Alliance Coordinator
Organizational Background
The Alliance for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities for Conservation in Africa (AICA) is a Pan-African umbrella body of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) & Local Communities (LCs) organizations that seeks to galvanize the collective voice and agency of Africa’s IPs & LCs to address their common conservation related issues. AICA was born out of the African Protected Areas Congress- IP&LC Declaration resolution and was established in October 2023. Working with governments, donor agencies, and key conservation actors, AICA seek to address conservation related issues such as land rights and secure tenure, unlocking the economic value of conservation for IPs & LCs, sustainable financing, human-wildlife conflict, and others. AICA is therefore dedicated to advocating for the rights of IPs & LCs, promoting their cultural heritage, and supporting their efforts towards self-determination, natural resource governance, and sustainable development. AICA membership is anchored on national and regional IPs & LCs network organizations from all the five regions of Africa (North, West, Central, East, and Southern) and its governance structure include an Annual General Assembly of members, Steering Committee, Executive Committee, and a Secretariat currently hosted by two of its members namely the Community Leaders Network of Southern Africa and IMPACT-Kenya in East Africa.
Job Purpose
AICA is seeking a motivated and experienced leader to coordinate and drive its program across the five regions of Africa. With support from the Regional Focal Points (RFP) of the five regions and members of the Technical Reference Group, the successful candidate will be expected to implement the vision of AICA through its strategy that delivers effective outcomes of its interlocking priority areas namely operationalization of the Secretariat of AICA, campaigns and strategic engagement, putting people at the center of conservation, promoting inclusive governance and mobilizing the economic value of conserved areas for IPLCs. The position requires a candidate with experience working at the nexus of IPs & LCs, environment, advocacy, governance and policy. A proven experience in program implementation and operations, strong leadership and communication skills. Strategic partnership development with governments, bilateral, multilateral agencies and partner institutions on the continent in order to enhance and enable AICA vision will be an added advantage.
Major Responsibilities and expected deliverables
- 1. Administrative work
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• Coordinating the SC as per the agreed timelines, taking notes, and circulating those in English and French in a timely manner.
• Follow up with AICA members that may be holding grants to coordinate execution of activities and the requisite reporting to the funders.
• Work with the Communications Officer and ensure AICA’s website is updated and kept current at all times.
• Coordinating meeting between organizations and actors that are seeking partnership with AICA in coordination with the SC and regional focal points and taking notes during those meetings.
• Proper documentation and storage of all AICA information for institutional memory (starting from the APAC conference in 2022 to date).
• Overseeing all administrate and logistical aspects of meetings happening at a sub-regional level.
• Close collaboration with grant holders to support administrative and logistical tasks.
- 2. Strategic leadership
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• Developing a robust communication strategy for AICA and overseeing its implementation.
• Leading in the recruitment of new AICA members in consultation with the Board and regional focal points.
• Building up AICA’s Technical Reference Group membership in consultation with the Board and already existing Technical Reference Group members.
• Building up the membership of the elders’ council in consultation with all AICA members and the Board.
- 3. Programme Development
- • Designing a comprehensive 1 year and 3year work plan in consultations and close collaboration the board that mirrors the AICA’s strategy. In addition, it is important to consult key documents such as the IPs & LCs declaration, the Kigali declaration, the Windhoek communique, and the Maputo high level dialogue report.
- 4. Resource mobilization and partnership building
- • Drafting concept notes for potential funding as per invitations from funders. • Starting organization for the next congress, include design of a fundraising strategy in consultation with the SC.
- Any other AICA-related tasks that may be assigned by the SC or the leadership of AICA.
Reporting
The position will be reporting to the board of AICA.
Qualification Requirements
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Minimum Requirements and Job Skills:
• At least 5 years relevant work experience in building and delivering effective programs in at least one of the following sectors: biodiversity conservation, community engagement, advocacy and policy engagement.
• Experience managing multiple projects/activities, including workloads, and finances under deadlines.
• Proven experience of operating and delivering successful outcomes in challenging conditions.
• Strong team leadership skills and experience working with multiple teams from diverse background of the African continent.
• Fundraising track record and familiarity with relevant bilateral and multilateral donor agencies interested in supporting IPs & LCs interests.
• Excellent communication and inter-personal skills and demonstrated success in working with diverse partners including national governments to achieve common objectives.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and proficiency in French is an added advantage.
• Willing to undertake travels and committed to AICA’s vision and core values, which are: Respect, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Collaboration, and Integrity.
Preferred Requirements
Familiarity and experience of working within IPs & LCs conservation and natural resource governance context of Africa, Impact-orientated, with program-building and fundraising skills. Strong leadership and team building skills.
AICA is an equal opportunity employer, and the organization complies with all employment and labor laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value. The organization provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organization does not discriminate for employment based on gender, race/ethnicity, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, citizenship status, or any other covered status or characteristic protected by laws and regulations/and similar categories.