Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (FECO/MEE), is the Implementing Partner of the GEF project China’s Protected Area Reform (C-PAR) for Conserving Globally Significant Biodiversity, and is seeking a Chief Technical Advisor to manage and run the project.

This project will serve as the national coordinating project of the six child projects under the GEF-financed China’s Protected Area System Reform (C-PAR) Program which aims to transform China’s national protected area system through systematic legal and institutional reform and innovation for conservation of globally significant biodiversity.

The duration of the project is 5 years and the Grand-Total Project Financing is about USD 49.3m.

The objectives of this project is to establish an effective National Park (NP) System through protected area reform and institutional innovation, increasing coverage of protected areas and improving effectiveness of PA management for conservation of globally significant biodiversity. It comprises three components, a) National Park System Establishment, b) Provincial level National Park System strengthening at three NP pilot sites, specifically the Three-River Source NP, the Giant Panda NP, and the Xianju NP, and c) Programme Coordination and Knowledge Management.

The other 5 child projects under the GEF-financed China’s Protected Area System Reform (C-PAR) Program are the following: 1) Enhancing conservation of globally significant biodiversity through PA system strengthening in Gansu, 2) Strengthening the PA system in the Qilian Mountains-Qinghai Lake landscape, 3) Strengthening Marine Protected Areas in SE China to conserve globally significant coastal biodiversity, 4) Expanding the coverage and strengthening the management of wetland protected areas in Sichuan Province, and 5)Building Sustainability into PA reforms to Conserve Globally significant Biodiversity in China.

Candidates, who are interested in this post, please send your CV to [email protected] before 17:00 of 8th Oct. 2019.  

If there are any queries, please contact Zhang Juan at 86-010-82268940, from 09:00 to 17:00.

Please see details in the attachment.

Terms of Reference

Chief Technical Advisor (part-time, 4 months per year)

The Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) provides project level technical advisory support, also liaising with technical advisors recruited for the other five child projects.

Duties and Responsibilities (these include, but are not limited to):

• Provide technical review of outputs on the project, and make recommendations to the NPD and PM.
• Advise on project level outcomes and impacts towards PA reform in China.
• Provide strategic input into project implementation, including adaptive management measures.
• Provide input to the PM on strategic approach to stakeholder engagement with governmental and non-governmental partners in PA reform.
• Assist in project risk management, through identifying critical issues, helping to troubleshoot problems and developing mitigation measures.
• Participate in project meetings, on an as-needed basis.
• Work with the project manager and the project Knowledge Management/Communications Officer to develop clear messaging for project stakeholders.
• Strengthen partnerships with leading national and international institutions and expert groups.
• Assist in the implementation of knowledge management activities, including distilling and documenting lessons learned, developing strategic messaging for the project and the C-PAR program.
• Facilitate inputs from the C-PAR1 Advisory Group.

• Drafting technical documents and terms of reference, reviewing deliverables among the project activities and outputs, organising technical meetings, and providing technical guidance on project activities.

Required skills and expertise:

• A university degree (MSc or PhD) in a subject related to natural resource management or environmental sciences.
• At least 15 years of experience in natural resource management (preferably in the context of protected area design, monitoring and management).
• At least 10 years of experience working with ministries, national or provincial institutions that are concerned with natural resource and/or environmental management.
• At least 10 years of demonstrable chief technical advisory experience.

Competencies:

• Strong knowledge about the political and socio-economic context related to protected area system in China.
• Ability to lead on strategic planning, change processes, results-based management and reporting.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and in teams.
• Excellent collaborative work style.
• Constructive advocacy skills.

• Ability to coordinate and supervise multiple responsible parties in their implementation of technical activities in partnership with a variety of subnational stakeholder groups, including community and government.
• Excellent command of English (writing, speaking and reading).