Simalaha Community Conservancy (SCC) is Zambia’s pioneer community wildlife conservancy, which follows a community-led approach to support multiple initiatives improving food security, generating alternative livelihoods, and providing social amenities through a conservation-enabled economy. The conservancy is fundamental to reestablishing wildlife populations and their migration routes in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area – the biggest terrestrial cross-border conservation system in the world – connecting 36 protected areas across Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The services of a Community Development Coordinator are required to work within the Conservancy Management Unit (CMU), taking the lead in undertaking a range of Simalaha’s socio-economic initiatives, conducting needs assessments, and facilitating the development of community action plans relevant to the improvement of the livelihood for people who live in the SCC area. This position will include the application of project cycle management (PCM) involving communities in designing, planning, developing, coordinating, implementing and evaluating a range of community/social initiatives, as determined by the Trust. These initiatives will be applied by using community

development strategies, the application of participatory tools to engage communities working collaboratively with key stakeholder and developing sustainable partnerships.

Objective: The objective of this position is to provide policy advice to SCC Trust on appropriate initiatives, issues and activities relevant to community development. It will entail the identification of strategic community development projects, and assisting with the design of projects.

Once funding is received, the Community Development Coordinator will oversee and facilitate the implementation of the projects. Development projects will focus on projects that are compatible with the conservation use of the area, such as community conservancies, nature-based tourism, conservation agriculture, support industries to ecotourism ventures, and compatible livelihood development projects, etc. Emphasis will be on participatory processes through capacity-building and awareness exercises.

Qualifications and experience: The Community Development Coordinator should have a degree in the social sciences, social work and development studies or related fields and a minimum of five years’ relevant local experience in participatory management of natural resources and/or in community development projects, especially at the implementation level in and around conservation areas.

Further requirements:

• Good project management skills with extensive experience in working with rural communities on institutional development work
• A good understanding of communicating with local communities and authorities
• A good understanding of the local culture and languages spoken
• Advanced computer skills
• Must be able read, speak and write in English
• Experience in working with donors, other NGOs and government agencies.

Remuneration: A competitive salary package will be negotiated, based on qualifications and experience.

Please find the advert and detailed terms of reference on the Peace Parks Foundation website: www.peaceparks.org