Vacancy title:
Livelihoods Coordinator – Kafue-Zambezi Community Forests Project

Jobs at:

Deadline of this Job:

16th December, 2024

Summary
Date Posted: Tuesday, December 10 2024, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

JOB DETAILS:
BACKGROUND:
Peace Parks Foundation is launching the Dream Fund Project, an ambitious community, conservation, and climate initiative in Zambia. This project aligns with the large-scale Kafue-Zambezi Community Forests Project, which Peace Parks Foundation implements in Zambia’s Western Province in partnership with BioCarbon Partners and the Barotse Royal Establishment of Zambia.

The Dream Fund Project seeks to empower 200,000 people in vulnerable communities across 17 chiefdoms in western and southern Zambia, within the Kavango-Zambezi transboundary conservation landscape. These communities, which rely on forest resources and subsistence agriculture, will be supported in becoming leaders in conservation-driven prosperity by creating economic opportunities as stewards of their forests, while simultaneously restoring and connecting wild spaces.

The Dream Fund Project focuses on three key objectives to foster champion communities and expand the impact of innovative, community-led conservation.
• The community objective is improved livelihoods.
• The conservation objective is protected forests in the heart of one of the last remaining elephant conservation strongholds.
• The climate objective is improved resilience to climate change

PURPOSE OF THE JOB
The Livelihoods Coordinator will lead the implementation of all aspects of the Dream Fund and Kafue-Zambezi Community Forests Project-Peace Parks implemented livelihoods initiatives, aimed at achieving the community objective of improved livelihoods across the project landscape. This includes delivering programme components designed to encourage community participation in conservation for enhanced livelihoods.
Reporting to the Peace Parks Project Manager for the project, the Livelihoods Coordinator will collaborate closely with other project officers and partners to ensure effective service delivery. In particular, the Coordinator will work with the Peace Parks Community Development Department, which will provide technical support on all project aspects. Additionally, the Coordinator will liaise with BioCarbon Partners community development teams to ensure that Dream Fund and project activities complement and strengthen one another.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Lead the implementation of various community development activities, including climate-smart agriculture, beekeeping, livestock management (informed by the Herding for Health model), and water security measures.
• Assist in prioritising target communities for programme activities to ensure strategic focus and impact.
• Oversee community capacity-building and training initiatives focused on enterprise and livelihoods development.
• Facilitate REDD+ activity implementation, strengthen community conservation awareness, support human-wildlife conflict strategies, and promote gender, youth, and health initiatives where applicable.
• Develop new, locally relevant ideas and concepts that increase community participation in livelihoods and development programmes.
• Act as the primary liaison with key stakeholders, including the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Department of Forestry, Department of Agriculture, BioCarbon Partners and other organisations supporting livelihoods development in the landscape.
• Support the design, assessment, mapping, and analysis of conservation interventions to guide effective implementation.
• Prepare detailed activity work plans, budgets, and other processes as advised by the Kafue-Zambezi Community Forests Project Project Manager, ensuring alignment with project objectives.
• Ensure that all project activities adhere to agreed work plans, targets, timelines, budgets, and result indicators.
• Collect and record data on activity progress, successes, and challenges, and report regularly to the Project Manager.
• Collaborate with Site Operations Managers and Chiefdom Officers to mobilise communities for conservation and facilitate the achievement of project outcomes.

REQUIREMENTS
• Bachelor’s degree in international development, gender studies, social work, community development, or a related field (Master’s degree will be an added advantage).
• At least 5 to 10 years of experience in community development or livelihood-focused roles, particularly within conservation or sustainable development projects.
• Proven experience in implementing field-based programmes, ideally with a focus on community engagement and training in rural settings.
• Experience in conservation management will be advantageous.
• Proficiency in both written and spoken English is essential; knowledge of local languages is an advantage for effective community engagement.
• Skilled in delivering and managing community-based programmes, particularly in climate-smart agriculture, beekeeping, livestock management, and water security.
• Skilled in implementing market-based livelihood value chain activities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead training sessions and capacity-building initiatives that equip community members with sustainable livelihood skills.
• Experienced in liaising with a range of stakeholders, including government agencies, non-governmental organisations, and community groups, fostering productive partnerships.
• Familiarity with REDD+ principles, human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies, and conservation practices relevant to rural livelihoods.
• Competent in planning, budgeting, and executing project activities, ensuring they align with project goals and timelines.
• Proficient in data collection, analysis, and reporting, with a track record of tracking project progress and contributing to monitoring and evaluation efforts.
• Familiarity with social safeguards is desirable.
• A valid driving licence, with at least five years’ driving experience in remote areas will be required as well as willingness to travel to the field frequently.
• The Livelihoods Coordinator will be a team player, who is innovative and results driven. With strong cultural sensitivity and communication skills, the Coordinator will effectively engage and motivate community members while representing Peace Parks Foundation positively. Organised and detail-oriented, the Coordinator will ensure accountability through meticulous planning, budgeting, and reporting.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a cover letter detailing their interest in and suitability for the position and a Curriculum Vitae, with full address, telephone number, email address and contact details of at least three contactable references. These should be submitted by 16 January 2025.

A competitive salary package will be negotiated, based on qualifications and experience. Applications should be submitted to: Human Resources



Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 60

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

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