Consultancy Services Required – Project Manager

  • Consultancy
  • Kafue, Zambia
  • - / Month
  • Applications have closed

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:

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. The project creates improved capacities for climate change adaptation within the local communities and the structures of conservancies and management areas.
  4. Improved forest, fire and pasture land management improves the climate resilience of key ecological and economic habitats.
  5. 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

The BENGO Program Manager is responsible for the management of the BMZ/BENGO Climate Change Adaptation Project in Zambia. Based in the WWF Kafue Office, the Program Manager assumes responsibility for day-to-day management of the program, ensuring the program’s personnel and financial resources are used in an effective, accountable and consultative manner, according to WWF and BMZ/BENGO donor regulations and ensuring that work plans are implemented effectively to deliver expected outputs and objectives within the given time frame from November 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020. It is also the Program Manager’s responsibility to develop and maintain strong relations with and to provide guidance and support to partner organizations.

3. Specific tasks and Responsibilities:

3.1 Regularly consult with WWF staff, partner organizations, target groups and service providers to ensure the timely implementation and completion of planned activities by April 30, 2021 (date of last expenditure/receipt);

3.2 Ensure free-prior and informed consent of all target groups before start of project implementation;

3.3 Supervise and ensure the implementation and monitoring of mitigation plans for environmental and social safeguards according to WWF’s Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework (ESSF) including grievance mechanisms;

3.5.  Develop and regularly update a monitoring plan on project implementation and outcomes and respond to any delays or other problems occurring;

3.6.  Submit monthly reports on project progress to at all sites to the WWF KAZA and BENGO Program coordinator, highlighting any actual or potential problems that may lead to delays in 3.7. Update work and budget plans if required to avoid delays and based on agreement with WWF and donor;

3.8.  Oversee and support all procurement activities of WWF and partner organizations in close cooperation with the BENGO Program administrator;

3.9. Regularly liaise with the KAZA and BENGO program coordinators to update on program status and progress;

3.10. Regularly visit target areas to confirm smooth implementation of planned activities and investments;

3.11. Compile and review monthly progress reports from partner organizations and respond to any support needs;

3.12. Prepare project reports to WWF and Donor according to required formats and within set deadlines;

3.13. Supervise and ensure efficiency, effectiveness and comprehensive documentation of capacity development measures carried out by partner organizations;

3.14. Organize and lead weekly meetings (physical or virtual) with WWF and Partner staff to update on activities carried out in previous week and activities planned for following week;

3.15. Respond to queries of WWF, Donor or 3rd parties and disseminate requested information accordingly in a timely manner;

3.16 Ensure compliance of all project activities with WWF policies, in particular with regard to human rights, indigenous people, fraud and corruption and gender;

3.17. Represent the BENGO project at meetings and workshops as required;

3.18. Document and disseminate lessons learnt to WWF, partners and Donor;

4. DELIVERABLES

4.1. Minutes of weekly calls on project progress updates with Partners and WWF staff

4.2. Monthly project progress reports submitted to KAZA and BENGO program coordinators

4.3. Reports to WWF Germany and BMZ/BENGO donor as requested within agreed deadlines

4.4. Final project report by April 30, 2021

5. QUALIFICATION PROFILE

A Master’s degree or above in environmental and natural resource management or related subject with good knowledge of best practices in climate change adaptation;

At least 5 years of professional experience in managing large projects;

Experience in working with NGOs, civil society organizations and local communities;

Work experience in the KAZA region is an added advantage;

Experience with WWF and/or BMZ/BENGO specific finance and procurement regulations is an added advantage

Demonstrated ability to handle complex process and information integration issues;

Ability to effectively coordinate and motivate project staff;

Ability to maintain effective working relations both as a team member and team leader;

Ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor own work plan and those under his/her supervision.

Proven interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multi-cultural, multi-interest, multi-ethnic environment;

Capacity of assuming a leading role, often in situations under pressure, in defining and implementing projects with teams of individuals of different culture and background;

Excellent organization skills; Good oral and written communications skills

Fluency in English

6. 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.

7. 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 Manager – Zambia”, to The People, Culture & Operations Manager – Zambia.


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