Terms of Reference
Social Safeguards Coordinator
WCS East Africa, Madagascar, Western Indian Ocean Regional Program
Location: Kigali, Rwanda (or other EAMWIO WCS country program office (Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda) with travel around the region
Reports To: WCS East Africa, Madagascar & Western Indian Ocean Regional Director
Start date: September 15, 2022
Position type: Full-time contract
Contract type: Local Hire
Background and Goal
The Wildlife Conservation Society is an international NGO headquartered at Bronx Zoo in New York City working to save wildlife and wild lands and to meet global challenges in over 50 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the world’s oceans. WCS believes that conservation of nature and natural resources is essential to life on earth, the future of humanity, and the wellbeing and cultural identities of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. To this end, WCS has developed an extensive Social Safeguarding Policy for implementation in its field programs in partnership with community, government and private sector stakeholders. Across our various field programs, implementation of this policy is being localized in order to respond to specific social and cultural contexts. Specifically, in East Africa, Madagascar, and the Western Indian Ocean (EAMWIO), our work to conserve critical wildlife and wild places directly engages with communities, all of whom have deep connections with their lands and resources in and around protected areas. Country programs in the region include Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar.
The purpose of the Regional Social Safeguards Coordinator is to support the WCS regional team, country programs and field programs in the localization, implementation and compliance of our Social Safeguarding Policy. The position will coordinate closely with the country programs, field program focal points, the regional advisory and management team, and the WCS Global Social Safeguards Management Team. Principal responsibilities are:
- Grievance Redress Mechanisms. The Social Safeguards Coordinator will oversee GRM design, roll out, and monitoring across our field programs in the region. WCS is implementing innovative grievance mechanisms in the protected areas we manage in order to facilitate due process in effective handing of grievances and claims relating to (i) suspected violations of human rights, social safeguards, and other policies; (ii) perceived negative impacts of WCS’s activities at a WCS site; (iii) other complaints related to activities supported by key duty-bearers operating within WCS sites. These GRMs will be consistent with site-based management policies, fit for purpose to redress site-specific issues within a local (and, as appropriate regional) structure, and fully aligned with WCS’s global social safeguard policies and mechanisms. This position will work with site-based staff, regional advisors and the WCS Global Social Safeguards Management Team to build on existing pilot work and scale up GRM implementation across our field programs and protected area management sites in the sub-region. The position will ensure quality control and compliance for all GRMs. The position will also share lessons learned across the portfolio of WCS’s 13 Global Regions.
- Free, Prior Informed Consent and Community Rights-Based Approaches. WCS uses FPIC where programs that touch upon communities’ access and management of natural resources and land tenure, such as improved natural resource management systems, require key engagement to ensure communities understand their rights and that duty bearers (including project personnel) are also engaged to ensure they live up to their responsibilities. This position will provide training, mentoring and implementation support to WCS field programs on FPIC approaches and design FPIC in new programming. Where FPIC is not needed, a Community-Rights Based Approach should be in place; the Social Safeguards Coordinator will support teams to ensure they have CRBA embedded into workplanning.
- General Social Safeguards Support. The Coordinator will work with the regional team to embed social safeguards into all aspects of program design and implementation. This includes, but is not limited to:
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- Outline/monitor various donor requirements and develop M/E reporting systems for sites and country programs.
- Address donor requirements such as Leahy vetting of wildlife rangers
- Support the design/implementation of ranger trainings in key landscapes
- Design training modules and train field teams based upon a gap analysis of existing tools and capacity. Develop monitoring systems for country programs and sites to ensure staff have up-to-date training.
- Integrate social safeguards into new proposals.
- Gender support for landscapes, including staff training, workplan reviews, and the development of gender strategies for WCS sites.
- Support the regional team on key rights-based initiatives, identifying new partners, promoting best practices, and communicating with our stakeholders on social safeguards.
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Experience and qualifications
- Post graduate qualification or equivalent in environmental science or social sciences
- At least 5 years of experience implementing and monitoring social safeguards for projects in developing countries
- Demonstrated experience working with local communities
- Demonstrated capacity to work in intercultural and multi-stakeholder settings, including consultants, government rangers, local government, and private sector partners
- Experience in social safeguards, including grievance mechanism development or applying international standards in different national contexts
- Excellent communication skills and proven ability as a team player
- Written and spoken fluency in English with French, Portuguese or Swahili language skills highly desirable.
How to apply
Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications, skills and experience, should apply through this link by August 12, 2022.
WCS is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value.
