Company Profile

WUSC (World University Service of Canada) is a Canadian non-profit organization working to create a better world for all young people. We bring together a diverse network of students, volunteers, schools, governments, and businesses who share this vision. Together, we develop solutions in education, economic opportunities, and empowerment to overcome inequality and exclusion for youth around the world, particularly young women and young refugees. WUSC currently works in 25 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, with an annual budget of approximately CAD $40 million. We have over 90 staff in our Ottawa office, and over 200 people overseas implementing 16 development projects in collaboration with donors such as Global Affairs Canada, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Mastercard Foundation and the African Development Bank.

Job Description

• Reports to: Project Director Nature-based solutions in the Guinean Forests of West Africa
• Contract term: 1 year with possibility of renewal
• Application deadline: Rolling

Background

WUSC is a leading Canadian international development organization that works with and through its southern partners to promote sustainable development. Founded in 1957 and currently working in 22 countries worldwide with an annual budget of approximately $45 million dollars, WUSC’s mission is to foster human development and global understanding through education and training. Our internationally recognized programs support youth, women and other marginalized populations, focusing on three thematic areas of education, employment and empowerment. Globally, WUSC works with a network of higher education institutions, civil society organizations, private sector partners, professionals, students, volunteers, faculty and community leaders that can be leveraged to support our work.

The overall focus of the Nature-based Solutions (NBS) in the Guinean Forests of West Africa (NBS West Africa) project will be on engaging with a wide range of stakeholders to develop local and regional capacity to use evidence and engage with women and marginalized groups to prioritize locally relevant NBS to climate change adaptation. It will take a systems approach to supporting climate adaptation through interventions that plan for, pilot and scale nature based-solutions (NBS) to climate adaptation that contribute to enhanced biodiversity and gender equality. An overall assumption is that restoration and reforestation of degraded forests, both on and off farm, will be critical to supporting women and their communities to adapt to climate change challenges and will be central to protecting and restoring biodiversity in this critical global hotspot.

The project will work in close collaboration with consortium member CECI, and with the IUCN, CIFOR-ICRAF and the University of Guelph. Key local stakeholders include local and national government bodies, regional institutions, private sector, women’s groups, and environmental organizations.

This initiative builds on WUSC’s and CECI’s decades of experience supporting vulnerable populations and leverages the experience of a variety of local and international partners who bring a strong climate NbS lens, are fully immersed in their respective ecosystems and whose work can be accelerated by this project. This project is a timely intervention to ensure Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Guinée continue to effectively address climate adaptation while incorporating Nature based Solutions and strong gender lenses.

Nature and Scope

Based in the Ghana project office, the Project Coordinator is responsible for the strategic and operational implementation of the NBS project in Ghana. The incumbent manages relationships with key stakeholders, including with national and local government, local and project partners, and the private sector in Ghana.

Reporting to the Project Director, the Project Coordinator will be responsible for the following:

Technical Direction & Project Management

• Provide technical and managerial coordination and guidance to NBS project in Ghana, in line with the project’s expected outcomes;
• Lead the development of key project planning deliverables in Ghana (i.e. Project Implementation Plan (PIP), Annual Work Plans (AWPs) using results based management (RBM) approaches and tools;
• Support the development of specific strategies for project objectives;
• Maintain open and effective communication amongst the consortium and project team members in Canada and West Africa (Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea);
• Coordinate staff, volunteers and partners in project activity implementation as per NBS PIP and AWPs;

Monitoring & Evaluation

• In collaboration with the monitoring and evaluation specialist, adapt the results monitoring system developed for the project to the Ghanaian context ;
• Regularly monitor progress towards results, ensuring appropriate course correction and iterative management;
• Ensure the production of quality reports in a timely manner and according to the PIP and AWP schedules;
• Maintain regular communication with the Project Director and project team in Canada to ensure appropriate support;

Human Resources

• Manage the project team including staff, volunteers and consultants in Ghana;
• Supervise, guide and evaluate the work of project staff and consultants;
• Oversee human resources management issues such as employment policies and practices, in line with local law;
• Work with colleagues and partners to ensure the effective mobilization, orientation and coaching of volunteers;

Financial & Office Management

• Establish and oversee a financial management system for the project;
• Ensure that the project complies with relevant local taxation, banking controls, and labor laws;
• In conjunction with the NBS finance team, contribute to development of budget, monitor the project budget and ensure regular reporting;
• Recruit, maintain and direct the required administrative and project infrastructure of staff, field offices and equipment as well as making decisions on administrative policy, planning and procedural matters;

Risk Management & Security Preparedness

• Actively assess the risk profile of the initiative; identify specific risks and appropriate mitigation strategies;
• Ensure the application and relevance of WUSC security policies, procedures and preparedness to the operational context of the project in Ghana;

Partner Liaison & Coordination

• Establish a strong working relationship with the partners, including planning, capacity building and information sharing;
• Implement an governance structure for the project in Ghana and coordinate the meetings;
• Coordinate regularly with other development actors in the Region to ensure harmonization and synergy with similar initiatives;
• Participate in NBS regional meetings as planned in the AWPs;
• Represent the Project in official communication and fora in Ghana. .

Required Skills or Experience

Education

• A postgraduate university degree in international development, project management or a relevant field.

Experience and Competencies

• A minimum of ten years of progressively more responsible assignments related to management of development initiatives;
• A minimum of five years working experience in Ghana; experience in Western Region will be an asset;
• Proven knowledge and experience in, climate change adaptation, gender equality, natural resources management, economic development and local governance;
• Demonstrated capacity to work in cross-sectoral collaboration;
• Experience working with donor agencies, including a solid understanding of Results Based Management (RBM) and environmental and gender policies and reporting requirements;
• Proven technical and financial managerial and administrative and organizational skills;
• Proven experience multi-disciplinary staff and international consultants and volunteers;
• Diplomatic skills and the knowledge of cross-cultural, inter-personal communication;
• Proven knowledge of and commitment to the concepts of Climate Change and Gender Equality;
• Experience working in complex partnerships and commitment to a participatory partnership approach to development;
• Proven experience working with information technology (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, internet);
• Capacity to travel and live in remote areas.

Language

• Superior oral and written skills required in English;
• French language skills an asset.