Community Safeguarding Coordinator At Wildlife Conservation Society

Supervisor: Landscape Manager

Location: Sena Oura National Park, Pala-Chad

Program: WCS Chad

Start date: As soon as possible

Type of Position: Indefinite duration

PRESENTATION OF THE ORGANIZATION

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a private, nonprofit, tax-exempt American organization established in 1895 that saves wildlife and wild spaces by understanding critical issues, developing science-based solutions, and taking action. conservation measures that benefit nature and humanity. With over a century of experience, long-term engagements in dozens of landscapes, a presence in more than 60 countries, and experience creating more than 150 protected areas around the world, WCS has brought together the knowledge biological, cultural understanding and partnerships needed to ensure vibrant, wild places and wildlife thrive alongside local communities. By working with local communities and organizations, this knowledge is applied to solve management problems for species, habitats and ecosystems essential to improving the quality of life of poor rural people whose livelihoods depend on water. direct use of natural resources.

WCS program in Chad

In Chad, WCS has a long history of involvement in conservation, dating back to 2005. This includes aerial surveys of semi-arid areas, aerial inventories and support for the protection of elephants in Zakouma Park from 2006- 2012, contributions of technical expertise to the development of the National Action Plan for the Elephant (PANE) of Chad in 2014, aerial counts of wildlife in 2015, a commitment to supporting the Government of Chad to the management of the Sena-Oura National Park (PNSO) as part of a neighboring cross-border initiative with the Bouba-Njidda National Park (PNBN) in Cameroon from 2016 until today. More recently, in May 2021, WCS, in partnership with the EU and other partners, launched the Central Chari Basin Conservation Program called “Central Chari Basin Ecosystem: towards an integrated landscape approach (BC- Chari)”, covering the landscapes located between the South-East of Chad, the North of the CAR and the North-East of Cameroon. Over the past few years, WCS has worked with the Governments and Partners of Chad, CAR and Cameroon to establish cross-border anti-poaching coordination systems (particularly to combat well-organized elephant poaching). ). WCS is developing a new program with the EU to engage in cross-border transhumant pastoralism.

The WCS Chad program (created in May 2021) is responsible for the representation, management and administration of all WCS initiatives and activities in Chad as well as the proper coordination of cross-border actions. A national office has been created in N’Djamena, with an administrative and representation team which will expand over time.

Job Summary

The overall goal of the Community Conservation Coordinator is to lead the implementation of a rights-based approach to conservation, while ensuring an environment conducive to strengthening the role of communities in conservation solutions.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation of ongoing community conservation activities in close collaboration with the PNSO Ecodevelopment Manager as well as civil society organizations
• While advising the Landscape Manager, document and report community conservation activities in a timely manner
• Lead and manage the team under your responsibility, providing overall strategic direction for the community conservation program, technical input and mentoring of staff members
• Develop and implement socio-economic research and monitoring systems, community conservation components of the Sena Oura landscape program.
• Participate in the development of strategies to integrate and implement the community and socio-economic aspects of the Landscape
• Implement community conservation and social safeguarding frameworks and policies in close collaboration with the Conservation Service, National Team and in accordance with WCS standards
• Design appropriate grievance resolution mechanisms (GRM) and monitoring systems;
• Develop free, prior informed consent and community rights-based conservation approaches
• Design and deploy community conservancies
• Train staff and partners in social safeguarding;
• Deploy and monitor social protections across the landscape
• Organize and facilitate local meetings, workshops and other participatory processes working with the conservation department, local communities and authorities, WCS staff and other relevant partners to integrate community concerns into conservation, natural resource management and land use planning processes
• Design research, supervise data collection and analyze baseline data on socio-economic aspects, community relations, people-wildlife interactions and traditional land use patterns in the region
• Provide training, mentoring and expertise to WCS Pala program staff and assist in training and mentoring the team in socio-economic data collection and analysis, community relations and engagement, and outreach/community outreach methods.
• Coordinate and supervise WCS community conservation awareness teams.
• Work with international, national and local staff and organizations to create awareness to promote wildlife conservation, sustainable natural resource management and conflict resolution, and address specific use management issues lands.
• Advise on development priorities and work with other senior managers to plan and implement activities related to health, human rights, education, etc.
• Work with consultants and the WCS team to form, implement and monitor a community livelihood program (including the small grants program) that is directly linked to conservation, natural resource management, conflict mitigation and resilience to climate change.
• Promote capacity building of local communities, local authorities, local associations, contractors and staff.
• Work with WCS staff to integrate socio-economic and land use/land tenure data into relevant GIS databases to contribute to overall natural resource, protected area and zoning plans.
• As a senior member of the WCS Pala program team, participate in strategic meetings and tasks identified to help ensure the smooth running of the program.
• Work with WCS Pala staff and the Landscape Manager to ensure work plans, reporting and budgets, organization of logistics and accountability for their section’s budget.

Required Skills

• Master’s degree (or higher education level) in relevant study in community-based conservation and natural resource management, wildlife management, etc. ; technical knowledge of socio-economic research methodologies.
• Proven experience with international organizations in Africa (3 years and more) in community conservation and natural resource management and experience working with local communities, in areas in southern Chad.
• Effective in coordinating multiple resources to get things done; can work on multiple tasks at multiple levels and switch between them; can anticipate and plan around obstacles.
• Good technical, logistical and financial management of projects (planning, budgets, implementation, monitoring and evaluation).
• Proven experience in partner capacity building.
• Commitment to wildlife conservation.
• Proven management and team building skills.
• Fluency in French and English required, knowledge of local languages ​​will be an advantage.
• Proven ability and comfort in living and working in a multicultural environment in isolated areas, in difficult field conditions.

Preferred Qualifications

Significant professional experience, knowledge of environmental and political issues, and solid reputation in the environmental community of Chad.