Livelihood and Ecotourism Officer (LEO)

Background

The Hailemariam & Roman Foundation (HRF) is a non-profit international NGO established by the Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Mr. Hailemariam Dessalegn, and the Former First Lady of Ethiopia, H.E. Mrs. Roman Tesfaye. It strives to support the efforts of government, communities and partners in bringing socioeconomic transformation in Ethiopia and the broader continental Africa.

With its programmatic focus areas- maternal and child health and nutrition, climate-smart conservation and ecotourism, agricultural transformation, and economic empowerment of women and youth, synergizing each other, the foundation envisions seeing A healthy and economically empowered community in a well-conserved environment. Geographically, its support focuses on areas with the highest disparities where the foundation could add value.

Job Summary

The Climate Smart Conservation and Ecotourism (CSCET) Program of HRF is a flagship initiative with the main goal of ensuring collaborative and community-based response measures towards addressing the two interrelated problems of biodiversity loss and lack of secure community livelihoods in a way that mitigates persistence of both anthropogenic and climatic impacts on the biodiversity stock. To attain this goal, the program adheres to a community-based sustainable conservation approach whereby local communities and their institutions work closely with the park officials while ensuring sustainable benefits from their conservation endeavors by creating various alternative livelihoods, including ecotourism. Ultimately, the program work is meant to create as many alternative livelihood strategies as possible for all of the community members around the national parks who depend on these resources to support their living (food, fuel, fodder, etc.) and empower them to be in full charge of protecting the resources from further depletion.

The Maze conservation and community livelihoods project, entitled The Preservation of Maze National Park and its Watershed in Ethiopia, is a five-year (2024-2028) project fully funded by the Agence franaise de dveloppement (AFD) and implemented by Hailemariam & Roman Foundation (HRF). The project is aimed at ensuring the long-term integrity of Maze National Park for the benefit of nature and communities around the park with three key components: a) Maze National Park is functional and achieves its conservation objectives; b) a win-win approach regarding natural resources management is in place between communities and the park; and c) the water flow in the park's rivers is ensured and sufficient. For the implementation of this project, HRF has set up a project Management Unit (PMU) located in Maze NP, Morka Town, Gamo Zone. The PMU has been set up to coordinate the implementation of the five-year project through mobilizing and engaging local communities, park management, local government offices, and other relevant partners towards the realization of the stated project goal.

One of the key components of the project is the community's alternative livelihoods and ecotourism. This component is designed to create alternative livelihoods for the local people who have been dependent on the biodiversity resources of the Maze National Park and causing continued degradation of the park's biodiversity. The alternative livelihoods and ecotourism ventures are deemed to shift the dependence of local people on the biological resources of the park and to bolster a strong sense of ownership over the park while serving as true guardians of the Maze National Park and its surrounding landscape.

The Livelihoods and Ecotourism Officer (LEO) of the PMU, under the direct supervisor of the Project Coordinator (PC), is responsible for planning, coordinating, and leading the implementation of one of the major components of the project, livelihoods and ecotourism. The position holder is responsible for guiding park for guiding the effective implementation of alternative livelihood activities in and around the Maze National Park, including its wider areas of the watershed, and following the recommendations of the agrarian diagnosis in order to support communities in the development of on-farm / off-farm activities. The officer is supposed to work closely and harmoniously with the PMU staff, MNP management, local government, local communities, and other relevant stakeholders towards ensuring the execution of sustainable livelihoods through on-farm, off-farm, non-farm, and ecotourism-based alternatives. In so doing, the Officer works in close collaboration with the agriculture and natural resource management, rural livelihood, rural job creation sectors of the government, and, most importantly, with the Maze Park Management and the Tourism and Culture Department of the government.

Specific Roles and Responsibilities of the Livelihood and Ecotourism Officer (LEO)

• Prepare an annual plan of action per the project document and guide the implementation of alternative livelihoods and ecotourism activities through working with other PMU staff and all relevant stakeholders.
• Create smooth and collegial working relationships and communication lines with the park management, community representatives, local stakeholders and government officials to ensure the effective implementation of livelihoods and ecotourism targets as specified in the project document.
• In close collaboration with stakeholders and the PMU staff, establish alternative livelihoods and ecotourism associations, committees or other relevant platforms for the project implementation.
• Organize, facilitate, and provide planned capacity building to the livelihoods and ecotourism organizations, members and leadership, and devise mechanisms to implement their plans effectively.
• Mobilize stakeholders and communities towards attaining the project goals of creating sustainable rural livelihoods for those engaged in the pursuit.
• Support the communities surrounding the park by diversifying their livelihoods through non-market and market-oriented ecotourism activities to reduce dependency on park biodiversity.
• Explore, collect and make use of contemporary evidence and knowledge in the area of alternative livelihoods, ecotourism development and marketing, etc., towards meeting the project goal.
• Plan and undertake activities that ensure the continuous flow of tourism and tourist revenue to the park in a way that does not compromise the ecological and socio-cultural integrity of Maze National Park and its surroundings.
• Participate in the agrarian diagnosis in collaboration with relevant local-level partners and strive for the effective execution of the key recommendations of the rural diagnosis with the PMU staff.
• Oversee and support the effective execution of the gender and women empowerment activities of the project.
• Prepare and present periodic performance reports to the PMU/PC and implement suggested improvements based on the feedback.
• Undertake other relevant and specific activities as assigned by the project coordinator

Job duties:

• The job holder should work in line with the New Labor Proclamation - Proclamation No. 1156/2019, at least eight hours daily (Monday to Friday). The position requires physical presence in the workplace (Gamo Zone, Kucha Wereda, Moka Town)

Nature of supervision:

• The position holder is directly responsible to the Project Coordinator of the PMU and is to be supervised as per the Foundations HR policy and in line with the project Implementation Manual.

Quantity: 1

Sex: Both and female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Duration of contract: for one year with the possibility of extension.

Vacancy number: HRF- CSCET-PO-004/2024

Required qualifications and competencies

• The Livelihoods and Ecotourism Officer must have a Masters degree in academic fields such as Rural Livelihoods, Environmental Management, Tourism Development, Agri-Business, Natural Resource Management, Agricultural Economics, Environment and Development, Rural Development and Livelihoods, or other related fields.
• The Officer must have a relevant work experience of 8 years and above.
• Previous experience in protected area management would be an asset.
• Articulated knowledge of government policies and strategies about rural livelihoods and agri-business, natural resource management, tourism development, etc.
• Proven experience communicating and collaborating with local communities, the private sector, and local, national and regional stakeholders to achieve agreed collective outcomes.
• Excellent facilitation and coordination skills, the ability to manage the timely and effective delivery of quantity and quality work on time.
• Familiar with and working efficiently on Office 360 and other project management software using smart technologies.
• Strong communication and presentation skills and an ability to prepare appropriate and timely reports to various audiences and cultures/contexts.
• Proven command of written and spoken English; conversing with the local language of the project area community and culture is mandatory.