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UNDP/GEF is supporting the Government of Kazakhstan and relevant national agencies to orchestrate a long-term solution for biodiversity conservation in Kazakhstan’s steppe areas involving the development of a highly strategic, landscape-based approach to protected area expansion and management within the steppe zone. The solution relies on three key elements: (i) establishing a system of various types of financially sustainable protected areas, ranging from permanent and fully staffed national parks to seasonally protected areas; from fully Government-administered areas to areas where local communities play a central role in management; (ii) promote a landscape level conservation management for steppe ecosystems by integration of these protected areas with buffer zones, wildlife corridors and other areas of the broader landscape; and (iii) build adequate capacities among a broad range of stakeholders to manage both the protected areas and key landscape areas, and in particular to utilize the new management tools. At the initial stage of this project, UNDP seeks a highly qualified and capable Protected Area expert to technically support the project in achieving its objective by undertaking activities and delivering key outputs indicated below, under direct supervision and guidance of the project manager and responsible UNDP
Duties and Responsibilities
The key outcomes from this consultancy will be:
Demonstration of alternative PA types for conservation of steppe landscape, which may be applied in Kazakhstan considering international experience, their benefits and possible drawbacks of alternative PA types and the ways of their establishment;
Methods of involvement local communities, administrations, hunting land managers, private households, private land users, institutional land users and other state structures in establishment of alternative PA types;
A scheme of introducing alternative protected area types in the PA system of Kazakhstan;
Typical particularities, when preparing a Management Plan, to present key moments of the procedure on MP development: stages of planning, key moments of the procedure on MP development, particularities of the content of MP sections, possible restrictions;
Skills compendium, or catalogue of skills and competencies required for management of different categories of PAs;
Training modules on various skills and competencies; Norms and standards/guidelines for protected area management planning in the Kazakhstan
Competencies
Experience in development of protected area management competence standards;
Experience in development and implementation of training programs;
Experience in human and institutional capacity building for protected area management;
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, strong cultural sensitivity and ability to work in multi-cultural environments
Excellent computer literacy
Required Skills and Experience
Education
Post graduate qualification in Environmental Management, Conservation, Biological Sciences and/or Geographical Sciences
