Project Manager
Fauna & Flora International is recruiting an exciting and challenging national position ‘Project Manager’ to support implementation of the project “Building Community Institutions for the Development and Management of Pro-poor Nature-based Tourism in Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Thanh Hoa Province’
Back ground
The Pu Luong Nature Reserve forms part of the Pu Luong- Ngoc Son - Cuc Phuong (Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Ngoc Son – Ngo Luong Nature Reserve and Cuc Phuong National Park) limestone mountain range. It is a globally important example of karst ecosystems and is the only remaining large area of lowland limestone forest in northern Vietnam. The area is located within the northern Indochina limestone eco-region that is classified as of “acute” importance for the conservation of biodiversity, supporting important large mammal populations, including the last populations of the critically endangered Delacour’s Langur. The area and its biodiversity is threatened by a range of issues including unsustainable and often illegal use of natural resources, spread of agriculture into areas unsuitable for cultivation, and development of infrastructure, industries and tourism. The degradation of the landscape threatens the basis of current livelihoods as well as undermining the potential development of tourism and other sustainable forest-based livelihood developments.
The Pu Luong-Cuc Phuong Conservation Project (PLCP) was set up in late 2002 to protect this area and its endangered wildlife by supporting the integrated conservation and rural development interventions. The PLCP project came to an end in February, 2009.
The “Building Community Institutions for the Development and Management of Pro-poor Nature-based Tourism in Pu Luong Nature Reserve, Thanh Hoa Province” project (Pu Luong Ecotourism project) is designed to build on the work of PLCP project in which the community based ecotourism initiatives will be the focusing. However, these activities will directly relate to the conservation and development of natural resources. This relation will be achieved through a variety of direct and indirect means such as building local institutions in development and management of ecotourism, Awareness raising of the inter-relationship between conservation and development, and so on.
Terms of Reference
Duty Station
This is a Ha Noi based position but requires frequent travel to the project area which is Thanh Hoa province.
Duration: 14 months (from 1st November 2009 –31st December 2010).
Direct Supervisor: Programme Manager
Duties and responsibilities
Management, Administration and reporting
1. Ensure management and oversight to FFI’s Pu Luong Ecotourism project, working with project staff to coordinate their activities to support efficient and effective implementation pf the programme
2. Develop work plans and prioritise objectives for the Pu Luong Ecotourism project and coordinate their implementation, with support and input from the project team
3. Maintain relationships with key project stakeholders or partners, including but not limited to the central Forest protection Department, Irish Aid, and provincial, district and commune authorities.
4. Manage project staff and equipment to support the delivery of project objective, and ensure that project equipment and reference materials are properly stored, maintained and managed.
5. Work with the finance and administration manager and the country manager to prepare annual budgets for the project
6. Work with the Finance and Administration manager to ensure that donor and FFI requirements for the management of and reporting on use of funds are met.
7. Provide oversight to expenditures made by the field teams and ensure that correct financial and administrative procedures are adhered to. This includes:
- Authorising financial advances to project staff from the finance and administration office.
- Authorising expenditure and work with the finance and Administration office to ensure that expenses and receipts are provided.
- Ensuring that the Finance and Administration manager provides monthly update of expenses
8. Take the lead in drafting project proposals, working closely with the country Manager, other project manager and the Asia Pacific regional team.
9. Ensure that required donor and FFI reports are prepared.
10. Participate in monthly Country senior Management Team meetings.
Representation
11. Represent the Pu Luong Ecotourism project in policy level discussions and contacts with senior staff from Forest protection Department and other organizations, and serve as the primary FFI focal point for liaison and information dissemination with Forest Protection Department and other national partners regarding the Pu Luong Ecotourism project.
12. Assist other stakeholders to integrate conservation of the Pu Luong limestone landscape into their own programmes where appropriate:
- To take opportunities as they arise to informally or formally meet with and discuss conservation needs with representatives from other NGOs, government agencies, universities, community leaders, etc.
- To give technical advice or information to enable other stakeholders to integrate conservation into their own programmes.
Technical output and operational support
13. Identify resource needs (equipment, learning resource , infrastructure, etc) required to achieve programme objectives and improve institutional capacity
14. Coordinate procurement of equipment
15. Coordinate external technical input from consultants and international volunteer, etc.
16. Promote collaboration, networking and experience-sharing within FFI and other relevant individuals and agencies.
Staff and student supervision and capacity development
17. Provide mentoring and guidance to staff, student, and volunteers enrolled on the Pu Luong Ecotourism project, and carry out annual staff appraisals
18. Identify essential training and development needs for project-employed staff, and work towards meeting these needs where possible
19. Prepare Terms of Reference and contracts for new project staff, and other contracted organisations.
Other duties
20. Ensure that project office and field operations are conducted to a high level of healthy, safety, integrity, environmental good practice and cultural sensitivity.
21. Ensure that FFI policies and guidelines are followed within the implementation of the Pu Luong Ecotourism project.
22. Other duties as may be reasonably required and directed by the Vietnam conservation support Programme Manager.
Requirements
- Degree qualification in a relevant subject (rural development/ natural resource management, tourism, etc);
- At least 1 year experience in project cycle management;
- More than 5 years relevant and practical field experience working with ethnic minority communities;
- Dynamic and highly motivated, able to manage complex sets of tasks, and function independently;
- Good practical experience of Participatory Rural Appraisal and other local-level participatory methods of assessment;
- Familiarity with forest management planning and forest policy in Vietnam especially in relation to protected area management and community-based forest management.
- Good understanding about tourism/ecotourism development in Vietnam especially in relation to ecotourism development in protection and/or special use forest.
- Demonstrated appreciation of traditional systems of natural resource management;
- Strong communicators, good negotiators, understand and believe in participatory processes, and will work well with a range of stakeholders from farmers and community members to provincial officials and Forest Protection Department staff.
- Good spoken and written English and fluent Vietnamese
One page covering letter should specify the position being applied for and highlight why the candidate feels they are the right person for the job. A CV detailing professional experience and relevant qualifications should be provided, and three references.
Interested candidates should respond by email to Programme Manager, Mrs. Nguyen Bich Ha; [email protected]. The position being applied for should be indicated in the subject line.
Applications must be received by 10 September 2009 thorough email or by post.
Important note:
Salary is attractive and negotiable based on candidate’s experience.
Due to the large number of expected applications, only applicants being called for interview will be responded to.