PROJECT SUPPORT UNIT COORDINATOR

LAND MATRIX INITIATIVE

PROJECT SUPPORT UNIT COORDINATOR

Deadline for applications: 31 October 2014

The Land Matrix Initiative

The  Land Matrix Initiative (LMI) is a global and independent initiative monitoring competition over land use in the Global South. Its goal is to facilitate an open development community of citizens, researchers, policy-makers and technology specialists to promote transparency and accountability in decisions over land and investment. The LMI has become an international innovative benchmark for its open data and development approach, database structure, web appearance, and multi-stakeholder character, and has received wide interest among policymakers, development practitioners, NGOs, the media, researchers and the informed public.

In view of enhancing the quality of the LMI, and increasing its impact on policy-dialogue and decision making, the LM is presently involved in a process of decentralisation and expansion. Five new organizations have joined the network in June 2014 and will act as Regional Focal Points - and regional, national and thematic Land Observatories will complement the well-established LM Global Observatory that monitors and collects data on large-scale land transactions worldwide.

The Project Support Unit

As the LMI expands and decentralises, project coordination becomes necessary. In the framework of this expansion and decentralisation, it has been decided to establish a Project Support Unit (PSU). The PSU will be the coordinating entity of the LMI and will act as an intermediary body coordinating and implementing the decisions taken by the Steering Committee.

It will be based at the University of Pretoria, hosted by the Post-Graduate School of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the Department of Agricultural Economics and the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation. Initially the PSU will be composed of:

1.  Coordinator

2.  Research assistant (reports to PSU coordinator)

3.  Communication assistant (reports to PSU coordinator)

The Project Support Unit Coordinator

The PSU Coordinator is responsible for organizing, monitoring and improving project activities, under the direction of the Steering Committee of the LMI.

Responsibilities/Tasks

General	·	Follow, assess and monitor day to day activities of the LMI. Monitor project calendar,
		planned milestones, deliverables, and activities as agreed by the Steering Committee,
		and alert responsible partners and collaborators to ensure the timely delivery of
		products and reports.
	·	Coordinate and monitor the activities of LMI Regional Focal Points and ensure
		smooth functioning of the LMI across regions and between global and regional
		activities.
	·  Engage in strategy development and participate in fund raising for the LMI.
Decentralization	·	Coordinate and monitor the activities of Regional Focal Points.
	·  Organize regular internal feedback from Regional Focal Points; ensure that the views
		and suggestions of Regional Focal Points are properly taken into account.

	·  Create, in collaboration with Global and Regional Focal Points, a decentralization
	roadmap; ensure implementation and follow-up.
	·  Ensure consistent decentralization of the project across regions and areas of work
	(data collection, communication, research).
	·  Promote region-to-region collaboration, exchange of best practices and lessons
	learned
Communications	·  Act as a public relations officer for the LMI and serve as one of the official
	spokespersons for the project.
	·  Support the development of the TORs for, and support the selection of, a
	Communication Assistant responsible for the design and implementation of the
	communication strategy.
	·  In collaboration with the Communication Assistant, support the responses to internal
	and external project information requests (forward them to relevant Partners or
	Regional Focal Points, follow-up of responses, etc.).
	·  In collaboration with the Communication Assistant, ensure coordination between
	global and regional communication strategy, coordinate and monitor the quality and
	flow of internal communication.
Networking	·  Support the fostering, strengthening and coordination of collaborations with relevant
	initiatives and organizations at international, national and local level - in coordination
	with Partners and Regional Focal Points.
	·  Support the identification and maintenance of contacts with relevant stakeholders;
	proactively seek opportunities to further develop the network and establish
	beneficial collaboration.
	·  Ensure and monitor that Regional Focal Points engage in networking activities within
	the respective regions.
	·  Promote and facilitate communities of practice.
	·  Regularly reports to the Steering Committee on the status of the network and
	planned activities.
Technical support	·  Support the supervision of the work of the decentralized Tech Team.
	·  Ensure collaboration and communication between the Tech Team and Regional Focal
	Points.
	·  Get advice from the Tech Team on trends and initiatives relevant for the LM, and
	propose to the Steering Committee changes or improvements.
Monitoring,	·  Establish and implement a system to monitor and evaluate progress and
Evaluation and	achievements under each area of work, as decided by the Steering Committee;
Learning	periodically report to the Steering Committee.
	·  Regularly encourage and receive inputs and lessons learned from Partners and
	Regional Focal Points and, on the basis of this, recommend ways to strengthen and
	improve the project.
	·  Review workflow and recommend process improvements; implement innovative
	concepts and tools to improve project design.
Governance	·  Report to the Steering Committee on a monthly basis.
	·  Implement coordination role as decided by the Steering Committee.
	·  Act as intermediary and organise report-backs from decentralised entities to the
	Steering Committee
	·  Assure, implement and review the implementation of the new governance structure
	and MOU as proposed by the Steering Committee.
Budget and resource	·  Supervise and coordinate the implementation of the PSU budget; ensure expected
mobilization	outputs are delivered within established budgetary constraints.
	·  Identify funding opportunities and coordinate project proposal preparation.
	·  Prepare financial and narrative reports related to PSU for donors.
	·  Encourage regional resource mobilization.
	·  Get regular reports on the status of Focal Points' budgets dedicated to the Land
	Matrix, update the Steering Committee on overall resources available and coordinate
	their efficient use.

Expected skills and competencies

·         Graduate degree in a relevant discipline, with at least five years’ post-qualification relevant experience at the professional level.

·         Project coordination and management experience, including budget management and reporting.

·         Knowledge of issues, trends and policies around the phenomenon of large-scale land acquisitions is an added advantage.

·         Self-motivated and able to work effectively within a multi-cultural environment.

·         Availability and willingness to travel.

·         Excellent written and spoken English and French or Spanish is essential. Fluency in all three is an added advantage.

·         Demonstrable advanced oral and written communication skills.

·         Excellent computer literacy and familiarity with web-based tools.

Position and salary

The PSU Coordinator will be based in Pretoria (South Africa), hosted by the Post-Graduate School of Agriculture and Rural Development ( http://www.up.ac.za/academic/agrirural).

The position will be at project manager level of the University of Pretoria.

The overall compensation package is ZAR450.000 per year.

Term and starting date

Although this is a long-term position, current available funding covers an 18-month contract. Efforts by the project coordinator will be in part to fundraise in order to cover the costs for the following years.

Starting date: January 2015.

How to Apply

Please send an updated CV and motivation letter to Ward Anseeuw ( ward.anseeuw@up.ac.za) by 31 October 2014 indicating your availability. Please note we will respond to short-listed candidates only.