National Administrative Assistant

Organizational Setting

Guyana is one of the nine countries that share the Amazon Forest. The state of the country’s biodiversity is considered, for the most part, intact. Approximately 85% of its total land area of Guyana is covered by forest (18.5 million hectares).  Guyana’s floral diversity is estimated to include over 8,000 species, with approximately 6,500 of these species having been identified. There are approximately 1,815 known species of fishes, amphibians, birds, reptiles and mammals. Fishes are very diverse, with 352 species of freshwater bony fishes and 501 species of marine fishes. 
The National Protected Area System (NPAS) of Guyana currently comprises of approximately 8.4% of Guyana’s landmass and includes: Iwokrama Forest, Kaieteur National Park, Kanashen Amerindian Protected Area, Kanuku Mountains Protected Area, Shell Beach Protected Area and Urban Parks (National Park, Botanical Gardens, Zoological Park, and Joe Vieira Park). The five aforementioned PAs are located  in the heart of the Guiana Shield and are an ancient and biologically rich eco-region in northern South America. The area is estimated at 1.8 million hectares.  At a minimum, the NPAS is estimated to contain 70% of Guyana’s mammals, 60% of its birds and 43% of its plant species. All six species of cats and all eight species of primates that occur in Guyana can be found in the NPAS. The Kanuku Mountains Protected Area (KMPA) alone is thought to have the second highest diversity of bats of any PA in the world, while the Shell Beach Protected Area (SBPA) is proposed as a globally important birding area (IBA) supporting more than 200 coastal and migratory bird species. It is thought that healthy populations of at least 30% of the globally threatened mammals found in Guyana and approximately 90% of threatened reptiles occur in the national protected areas.
Forest in Guyana is threatened mainly by deforestation in connection with mining and forest degradation through logging as well as  wildfires fueled by climate change.    Recent assessments have identified encroachment on the boundaries of the protected areas by small scale operators engaged in gold mining. While action is needed to restore abandoned areas from bauxite mining in the forest landscape.  In terms of wildfires, modelled projections of future climate scenarios identify a likely increase in the frequency and severity of fire occurrence in Guyana, fueled by an increase in temperature and greater variance in rainfall with a greater number of days without rain.
With the assistance of the FAO, the Government of Guyana has been able to secure funding under the Integrated Program for Critical Forest Biomes – Amazon of GEF-8 (ASL3) to address the threats identified above.  The project has been structured into three components in line with three interventions of the GEF-8 ASL3. These are:
1.    Maintenance of intact forest landscapes
2.    Engagement of stakeholders in sustainable production and landscape restoration
3.    Effective strategic communication and knowledge management

Reporting Lines

The FAO requires a National Administrative Assistant who will work under the direct supervision of the FAO Representative in Guyana, the Lead Technical Officer in SLC and under the guidance of the GEF Design Specialist and the Project Preparation Grant (PPG) Coordinator and Technical Expert. 

Technical Focus

The incumbent will provide administrative and logistical support to the technical consultants such as travel and meetings arrangements, prepare and disseminate invitations, take minutes of meeting etc; assist in the preparation of reports and manage the project budget as well as ensure the records are filed and kept as per accounting regulations and requirements by FAO and GEF.

Tasks and Responsibilities

•    Support logistical and administrative matters related to the implementation of the project workplan. 
•    Maintain the project budget and files for possible verification by the Global Environment Facility, and its transfer upon completion of the appointment.
•    Support the project team to initiate procurement of project goods, works and services (i.e., support the request for technical clearances, prepare POs, PRs, TAs and complete receipts, etc.)
•    Assist in the preparation and submission of any periodic and ad hoc project reports.
•    Liaise with the project team and the FAO Representation to ensure that travel arrangements for consultants are made and executed in a timely manner. 
•    Support regular communication with relevant stakeholders related to project implementation at national, sub-national, and local levels.
•    Provide secretariat support to all meetings under the project and lead on logistic arrangements for local stakeholder consultations, inception and validation workshops, and other events related to project implementation. 
•    Preform any other duties that may be assigned.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING:

Minimum Requirements  
  
•    Minimum Diploma from a tertiary institution in business administration, management, international relations or any other field related to the work of the Organization.
•    One year relevant experience in public and/or private sectors related to programming, planning and budgeting.
•    Working knowledge (level C) of English.
•    National of Guyana or resident of the country with valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

•    Results Focus
•    Teamwork
•    Communication
•    Building Effective Relationships
•    Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement