Deputy Chief of Party - Botswana

Job Search Location(s): Gaborone-Botswana

ID: 2425

Deputy Chief of Party – Botswana

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

POSITION SUMMARY – This position is based in Gaborone, Botswana

The “Ecosystem-Based Adaptation and Mitigation in Botswana’s Communal Rangelands” Project funded by GCF aims to utilize collective management of livestock and ecosystems to restore Botswana’s communal rangelands, increasing the climate resilience of vulnerable populations and reducing GHG emissions. Over 8 years, the project will undertake activities in 104 villages in Ngamiland, Kgalagadi, and Bobirwa districts of Botswana. In these three districts, the Project is targeting improved management of 4.6 million hectares of rangelands.

The Deputy Chief of Party (DCoP) is a senior position responsible for driving strategic and efficient delivery of this ambitious and pioneering Project. The DCoP provides general management and operational leadership for the delivery of regenerative land and livestock management for climate adaptation and mitigation across the Project target areas.  They will be responsible for ensuring an integrated vision among different components and stakeholders, and a focus on achieving the results defined in the donor agreement related to the deployment of a new government job creation programme (professional herders and restoration workers) into improved land and livestock management indicators, and increased income generation in climate-vulnerable populations by rangeland and livestock-based livelihoods. Specifically, they will be responsible for the development and management of all restoration team delivery, creation of norms and standards job creation program deployment for rangeland restoration and herding, development of Health and Safety programme, and direction of the Area Managers and their team for the delivery of Rangeland Stewardship Agreements across the 104 village grazing areas. 

The DCoP will also oversee the planning and monitoring team in the design of regenerative grazing strategies for climate adaptation and mitigation outcomes in the context of environmental and social safeguards and targets.   They will work closely with the Project Directors/Managers to ensure the project has gender-sensitive and ecologically optimal strategies in improving the resiliency of smallholder farmers’ households to the negative impacts of climate change and in enhancing sustainable livestock production and rangeland restoration. The position will serve as the main point of contact for all national-level operational secondments and sub-grantees and will be responsible for identifying issues and risks related to coordinated project implementation in a timely manner and suggesting appropriate adjustments.   They oversee the coordination on operations and advises on adaptive management strategies and capacity-building needs to ensure project success.  They will also ensure that proposed development activities will be carried out successfully with low carbon emissions. 

The DCoP represents CI as a key technical resource for GCF reporting and building alliances/engage key external stakeholders including government and NGO officials, donors, and others critical to project success, and at the discretion of the Chief of Party, may serve as the Acting Chief of Party as/when required. The DCoP must be able to represent the Project goals and case studies at national, regional, and global forums as part of the Project’s required efforts to share lessons learned for replication.  As such, this position requires a high degree of leadership, communication, and coordination skills, technical land and livestock management knowledge, and experience in Africa with large government funded job creation or agricultural development programmes to ensure both optimal delivery of the Project impact. They report directly to the Chief of Party of the GCF-funded project.

This is a senior position responsible for the following key deliverables:

• Lead and coordinate the overall technical delivery of the GCF Project Implementation Plan, implementing activities across 104 village grazing areas covering 4.6 million hectares of rangeland.
• Develop spatially explicit conservation actions that balance wildlife migratory corridors, biodiversity conservation, conflicts with crop farmers, and sustainable water management for improved ecosystem and livelihood resilience to climate change.
• Oversee the creation and management of a multi-disciplinary monitoring and evaluation system, addressing project indicators related to ecosystem and livestock health, job creation effectiveness, and market traceability for livestock product sales.
• Provide operational leadership to a team of social scientists, rangeland ecologists, soil scientists, water specialists, and remote sensing experts, ensuring the development and implementation of climate-resilient plans with annual impact monitoring.
• Foster an integrated project delivery vision, aligning all project components and securing strong stakeholder buy-in to meet defined project deliverables.
• Manage team performance, develop and deploy Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for rangeland restoration and herding activities, and establish a health and safety program for field operations.
• Direct area managers to deliver project interventions, coordinating logistics for field operations, including procurement, training, and community engagement.
• Ensure effective oversight of rangeland restoration workers and professional herders, managing complex logistics and field team management.
• Lead the preparation of Annual Work Plans, and Annual and Quarterly Progress Reports in collaboration with the Chief of Party, ensuring timely reporting to donors.
• Manage information flows and facilitate knowledge sharing across the three regions to support effective implementation of project activities.
• Handle conflicts and grievances as they arise, working with the Chief of Party, Head of Finance & Administration, and Area Managers to resolve issues.
• Generate high-quality documentation on project implementation, lessons learned, and adaptive management strategies for ongoing project improvement and donor reporting.
• Supervise the technical implementation budget in collaboration with the Head of Finance & Administration, ensuring cost-effective delivery of project outcomes.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Leadership and Strategy

• Lead the development and implementation of technical strategies for regenerative grazing, land restoration, and sustainable livestock management across the project’s target areas.
• Ensure that all technical activities align with the project’s goals for climate adaptation and mitigation, incorporating environmental and social safeguards.
• Develop and oversee the deployment of norms and standards for rangeland restoration and herding, ensuring these are applied consistently across all project sites.
• Lead the implementation of the project’s work plan, ensuring all activities align with the Project Document, Funded Activity Agreement (FAA), and Internal Grant Agreement.
• Oversee the coordination of complex field operations, including the deployment of rangeland restoration workers and professional herders, ensuring they are effectively and efficiently mobilized.
• Ensure that project deliverables are met in accordance with the timelines and budget set forth in the funding agreements.

Technical Oversight and Coordination

• Provide oversight to the project’s scientific teams, including rangeland ecologists, soil scientists, and social scientists, ensuring that their work supports the project’s objectives.
• Work closely with the Herding for Health Manager and other key staff to ensure that technical strategies are effectively translated into on-the-ground activities.
• Ensure the integration of gender-sensitive and ecologically sound practices into all technical components of the project.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Oversee the development of a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation system that tracks the technical impact of project activities, including ecosystem and livestock health indicators.
• Lead the preparation of technical reports for the CI-GCF Agency, ensuring they are accurate, comprehensive, and meet donor requirements.
• Utilize monitoring data to make informed decisions about project adjustments and improvements.

Project Delivery and Execution

• Lead the implementation of the project’s work plan, ensuring all activities align with the Project Document, Funded Activity Agreement (FAA), and Internal Grant Agreement.
• Oversee the coordination of complex field operations, including the deployment of rangeland restoration workers and professional herders, ensuring they are effectively and efficiently mobilized.
• Ensure that project deliverables are met in accordance with the timelines and budget set forth in the funding agreements.
• Lead the development of training materials and workshops for project staff and local communities, aimed at building capacity in sustainable land and livestock management.
• Ensure that technical knowledge is effectively communicated to all project stakeholders, including through the Rangeland Stewardship Information Portal.
• Promote the dissemination of project outcomes and best practices to a wider audience, including through publications and conferences.

Stakeholder Engagement and Representation

• Represent the project’s technical interests at national and international forums, sharing lessons learned and promoting best practices in ecosystem-based adaptation.
• Engage with key stakeholders, including government officials, NGOs, and academic institutions, to foster collaboration and support for the project’s technical objectives.
• Serve as a technical resource for the project, providing guidance on complex issues and challenges as they arise.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Working outside normal working hours.
• Ability to travel frequently in remote areas and in remote communities.
• Guidance on flexible work arrangements will be shared during the interview process. 

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management, Climate Change Adaptation, Environment, Livestock-based Agriculture, Rangeland Ecology or closely related qualification or related.
• 7 or more years of professional experience.
• 2 or more years of supervisory experience. 
• Experience in national-level monitoring and evaluation databases with linkages to field-level data inputs.
• Demonstrated delivery of user-friendly M&E systems and strong skills in developing practical and user-based planning and monitoring tools.
• Demonstrated expertise in climate adaptation and mitigation, particularly in arid and semi-arid environments.
• Strong analytical skills with experience in monitoring and evaluating complex technical projects.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence a wide range of stakeholders.
• Knowledge in EbA, land-use planning, livelihood trainings, and conservation issues in rangeland environments, especially as it relates to sustainable livestock management and climate change adaptation.
• Capacity to produce M&E reports related to climate change adaptation/ mitigation from the Project activities in English.
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to respect and work well with people from different backgrounds and disciplines.

Preferred

• Advanced/Master’s degree
• High-level knowledge/experience with planning and monitoring of regenerative grazing management, climate resilient breeds, soil carbon cycle, and conditions impacting livestock enteric fermentation.
• Familiarity with Botswana indigenous knowledge systems and livestock management practices, particularly in relation to climatic adaptations.
• Experience in environmental and social impact assessments, development, and execution of safeguard management plans.

To apply for this position please submit a resume and cover letter.

Application Deadline: January 3, 2025  (11:49 PM EST)

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