2 Job Positions of Field Officer at The Biodiversity Conservation Organization (BIOCOOR) | Kigali :Deadline: 16-03-2023

Description of the organization:

The Biodiversity Conservation Organization (BIOCOOR) is a legally registered Non Government Organization in Rwanda with the Legal Personality N° 777/RGB/NGO/LP/11/2021.  BIOCOOR has been created mainly by young people dedicated to act and to advocate for biodiversity conservation, ecotourism promotion, community health, environmental management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.  The BIOCOOR headquarters are in Nyamagabe and Huye districts of the Southern Province of Rwanda. The organization geographical focus is five districts near the Nyungwe National Park plus Huye and Nyanza districts. It integrates conservation projects and sustainable economic development for the communities surrounding Nyungwe National Park. Local farmers near the Nyungwe National Park live in  poverty due to the acidic soil, which results in a low crop yield. Poor farming conditions have led to illegal activities, such as poaching and deforestation, as a means to survive. These activities damage the environment, so BIOCOOR is trying to preserve the forest, while simultaneously influencing the economic development of the people living near the NNP. The Organization is working toward integrating biodiversity conservation, farming, nutrition, environmental management, community health, and ecotourism, to positively affect the local economy. These practices help save the forest, too, because the resources are unharmed, and the park helps attract tourists, which creates revenue for the local communities. BIOCOOR has launched projects to promote youth entrepreneurship, safe water and sanitation practices, agro ecological practices, the removal of invasive plants that damage the forest, as well as soil improvement and composting. BIOCOOR also includes Information Communication Technology training to teach the local youth on how to use technology to communicate effectively.

Background to the Role:

A Field Officer role has arisen to lead the implementation of the projects related to Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Protection for sustainable livelihoods improvement in the southern Rwanda.

BIOCOOR will support rural, poor communities living around the Nyungwe National Park in Nyamagabe and Nyaruguru districts, to become empowered to assess, plan and sustainably manage their land and common natural resources leading to more environmentally and economically sustainable and resilient communities. The projects will do this through a unique partnership approach in which livelihood, biodiversity and agro-ecology expertise is being combined with knowledge of- and acceptance by- the communities where the project will work. The One field Officer will focus on Biodiversity Conservation and the other One will focus on Climate Change mitigation and adaptation.

The projects will be implemented on the support of TROCAIRE, Irish Aid, Local Government, JOA, and other BIOCOOR partners.

Reporting to:

BIOCOOR Country Executive Director

Managing: (Individuals/Team)

N/A

Contract Type:

Fixed term

Contract Duration:

1 year with a possibility for extension and with a probation period of 3 months. Probation may be extended to 6 months in line with the labor law in Rwanda.

Grade and Scale:

Field Officer Scale

Location of Position

Based in Nyamagabe, with frequent travel to thetargeted villages and sectors in Nyamagabe and Nyaruguru districts plus Huye and Kigali and other potential areas as required and/or identified for learning and project coordination.

Scope of the Role:

This post will lead on the implementation of activities for the projects to ensure that rural, poor communities living around the Nyungwe National Park are empowered to assess, plan and sustainably manage their land and common natural resources leading to more environmentally and economically sustainable and resilient communities. The post also will lead to the implementation of the climate grant that BIOCOOR got from Irish Aid through TROCAIRE to build the resilience of local communities in climate change mitigation and adaptation in Mbazi and Kibumbwe Sectors of Nyamagabe District.

Apart from day to day activity implementation, the role will be responsible for the implementation of donor specific requirements such as reporting, adhering to visibility and procurement requirements.

Commitment to Safeguarding Programme Participants from Exploitation and Abuse

BIOCOOR is committed to Safeguarding people within our programmes from Exploitation and Abuse and has specific policies on this commitment (including a Code of Conduct) which outlines the expected behavior and responsibility of all staff, consultants and other organisational representatives.

Any candidate offered a job with BIOCOORwould be expected to sign BIOCOOR Safeguarding Policies and the Code of Conduct within a month of joining BIOCOORas an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.

BIOCOOR is very sensitive to fraud and any allegation will be taken seriously. Candidates will be encouraged also to use the complaints handling mechanisms in place and to ensure the data protectionfor the organization and for the project beneficiaries is fully respected.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Project Implementation:

• Take leadership on the implementation of allactivities in line with the approved work plan and budget
• Actively collaborate and participate in project activities planning, shaping strategies and thinking in areas such as baseline development, activities implementation, monitoring, documentation, research, peer learning and evaluation.
• Participate in monthly technical meetings with other project staff and partners to discuss project implementation, progress and work plans
• Ensure that the project activities are implemented in accordance with internal BIOCOOR policy and guidelines as well as donor guidelines and regulations
• Coordinate, plan, implement and monitor activities under the project in line with the established work plan, targets and available budget;
• Act as focal person for the project coordination and implementation and liaise with the project coordinator that is based with Trócaire Rwanda in Kigali for further technical support;
• Development of subsequent work plans and budgets in collaboration with BIOCOOR  management ;
• Support the targeted communities to implement their activities in line with the project deliverables;
• Collaborate with the local structures to ensure the collaboration and support. 

Reporting and Communication:

• Preparing consolidated and timely and quality reports;
• Ensure visibility strategy is respected and applied as appropriate;
• Provide regular updates including case studies and learning materials

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Participate and roll out M&E activities under the project such as surveys, mid-term evaluations and end line evaluations;
• Carry out weekly field visits to all project sites and participate in joint field visits with other project partners and stakeholders
• Work with the Project Coordinator to ensure recommendations from evaluations are timely implemented;

Stakeholder engagement and Representation:

• Support the BIOCOOR management to build and maintain professional relations with relevant organizations at field level including African Parks officers and local authorities;
• Collaborate with implementing partners toward the delivery of the project objectives;
• Participate in coordination meetings at field level including JADF when necessary and other stakeholder meetings and provide timely feedback to the BIOCOOR management and to TROCAIRE through the project coordinator on outputs and decisions reached in such meetings.
• Accompany visitors to project sites and carry out promotional or media work including stories of change and stories of need as required.

Administration, Financial Management & Reporting

• Work closely with BIOCOOR management  respect financial and logistical procedures; to monitor budget spending and to ensure activities are implemented in line with budgets, MoU and work plan

Teamwork & Collaboration

• Work collaboratively with colleagues in the project from the different partner organizations

Person Specification – Essential Requirements (E)

(E) Qualification

• At least Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Resources Management, Environment protection, Biodiversity conservation, Conservation Agriculture, Education, Social work, Wildlife management, Aquatic Resources Management, Hydrology, Development Economics, Sociology, Agroforestry, Climatology, Biology, Geography, or related fields.

(E) Experience

• Natural Resources Management & Working with local communities (5 years minimum);
• Climate change adaptation and Community Conservation and Community Based Natural Resources Management approaches;
• Income sources strengthening approaches;
• Community based planning processes and facilitation;
• Biodiversity management practices
• Working experience with Civil society organizations;
• Experience of partnership approach and Capacity Building.

(E) Skills

• Public speaking skills;
• Driving License Cat A
• Project management skills;
• Report writing skills;
• Basic skills on Mechanics
• Basic skills in Budget tracking;
• Knowledge of Gender and disability mainstreaming approaches;
• Knowledge of participatory methodologies and techniques (e.g. Participatory Rural Appraisal –PRA or Community Monitoring and Advocacy (CMA)
• Good IT skills, especially word processing, spreadsheets and power point
• Good communication skills using a variety of media
• Fluent in English/French and Kinyarwanda both spoken & written.

(E) Qualities

• Commitment to BIOCOOR Vision, Mission and Values and an understanding of the partnership approach to development;
• Able to work to deadlines;
• Flexible and adaptable;
• Accuracy and attention to detail;
• Able to learn from experience and apply to future work;
• Commitment to support the team work.

(E) Knowledge

Good knowledge of Rwanda Natural Resource Management, Biodiversity conservation and Agriculture context and the Impact of Climate Change and Variability. Good Knowledge on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation and Knowledge on Ecojustice and Environmental justice.