BACKGROUND:

IUCN’s Tanzania Country Programme supports priorities defined under Tanzania’s National Development Plan, National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, National Climate Change Strategy, Agriculture and Water Sector Development Strategies and Marine and Fisheries Action Plans, Blue Economy Policies and Strategies, IUCN Intersessional Plan 2021-2024 as well as relevant Multi-lateral environmental agreements. Our 2030 strategic goals include sustainable land and landscapes management, conservation of critical natural habitats, Integrated water resources management, capacity building for climate change adaptation and mitigation, and Coastal and ocean resilience (COR) building.

IUCN’s Tanzania Country Programme is currently implementing a project called “PAMOJA TUHIFADHI BAHARI YETU – in short form Bahari Yetu”. This is a 4-year project (2024 – 2028) with the overall goal of improving environmental protection and biodiversity conservation of the coastal and marine ecosystems in Tanzania. This project is funded by the European Union through the ‘Blue Economy for job creation and climate change adaptation programme’: a 110 M EUR programme that aims to contribute to a climate resilient Blue Economy on the Tanzanian coastal cities and ecosystems. The project is implemented in parts of the Mtwara, Coastal and Dar es Salaam regions and Unguja Island in Zanzibar. The project consists of four components:
i. Protection of Marine Resources Biodiversity,
ii. Strengthen Community-led Management of Coastal Forests,
iii. Combat plastic litter in marine and estuary water bodies,
iv. Improve institutional capacities for research, monitoring, surveillance and management of coastal and marine resources.
The project is designed to feed into the Great Blue Wall Initiative. The Great Blue Wall is a Western Indian Ocean (WIO)-born, Africa-driven roadmap to achieve a nature positive world by 2030. It aims at unlocking unprecedented nature-based recovery efforts through the establishment of a transformational movement. Its goal is to dramatically accelerate and upscale ocean conservation actions while enhancing socio-ecological resilience and the development of a regenerative blue economy by catalyzing political leadership and financial support.
The Forest Officer will drive the implementation of the Community Coastal Forest Management component of the project. This position reports directly to the Project Manager. He/she will serve as a member of the Country COR Team that helps set strategic directions and define priorities for IUCN’s broader engagement on Marine and Coastal issues at the country level and, accordingly, works with the other members of the team in strategic planning; monitoring and evaluation; and learning, innovation and knowledge generation at the overall Programme level. He/she will also support the land system country team on request basis.

The Forest Officer will be based in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania with frequent travel to the project sites in Rufiji, Kilwa and Unguja Island.

Reporting to the Project Manager, ‘Bahari Yetu’, the Project Officer will work with relevant project with the project team, national and county government staff, project partners, service providers, local communities, and IUCN staff from the Tanzania country office as the IUCN technical lead for coastal forest resources management and development interventions both planning and technical delivery. The Project Officer will be responsible for technical and operational delivery of key objectives of ‘Bahari Yetu’ project.

SPECIFIC DUTIES:

Project management;
Facilitate the preparation of detailed work plans, budgets and schedules for coastal/seascape forest level project implementation in collaboration with the project team, partners and stakeholders;
Assist in processes related to inception, contracting and start-up of activities including establishment of indicators, benchmarks, work plans and inception workshops;
Coordinate and monitor the administration of project budgets and work plans according to approved external contracts and internal agreements, work plans, internal procedures and policies, and donor requirements;
Lead the organization of coastal/seascape forest level workshops and similar events;
Oversee overall implementation of the project community coastal forest management related interventions;
Coordinate the planning and organization of project meetings; and create the necessary linkages and partnerships with the relevant national and sub-national institutions in country;
Coordinate and track deliverables of consultants and implementing partners under the community coastal forest management component, including ensuring necessary final approvals;
Manage the budget and allocation of project resources, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting in liaison with project finance officer as necessary;

Technical direction and capacity building;
Support the development of community-based forest management plans for village lands and forest reserves.
Assess the potential for nature-based solutions that will increase restoration potential and improved management of VLFRs
Together with TFS and CSOs support the capacity building for Local Government Authorities and Communities to implement the VLFRs and co-management plans.
Develop local policy-relevant materials to communicate the relevant information arising from ‘Bahari Yetu’ to stakeholders

Programme Development and Resource Mobilization:
As appropriate contribute in the fundraising activities including development of concepts and projects documents. This will involve establishing, maintaining and nurturing good relationships with donors, funding agencies and other technical partners so as to ensure the financial viability of the Country Portfolio and COR programme;

Monitoring and Evaluation;
Contribute to the development of the project Monitoring and Evaluation Framework;
Monitor and report on project progress by regularly informing the results monitoring matrix;
In collaboration with the Project Technical Manager ensure IUCN work is accountable to donors and other stakeholders through the establishment and management of effective accountability mechanisms and processes;
Provide leadership to use data for project decision making, for the implementation of management actions based on the findings of monitoring, and to ensure that feedback from stakeholders inform programme development;
Lead reporting processes and requirements of the community coastal forest management component of the project.

Other responsibilities:
Perform other duties as may be assigned from time to time