POSITION: Community Officer (CO)
CONTRACT: Full Time – 1 Year renewable
LOCATION: Mfuwe
PROJECT: USAID Community Forests Program (CFP)
REPORTING TO: Community Engagement Manager
BioCarbon Partners (BCP) is a dynamic African-registered and headquartered REDD+ development and management company. BCP is a social enterprise that engages in community-focused conservation work, whose aim is to involve and empower local people in the areas in which it operates. BCP seeks to foster positive relationships with local people and their leaders, so that together they can work as allies in their effort to conserve African landscapes, and so that conservation efforts benefit local communities.
BCP seeks a dynamic, talented individual to facilitate and support community engagement activities for the Mfuwe Project. This individual will serve as a representative of BCP in local communities, and will help to deliver the appropriate “message” about BCP within stakeholder communities. The Community Officer will be responsible for supporting and managing specific community projects, such as the Conservation Farming Training Program, small livestock projects and other forest-compatible income-generating activities. This individual will be expected to take initiative, self-manage, stay on top of a variety of responsibilities, work effectively within a team, and complete regular monitoring and reporting activities. The individual should be comfortable with public speaking and holding meetings with relevant community, government and partner organizations and individuals.
This is a field-based position, and we are looking for self-motivated, responsible candidates who have previous field experience or who are open to the idea of working in the field, including in remote and/or rural locations. The position will include travel within USAID/CFP Sites and Mfuwe Project, and the Community Officer will be expected to camp in basic conditions and to be independently mobile, including the use of bicycles, motorbikes and vehicles as means of transportation.
Responsibilities:
- Representation: Serve as a representative of BCP in local communities, and to and among government, community and organizational partners. Ensure to correctly deliver “the message” about BCP and BCP-supported activities, to ensure that there is understanding of and buy-in to the “big picture” aims of BCP.
- Community Relationships: Develop and maintain positive relationships with local traditional leaders and community stakeholders. Ensure locally based field staff under supervision are trained, empowered and able to act as BCP’s “eyes and ears” on the ground to support BCP projects and promote positive local relationships.
- Stakeholder Consultation and Sensitization: Coordination of public meetings; conducting visits to local villages; presentation of information about BCP’s REDD+ activities in line with FPIC; documentation of community stakeholder consultation and sensitization.
- Coordination of Community-Based Decision Making Processes: Support local community-based decision-making bodies (such as “Zone Development Committees” or other locally appropriate decision-making structures) to provide meaningful feedback to inform BCP activities, and make locally-appropriate decisions that benefit from local support and legitimacy.
- Livelihoods Projects Support: Accept specific responsibilities to support and manage BCP’s livelihoods activities and interventions. Ensure that supported projects are designed and implemented so as to achieve genuine progress towards BCP’s “big picture” aims of meaningfully involving local community stakeholders as partners in forest protection. Support includes:
- Assist with identification of viable project models
- Ensure that projects are designed and implemented so as to achieve big picture aims
- Ensure project impacts are measured, demonstrable and documented
- Ensure project impacts are positive – adjust program designs as needed (“flexible management”)
- Ensure project impacts are linked to sustainable forest management/protection
- Develop project and business plans
- Support community-owned initiatives and businesses
- Develop and ensure adherence to program models and timelines
- Assist with achievement of relevant “milestones” where applicable, in terms of project implementation.
- Planning: Work with CET members to develop monthly and quarterly plans that achieve short- and long-term operational aims of BCP; coordinate staff and partners to ensure activities accomplished.
- Reporting: Work with CET members to complete monthly and quarterly reports following standardized templates; reporting includes collection of data from community representatives and CET members, and incorporation of this information into regular reports. Ensure reports document and demonstrate progress towards achieving short- and long-term aims.
- Critical Evaluation: Assess program designs, schedules, reports and demonstrable achievements against programmatic short- and long-term aims of BCP—ensure that programs supported are achieving aims according to timelines; identify problems/obstacles/needs and design solutions to achieve progress and performance.
- Training and Capacity Building: Ensure project participants, community organizations and community-based implementers possess the skills and tools necessary to support and engage in project activities.
- Communication: Provide frequent and accurate information updates to staff members and stakeholders, so that they are well informed of BCP’s ongoing work and new developments.
- Conflict Resolution: Identify and work through locally appropriate mechanisms to address any conflicts that may arise within communities related to BCP activities.
- Translations: Coordinate the translation of relevant documents, as needed.
Competencies:
- Understanding and awareness of, and buy-in to, the ‘big picture” aims of BCP.
- Strong communication skills—written and spoken—in English and local languages.
- Ability and interest to travel frequently, including rural travel with basic camping/accommodation.
- Positive demeanor; including positive relationships with local communities/government.
- Experience working on teams; excellent team-work dynamic.
- Self-driven, motivated, responsible, able to take initiative.
- Strong computer and android phone skills
- Demonstrated field experience and/or strong interest/commitment to a (rural) field-based position
- Relevant project experience (conservation farming, livestock, education, income-generating activities) is a plus.
Qualifications:
- BA or BS in relevant field OR very strong (minimum 2 years) relevant experience (community engagement, field-based community work) – both are preferred
- Fluency in English required; Proficiency in additional languages preferred
- Ability to live in rural and/or remote field-based areas
- Specific technical / livelihoods project experience
- Private sector / Business experience is a plus.
Compensation:
A competitive salary will be offered.
Interested candidates, please send a copy of your CV and a cover letter explaining how you match these requirements by email to: jobs@biocarbonpartners.com
