Programme Advisor

Internal/External Vacancy Announcement #050/2020

Natural Resources Stewardship Programme (NatuReS)

Background

 Climate change will have a significant impact on the supply, storage and demand of natural resources – especially water – in Africa and other parts of the world. Coupled with population growth, economic development, urbanization, land-use change, and ageing infrastructure, communities, businesses and governments will face many challenges developing more sustainable ways to use available water and other natural resources.

 The Natural Resources Stewardship Programme (NatuReS), which is funded by BMZ (the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development) and potentially co-funded in the future by other entities, is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (“GIZ”). NatuReS promotes corporate natural resources stewardship and multi-stakeholder collective action for more sustainable management of natural resources, especially those resources that are linked to water. NatuReS aims to strengthen and support local partnerships to address shared water-related natural resources risks^[1]. Due to the scale and complexity of emerging challenges related to water and natural resources, individual actions, though important, are limited in effectiveness. “Natural Resources Stewardship” addresses this issue by offering a pragmatic way of establishing a dialogue between public and private partners together with civil society to manage their shared natural resources risks. Put simply, stewardship is about taking care of something that we do not own but that is important to us. This is based on the premise that we are all accountable and therefore responsible for the sustainable use and management of our planet’s natural resources. Since 2009, GIZ has been assisting to catalyze multi-stakeholder collective action to manage and reduce shared water-related natural resources risks around the world. Prior to NatuReS, the International Water Stewardship Programme (IWaSP) was active in nine project countries: Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Saint Lucia and Grenada. The NatuReS project countries are currently: Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa, with more project countries to come.

 For decades, the rural population in the Ethiopian highlands has been affected by increasing food insecurity stemming from high population growth, deforestation and unsuitable agricultural production methods.

 In response to these challenges, the Ethiopian Government has adopted an ambitious five-year Growth and Transformation Plan (2015-2020), its aim being to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations and double Ethiopia’s GDP. Combating poverty and promoting economic growth and education are key elements of government policy.

In line with the Ethiopian Government’s objectives, German development cooperation with Ethiopia currently focuses on three priority Areas:

• Labour-market-oriented education and Training
• Sustainable land Management, agriculture and food supply
• Biodiversity

 NatuReS Ethiopia Programme

 NatuReS programme in Ethiopia is picking up from where the predecessor programme, IWaSP left its activities. NatuReS Ethiopia is therefore now implementing a private-public-CSO partnership within Lake Hawassa and its catchment area. NatuReS is also actively engaging with other relevant key players in the natural resources sector to establish another partnership(s) within Ethiopia. Currently NatuReS is setting up a solid waste management platform for Addis Ababa city with a focus on plastic collection, segregation and recycling.

Responsibilities and Duties

Partnership setup and Management

• Support in the setting up of the solid waste management partnership in Addis
• Attend partnership coordination meetings and advise partners where need arises
• Support the already existing NatuReS partnerships in implementation of activities and provide technical backstopping to colleagues

Portfolio Development

• Support the NatuReS team in identifying key stakeholders that could potentially join a partnership or establish a new one
• Establish linkages with other GIZ programmes and identify synergies
• Support the country coordinator on issues like co-finances and donor relations

Government Relations

• Help to establish and maintain linkages with relevant government, private and civil society organizations and organize meetings aimed at increasing the visibility of the programme
• Inform the programme’s staff of any development within the government that could have an impact on the programme’s activities (positive and negative)

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Support in M&E for NatuReS Ethiopia
• Further develop NatuReS M&E system with other M&E officers within the programme

Knowledge Management

• Facilitate learning within the programme, document lessons-learned and best practices
• Advocate and disseminate the stewardship approach at both regional, national and international level; occasional attendance of conferences, symposia etc.
• Other related activities as assigned by the supervisor

Requirements

 Qualifications

• Master’s degree in water, environment, natural resources or another related field
• Excellent skill in reading, writing and speaking Amharic and English, additional languages are an asset
• Computer literacy, including proficiency with Microsoft Office is a must
• High degree of initiative, efficiency, team-work, integrity and accountability
• Ability to work professionally in an international context according to international standards
• Professional, confident and reliable conduct towards stakeholders, superiors and colleagues
• Exercises data protection in accordance to the GIZ and other corresponding rules

 Professional experience

•  Minimum of 5 years’ relevant occupational experience.
• Good understanding of the water and natural resources sector in Ethiopia, as well as the country’s political economy;
• Good communicator capable of articulating issues and advising the NatuReS management on matters related to the programme;
• Fully proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications strong analytical, research and documentation skills;
• The ability to assimilate large amounts of information and present in an accessible manner;
• Ability to apply good judgement in the context of assignments given, ability to plan own work and manage conflicting priorities;
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to work within a team with less supervision; can work under pressure to meet deadlines

Other knowledge, additional competencies

•  Knowledge of managing multi-stakeholder partnerships (private, civil society, public and international organizations) in natural resources management will be an added advantage