Technology Consultant Full-Time

Scope of Work

Technology upgrade and development in Niassa Special Reserve

Background:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is a US tax-free non-governmental organization founded in 1895 that protects wildlife and wilderness by understanding critical issues, creating science-based solutions and promoting conservation actions that benefit nature and the humanity. With more than a century of experience, long-term commitments in dozens of landscapes, presence in more than 60 countries and experience in helping to establish more than 150 protected areas worldwide, WCS has accumulated biological knowledge, cultural understanding and partnerships to ensure that vibrant places, with flora and fauna, thrive together with local communities. Working with local communities and organizations, this knowledge is applied to address issues of management of species, habitats and critical ecosystems to improve the quality of life of rural poor people, whose livelihoods depend on the direct use of natural resources.

WCS created a national program in Mozambique in 2012, with two main objectives:

• Increase the protection of the Niassa Special Reserve, a vast landscape in the north of the country and improve the conservation status of its elephants through co-management of the Reserve; and
• Strengthen the management of protected areas at the national level, contributing to improving policies and strengthening the government’s capacity to implement legislation on crimes against wildlife through the strategic involvement of government agencies in Maputo.

WCS Mozambique continues to work towards these objectives but has also commenced projects related to sustainable financing of conservation through the development of mechanisms for biodiversity offsets, the identification of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) and marine/coastal conservation.

In NSR, programs exist for conservation comprising law enforcement, community development, conservation management and tourism development. These efforts are supported by a variety of donors, including the European Union (EU), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the French Development agency (AFD).

Description:

This position will implement a technology upgrade and development in Niassa Special Reserve (NSR) as detailed below. The required services fall under the overall joint supervision of the Government appointed NSR Warden and the WCS Program Director for Niassa, but with reporting through the Operations and Logistics Director. The position will ensure that the Reserve technical and associated physical infrastructure and logistics is upgraded to ensure that the Law Enforcement and other Departments are supported and trained to install EarthRanger and make optimal use of the associated technologies.

Consultant Profile:

The consultant required is an individual with solid protected area technologies experience. The individual has the discipline to use and embed best practice management tools and systems, and train and support existing staff in their use and maintenance. This position requires a proven background in protected area management in Africa, and a commitment to transfer skills and knowledge to national staff.

• Place of work: Niassa Special Reserve, Mozambique (Headquarters at Mbatamila, Mecula District, Niassa Province
• Reporting to: Operations and Logistics Director

Liaison: NNR Warden, Program Director, the head of Law Enforcement and various other NNR functional Units such as SMART technicians, Vulcan EarthRanger controllers, Conservation Pilot, Infrastructure Development Manager, Fleet & Workshop Manager, and other positions relating to Reserve technology and logistics

Duration: 4-month consultancy contract based on 90 day work visa and off time

Expected travel: The position is expected to travel as necessary within Niassa Special Reserve

Activities:

The consultant is ultimately responsible for effectively and successfully: **

• Liaising with Vulcan technicians to install EarthRanger, link this to existing data streams and develop systems and procedures for its use;
• Liaising with RESOLVE technicians to install TrailGuard and develop systems and procedures for its use;
• upgrading the management and use of other technological aspects of Reserve operations including the implementation and use of SMART, VHF radio systems, vehicle and patrol tracking systems, wildlife satellite tracking, and electric fencing remote control, etc.
• conducting training and monitoring of the systems to ensure that all data sources are used to their maximum to enhance the NNR law enforcement (LE), human and wildlife conflict and conservation presence within the Reserve;
• assessing whether ITC support systems are adequate for purpose and proposing modifications;
• identifying requirements in order to build a strong, cohesive team to achieve quarterly and annual targets, whilst still responding and adapting to changing situations on the ground;
• strengthening policies, procedures and systems and ensuring compliance to optimise the use of technologies in NNR.

Throughout the consultancy the consultant will maintain productive communications with all parties, including internal communications with the NNR Warden and WCS Program Director, other Department and Unit heads and team members, and external communications with all Reserve partners and concessions operators to leverage synergies and maximise effectiveness as appropriate.

Deliverables: The Consultant will produce:

• A functional system that integrates information from various data sources to advise LE and other conservation-related actions through written protocols.
• A training syllabus for different staff engaged in LE, human and wildlife conflict mitigation and other conservation-related actions in complying with the protocols and maximising the utility of available data.

Core Competencies: The Consultant must have:

• More than ten years in practical protected area development and management of technical operations and with proven results in installation, data recovery, implementation, training and mapping to provide accurate assessment of information and capability to optimise the use of field resources;
• University degree in Wildlife Management or ICT;
• Demonstrated experience in MS Office (particularly Word and Excel), QGIS, SMART, DAS systems, Garmin, VHF Management software. Ability to manipulate, analyse and interpret data;
• Demonstrated experience in successfully building the skills and knowledge of others;
• Fluency in English. Swahili and/or Portuguese an advantage;
• Excellent presentation and written/oral communication skills;
• Ability to foster an environment of creativity and professional growth, commitment to working collegially with staff in a professional and diplomatic manner;
• Flexibility, optimism, good humour, passion for excellence, self-motivation.