Liberia is host to a forest cover of 6.6 million ha, which represents approximately 69% of the total landmass. Regarded as one of the biodiversity hotspots in the world, Liberia has approximately 43% of the remaining Upper Guinea forest with enormous biodiversity that includes plants with high endemism. Irrespective of the global and national significance of Liberia’s forest and biodiversity, Liberia faces several challenges and threats to its forest resources, including unsustainable logging, slash-and-burn agriculture,  the heavy reliance of local people on natural forests for fuelwood and timber, wildlife poaching, etc. These drivers are causing considerable damage to the integrity of the ecosystems and the provision of essential ecosystem services, which are exacerbated by inadequate livelihood opportunities and economic incentives for the forest communities.

There has been increasing recognition of community forestry as a means for promoting sustainable forest management that can allow for maximizing benefits for forest-dependent people who are custodians of the forest and its resources. This has given rise to governments increasingly ceding forest and land management rights/control to local people and communities. As part of the post-conflict forest reform, Liberia developed a Community Rights Law that aims to empower communities to engage in the sustainable management of these forests.

UNDP has developed the LEH-GO-GREEN project, which seeks to support increased forest-based revenue and livelihoods for forest users and forest fringe communities in Liberia”. The project, funded by the European Union Delegation in Liberia, seeks to improve natural resources governance and business environment for sustainable forest-based activities in line with the 2021-2024 EU Programming Forestry & Conservation Contribution to  Team Europe Initiatives (TEI) ‘Sustainable Forestry and Biodiversity Conservation in Liberia’. It will focus on strengthening the sustainable use of natural resources in Liberia while contributing to the fight against climate change and increasing jobs and growth for forest communities in the Grebo-Krahn and Gola Forest landscapes in Liberia for enhancing access to forest-based revenue and livelihood opportunities for improved forestry and conservation activities.

The project will work across the following four outcomes:

Outcomes 1: Community Conservation Agreement(CCA) developed and implemented to support sustainable livelihood and nature-based solutions in targeted authorized forest communities.

Outcomes 2: Sustainable management of reduced impact community-based commercial logging promoted based on best practices and guidelines developed and piloted in targeted authorized forest communities.

Outcomes 3: Resilient and diversified income and livelihood opportunities and business development of forest-related enterprises created and strengthened.

Outcomes 4: Mechanisms to foster sustainable financing of local forest-based enterprises promoted for enhancing the capacity of forest communities to be aware of carbon market opportunities to participate in carbon readiness activities.

The project will be implemented under a Direct Implementation Modality (DIM). It will be implemented in collaboration with the Forestry Development Authority, as the Responsible Party, sits under the Inclusive Green  Growth (IGG) Portfolio, which seeks to support the Government of Liberia in delivering pro-poor growth, equitable development of human capital, and sustainability in natural resources management. This IGG Portfolio is complementary to and builds on existing frameworks and plans of action such as the Sustainable Development Goals, AU’s Agenda 2063, the PAPD 2018–2023, UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025, UNDP Country Programme Document for the Republic of Liberia (2020-2024) and UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2020-2024for Liberia. The project objectives are aligned with national frameworks and priorities and are intended to support the government, under the leadership of the Forestry Development Authority to deliver on its obligations to its citizens. It was developed following consultations with government counterparts, civil society actors, and other development partners.

To support and facilitate the implementation of the project, UNDP wishes to recruit a Project Manager (National position).

Key Function:

1. Direct and manage the project operations and ensure achievement of the project results and outputs;
2. Provide technical and managerial oversight as part of the Project Management Unit and ensure efficient delivery;
3. Build new partnerships and increase resource mobilization;
4. Knowledge Services

The following section describes the functions under each of these categories with expected results:

1. Direct and manage the project operations and ensure the achievement of the project results and outputs:

• Facilitate the day-to-day functioning of the Project Management Unit and manage the Human and Financial resources, in consultation with management, to achieve results in line with the outputs and activities outlined In the project document;
• Manage the financial resources with accountability to the Project Board, Steering Committee, and UNDP’s management for achieving results in line with the outputs and activities outlined in the project document;
• Lead and oversee the project team located in the field as well as the office in Monrovia through planning, implementation, managing, and monitoring the delivery of policies, reports, knowledge products, and annual results-based work plans and result framework as endorsed by the management;
• Ensure an enabling working environment for all staff so that no workplace harassment, sexual harassment or abuse of authority takes place;
• Oversee the monitoring, evaluation, and communication work including overseeing the preparation and implementation of a monitoring and communication plan and responsibility for the quality of monthly and quarterly progress reports and reviews;
• Responsible for ensuring that staff of the Government of Liberia involved with the project acquire the ownership, knowledge and capacity to contribute to the project outputs and provide overall operational management for successful execution and implementation of the project in line with the execution policies and procedures of the project;
• Establish strategic rapport and strong relationships with government stakeholders together with civil society for facilitating the sustainable scaling up nationally as well as institutional mainstreaming of the project into relevant government entities.

2. Policy and Programme Oversight and Delivery:

•  Maintain continuous strategic relationships with relevant government counterparts and various government institutions for project success;
• Ensures effective representation and Strategic Advisory Support, focusing on the achievement of the project results;
• Provide substantive technical oversight and technical backstopping for SFM and livelihood interventions;
• Support the development and review TORs, concept notes etc. for all project activities;
• Support the analytical and policy development work of the team and ensure high-quality policy of knowledge products. Promote the substantive quality of all knowledge products reports and services, and ensure effective integration and compatibility with other practice areas;
• Design, introduce, and continuously develop feedback mechanisms and open communication channels to ensure that the changing needs and expectations of the public are fully taken into account when reviewing annual and quarterly work plans.

3. Build new partnerships and increase mobilization:

• Lead and facilitate the preparatory work on the follow-on phase that includes undertaking different assessments, and consultation with different stakeholders. Implementation of the annual results-based work plans and result frameworks in close consultation with the Outcome, national/international experts, and relevant UNDP  units;
• Support the preparation of proposals for the mobilization of human, technical or financial resources from international development organizations and the private sector;
• Plan, strategize, and manage the scaling up of the project to a national level with closer guidance from the government focal point and coordination of UNDP.

4. Knowledge Services:

• Lead and manage the inputs of the consultants and national/international advisers and undertake knowledge capture at national, regional, and global levels in the subject area and the production of knowledge-based products;
• Lead the process of knowledge creation and dissemination related to national, regional, and global know-how in the subject area. In this context, partner with practitioners and members of the National think tanks, UNDP global networks, leadership of the practice and sub-practice teams in RBA and other related bureaus on knowledge management services;
• Manage the establishment of internal and external networks or communities of practice covering prominent experts in government, non-government, private sector, international development organizations and the UN system;
• Ensure the project results are captured and recorded in knowledge products to communicate project results and impact.

Institutional Arrangement

The Project Manager will act as Secretary to the Project Board, which is responsible for providing strategic directions to the implementation of the project and approving annual work plans for the project. The Project Manager will be under the overall supervision of the UNDP Team Leader for Inclusive Green  Growth pillar and report directly to the Programme Coordinator. S/he shall be responsible for providing quarterly updates on the implementation of the project, ahead of Project Steering Committee and Board meetings.. The Project Manager will liaise with FDA Focal Person), national institutions, and local administrations involved in the project to guarantee their active participation. All the staff of the project will directly report to this post.

• Ability to build and maintain an overall positive public image for the organization, its mandate, and its brand, while ensuring that individual campaigns and other communications and advocacy initiatives are supported in reaching the public

Partnership management: Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding

• Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms

Partnership management: Resource mobilization

• Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities and establish a plan to meet funding requirements

Programme and Policy: Gender

• Gender Mainstreaming

Programme and Policy: Inclusive Growth

• Poverty and Human Development

Business Direction & Strategy: System Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Business Development: Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for content, or responsive to a stated need

Qualified female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.