the countries, cultures and development/environmental issues of the region, as well as on the way IUCN operates, positions itself and evolves;
• Adaptation: Willing to adapt to regional norms without compromising personal beliefs and principles;
• Openness: Communicates honestly, openly, and consistently. Shares information appropriately and ensures that views of all members of the team are freely expressed;
• Positive Attitude: Encourages a positive rather than negative viewpoint;
• Integrity: Maintains the highest standard of personal conduct in performing all duties;
• Commitment: Committed to making the project a success. Willing and able to work for the best interests of the project;
• Can handle stressful situations well: Willing and able to deal with problem situations and is always mentally prepared;
• People Skills: Able to build productive working relationships with other staff and partners based on respect and good rapport, is able to listen well and never assumes one knows best;
• Judgment: Able to evaluate information quickly, identify key issues and formulate conclusions based on sound, practical judgment, experience, and common sense;
• Organized: Well prepared, organized and able to carry out all responsibilities and action items in a purposeful way; can plan ahead and keep track of work plans in order to monitor progress in project execution; is able to store and manage information in an orderly manner.
• Dependable: Can be relied upon to get the job done at the expected time, or to give advanced prior notice if deadlines are not to be met;
• Proactive: Proactive rather than reactive, and able to avoid mistakes that could/should be anticipated.
• Education:
• Minimum of a post-graduate (M.Sc.) qualification in natural resource management - or - a degree, certificate or diploma in an ecology- related discipline plus experience in protected areas management, wildlife management or similar.
• Work Experience:
• At least 5 years’ experience in biodiversity and/or protected areas management, ideally involving terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems, at national and/or regional levels, preferably in the Caribbean region.
• Experience in communicating and collaborating with management agencies, academic institutions and local, national and regional stakeholders to achieve agreed collective outcomes.
• Competencies:
• 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 experience in undertaking capacity needs assessments and in designing capacity building programmes.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise good judgment, to think laterally and to resolve complex issues in a dynamic and changing environment.
• Strong communication and presentation skills and an ability to prepare appropriate and timely reports to a wide range of audiences and cultures. A high level of competency in the English language is required. An adequate level of fluency in Spanish is not a requirement but would be an additional asset.
• Awareness and an ability to acknowledge and respect different cultures, and to engage appropriately with people of different backgrounds.
• Time management skills including an ability to work effectively under pressure and to meet deadlines.
• A team player who is able to contribute effectively to collaborative issues, and to demonstrate innovation and leadership, as appropriate.
• Computer skills, including internet navigation and various tabulation and spreadsheet applications.
• 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.
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).
Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: http://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/
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