Reports to: WCS Gabon Country Director
Location: Gabon (or any other country in the Economic Community of Central African States)
Country program/sector: WCS GABON/Capacity building-CEDAMM Training Center
Position Type: Full-time
Internal Liaison: Financial Director, Director of Administration and Operations, Technical Assistants, Project and Site Managers.
Close collaboration with: WCS Regional Office for Central Africa; Capacity-building officers in charge of capacity building within public administrations managing protected areas in the 7 target countries of the ECOFAC 6 program; Training officers for operators and partners of the ECOFAC6 program; higher education institutions in forestry and conservation (ENEF, ERAIFT, EFG, etc.); public administrations in charge of professional and technical training.
Expected Travel: Frequent travels to the 7 countries in the Central African sub-region targeted by the ECOFAC 6 program.
Presentation of the EU-ECOFAC 6 program
The Support Program for the Conservation of Biodiversity and Fragile Ecosystems - Phase 6 ("ECOFAC 6") funded by the 11th European Development Fund is designed to support government institutions responsible for environmental management in Central Africa. The ECOFAC 6 program targets direct support to nearly 12 protected areas in seven different states (Gabon, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe and Chad) members of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and eight priority landscapes for conservation, while contributing to a green economy characterized by sustainable and inclusive economic development and the fight against climate change. To address threats to biodiversity and protected areas, the program's activities aim to: (a) coordinate sectoral activities at the level of targeted territories and regional landscapes; (b) strengthen and improve conservation systems; and (c) involve local populations in conservation. Conservation effectiveness will be enhanced through capacity building of stakeholders and the adoption of a participatory learning and management approach.
It is within the framework of the ECOFAC 6 program that the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) through the Dr Alphonse Mackanga Missandzou Educational Complex (CEDAMM) has been selected as the operator for the implementation of the sub-regional support action relating to the development of curriculum and other mechanisms for the training of ecoguards.
The overall objective of this action is to develop and implement a curriculum and training mechanisms for the eco-guard profession in seven countries selected under the ECOFAC 6 program.
The specific objectives of the action are:
Design, validate and deploy the regional training curriculum for the ecoguard profession in the target countries of the region;
Implement the regional ecoguard training system (testing, evaluating, and improving) and enable CEDAMM to become a structure of reference for the continuous training of ecoguards and protected area managers in Central Africa.
In order to contribute to improving the effectiveness of protected area management in Central Africa through the training of ecoguards, WCS is recruiting a project manager who will be responsible for planning, coordinating and ensuring the implementation of this sub-regional action.
Organization Background:
The Wildlife Conservation Society (“WCS”) is a New York not-for-profit corporation founded by statute in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society. WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through research, science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. That mission is achieved through our global conservation programs (WCS currently oversees a portfolio of more than 500 conservation projects in 65 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and North America, and the oceans between them) and through the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks–the Bronx Zoo; the New York Aquarium; and the Central Park, Queens, and Prospect Park Zoos (the City Zoos)
Wildlife Conservation Society organization in Gabon
In Gabon, WCS is one of the largest and oldest conservation organizations. Through the accord de siege signed with the government of the Republic of Gabon in 2003, WCS focuses its technical assistance on knowledge of and ecological monitoring of marine and terrestrial mammals (particularly forest elephants) and fisheries resources; capacity building in the planning and management of protected areas; and law enforcement monitoring regarding natural resources.
For decades, WCS has developed theoretical and practical knowledge on Central African ecosystems (biodiversity, structure, dynamics and functioning) and tools to ensure their sustainability through the concept of integrated and participatory management. The development and transmission of this knowledge and tools is one of the missions of the Complexe Educatif Docteur Alphonse Mackanga Missandzou (CEDAMM). CEDAMM is located within the Lopé National Park, and has been selected for the implementation of the sub-regional support action for the training of ecoguards.
Job Summary
The Training and capacity building technical assistant will be responsible for the development of ecoguard training systems, supervision of the principal trainers as well as the coordination and monitoring of the implementation of training sessions for eco-guards in the 7 countries of the Central African sub-region (Gabon, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe and Chad) targeted by the ECOFAC6 program
Main responsibilities
Development of ecoguard training systems
Coordinate the development of training tools necessary for the training of eco-guards (basic levels and team leader)
Contribute to the sub-regional validation process of the skills of competencies and training curricula for the two levels of eco-guards
Assess the feasibility of a certification system for traditional knowledge in Central Africa for Protected Areas management
Support the administrations responsible for the management of protected areas in the process of certification and institutional anchoring of the training program for eco-guards for each of the target countries.
Coordination and monitoring of training sessions’ implementation
• Contribute to the annual planning of training sessions for eco-guards in the 7 target countries
• Develop the criteria and participate in the recruitment of the principal trainers to lead the training sessions for eco-guards planned in the different countries.
• Organize the training of the principal trainers from each of the target countries
• Coordinate the organization of training sessions in close collaboration with protected area managers and trainers retained in each of the target countries
• Work as a trainer in training sessions
• Ensure monitoring and evaluation of training sessions
• Ensure communication with the Delegation of the European Union in Gabon and sub-regional technical assistance from the ECOFAC6 program on the implementation of training sessions;
• Ensure strict compliance with the technical, administrative and financial management procedures of the European Commission;
• Coordinate the drafting of periodic progress reports on the implementation of training sessions for eco-guards;
• Follow up on the recommendations from the various monitoring and evaluation documents, including taking into account the gender dimension and indigenous populations during the organization of training sessions;
Communication and visibility of the project
•Plan, and implement, in close cooperation with the ECOFAC 6 sub-regional technical assistance, communication and visibility activities aimed at raising awareness of the project's objectives and the support received from the EU.
•Ensure the dissemination of all relevant documents to ECOFAC 6 program partners;
•Facilitate and regularly disseminate the conclusions and lessons learned from the implementation of project activities to national teams, partners and other relevant actors in coordination with sub-regional technical assistance from the ECOFAC 6 program;
•Prepare the meetings of the steering committee by providing the required documentation and highlighting the issues of concern to be addressed;
•Facilitate and promote the sharing of experiences regarding ecoguard training between countries and ECOFAC 6 program partners.
Minimum requirements
• Masters Degree in biology or human sciences
•Demonstrated understanding of the job-skills approach and training in a professional environment;
• Demonstrated experience in Protected Areas management in Central Africa and the job of the ecoguards;
• Experience in setting up and implementing training programs for adults and particularly eco-guards
• Demonstrated strong project management experience;
• Sense of dialogue, listening skills, excellent interpersonal skills and fluency in a multi-actor and multicultural environment;
• Good synthesis and writing skills;
• Demonstrated understanding of the threats and challenges facing protected areas in Central Africa;
• Have excellent analytical, synthesis and facilitation skills for workshops or seminars;
• Experience in managing projects funded by the European Union would be appreciated;
• Professional proficiency in French is mandatory. Knowledge of English or even Portuguese would be greatly appreciated.
How to apply:
Interested candidates meeting the above criteria are invited to apply. Applications should be emailed to: africaapplications@wcs.org. Deadline for applications is 29 June 2020. Please include in the subject line of your email: Technical Assistant, Training and Capacity Building
The application should include:
- A CV mentioning the areas of expertise and the main achievements of the expert in relation to this position
- Cover letter
- The contact information for three referees
Candidates should also apply online via the WCS career portal by searching for the job title at: http://www.wcs.org/about-us/careers . Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
WCS is an equal opportunity employer. The organisation complies with all employment and labour laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that they are considered fairly and consistently in the recruitment process. We are committed to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce that shares this same value.
The organization provides equal opportunities to all qualified candidates regardless of their nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status.