PAGEV Project Coordinator-IUCN

DEPARTMENT/UNIT: Water Resources and Wetlands Programme (PREZOH)

DUTY STATION: Ouagadougou – Burkina Faso

TYPE OF APPOINTMENT:1 year renewable according to the performance and funds

availability.

REPORTING TO: Water Resources and Wetlands Programme Coordinator for Central and West Africa

FUNCTION GROUP: P2

Background

The mission of IUCN-West and Central Africa Regional Office (UICN-PACO) is to assist governments in creating a political, social and economic environment that promotes the sustainable management and utilisation of terrestrial and aquatic natural resources, soil and biodiversity conservation for the benefit of people. The West and Central Africa Regional Office covers 26 countries (combining ECOWAS, CILSS and CEEAC member States). In addition to the Regional office based in Ouagadougou, it is comprised of 8 country offices and 3 project offices. The permanent staff of IUCN in West and Central Africa is estimated at about 180 people forming a dynamic and committed family of professionals. The Poverty Reduction and Environmental Management Initiative (PREMI) is a regional programme on the integrated management of Natural Resources for Poverty Reduction and climate change adaptation in West Africa. It aims at building coherence for a wide range of activities that IUCN has developed with its local, national and regional partners institutions in West Africa. Through this programme, IUCN consolidates their capacity to integrate ecosystem goods and services into regional development plans, poverty reduction and climate change policies and strategies in order to improve wealth creation and economic
growth in West African countries. The programme implementation processes includes amongst others, support to broad-based regional dialogues on some of the most critical issues for regional development in the coming years. The programme brings environmental and climate considerations at the core of national and regional decision making processes for sustainable development. The Volta Water Governance project (PAGEV) is implemented in close collaboration with the Volta Basin Authority and under its overall oversight. The project seeks to strengthen the cooperation between the Volta six basin member countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali and Togo) on shared water resources and to demonstrate how water governance can be improved through the implementation of pilot activities. This second phase of the project (2009 – 2012) is developed and implemented in partnership with the West African Water Partnership (GWP-WAWP), Water Resources Commission (WRC) of
Ghana, Directorate General for Water Resources (DGRE) of Burkina Faso, and Directorate General for Water and Sanitation of Togo. The directors of these three institutions will act as project co-directors on a part-time basis. The project co-directors will help raise the profile of the project, and will assist project coordinator and project staff in policy dialogues and in ensuring that project outcomes effectively inform the deliberations countries’ joint commission for cooperation, and are taken into consideration for developing implementation laws for national water policies. The Volta Water Governance Project is part of the PREMI, as well as of the Water and Nature Initiative (WANI), a worldwide initiative of the IUCN that seeks to demonstrate how to mainstream the ecosystem approach into river basin planning and management.

General duties and responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Coordinator of Water Resources and Wetlands Programme, and the direct supervision of the PREMI Portfolio Manager/Coordinator, the PAGEV Coordinator will be responsible for the strategic development, steering, supervision and monitoring of the PAGEV project including its development, and the overall management of PAGEV project activities, to ensuring that they are coherent and consistent with the PREMI.

Specific Duties

- Coordinate the management, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the PAGEV project activities in close collaboration with the Volta Basin Authority and with the project co-directors (DGRE, WRC, DGEA) and other relevant national and regional government institutions;

- Be responsible for the administration, organization and direction of day-to-day project activities, in accordance with the Project Document, annual work plan and the procedures of IUCN-PACO;

- Oversee the development and implementation of annual work plans and budgets of the project in consultation with the national counterparts if any, and provide timely progress reports in collaboration with the projects’ management team;

- Prepare annual work plans and budgets, semi-annual and annual project reports and monthly review of financial reports in consultation with the project co-directors and in collaboration with the Project management team;

- Take a lead role in the development of the PAGEV Project for the entire Volta basin in collaboration with the Volta Basin Authority (VBA) with strategic focus in the medium and long term;

- Ensure overall quality assurance of project implementation, and technical coherence of PAGEV project components and activities in line with the PREMI outcomes;

- Ensure the implementation of a regular planning cycle, the use of a common set of methods and tools and standards for planning in PREMI, including performance criteria;

- Coordinate lessons learned processes and oversee the production of technical reports and publications based on the activities of the project, prepare learning plans connected to M&E and design project related thematic learning frameworks;

- Supervise all PAGEV staff and coordinate with IUCN offices and partner, provide professional guidance to the staff;

- Assist in fundraising for the PAGEV project through providing guidance, maintaining good relationships with donors and funding agencies so as to ensure the financial sustainability of the project;

- Provide regular updates to the Regional Water Resources and Wetlands Programme Coordinator on changes and trends in relation to PREMI and the regional and global context;

- Maintain programmatic links with other projects of the PREZOH;

- Assist the PACO Water Resources and Wetlands Coordinator in the development of the programme portfolio;

- Assist in any other activities as determined by project co-directors, the project steering committee and the IUCN Regional Water Resources and Wetlands Coordinator.

Qualifications and selection Criteria

The water projects Manager must be a person with extensive experience developing and leading the implementation of integrated natural resource management projects.The successful candidate will have the following qualifications:

- An advanced degree, preferably a MSc. in a discipline related to water resources management or in environmental science or related field;

- A minimum 8 years of international professional experience with natural resources management preferably related to water resources and river basin management;

- A thorough understanding of the transboundary river basin management, and ecosystem approach;

- A documented ability to motivate and provide leadership and work in a international team environment;

- Experience with monitoring and evaluation concepts and tools;

- Proven experience in project or programme administration and management with good analytical skills, and demonstrated ability to think strategically;

- Demonstrated fundraising, budgeting and programme planning;

- Proven ability in writing skills;

- Fluency in written and spoken French or English and a strong working skill for the second language,

- Advanced computer processing skills;

- Willing to travel frequently within the region and internationally.

Interested candidate should fill the attached PACO application form and forward it together
with their curriculum vitae and a motivation letter which must specifically address the
Selection Criteria/requirements in the order presented above,

Applications should be submitted preferably by email, no later than May 25, 2010, to:

Human Resources

IUCN – Regional Office for Central and West Africa

E-mail: jobs.paco@iucn.org