Specific tasks and responsibilities

• The consultant is expected to work closely under the overall guidance and supervision of the national Project Management Unit, and in close collaboration with the UNEP Task manager; to perform the following:
• Design and develop a project management plan, annual work plans, monitoring progress reports, providing quality assurance for outputs, and ensuring that annual, mid-term and end-of-project targets will be met
• Track best practices and lessons learned on PA and facilitate project planning and implementation to ensure that full use is made of global and national lessons learned, and best practices to achieve the project goal of realizing sustainable PA management within the landscape context, securing biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Draft the Terms of Reference for consultants and sub-contractors, and work closely with the Project management Unit to select various consultants and partners
• Facilitate the work of all consultants and sub-contractors, ensuring timely and quality delivery of expected outputs, effective synergy among the various sub-contracted activities, and integration of project outputs into Government work.;
• Track key strategic and policy issues related to biodiversity, protected areas, institutional strengthening processes, and appropriate monitoring and evaluation systems and knowledge management systems
• Organize and facilitate the Project Steering Committee meetings and work closely with the Project Management Unit in preparing the inception report, Project Implementation Review / Annual Project Report, and technical reports for submission to UNEP, the GEF, other donors and the Government, as required.
• Work closely with the PMU in mobilizing staff and consultants in the conduct of a mid-term project review, and in undertaking revisions in the implementation programme and strategy, based on evaluation results.
• Draft a policy briefing papers and technical reports to support decision-making processes, advocacy and knowledge management.
• Track the performance of the project activities and outputs against expected results and adjust implementation processes to ensure the project is progressing towards the intended outcomes.
• Analyze the impact of projects and facilitate learning by documentation of best practices and use this information to support decision-making processes.
• Track program progress, projects’ expenditure against approved budgets, anticipate any deviations and recommend and take action on relevant and required adjustments.
• Develop Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for the project.
• Develop tools for field monitoring after review of project documents.
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits to project sites and develop quarterly monitoring reports and work closely with Project Coordinator in ensuring that all reports meet the requirements.
• Develop and evaluate Capacity Building Trainings if required and prepare training evaluation reports.
• Maintain records of project documents and keep track of major achievements.
• Collect and consolidate the progress of the project against targets of Work Plan and Indicators of Logical Framework.
• Conduct meetings with project partners/stakeholders to assess their role in the implementation of the projects.
• Identify gaps if any and make recommendations for improvements in project implementation process.

Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced University degree in engineering, geography, biometrics, biodiversity science, biodiversity management, environmental science, assessment and related research, development or related scientific disciplines is required. A first-level university degree in combination with an additional 2 years qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• At least 4 years of professional experience, of which at least two are at international level in environmental information and monitoring systems / tools and as many years of experience in project Monitoring & Evaluation is required.
• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting is required
• Ability to lead formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects is required
• Excellent knowledge of Results Management Guide and Toolkit, UN experience, especially in managing or supporting project monitoring on sustainable management of genetic resources and natural resources is required.
• A good knowledge of Geographic Information Systems GIS software, IT tools and participatory assessment tools as well as their applications is required.
• Ability to produce high quality reports, publications and project proposals is required
• A good understanding of challenges linked to biodiversity conservation versus natural resource use, and particularly in the field of biodiversity conservation, PA in the sub- region is desirable.
• Experience in supporting a Ministry of Environment on a GEF project development or implementation is desirable
• Ability to implement new systems and affect staff behavioral change is desirable.
• Build strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback is desirable.