Consultant - Strategic Planning of the African Elephant Fund at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Under the supervision of the AEF Steering Committee and the AEF Secretariat hosted under the UNEP Law Division, the Consultant will work on this two-part assignment with the following  objectives:

To undertake a mapping study of approximately 20 largest regional and international organizations and initiatives working on elephant conservation in Africa, including the CITES-MIKE programme. This is aimed at identifying the organizations/initiatives that are active in these efforts, understand the work already being undertaken, and identify opportunities, gaps and possible areas of collaboration for the AEF. The mapping will identify the type of organizations/initiatives (e.g. NGOs, for-profits, etc), the scale and scope of the activities undertaken, and their knowledge management tools (e.g. databases on information on the African elephant) . Where possible, it will also identify the challenges facing them, their resources, and the areas of potential collaboration with the AEF. For this study, 'large' organizations/initiatives are defined as those that have an annual budget exceeding USD 500,000, operate in several African regions or countries and have been operating for more than 5 years. More detailed selection criteria will be determined during the consultancy assignment.
Based on the findings of the mapping study described above, to develop a draft strategy to guide the operations of the African Elephant Fund (AEF), including a Theory of Change (ToC). This is aimed at building on the growth and impact achieved over the past 10-plus years to further strengthen the engagement with and among the range States, and to scale the impact of AEF funded projects to the regional and continental levels.

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Chief of the Environmental Conventions and Policy Branch and Head of the AEF Secretariat. The consultant will also report to the AEF Steering Committee.
Qualifications/special skills

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in development studies, social sciences, law, economy, project management or similar discipline. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
• At least ten (10) years of relevant work experience in international development and project management is required.
• Documented experience/expertise in developing programmatic strategies and theories of change through a collaborative approach is required.
• Knowledge of the African Elephant Action Plan (AEAP), and conservation of wildlife, including the African elephant, is desirable.
• A good understanding of the status, history, political context , threats and challenges for the conservation and management of the African elephants across its range is desirable.
• Experience with international organizations and particularly the United Nations is desirable.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; ability to compile, structure and condense information collected from various sources into professional, technically accurate, clearly written, and concise policy-relevant outputs; excellent research, analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to compile, structure and condense information collected from various sources into professional, technically accurate, clearly written, and concise policy-relevant outputs; awareness of and respect for political sensitivities and cultural differences.
• Planning and organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments, adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.
• Respect for diversity: Works effectively with people from all backgrounds; treats all people with dignity and respect; treats men and women equally; shows respect for and understanding of diverse points of view and demonstrates this understanding in daily work and decision-making; examines own biases and behaviours to avoid stereotypical responses; does not discriminate against any individual or group.
• Creativity: Ability to within the constraints of the United Nations rules and regulations propose solutions to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs.

Languages

• Fluency in spoken and written English is required; Working knowledge of French is highly desirable