Community Forest Consortium Coordinator Job Description Effective ...

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Feb 9, 2016 - Community mapping and forest monitoring;. • Indigenous peoples' rights. RFUK currently has 25 staff, wit
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Community Forest Consortium Coordinator Job Description Effective from: November 2016 Duration of contract: until March 2019 Reporting to: Democratic Republic of Congo Programme Manager Close working relationship with: Community Forests Project Officer, Head of Programmes, Admin and Finance Coordinator, Community Forests Specialist, Amin. and Finance Officer, Research and Policy Coordinator, Mapping Coordinator , Finance Manager staff and consultants in the Programmes Team. The Rainforest Foundation UK The mission of the Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) is to support indigenous peoples and traditional populations of the world's rainforest to:  Secure and control the natural resources necessary for their long-term wellbeing and to manage these resources in ways which do not harm their environment, violate their culture or compromise their future.  Develop means to protect their individual and collective rights and to obtain, shape and control basic services from the state. RFUK considers that an essential first step to protect and manage the tropical forests and to reduce poverty in tropical forest countries is to realise the rights of the traditional and indigenous communities who live in those forests. With secure rights to land and livelihoods, forest peoples can effectively manage forest resources and direct and manage their own development. Founded in 1989, RFUK has in the past 20 years built a solid body of work based on this rights-based approach to development and protection of the rainforest. Although our work is focused on the Congo Basin, where RFUK has worked since 1996, we also work in the Peruvian Amazon. RFUK tackles the underlying causes of deforestation linked to the problems of disenfranchisement of indigenous forest peoples globally and locally. From the field to the international policy arena, RFUK reinforces the active participation of forest peoples in the decisions that affect them. We work with over 15 partner organisations in tropical forest countries and our programme work is split into the following thematic areas:  Threats to forests from the extractive industries, infrastructure development and agroindustrial expansion;  Conservation effectiveness and monitoring of initiatives to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD);

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Community-based forest management, land-use planning and tenure reform; Community mapping and forest monitoring; Indigenous peoples’ rights.

RFUK currently has 25 staff, with a number of volunteers or interns at any given time. It is governed by a Board of seven Trustees. The London-based Foundation is part of a network of sister organisations, which also include the Rainforest Foundation US and the Rainforest Foundation Norway. The Programmes Team The Programmes Team at the Rainforest Foundation UK is one of three teams in the organisation and is the main team responsible for the implementation of our projects under the eight themes cited above. RFUK Programme in the DRC RFUK is implementing several projects in the DRC which form a coherent approach contributing to overall programmes strategy. The post-holder will work on the DRC Community Forests project and will be part of the DRC Programme team. Supporting the implementation of Community Forests in the DRC Although traditional tenure and forest governance systems in the Congo Basin have remained generally stable and resilient over long periods of time, formal community based forest management is still in its infancy and faces significant challenges. The political economy favours large scale land allocations, whilst the necessary legal and institutional frameworks to formalise and secure customary forest tenure systems tend to be either lacking or ill-adapted to community needs and realities. Since the adoption of the Community Forests Decree in 2014, the DRC has been in the process of finalising the legal framework for community forestry in what is arguably the most significant piece of legislation related to tropical forests of recent years, impacting as many as 40 million forestdependent people and with tens of millions of hectares potentially available to develop pro-poor, community models of forest management. A new landmark regulation, namely Arrêté 025, has been adopted by the government on February 9th 2016 and is now regulating the allocation and the management of community forests in DRC. This new legislation could enable thousands of communities to apply to use an area of land of up to 50,000 hectares each as a community forest and potentially help lift them out of poverty. Since its creation, RFUK has been continuously advocating and supporting the development of community-based forest resources management in the Congo Basin and this landmark process in the DRC presents an outstanding opportunity to support forest communities, the civil society and institutional actors in the sector of community-based forest management in the Congo Basin. Please refer to RFUK Briefing on Community Forests in the DRC for further detail.

The project aims to improve livelihoods and reduce deforestation in DRC by establishing successful community based forest management, which responds to the rights and needs of local communities including those of marginalised groups such as indigenous peoples and women, and contributes to integrated land-use planning. It will practically test community forestry, provide access to learnings from approaches pioneered in Africa and forested regions globally, and contribute to the development of DRC’s legal, policy and institutional environment, engaging with all relevant stakeholders. The Community Forests project is a DFID-funded project that started 1st April 2016. RESPONSIBILITIES General The DRC Community Forest (CF) Consortium Coordinator will provide administrative, financemanagement and M&E support to the RFUK DRC team, consortium members and DRC partners under a specific DfID-funded project concerning implementation of community forests in the DRC (implemented by a consortium of international and national NGOs led by RFUK). The post is based in the Rainforest Foundation’s north London office, with occasional travel to the Congo Basin region. Specific responsibilities and tasks The DRC CF Consortium Coordinator will be responsible for the following tasks, under the management of the DRC Programme Manager:

Administrative, Financial and Planning tasks  Under the supervision of the DRC Programme Manager and in collaboration with the DRC Project Officer, prepare and monitor quarterly and annual budgets;  Under the supervision of the DRC Programme Manager, develop and monitor implementation of contracts for CF consortium partners;  In conjunction with the Admin and Finance Coordinator, ensure all contracts are aligned with RFUK policies;  Serve as the main interlocutor for CF consortium members on any questions/issues related to contracts and budgets;  In collaboration with the DRC Project Officer, participate in the development of contracts for Congolese partners;  With other consortium members, develop common templates as for work plans, reports, etc.;  In collaboration with the DRC Project Officer, ensure that individual consortium members’ periodic work plans are properly prepared and collated into a coherent overall project workplan;  In conjunction with the Admin and Finance Coordinator, oversee the due-diligence process of consortium and local partners;  Develop and regularly update a ‘manual of procedures’ for the project;  With the support of the Admin and Finance Coordinator and in conjunction with the Project Officer, manage the procurement process for the project;  Ensure implementation of programme evaluations and audits (in coordination with the Programmes Admin. and Finance Officer and the Project Officer), including developing appropriate TORs, advising on suitable external consultants and participating in evaluation visits, as required;  Provide support, as requested, to DRC Programme Manager for project level financial management;



With the support of the Admin and Finance Coordinator, ensure that project documentation is properly organised and stored for future reference, in keeping with any donor requirements where necessary.

Project management  Ensure that the project is implemented by the consortium partners according to the contracts, logframe, budget and timetable;  Work closely with the DRC Programme Manager and the Research and the Policy Coordinator to ensure the consortium strategy is in line with the overall RFUK Programme Strategy;  Convene, meeting and liaising with external experts or consultants who could contribute to the project;  Conduct regular visits to DRC (up to 10 weeks per year) to monitor project implementation and organise coordination meeting in countries ;  Support relevant Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning or Research processes in relation to this project but which are conducted independently from RFUK;  Participate in regular internal coordination meetings concerning RFUK’s overall programme in DRC, as well as representing RFUK in any similar meetings with external organisations. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)  Convene and prepare annual project reviews and planning meetings;  Convene, participate in and report on quarterly meetings of consortium partners and other meetings organised by the project;  Develop the project M&E system and tools to monitor progress against the Logframe;  Develop and implement tools and processes for information-sharing within the consortium;  Review project progress against the Logframe and other project monitoring tools every 6 months, under the guidance of the DRC Programme Manager;  Contribute to preparation of quarterly and annual narrative and financial reports to DFID, under the guidance of the DRC Programme Manager. Other tasks  Under the guidance of the DRC Programme Manager, develop the DRC programme overall budget, and contribute to planning and MEL for the programme;  Supervise the work of researchers, interns and volunteers as appropriate;  Assist in the preparation of new opportunities for programme development, including the preparation of funding proposals relevant RFUK Programmes in DRC;  Participate in RFUK’s strategic development, including attending internal meetings, strategy away days etc.  Performing other tasks as may from time to time be requested by the DRC Programme Manager, the Head of Programmes and the Executive Director.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE Essential skills and Experience Detail

Essential

Knowledge,



Skills and Experience



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Master Degree in economy, administration, anthropology, political science, international development At least 3 to 5 years’ experience of project management/coordination in a charity or in an international development context Experience in large scale and complex projects Experience in managing institutional-donorfunded projects Experience in working with international NGOs Large scale financial/budget management in a charity/development project context Strong computer skills, high skills in MS Office package, internet search Strong experience in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Ability to plan, monitor progress, and work effectively with counterparts to realise goals; Ability to manage consultants and or interns if necessary; This position carries considerable autonomy and requires good organisational capacity, good interpersonal and networking skills and a willingness to work as part of a team; Proven ability to effectively manage and prioritise a diverse workload within a team. Ability to lead processes by coaching, persuading and accommodating other opinions and positions with a positive attitude; Ability to effectively participate and contribute to a multi-stakeholder project, facilitate technical meetings and processes effectively, compile complex and technical information in a language understandable to a wide variety of audiences.

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Experience in managing DfID-funded projects Experience in working on consortium INGOs led projects Experience of participating to high level meetings Fluency in French Experience in fundraising Experience in Internal Communication and Information sharing system Working experience in DRC and/or in African countries

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An excellent command English is essential; both written and oral Strong drafting, presentation and reporting skills; Ability to interact with different audience and tailor language and approach accordingly; Skills in achieving results through persuading, influencing and collaboration; Skills to deliver results under tight deadlines.

PERSONAL AND SKILLS ATTRIBUTES Detail Personal



Skills and Attributes

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Essential

Desirable

Empathy with and commitment to the Rainforest Foundation’s Vision and Mission; Proven ability to work efficiently in a team; Excellent interpersonal and communication skills – written and oral; Careful and conscientious with demonstrable attention to detail; Ability to tailor technical language to different audiences; Excellent organisational and time management skills with the ability to work under pressure and to multiple deadlines; Capacity to hold dialogue with senior staff of national and international institutions; Willingness and ability to travel up to 10 weeks per year in the DRC, as well as other occasional travel, such as to European destinations; Willingness and ability to learn on the job, keen to undertake training and career development.



Interest in human rights;

SUMMARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS Hours, remuneration and place of work The post is starting from January 2017, until March 2019, with a 6-month probationary period. The post is a full time post, based on a 35 hour working week. The starting salary is £32,736 gross per annum, including London weighting. Monthly salary is paid by Bank Automated Credit transfer, on the 25th of every month. Holidays, sick pay and other benefits are provided in accordance with statutory requirements. At present, 30 days paid leave per year are offered. Non-contributory pension (4% of salary, commencing on satisfactory completion of 6 month probationary period). The place of work is 233a Kentish Town Road, London NW5 2JT. This is a non-smoking environment. There is no parking provided for the post-holder, although bicycles are allowed in the building. Equal Opportunities RF UK is an equal opportunities employer, and makes no discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, age, physical abilities, religious or sexual persuasion. 233a Kentish Town Road unfortunately is not as accessible to those with physical disabilities as the organisation would like, but every effort will be made to provide an accessible and pleasant working environment for all staff, trustees, volunteers and visitors.