Vacancies: Finance/Administration Manager, CRS REDD+ Stakeholder Engagement Specialist
Programme Background
Nigeria engaged a REDD+ process in 2009. A UN-REDD Nigeria national programme was designed in the period 2010-2011 along the dynamics of stakeholder engagement, policy dialogue and basic capacity building. The programme was approved at the 7th UN-REDD Programme Policy Board and, after some refinements, signed on in August 2012. The inception process took place at the end of 2012. The programme, with a budget of US$4 million and for a period of 3 years, will allow Nigeria to craft the REDD+ mechanism, which is part of She set of policy and financial instruments of the UN climate change convention. Nigeria’s REDD+ programme has an innovative, two-track approach consisting of actions at both federal and state levels. At the Federal level, the programme will create technical capacities, develop strategic and policy frameworks for REDD+, and support the alignment of the country with international climate change and environmental negotiations and agreements.
At the state level, the programme will conduct strategy-development and demonstration activities on REDD+ in Cross River State, as this state has shown a determined political commitment for green development as well as being home to more than 50 per cent of the tropical high forest remaining in Nigeria. The best practice and lessons learned lo Cross River State will be used to roll out REDD+ in other states across Nigeria. The UN-REDD national programme is perceived in Nigeria as both a means to halt the deforestation trends and a gateway for promoting a green development path. The programme envisages the recruitment of a set of professionals to both implement the programme and sustain g REDD+ process of quality, both at the federal level and in Cross River State.
The following vacant positions are hereby advertised with the accompanying terms of reference:
Position: Finance/Administration Manager
Start Date: 1st July 2013
Duty Station: To be based in Calabar
To be recruited by CRS Forestry Commission (with clearance from National REDD+ Coordinator and UNDP -Nigeria management)
Duty Station: Calabar Cross River State
Term: One-year associate consultancy contract with competitive salary package and possibility of extension
Objective: To help jump start of the UN-REDD Nigeria programme, on the basis of the Annual Work Plan and Budget for 2013 (AWPB-2013) and following deliberations from the first meeting of the programme steering committee.
Main Roles and Responsibilities:
Provide financial and administrative support to ensure the efficient implementation of the programme in particular.
Administrative roles
- Provide necessary assistance in the operational management of the Programme.
- Help drafting correspondence on administrative and program matters.
- Undertake all preparation work for procurement of office equipment and support facilities as required.
- Undertake preparation for programme events, including workshops, meetings, study tours, trainings, etc.
- Logistical arrangements (e.g. visa, transportation, bookings) for Programme staff, consultants & guests.
- Be responsible for programme filing system.
- Prepare regular list of events for information sharing within programme staff and external.
- Take care of programme telephone, fax, and email system.
- Required financial reports are prepared.
- Financial operations are transparent and financial procedures/regulations for NIM projects are property applied.
- Support audits as they emerge.
Planning Tasks:
- Participate in work planning & progress reporting meetings with the programme team.
- Prepare documentation to ensure flow of funds for programme implementation on a timely basis.
Accounting/Reporting
- Set up accounting system, including reporting forms and filing system for the programme, in accordance with the Programme document and UN procedures.
- Maintain petty cash transactions. This includes writing of receipts, preparation of payment request form, receipt and disbursement of cash and clearance of advances.
- Prepare programme financial reports and submit for clearance.
- Enter financial transactions into the computerized accounting system.
- Reconcile all balance sheet accounts and keep a file of all completed reconciliation.
Control
- Check and ensure all expenditures of programme are in accordance with UN procedures.
- Check budget lines to ensure that all transactions are correctly booked to the correct budget lines.
- Ensure documentation relating to payments are duly approved by the National Programme Director.
- Ensure Petty Cash is reviewed and updated and records are kept up-to-date.
Inventory Register
- Maintain a proper inventory of programme assets register, including numbering, recording, and reporting.
- Maintain the inventory file to support purchases of all equipment/assets.
Qualifications, Experience and Competencies:
- University degree in accounting, finance or related fields.
- Solid experience of budgeting, planning and reporting on foreign funded projects.
- Good secretarial skills and good organizational capacity.
- Knowledge in administrative and accounting procedures of the Government.
- Good computer skills in common Word processing, spreadsheet (MS Excel), & accounting software.
- Appropriate English language skills, both spoken and written.
Supervision: The consultant will work under the Chairman of the CRS Forestry Commission (Calabar) and the National REDD+ Coordinator (Abuja), with oversight from UNDP-Nigeria Director and in close liaison with FAQ-Nigeria and the UN-REDD regional specialists (from FAO, UNDP and UNEP)
Position: CRS REDD+ Stakeholder Engagement Specialist
Start Data: 1st July 2013
Duty Station: To be based in Calabar, Cross River State
- National-level long-term consultant/expert
- Recruitment for 1 Year (With Initially a 3-Months Probationary contract, and after 1 Year the possibility of extension based on performance and as Needed by the Programme)
Location: Calabar, with regular travel throughout Cross River State.
Objective:
To ensure a full and efficient participation of Stakeholders in the CRS REDD+ process, including the development of the CRS REDD Strategy, and to support implementation of Components 3 & 4 of the UN-REDD Nigeria Programme.
Main Roles and Responsibilities:
- Undertake, in a participatory manner, Stakeholder engagement analysis and planning.
- Develop gender strategy and oversee its implementation.
- Oversee and ensure active involvement of NGOs and CBOs in the programme strategy Development and implementation:
- Support the different REDD+ initiatives in CRS: pilot projects, REDD+ fund to support community activities, CRS Stakeholder Forum on REDD+, consultation exercises and the like.
- Support the creation of entry points to REDD+ decision making structures for local community and indigenous peoples representatives, NGO and CBO representatives.
- Undertake regular consultations with the broad stakeholder group, ensuring their increasing engagement and participation.
- Undertake regular visits to concerned communities, in particular to pilot projects, to develop engagement.
- Contribute to legal/policy reviews and make appropriate recommendations regarding stakeholder participation.
- Oversee activities to develop social and environmental safeguards for REDD+.
- Oversee development of an appropriate FPIC process for REDD+ in CRS, including analyses of the national legal framework to support FPIC.
- Oversee the development of grievance mechanisms for REDD+.
- Provide Training on stakeholder engagement methods to Programme team and other stakeholders:
- Support the application of the joint FCPF and UN-REDD Prograrnme Guidelines on Stakeholder Engagement and the UN-REDD Programme Guidelines on FPIC.
Qualifications, Experience and Competencies
- Post graduate qualification in Social Studies, Communications, or related subject.
- At least 4 Years Relevant professional experience, including experience in developing stakeholder participation in development and support to development projects or policy initiatives.
- Previous experience working with a broad range of stakeholders inducing with local communities, indigenous peoples and/or other Civil society organisations:
- Knowledge of the livelihood issues related to deforestation and tropical forest management.
- Strong inter-personal skills, especially oral communication skills.
- Proficiency in both spoken and written English.
Personal Attributes for all Positions
The applicants must be/have:
- A self-starter with ability to convert ideas to deliverables
- Motivation for the Environment
- Strong organizational skills
- Analytical and process skills
- Strong communication and inter-personal skills/Good oral and written communication skills
- Ability to work independently in diverse environment and culture
- Strong relationships budding and alignment skills
- Outgoing, Self-motivated, organized, focused, goal-driven and ability to manage oneself
- Mobile and High Energy Level
- Strong in integrity and respect for others
- Good presentation skills
Note: Only applicants that meet these criteria will be shortlisted for an interview.
The application Procedure
Candidates Should Provide CV and specific examples in a letter of interest of less than two pages explaining how their experience demonstrates these attributes, and specifically what the candidates achieved in their previous positions and how experience gained specifically responds to this position. Please emphasize specific achievements.
The letter of interest including the CV should be submitted by e-mail as MS word file or plain text attachment to forestry.crs@gmail.com . Applicants should in the body of the application, address it to:
“The Permanent Secretary,
Gross River State Forestry Commission,
69 Target Road,
Calabar”
And state the position applied for in the Subject Communication box. Application deadline: by close of business on Monday 24th June 2013
Please note that the commission shall not entertain any applications submitted in hard copies and shall not be liable for any application not submitted based on the laid procedure stated above.
