VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

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:

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

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

               iii.       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 Government of Lesotho require the services of a Project Manager to form part of a technical and managerial team responsible for the successful implementation of the above project.

The Project Manager will be responsible for overall co-ordination, implementation, administration and reporting of the project in consultation with the Steering Committee, UNDP-GEF and the Implementing Agency (IP). She/he will take overall responsibility for liaison with MFLR, 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. Specifically he/she will:

·        Take the lead in developing the SLM model to be generated under Outcome 1 of the project. 

·         Co-ordinate and guide the training activities to be developed under Outcome 2 and supervise the required consultancy and materials production activities.

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

·         Serve as co-ordinator of the SLM network to be developed and operated under Outcome 3.

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

·        Take the lead in stimulating awareness and debate through the network and in generating the synthesis paper to be completed in Project Year 3.

·         Initiate and supervise the production of consultancy studies, bulletins and briefs, supervising the required consultants accordingly.

• Coordinate and facilitate 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.
• Ensure that the project activities conform to the approved project document.
• Prepare 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.
• Prepare 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).
• Develop a concrete Monitoring and Evaluation Plan at the outset of the project (within inception report).
• Develop relevant TORs and recruitment / mobilization of qualified national and international external experts and organizations as needed to provide specific consultancy services.
• Develop the Annual Project Work Plans.

·         Establish and implement a project monitoring and reporting system and plan.

·         Arrange for audit of all project accounts for each fiscal year.

·         Prepare and ensure timely submission of   financial reports quarterly, annually and as necessary 

·         Consolidated progress reports, mid-term reports, and other reports as may be required by UND or the IP.

·         Disseminate project reports to and respond to queries from concerned stakeholders.

·         Report progress of project to the Project Board or Steering Committee.

·         Supervise project staff.

Professional skills and expertise:

·        Post-graduate degree in agriculture, natural resources management or other relevant academic and professional qualifications with at least 10 years relevant professional experience in the fields related to SLM, participatory approaches and/or environmental economics;

·         Proven extensive experience and technical ability to lead manage and motivate teams of international and local consultants to achieve results and to manage a large project and complex, multi-stakeholder project;

·         Effective interpersonal and negotiation skills proven through successful interactions with all levels of project stakeholder groups, including senior government officials, business, executives, farmers and communities;

·        Excellent communication and facilitation skills; strategic thinking and planning.

·        Knowledge of UNDP project implementation procedures, including procurement, disbursement, reporting and monitoring procedures is highly preferable;

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

·         Fluency in English and Sesotho.

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

v  Please note that this vacancy is open only for Lesotho nationals.   

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