Assisant Director Freetown, Sierra Leone, U.S. Forest Service International Programs

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Assistant Director

Sustainable and Thriving Environments for West African Regional Development (STEWARD) Program

The US Forest Service, International Programs (USFS/IP) and Management and Engineering Technologies International, Inc. (METI) seeks a full-time Assistant Program Director for the STEWARD Program, a three and a half year (March 2011-September 2015) integrated natural resource management program funded by US Agency for International Development (USAID) West Africa Regional Mission based out of Accra, Ghana.  STEWARD Program activities focus on biodiversity conservation, climate change, environmental policy, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast. 

Background:

STEWARD is a forest conservation and sustainable livelihoods program focusing on transboundary priority zones (PZs) in the Upper Guinean Forest ecosystem.  The overall goal of STEWARD is to enhance economic opportunity, peace-building and well-being through the sustainable management of forest landscapes in targeted priority zones in the Upper Guinea Forest Ecosystem.  The program has three main objectives: 

1. Conserve biodiversity and improve rural livelihoods in critical transboundary landscapes in the Upper Guinean Forest Ecosystem;
2. Produce harmonized policies and legal frameworks for natural resource management (NRM) in a regional context; and
3. Contribute to sub-regional and national strategic plans on climate change in the Mano River Union states.

Position Description: 

The Assistant Program Director will take the lead role in program monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to ensure accurate and comprehensive data collection, analysis, and reporting of program indicators to USAID, against the agreed targets, for program activities implemented by USFS/STEWARD funded partners.  In addition, responsibilities include, but not limited to:

• Provide oversight and coordination with USFS/STEWARD funded partners to collect qualitative and quantitative data for indicators to track implementation of biodiversity conservation, climate change, environmental policy, and WASH activities.
• Provide guidance/capacity building to funded partners for indicator reporting and review data entry for M&E.
• Conduct M&E missions to the field sites to support implementation of M&E.
• Produce progress reports in accordance with USAID indicator guidelines on a regular basis to USFS/IP and USAID/West Africa.
• Coordinate with the STEWARD Program Director to prepare work plans, budgets, M&E frameworks, technical reports and all other relevant aspects of program implementation.
• Identify, document, and disseminate lessons learned.
• Serve as Acting Program Director when appointed.

Qualifications:

• +5 years’ experience working in Africa, West Africa experience preferred

• Demonstrated knowledge of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) procedures and experience supervising M&E efforts for multi-sectoral, multi-country, multi-partner programs;
• Professional written and spoken proficiency in French and English required;
• Familiarity with USAID reporting procedures;
• Experience in program management/monitoring;
• Experience in biodiversity conservation, climate change, and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH);
• Proven ability to work well with multi-level stakeholders; strong interpersonal skills; and ability to work in a multi-cultural environment;
• Demonstrated capacity building experience;
• Strong writing, organizational, and communication skills;

• USAID or other donor experience strongly preferred.

Position Location: 

Based in Freetown, Sierra Leone with monthly trips to project sites in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast.  

Application Instructions:

Candidates from the Mano River Union and neighboring countries are strongly encouraged to apply.  To apply please send a resume and cover letter to Annie Nagy amnagy@fs.fed.us no later than November 30, 2012.  Please note that the successful applicant will be hired through a USFS/IP contractor. Salary will be commensurate with experience.