Developing proposals for the the implementation of the West African Elephant MOU

Result of ServiceA fully developed proposal for the conservation of Forest Elephants ready for submission to a specific and appropriate donor or donors, including the GEF. Work LocationRemote Expected duration3.5 months Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is a global intergovernmental treaty aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of migratory species and their habitats. Numerous additional intergovernmental instruments on migratory species conservation have been adopted under the broad umbrella of CMS which are supported by the CMS Secretariat. The CMS Secretariat also provides the Secretariat for the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS). In addition, two regional agreements on migratory species adopted under CMS have their own Secretariats which are co-located with the CMS Secretariat in Bonn - the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) and the Agreement on the Conservation of European Populations of Bats(EUROBATS). The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations system's designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. In the present context, UNEP provides the administrative functions for the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA), the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, Northeast Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS) and the Agreement on the Conservation of European Populations of Bats (EUROBATS) Secretariats. The Memorandum of Understanding concerning Conservation Measures for the West African Populations of the African Elephant (Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis) was established in 2005. Today, there are 13 Signatories to the MOU: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. These Signatories comprise all the Range States that are considered eligible for signing the MOU. All these countries are also Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species, except for Sierra Leone. Amendments to the MOU, agreed at the 3rd Meeting of the Signatories to the MOU in December 2021, confirmed that the Signatories adopted the African Elephant Action Plan (AEAP) as the core strategy for Elephant conservation under the MOU and re-focus the efforts of Signatories to the MOU towards the development of project proposals to mobilise resources to implement the AEAP and the MOU. In line with this the CMS Secretariat and the Signatories to the MOU are tasked with identifying funding opportunities for the conservation of West African Forest Elephants and to fully develop a proposal for submission to relevant donors. The consultant will report to the Head of the Terrestrial Species Team of the Secretariat. 1. Review five previously drafted, but unfunded, CMS concepts on Forest Elephant conservation: o Review the concepts and summarise their key themes as well as opportunities to improve or update the concepts. 2. Research funding sources that would be appropriate targets for funding projects on Forest Elephant conservation: o Compile a list of appropriate funding sources o Review the requirements and funding limits of the identified funding source; o Write a short (maximum 5 pages) report on the funding source and make recommendations which of the previously drafted concepts would be most appropriate for the available funding streams; o Support the Secretariat in selecting one concept for further development and submission and in consulting with the Range State(s) of the selected concept. 3. Write the selected proposal in a way that pairs with the criteria and requirements of the target funding source(s): o Write a first draft of the proposal and submit to the Secretariat for review; o Integrate the comments provided by the Secretariat (including input from key governments and/or stakeholders approached by the Secretariat) into the draft proposal; o Finalize the proposal in time for submission to the identified funding source and no later than 31 May 2026. Qualifications/special skillsAn advanced university degree in management, natural resource management, conservation, ecology, or a related subject university degree such as economics, finance or business is required. A first level university degree in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree. • A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in developing successful funding proposals is required. • Proven experience in natural resource management and conservation, with a particular focus on Africa is required. • Demonstrated expertise in project financing, funding management, and in the conceptualization and establishment of environmental or humanitarian funds is required. • Experience working with Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and intergovernmental organizations is required. • Experience in developing or implementing Global Environment Facility (GEF) projects is desirable. LanguagesFluency in oral and written English is required. Working knowledge of French is desirable. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.