I. Background Information:

The integral functioning of Lesotho’s mountainous ecosystems is vital not only to the livelihoods and welfare of its people, but for the delivery of ecosystem services and global environmental benefits to a large part of Southern Africa. The mountainous Kingdom is the source of rivers that reach the Atlantic Ocean in the west and supply an increasing proportion of the water consumed in South Africa’s industrial heartland. Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in Lesotho is therefore a vital ingredient of broader environmental wellbeing.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the local UNDP office and the Government of Lesotho will for the next five years (2009-2014) implement a project on “Capacity Building and Knowledge Management for Sustainable Land Management”. The premise is that Sustainable Land Management (SLM) provides a strong base for sustainable development in Lesotho while providing a range of global benefits to the region. In order to overcome identified  barriers and address the corresponding programmatic gaps, the specific objective of this project is that, supported by a knowledge management network, Lesotho is equipped at local and national levels with the techniques, approaches, capacity and strategy for  upscaling successful SLM in support of national biodiversity conservation, food security and poverty reduction strategies. Three project outcomes are intended to achieve this objective:

1. Proven, strengthened, participatory, replicable models and techniques    that      successfully overcome current institutional and governance barriers to SLM are ready for national implementation.

2. Adequate local and national capacity for adapting and scaling up proven SLM models and techniques in place.

3. SLM Policy Enabling Environment - Enhanced awareness, dialogue, understanding and analysis of SLM best practice at resource user, community, local government, NGO and national government levels across the country, reflected in the relevant policies, strategies and programmes.

The project will be nationally implemented by the Ministry of Forestry and Land Reclamation (MFLR) as the Implementing Partner (IP). The IP  will be accountable to the Government of Lesotho  and the UNDP for the quality of project outcomes and the appropriate use of project resources, both when directly implementing project activities and when delegating others to do so.

In this connection UNDP and the Ministry of Forestry and Land Reclamation therefore require the services of a Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) who will play the lead technical role to support MFLR in implementing the project.

She/he should be a very senior widely experienced individual who will be responsible for the provision of overall project advisory services and technical assistance to the National Project Manager (PM), the National Project Experts (NPE) and the other project consultants, in consultation with the Project Board (Steering Committee), UNDP-GEF and the IP. In essence, the responsibility of the CTA is to ensure that the overall technical direction of the project is maintained and flexibly adapted to the meet the practical challenges faced during implementation, bringing his/her regional international experience in the implementation of similar projects as value added.

The inputs of the CTA in will be on a semi-permanent basis, at the critical initial stages of project implementation but will be gradually reduced once technical directions are firmly established and project implementation capacity is in place. Nonetheless the role of the CTA will remain critical throughout the project as he/she will continue to have inputs on key technical decisions at strategic moments in the project implementation through field missions and remote communication (email, audio and video conferencing and other communication).

She/he will take overall responsibility for liaison with MFLR, Ministry of Local Government (MOLG) and other line Ministries, with District and Community Councils and Principal Chiefs in the project’s areas of operations, and with donor agencies and NGOs. The CTA will be responsible for technical issues of the project, in particular ensuring that project activities are based on good science and draw on lessons from the country and the region.

2. Duties and Responsibilities: 

She /he will be responsible to the Principal Secretary or his/her appointee for policy and the day to day and overall implementation of the project and to UNDP-GEF for strategic policy. Specifically she/he will:

• Provide technical support and guidance to the PM for the development of SLM models to be generated under Outcome 1 of the project document.

• Develop a clear vision and plan, in consultation with the relevant authorities, for up scaling the SLM model after project termination.

• Provide technical support and guide the training activities to be developed under Outcome 2

• Provide technical support to the PM in the co-coordination of the SLM network to be developed and operated under Outcome 3.

• Guide and supervise the production of consultancy studies, bulletins and briefs, supervising the required consultants accordingly.

• Work closely with the PM in coordinating and facilitating inputs of government ministries, non governmental agencies, partner organizations, scientific and research institutes, subcontractors, and national and international experts in a timely and effective manner.

• Provide guidance and assistance to the PM to ensure that the project activities conform to the approved project document.
• Provide substantial assistance to the PM, during the initial 2 months of the project, in the preparation of an “inception report” which will more concretely elaborate the project Logical Framework Matrix and planned project activities, the 1st year Annual Workplan and Budget, as well as TORs for key project staff.
• Support the PM in the preparation and implementation of quarterly and annual Project Progress Reports(APRs) Tripartite reports , midterm and final Independent Evaluation Missions (TORs, identification and recruitment of appropriate candidates, organization of missions, joint field missions and discussion with evaluators, etc).
• Assist the PM in the development of a concrete Monitoring and Evaluation Plan at the outset of the project (within inception report).
• Assist the PM in development of relevant TORs and recruitment / mobilization of qualified national and international external experts and organizations as needed to provide specific consultancy services.
• Assist the PM in the development of the Annual Project Work Plans.
• Provide “on the job” technical guidance and mentoring to the PM and other project staff in order to build their capacity to effectively implement the technical aspects of the project.
• Support the PM in reporting to the Project Board or Project Steering Committee on the progress of project implementation and achievement of project results in accordance with the project's logical framework matrix.
• Compile and transfer relevant knowledge and a best practice experience in environmental learning techniques at the community level, advocacy and community participation as tools for improved sustainable land management and natural resource management.
• Review reports of national consultants and provide a comprehensive guidance and technical contributions; provide a technical quality control service to the project throughout the implementation.
• Prepare and submit to UNDP mission reports describing activities and outcomes of the work of the CTA.
• Take the lead in stimulating awareness and debate through the network and in generating the synthesis paper to be completed in year three of project implementation.
• Ensure the integration of the project with SIP and TerraAfrica programme.

3. Outputs:

• An inception report and individual mission reports (including concrete reviews of ongoing project activities and guidance on improving effectiveness).

·   Technical reports to the Project Board or Steering Committee.

·    TORs for key national and international project technical staff, contractors, and evaluation missions.

·    Contribution to Annual Project Work Plans and Annual Project Review Reports (APR/PIRs), as necessary.

·     Technical guidance notes on the implementation of key components of the project (awareness assessment and campaign, participatory natural resource use planning, demonstration activities and capacity development activities, best practices and dissemination of lessons learned).

·     Reviews and finalization of demonstration project reports, overall Project Best Practices and Lessons Learned Report.

·    Best Practices and Lessons Learned Dissemination Plan, Project Exit Strategy.

4. Professional skills and expertise:

·     Postgraduate or other advanced university degree related to land and natural resources management or closely related fields; at least 10 years of demonstrated working experience in areas relevant for sustainable natural resource management with particular focus on SLM knowledge management and learning.

·     At least 5 years practical field experience in a similar professional role (i.e. CTA, manager or equivalent, of a SLM or natural resource management project implementing practical activities in the field).

·     Knowledge of the political, social and environmental factors and issues related to arid mountain ecosystems in Sub Saharan Africa preferably within the SADC region.

·     Experience in the use of local level, participatory approaches and techniques of community mobilisation as means to SLM and sustainable natural resource management.

·     Familiarity with the goals and procedures of international organizations, in particular those of the GEF and UNDP.

·     Good interpersonal, facilitation and training skills.

·     Fluency in English

Closing date:    25^th September 2009

• Applications with comprehensive CVs and names and contact details of three referees should be submitted by email on or before 25^th September 2009 to registry.ls@undp.org

• Only short listed candidates will be responded to. Salary is negotiable and commensurate with work experience and qualifications.