WWF
The World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is the world’s leading independent conservation organisation with a global network in over 100 countries. Our mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. We have been working in Zambia since 1962 organising our efforts across Freshwater, Wildlife, Forests and People.
1. Scope of Consultancy
The project region proposed is the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) region of Zambia and Zimbabwe southern Africa. It has a unique ecosystem of outstanding importance for the protection of global biodiversity. The project region has large continuous natural areas with viable populations of numerous endangered species. At the same time, the people living here are particularly dependent on the conservation of these ecosystems, their biodiversity and their services. Nature tourism is overall one of the most important economic sectors in the region and the project countries proposed here. Along with the primary sector, which is also dependent on functioning ecosystems and is determined here primarily by pasture and forest management and to a lesser extent by rain-fed and irrigated farming, it generates income for the majority of the local population. In this project region, the conservancies and management areas play a decisive role in protecting and preserving these ecosystems (these areas, which are managed by the local communities themselves, have different names and legal status in the two countries, 4 “Buffer Zones” managed by community initiatives in the vicinity of national parks in Zimbabwe and Zambia). Not only do they contribute significantly to the protection of these ecosystems with a considerable proportion of protected or sustainably used areas, but they also provide functioning models of how ecosystems can be managed in a participatory way and how they can be given a higher value. However, the ecosystems mentioned above are increasingly affected by the impacts of climate change, such as more frequent droughts and sporadic heavy rainfall, which are exacerbated by increasingly unsustainable forms and intensities of use, such as overgrazing, a growing population and an increased economic development pressure. At present, municipal areas and their local communities are also particularly hard hit by the global Covid 19 pandemic, which has drastically reduced tourism and thus the income of communities and protected areas – to almost zero. Numerous conservancies and their functions are threatened by this. There is therefore both an urgent need for adaptation and diversification of income flows and a short and medium-term need for support to maintain and strengthen the proven community structures for the future and to adapt them to the rapidly changing climate and economic conditions.
This objective is addressed by 5 concrete project outputs and corresponding packages of measures specifically tailored to each municipal area:
- The 4 conservancies and management areas addressed will be strengthened by the project in such a way that they have increased climate resilience and can effectively carry out the necessary adaptation and effective protection of their biodiversity and ecosystems
- The project generates improved and diversified, climate-change-adapted income both for the communities and their households and for the community management and protected area structures
- The project creates improved capacities for climate change adaptation within the local communities and the structures of conservancies and management areas.
- Improved forest, fire and pasture land management improves the climate resilience of key ecological and economic habitats.
- Environmental and social safeguards (ESSF) in relation to climate adaptation and all project activities are established
Direct target groups: Local communities, especially women and vulnerable groups in the addressed community conservation and management areas (conservancies/wildlife management areas/community forests/village land forest reserves and areas in their vicinity) in Zambia/ Zimbabwe transboundary area will profit from an improved ecosystem management to successfully protect their biodiversity, adapt to climate change and improve rural livelihoods
2. TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
2.1 General Tasks and Responsibilities
In close cooperation with the WWF delivery team assigned, the BENGO Project Administrator is responsible for the effective and efficient management of funds allocated to WWF Zambia / Zimbabwe, for the timely procurement of goods and services according to WWF and BMZ policies and regulations and for respective support and guidance of partner organizations as local fund recipients. The BENGO Project Administrator will continuously monitor the use of allocated funds and the procurement of goods and services by WWF and partner organizations throughout the project implementation period from November1, 2020 to April 30, 2021, will keep records of all relevant transactions and will prepare reports to WWF according to agreed formats and deadlines. He/she will be based in Kafue office and will closely cooperate with the BENGO Project Manager, based in the Kafue Field Office.
2.2 Specific tasks and Responsibilities:
Procurement Services:
- Supervise preparation of procurement plan, budget and control of resources of the procuring unit.
- Provide overall guidance and leadership in the procurement departments of WWF and local project partners.
- In coordination with the Operations Manager, evaluates all procurement requirements and recommends the most appropriate procurement procedures.
- Establishes and communicates WWF and BMZ purchasing policies and guidelines that effectively balance administrative burden, cost savings and risk/ability.
- Be responsible for tracking progress in reaching procurement related goals/objectives and deliverables.
- Support the functioning of the Procurement Committee and Evaluation teams.
- Help ensure timely, accurate and appropriate reporting of procurement activities and results to the management as necessary.
- Ensuring that the procurement systems are regularly reviewed and updated to ensure optimal functioning of the procurement section.
- Prepares monthly procurement reports and submit to the Operations Manager
- Ensure timely procurement based on purchase requests received from user departments and provide regular updates as stipulated in WWF and donor agreements
- Strenghten the capacity of the WWF and partner procurement departments in terms of planning, coordination and management skills.
- Any other duties provided by the superiors/line manager.
Financial Management Services:
- Manage program expenditure by ensuring that all program activities are fully funded and expended appropriately(Ensuring no-cash no-spending rule is applied for all the programs in WWF Tanzania)
- Conduct monthly program financial reviews and reporting (budgets vs. expenditure).
- Preparation of Monthly analysis on program spending and TCO core performance for management review and decision.
- Follow up of cash calls for all ZCO programs and ensure adequate fund is available for activity implementation.
- Coordinate regular program team financial reviews based on work plans and expenditures.
- Update and facilitate technical staff’s comprehension of the respective financial management issues.
- Sending implementation reminders to WWF and Partner program staff to ensure timely implementation of activities under the program work-plans
- Playing a leading role in preparation and ensure timely submission of all financial reports for review and approval to Head of Finance for further submission to donors and other partners as per respective contracts.
- Preparation of donor reports for BMZ/BENGO according to agreed formats and deadlines
- Manage key program documents including filing of invoices, contracts, vouchers and other related documents in line with Field Accounting Manual and donor requirements.
- Ensure that accounting transactions are entered in the financial systems in a timely manner
- Verification and release of all the payments entered in the WWF online system.
- Ensure all procurements are done in accordance to respective laws and standard procedures including the field accounting manual and donor requirements.
- Provide the WWF Logistics Officer with a list of program assets given to partners and follow up on proper disposal during program period and at end of program as per donor requirements.
- Issue, track and reconcile approved travel advances to BMZ/BENGO program staff, review advance expense reports, review advance reconciliation and claims for completeness and accuracy.
- Monitor and analyze all balance sheets, income and expenditure accounts in the TCO accounting records.
- Oversee that all program components fulfil their contractual obligations including timely delivery of results/outputs and reporting.
- Update the Program teams of contractual deliverables
- Follow up with donors on cash calls and other contractual obligations to ensure smooth running of the programs
- Organize documents for internal, partner and donor audits.
- Receive and analyse all financial related reports from in country based partners including partner financial capacity assessments, trainings, partner audit working papers
- Analyse records and financial/operational risks and advice on corrective measures including capacity building as deemed appropriate
- Follow up and review of BMZ/BENGO Project-related financial reports and other contractual deliverables from WWF and partner offices
- Consolidation of financial reports submitted by the implementing partners before sharing the same with the primary donors.
3. DELIVERABLES
- Minutes of weekly calls on financial management and procurement updates with Partners and WWF staff
- Monthly project progress reports submitted to WWF procurement and finance leads
- Reports to WWF Germany and BMZ/BENGO donor as requested within agreed deadlines
- Final report on finance and procurement transactions by May 10, 2021
4. QUALIFICATION PROFILE
- A university degree in Accounting, Commerce, Business Administration or related field;
- Full accounting qualification i.e. CPA, ACCA or equivalent will be an added advantage;
- Three to five years of working with financial/accounting and procurement systems in major international organisations/NGOs;
- Demonstrable skills in the development of finance, accounting and procurement policies, procedures and systems, private sector experience will be equally considered;
- Good knowledge of fund accounting and procurement policies and procedures including reporting requirements;
- Hands-on knowledge of the major financial management and procurement software would be a distinct advantage;
- Excellent English and Swahili language skills
5. CONTRACT PERIOD AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE
The contract period will extend to seven months from November 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021. Consulting fees will be disbursed in seven monthly instalments starting from November 2020 and payable by the last day of every month completed under contract.
6. CONDITIONS
The proposed work will be carried out under contract. The contract will be drawn up after the final candidate has been selected.
The consultant will assume all fiscal responsibilities relative to his/her tax status. As an independent employee, the consultant is responsible for the payment of any tax that might be demanded within the framework of this agreement, assuming that he is able to justify he is in good standing and up to date vis-à-vis administrative and tax authorities; otherwise, and in accordance with the law, WWF is obliged to withhold at source on the amount of its services or fees / bills, the percentage to be paid to the taxes authorities.
The consultant will be subject to WWF management procedures at all times.
APPLICATIONS
Applications including cover letter with brief outline of relevant qualification and experiences, CV, expected remuneration and references to be submitted by email by October 30th, 5pm to [email protected] with subject line “Bengo Project Administrator – Zambia”, to The People, Culture & Operations Manager – Zambia.