Environment Specialist- Resident Hire USPSC –GS 13 Equivalent
USAID/Nepal Social, Environmental and Economic Development Office
Position Description
- Background
Nepal has a large diversity of topography, ecosystems and habitats. The country’s abundant and diverse natural resource base plays an important role in supporting livelihoods of a majority of its citizens and, if managed well, has the potential to continue to do so for many years. Nepal’s vast natural capital —the stock of natural ecosystems that yields a flow of valuable ecosystem goods and services to the present and future generations—are critical to ensuring food security, power development, and a robust tourism sector. Deteriorating natural resources, including biodiversity, water, and forests, poses a significant threat to the long-term health of Nepal’s economy and may reverse many development achievements.
Despite some notable successes in protecting Nepal’s natural resources, significant threats remain. Invasive species, such as the terrestrial “mile-a-minute” vine and water hyacinth, are quickly taking over forest and freshwater areas, making large swaths of Chitwan National Park uninhabitable for native fauna and these species are rapidly spreading west. Poorly planned and constructed secondary roads are contributing factors to landslides, and larger infrastructure is reducing habitat connectivity. Unregulated agriculture is expanding into forest and wetland areas in the Terai, while migration is leaving terraces in the hills barren, un-maintained, and prone to collapse. Specific threats to freshwater ecosystems, and the water resources vulnerable people need to survive, include poorly sited, constructed, and managed dams, large-scale water diversion plans, urban domestic waste, aggregate mining from river beds, and agricultural pollution. The wide range of habitats and species found in Nepal means that areas of important biodiversity remain un-protected or under-protected.
Climate change is a risk multiplier that will put greater pressure on natural resources with resulting impacts on livelihoods and key economic sectors. Changing climate conditions will challenge the ability of biodiversity to persist in its historical geographies. Changes in precipitation patterns may reduce the productivity of smallholder agriculture, drive changes in land use, threaten water resources, and increase conflict over access and control over natural resource. Climate change is already greatly affecting water availability, intensifying droughts and floods, changing water tables, and affecting freshwater storage in glaciers. Climatic changes increase the variability and magnitude of natural weather events and increase uncertainty about adequate and appropriate natural resource use, protection, and management in a country currently ranked 4th in the ‘extreme risk’ category of the Climate Change Vulnerability Index. Nepal is also considered among the countries most at risk for disaster-related poverty. Many areas of Nepal now experience flash flood events, higher levels of sedimentation in riverbeds, and water scarcity during dry seasons. Weak and conflicting governmental agencies, contradictory resource governance policies, rules and regulations, poorly understood hydrological systems, limited capacity to obtain and assess climate and hydrological data, and extreme variations in elevation further challenge efforts to mitigate conflicting water uses and optimize the potential use of water resources.
Nepal lacks sufficient information, capacity and governance systems to better safeguard its natural capital and ensure resilient, natural resource-based livelihoods, thereby lifting current and future generations out of poverty. The loss of biodiversity and forests, and the ecological and economic benefits they provide, stand to undermine the national economy. The deterioration of water resources, due to poor management and exacerbated by climate change, threatens to directly affect the food security and livelihoods and health of rural communities as well as key economic sectors like hydropower and tourism. Without careful consideration of the management of natural resources in the face of climate change and other threats, Nepal stands to lose an important foundation for alleviating poverty. By improving the resilience of targeted natural resources (biodiversity, forests and water) and related livelihoods, USAID can help better safeguard its investments in poverty reduction and create new opportunities for economic growth in Nepal.
- Basic Function of the Position
USAID/Nepal is embarking on an ambitious 5 year, $90 Million, Natural Resources Management Program (NRM program) to meet the challenges listed above. The program will be implemented through approximately nine mechanisms, and requires increased staffing. USAID/Nepal is seeking a PSC to serve as Deputy Team Leader for the Environment and Energy (E&E) Team within the Social, Environment, and Economic Development (SEED) Office. The E&E team currently consists of a team leader, a climate change and natural resources specialist, a regional energy specialist and a program assistant.
The Deputy will report directly to the E&E Team Leader, and will manage various aspects of the day-to-day management of the portfolio.The Deputy will also be responsible for the design and implementation of studies, strategies, program, and activities in the area of environment and natural resources management (NRM) including Climate Change. S/hemay manage contracts, grants, and/or cooperative agreements which are supporting USAID/Nepal's Environment Program Area. S/he will provide technical leadership on biodiversity, climate change adaptation, and WASH issues within the SEED Office.
- Duties and Responsibilities
Program Design and Management (40%)Serve and be recognized as an authoritative expert in the preparation of studies, concept papers, USAID program/project activity design documents, interagency, and bilateral and multi-lateral agreements related to biodiversity and natural resources management aspects of the NRM program. Understand and enforce USG policies and procedures for program design, and recommend new methods when deviations occur. Maintain regular contacts with high level officials from GON, NGOs, private sector, and international donor agencies on all matters related to the regional and bilateral climate change adaptation and biodiversity program design. Coordinate with senior officials in reviewing and analyzing GON and other donor’s biodiversity, climate initiatives and water programs to assure USAID programs align with and support GON priorities, and liaises with technical offices within the mission including Disaster Risk Reduction, Democracy and Governance, and Health to exploit technical synergies and reduce redundancy in the design of programs to ensure sustainable natural resource management and conservation.
Serve as COR/AOR or Alternate COR/AOR for one or more grants, cooperative agreements and contracts of USAID Nepal's activities related to natural resource management in the biodiversity, climate change adaptation, and water resources management sectors. Manage program activities for new and ongoing agreements between US Agencies and with the GON and local implementing partners, including the private sector. Review periodic project and technical reports on relevant issues/topics and assures technical matters are appropriate and on track for reaching program objectives. Complete close-out reports when appropriate. Lead negotiations with senior Government of Nepal (GON) officials to resolve implementation and policy constraints; represents USAID and conducts annual performance and planning review meetings.
To carry out these responsibilities, the incumbent is required to liaise with partners from the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation; local and international implementing partners, the National Planning Commission, the World Bank, UNDP, ADB, and various bilateral donors.
Liaison and Communications (30%): Coordinate and communicate NRM efforts with those of other USAID Office’s programs in order to track joint progress and results in support of the Mission’s strategy. Alternating with E&E Team Leader, represent E&E in meetings with USG and GON officials, donor representatives, and other interested parties in connection with program planning and implementation. Attend donor coordination meetings and maintain up-to-date information on other donors’ activities in the NRM sector. When USAID is the chair of a donor coordination group, the incumbent will be responsible for all planning, organizing and execution of timely and regular donor group meetings.
Participate actively in conferences, meetings, hearings or presentations involving problems or issues of considerable consequence and maintain regular communications. The incumbent may be called upon to work in close coordination with other US Mission personnel, including (but not limited to) USAID’s Office of Program and Project Development, and representatives from the Department of State, Department of Defense and other USG agencies at post. Close work with implementing partners as relates to performance monitoring and reporting is required.
Incumbent will be responsible for leading the drafting of agency reporting documents on behalf of the E&E team, these include but are not limited to: the Operational Plan, the Program Progress Report, and Congressional Notifications. Incumbent will take the lead on gathering information for Portfolio Reviews.
Technical analysis and report writing (20%): Lead the analysis of the current natural resource management situation in Nepal and draft technical reports which will guide project design and implementation. Provide regular input for various reporting requirements. Participate in the preparation/refinement of performance management plans for ongoing and new activities. Assess program impact and reports on progress, including preparing annual reports. In coordination with the Development Outreach Coordinator, assist in developing a standard information package on the E&E portfolio for briefings and distribution (materials include scene setters, program briefing papers, status reports, maps, photos, donor and country information). Perform other duties as assigned by the E&E Team Leader.
Team Member (10%)Provide expert advice and direction to professional and technical staff of the extended E&E team on varied, unrelated and complex administrative and technical processes. Coordinate with SEED and NRM objective contributors in reporting tasks and outreach activities. Review and edit documents to improve English grammar and clarity of expression for the E&E team’s outgoing and internal communication. Supplement and/or cover for other E&E team members when on leave or unavailable. On selected occasions, the deputy will perform other tasks as assigned by the E&E Team Lead, SEED Director or Mission Management that are related to the development and management of the SEED portfolio or GCC integration Mission-wide. Tasks may include responding to congressional inquiries, supporting VIP visits, responding to Washington policy and operational requests and carrying out ad-hoc assignments as dictated by unforeseen operational requirements. The incumbent may be called to act as Environment Team Lead in his/her absence.
- Requirements and Preferred Qualifications
The successful applicant will meet or exceed each criterion below:
Education: At minimum a Master’s degree or equivalent in the environment or a related field.
Experience: The successful candidate is required to have 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in any of the following fields: biodiversity conservation, WASH, Climate Change Adaptation, community management of natural resources, and/or Natural Resource Policy. Experience working in Nepal is preferred.
Knowledge and Abilities: The successful candidate must demonstrate expert level knowledge of natural resource management principles as demonstrated through previous program design, implementation, and monitoring within a related NRM field. The incumbent must exercise good judgment with regard to information sharing and protection as demonstrated through past assignments. The incumbent must show flexibility, the ability to meet short deadlines, and show positive collaboration as demonstrated through past performance and reference checks.
Skills: The successful candidate is required to have excellent communication and interpersonal skills as demonstrated through their application, writing samples, and, if selected for an interview, their written exam.
Language Proficiency:Excellent written and oral English language proficiency is required. Some knowledge of Nepali is desirable.
- Position Elements
Supervision Received: The incumbent will report to the E&E Team Leader.
Travel: The incumbent will travel on a periodic basis within Nepal to monitor and evaluate USAID-funded activities. The incumbent will be required to attend training held outside Nepal. Approved professional travel to perform the duties of SEED or the Mission will be paid for by USAID.
Available Guidelines: The incumbent will use available guidelines on including the USAID Automated Directives System (ADS), SEEDTechnical Handbooks to assess, manage and monitor SEED sector activities, as well as other USAID resources. Upon commencement of work, the incumbent will read USAID/Nepal’spolicies, Country Development Cooperation Strategy,Mission Orders, and SEED-related background documents.
Exercise of Judgment:Securing procurement sensitive information, the incumbent will exercise good judgment on a broad range of areas related to the SEED/Environment portfolio.
Authority to Make Commitment: The incumbent will have no unilateral authority to make commitments using USG financial, technical, or personnel resources.
Nature, Level, and Purpose of Contracts: The incumbent will maintain a range of mid-level contracts with GON, USG Mission in Nepal, USAID/Washington, locally represented international donor organizations, international and local NGOs working in the environment sector.
Period of Performance: The incumbent will enter into a two year contract with the possibility of extension.
Supervision Exercised: Supervises one or more junior FSN team members. Works with them to set work objectives and to conduct annual evaluations. Provides mentoring when needed, particularly in technical areas and in program management