Ghana: Policy Reform & Sustainable Design Specialist

Feb 2, 2016 | USAID

Introduction

WA BiCC is a five-year project funded by the United States Agency for International

Development (USAID) and implemented by Tetra Tech, in association with five

subcontractors: Development & Training Services Inc. (dTS), Center for International

Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), PCI Media Impact (PCI), Wetlands

International Africa (WIA), and Pact, Inc. The purpose of the WA BiCC is to improve

conservation and climate-resilient, low emission growth across West Africa. WA BiCC

has three principal Components supported by cross-cutting approaches to gender,

Collaborating, Learning, and Adapting (CLA), sustainability, and capacity building.

Component 1 combats wildlife trafficking, Component 2 improves coastal resilience, and

Component 3 reduces deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss.

Tetra Tech ARD is currently accepting expressions of interest from qualified candidates

for the active West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA-BiCC) program. This is

a multi-year USAID-funded program to improve conservation and climate-resilient, low

emission growth across West Africa.

Job Summary

The Policy Reform & Sustainable Development Specialist will work as an integral

member of the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA BiCC) Program team

in the Accra office. Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Party (COP), she/he will

be responsible for ensuring that WA BiCC has the necessary updated information to

develop and/or strengthen Policies to Improve Biodiversity Habitat Management and

Wildlife Protection, to develop Regional Policy Frameworks for Coastal Resilience and to

strengthen Wildlife Protection Policies and Legal Frameworks.

The Policy Reform & Sustainable Development Specialist will ensure that WA BiCC

provides adequate policy support to assist regional partners, including ECOWAS, the

Mano River Union, and the Abidjan Convention to meet their identified needs to better

achieve their institutional mandates. She/he will also coordinate experts supporting

ECOWAS, the Mano River Union, and the Abidjan Convention, who will serve as liaison

officers to WA BiCC management and enhance communication and collaboration

project-wide. She/he will serve as an advisor to Regional Institution partners to provide

policy direction and to launch international initiatives, including the preparation of

ministerial meetings in the region to review environmental and sustainable development

priorities and adopt updated strategic environmental policies. She/he will be responsible

for strengthening environmental information and observation capacity, particularly in the

Mano River Union countries to provide reliable and relevant information on the state of

the environment as a basis for improved policymaking and public awareness, and use

indicators to assess progress as appropriate.

The work of the Policy Reform & Sustainable Development Specialist will build on the

significant steps that have been taken through USAID support towards assisting West

African Regional Institutions, including ECOWAS, the Mano River Union, and the

Abidjan Convention.

Main Responsibilities and Tasks

Working closely with WA BiCC technical team and institutional partners in West Africa,

the Policy Reform & Sustainable Development Specialist is expected to contribute to:

 Strengthening of Wildlife Protection Policies and Legal Frameworks;

 Development/strengthening of Regional Policy Frameworks for Coastal

Resilience;

 Strengthening of Policy to Support Improved Environmental Governance.

In this regard, she/he will perform the following duties:

 Develop and Strengthen Policies to Improve Biodiversity Habitat Management

and Wildlife Protection;

 Identify primary legislative gaps in WA BiCC target countries that emerge from

the Situational Assessment and workshop and provide draft laws to fill in the

gaps;

 In close collaboration with wildlife trafficking Specialist and based on the priority

countries and the gaps / needs identified in the Situational Assessment, review

current policy, legislative and judicial frameworks, and enforcement activities,

including any existing National Action Plans for Combatting Illegal Trade in

Wildlife (or similar). Identify priority activities and capacity-building needs and

action steps;

 Identify and synthesize policies of ECOWAS coastal member states relevant to

the protection of coastal /mangroves landscape and in collaboration with the

ECOWAS liaison Officer and the deputy Chief of Party;

 Capture lessons learned and best practices to inform relevant regional and

national policy and legal frameworks, and technical practices and approaches.

 In collaboration with REDD+/PES specialist review policies of MRU member

countries and other ECOWAS forested member states to synthesize those

supporting forest conservation, biodiversity protection, afforestation/reforestation,

community forestry, low emission development strategies, REDD+, good

governance in concessions allocation and extraction activities, sustainable

agriculture, enabling public private partnership (ppp); and promoting integrated

land use planning;

 Propose laws to fill identified gaps including carbon and land ownership, access

to information and inclusion of private sectors, rural communities, women, youth

and disables in sustainable natural resource management;

 Develop terms of reference to recruit short-term technical assistance on issues

defined in the work plan that require additional human resources on

policy/legislative framework, and supervise/consolidate the work of consultants.

 Draft harmonized or converging forest policies, laws and regulations taking into

account agro-ecological peculiarities and the different institutional settings

(ECOWAS convergence Plan);

 Propose laws and regulations for the enhancement of vital services generated by

different forest ecosystems, including their contribution to food security and

peoples’ means of subsistence and optimization of the use of current

opportunities related to adaptation, mitigation and vulnerability to climate change

and the way they impact forest ecosystems in the sub-region (ECOWAS

convergence Plan);

 Promote implementation of updated policy instruments and tools for

strengthening the capabilities of ECOWAS countries through technical

assistance, advisory missions and capacity-building, including the legally binding

instruments.

 Facilitate coordination between environment-related programs initiated by

Governments and USAID in West Africa.

 Cooperate with international organizations and with other relevant bodies,

including financing institutions in West Africa, to avoid duplication of work;

 Link with and leverage other ongoing projects in the region, and enhance

synergies.

 Promote and support institutional partners’ efforts to achieve the post-2015

development agenda.

Qualification and Requirements

The Policy Reform and Sustainable Development Specialist (PR-SDS) will have the

following qualifications and responsibilities:

 Minimum of five years of regional/international experience in environmental laws,

policy reform and/or natural resources management development programs.

Preference will be given to those with considerable working experience in West

Africa and/or with regional and national organizations/entities.

 Demonstrated success in implementing programs aimed at strengthening local,

national and regional laws and regulatory frameworks to promote governance,

transparency and sustainable development of ECOWAS member states.

 Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in strengthening regional or national

institutions through sound and workable laws, policies and regulations that

promote government accountability in natural resource management,

environment protection and enhancement of ecosystem services, sustainability

development. The latest developments in advancing good/best practices in

private sector engagement that reaches all stakeholders, including women,

youth, the poor and very poor, creativity, willingness to innovate, think

systemically and design catalytic.

 Required oral and written communication and presentations skills in French

(tested FSI R3/S3) and English.

 Demonstrated experience in collaborating across projects.

 A minimum of a Master’s degree in a relevant discipline or a Bachelor’s degree in

a relevant field with an additional five years’ experience to the required minimum

above.

Mode of Application

To be considered, applicants must submit the following as part of this on-line application

process:

 A letter of application explaining individual qualifications for this opportunity;

 A current CV in reverse chronological format;

 A list of at least 3 professional references including name, contact information,

and statement of relationship to the reference;

 Applications that do not meet the minimum requirements listed above will not be

considered;

 No phone calls will be accepted.

Tetra Tech is committed to diversity and gender equality in all of its operations—in the

US and overseas. We strive to reflect these goals in our global mission and in our

workforce. We encourage applications from women and underrepresented ethnic, racial

and cultural groups. Tetra Tech ARD is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Equal

Opportunity Employer