The German consultancy GFA Consulting Group (www.gfa-group.de) is looking for a National long-term expert as Advisor in alternative management and financing mechanisms for protected areas in the frame of the Biodiversity and Forest Programme, BFP III.

Project summary:

The BFP 3 aims to consolidate and institutionalize the achievements reached so far by the previous two phases, while strengthening partners at the meso and macro level. The institutions responsible for protected area and forest management are supported in organizational development, in capacity and skill development, as well as in improving knowledge management by using digital solutions.

The consultancy firm is to contribute to the following outputs:

• Effective systems for coordinating and institutionalizing tested management instruments.
•  Alternative financing instruments and management models that promote the involvement of private actors in protected area and forest management.
• Increased business and technical capacities in state and private enterprises with regard to using and processing forest resources.

Tasks:

• Coordinate the development and establishment of a digital platform to match (match-making platform) potential alternative management and financial mechanisms with selected protected areas and ecosystem services
• Coordinate research work (with national and international universities) to determine the economic value, condition and potential uses of ecosystem services in and around selected protected areas and ecosystems
• Establish a monitoring system to follow up and update the condition of ecosystem services in selected protected areas at EWCA
• Define selection criteria and standard operation procedures for selection of ecosystem services in protected areas to be subject of payment for ecosystem services (PES)
• Define selection criteria for private actors’ involvement in the different options for protected area management (e.g. delegated management, co-management, PPP)
• Conduct training with the technical teams at EFCCC and EWCA for the updating of the platform, the monitoring system
• Conduct trainings for IT staff at EFCCWCA for the maintenance and management of the platform and monitoring system
• Develop tools and processes to steer accountability and monitor performance of private organisations involved in protected area management and payment for ecosystem services
• Conduct trainings for partner institutions in steering and monitoring management delegation processes to private actors in protected areas

Funding: GIZ (German Technical Cooperation)

Assignment duration: 25 months, planned commencement in March 2022

Qualifications and required experience:

• University degree (Master’s) in natural resource management, conservation, environmental economics, or environmental engineering
• 15 years of professional experience in protected areas management, or environmental finance
• 10 years of professional experience in private sector involvement in environmental projects
• 5 years of experience in facilitating trainings or capacity building
• 5 years of experience in the use of digital tools related to conservation