Application Pack for Land Campaigner - Environmental Governance Team
Thank you for your interest in Land Campaigner - Environmental Governance Team position at Global Witness. This Application Pack contains:
· Information about Global Witness
· Information about Global Witness’ Environmental Governance Campaigns
· Job description and person specification
· Abbreviated terms and conditions
To apply, please send a covering letter together with a CV of maximum 2 pages in length to to reach us no later than Monday 9th January 2012 at 17:00 hours. Your covering letter should demonstrate your suitability for this position.
All applications for this role should indicate “Land Campaigner - Environmental Governance Team” in the subject bar of the email.
Applicants applying for this position must have the right to work in the UK.
Please note that we will only contact short-listed candidates, and feedback will only be offered to those candidates who attend an interview.
First round interviews are scheduled to be taken place during week commencing the 16th January 2012.
About Global Witness
Global Witness investigates and campaigns to end natural resource-related conflict and corruption and associated environmental and human rights abuses. For 17 years we have led pioneering international campaigns to create a growing international awareness of the links between poor governance, exploitation of natural resources and environmental degradation and human rights abuse. Our powerful advocacy work has been a driver behind major international mechanisms and initiatives established to address these issues.
Our work is conducted under three themes:
· Environmental governance: with the aim of ensuring sustainable and accountable local and international governance of forests, land and other environmental resources that maintains vital ecological functions and promotes development benefits based on recognition of the rights of rural and forest communities to land and livelihoods;
· Ending corruption: with the aim of changing the international norm so it is no longer possible or acceptable to engage in or enable corrupt activities involving natural resources;
· Ending conflict: with the aim of securing an international trade, finance, investment and development system free of natural resource-related conflict.
Environmental Governance Campaigns
The aim of the Environmental Governance campaign is to put in place sustainable and accountable local and international governance of forests, land and other environmental resources that maintains vital ecological functions and promotes development benefits based on recognition of the rights of rural and forest communities to land and livelihoods.
Based in London and DC, there are currently four teams working on the following campaign objectives; reducing industrial forest use; ending secrecy in land deals; promoting civil society oversight of forests in strategic countries so that citizens benefit equitably; and ensuring that the international policy regime delivers sustainable and accountable forest management.
These campaigns deliver advocacy at international and country levels and work with a range of international and local civil society organisations to do so. A key approach across all the campaigns is putting people, especially local and forest communities, at the centre of an emphasis on accountable and transparent decision making on land and forest use. We want to expose and change the way 'strategic' (self-centred) decisions governments and, often unaccountable elites, make about land use, and the impact this has on forests. We want to see much more transparent and accountable decisions on land use that involve citizens and take the rights of local communities into account. This requires investor initiatives to be subject to proper scrutiny and more joined-up thinking between ministers across government and between governments on the need to keep more forests standing. This means working 'above' them - at international level, and 'below' them, by helping local people have a voice in these decisions. Over time we are also likely to engage on transparency of supply chains of particular commodities which have strong forest and land footprints to highlight how these are produced and on what basis they are traded or sold.
Global Witness is about to begin an exciting new programme that will see the organisation build on its existing international campaigns on forests and land governance. There are two main channels of work in the Sustainable and Accountable Forest Management programme. Firstly, the programme will conduct in-depth investigations in forest-rich regions around the world. This investigative work will inform and facilitate effective advocacy work at the national and international levels. Secondly, the programme will work closely with a network of local civil society groups in these regions, campaigning with them to make sure their voices are an integral part of any national or international decision-making processes. Global Witness will also working with them to promote their ability to campaign effectively for what their communities need, to have effective independent oversight of how their forests and land are being used and to build local coalitions to fight for change and protect their local environment and livelihoods. The programme operates in selected countries in West and Central Africa, South East Asia, and Latin America. The programme is funded by DFID’s Forest Governance Markets and Climate Programme.
Job Description: Land Campaigner - Environmental Governance Team
Reporting to: Senior Campaigner - Land
Purpose of Post:
To drive campaigns to prevent natural resource-related conflict and corruption and associated environmental and human rights abuses with a specific focus on land governance through strengthening local civil society advocacy and international levers for change.
This role combines ensuring programme implementation directly and in association with local partner NGOs in target countries with broader international and national advocacy work on land issues, particularly focusing on the policy and normative developments within the UN Committee on World Food Security and within the European Union.
Key responsibilities
This position has responsibilities in three strands of activity - to develop and conduct investigative research and advocacy on forest and land use issues; to campaign for improved normative and regulatory frameworks at the international level; and to support civil society groups working on land and forest governance. These are closely inter-related, and the key responsibilities for one will often be applicable to other strands
A. Develop and conduct investigative research and advocacy on forest and land use issues
· Contribute to development of campaign strategies and messages relating to land, forests and related environmental governance;
· Conduct specific research investigations, in coordination with local environmental, human rights and anti-corruption groups, that help to highlight broader issues related in particular to the political economy of land-use decision-making, and how this threatens forests and undermines livelihoods;
· Write case study reports, policy documents and press releases to the highest professional standard, to deadlines for a variety of audiences, and use these to advocate for change;
· Expand professional and personal networks and other contacts who may be valuable to achieving specific campaign and / or other Global Witness campaign objectives;
· Work within Global Witness policies and procedures, including confidentiality, source protection and security, legal and contractual requirements and general office procedures.
B. Campaign for improved normative and regulatory international frameworks
· Contribute to development of campaign strategies for strengthening international normative and regulatory frameworks;
· Prepare written and verbal submissions to targeted frameworks and represent Global Witness at relevant meetings and conferences;
· Undertake vigorous networking and invest in relationships across a range of stakeholders to continuously inform and strengthen our campaigning at the international level.
C. Support civil society groups
· Identify and support selected local and national civil society groups who would benefit from direct sub-grants for particular activities, including (a) participation in multi-stakeholder dialogues, (b) development and use of tools to increase engagement and accountability, and (c) networking, coalition building and influencing at an international level;
· Mentor and steer these grantees to help deliver their specific objectives, including the development and implementation (possibly through external providers) of activities aimed at strengthening the internal capacity of partners and their local networks;
· Seek and implement new opportunities, tools and products, including using lessons from one country in another (including other regions);
· Ensure reporting from country initiatives is of a high standard, that financial and other management / performance remains on track, and that all information requirements for reporting to Global Witness and the donor are provided.
Person Specification
Essential Criteria:
· At least 3 years experience working in the field of natural resources, land reform, human rights and / or environment, some of which has taken place in a developing country;
· Experience of developing and implementing advocacy and campaign strategies, including lobbying governments, intergovernmental organisations and companies, with demonstrated impact;
· Proven record of effective use of news media and other communications to achieve campaign objectives;
· Strong interpersonal skills including experience of helping civil society partners and colleagues towards the timely achievement of objectives;
· Experience of designing and undertaking fieldwork and evidence-gathering in developing countries;
· Experience of writing, editing, and producing a range of written materials to a consistently high standard for a variety of audiences. Fluency in written and spoken English;
· Proven creativity, initiative and networking skills that create opportunities for change and respond appropriately to changing circumstances;
· Willingness and ability to travel for up to three-week periods, totalling up to ten weeks a year, including to high-risk environments;
· Experience of financial and project planning, management and reporting, including delivering funder requirements.
Desirable Criteria:
· Working knowledge of one other relevant language apart from English.
· Technical working knowledge of GIS and / or other mapping creation and analysis software.
· Knowledge of the European Union, United Nations and International Financial Institutions, and how to influence them.
· Experience of conducting media interviews with a range of national and international media.
Abbreviated Terms and Conditions
Salary: / CompetitiveBenefits: / Pension, private health insurance, flexible benefit system, cycle to work scheme and childcare vouchers scheme
Contract Period: / This post is offered on a fixed term basis until November 2014
Location: / London – post-holder must have the right to work in the UK
Working Hours: / 35 hours a week Monday to Friday around core working hours of 9.00am to 6.00pm to be agreed on commencement
Leave: / 20 working days per leave year, excluding public holidays, rising to 25 after a year’s service. This will be pro rated for each uncompleted leave year. In addition, the Global Witness offices are closed between the Christmas and the New Year public holidays, staff will receive those additional paid days off