Programme Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

Update

Context

The Gambia has a small, undiversified economy heavily reliant on tourism, trade, remittances, and subsistence agriculture. Given that almost half of The Gambia’s 2 million population (48.6%) live below the poverty line, a large proportion of the population is vulnerable to shocks and crises. COVID-19 hit the country amidst an employment crisis of 57.1% and 41.5% for women and men respectively. Prior to the pandemic, tourism and agriculture together contributed 50% of the GDP and accounted for 90% of the labor force. The pandemic magnified environmental challenges linked to climate change and disaster risks and threatens to reverse the gains made in the country’s strive for a green economy. Traditionally wildlife protected areas (PA) and other categories of conserved landscapes that underpin nature-based tourism are critically underfunded. This undermines their full economic value and tourism potential and reduces the significant opportunities to improve rural livelihoods and secure community land-rights. Out of the eight Protected Areas in The Gambia (covering 88,289.41 ha), six are open to ecotourism/nature-based tourism/tourist visitation as a source of revenue for peripheral communities. The income of communities within these 6 peripheral areas has been curtailed. These communities are now more susceptible to exploiting natural resources to supplement their livelihoods (IUCN, n.d.). The pandemic has provided cover (manifesting as reduced surveillance) for poor people to embark on illegal activities such as deforestation and other forms of ecosystem degradation, wildlife poaching and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities especially in trans-frontier/cross border marine and terrestrial PAs with shared resources. Interstate collaborative recovery efforts as well as deliberate positioning of communities on green economic development pathways can ensure sustainability of resources.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of or her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Programme Officer will: • Support the Project Manager for the RRF project in the day-to-day management of the implementation of the project. This shall include: • Work closely with the relevant UNDP programme Units; Poverty, Environment and the Accelerator to ensure that project components that they are taking the lead on are bing implemented on time • Reach out and Liaison with partners engaged in implementation of project activities to assess progress, determine needs and provide technical support as needed • Monthly Field monitoring of projects being implemented • Preparation of regular quarterly reports (progress and financial) on the status of project implementation • Consistently assess progress of implementation and identify strategies and actions required to accelerate delivery • Prepare the M&E plan for monitoring Low Value Grantees • Undertake overall monitoring and evaluation of the project; ensuring that all project activities completed are evaluated as per the M &E plan of the project • Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/expected outputs: • As an active UNDP team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNDP and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: o Timely and efficient delivery of project activities o Production of high monitoring quality reports o Availability of data and evidence on project impact o Information on the project widely shared within UNDP • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed