Environmental Specialist, Khartoum, Sudan

Management Systems International (MSI) is a global international development firm based in Washington, D.C. providing specialized short- and long-term technical assistance. MSI is part of Coffey International Development, a global international development consulting firm. Together with Coffey ID, MSI now has more than 1,500 development professionals worldwide, a corporate presence in 11 countries and manages more than 200 projects worldwide. It currently manages more than 20 long-term projects in countries, including Iraq, Sudan, Colombia and Russia. Broadly, MSI implements a range of analytical and field projects in its core technical areas, including democracy and governance, strategic management and performance improvement, organizational capacity building, human development and natural resource management. For more information on MSI, please visit our website at www.msiworldwide.com.

Project/Proposal Summary:
MSI was awarded a three-year contract with USAID/Sudan on a project named SUPPORT (Services Under Program and Project Offices for Results Tracking), and tasked with the responsibility of executing functions normally associated with USAID’s Program and Communications offices. As a part of the SUPPORT project, MSI is currently establishing an office compound suitable for USAID and partner meetings in Southern Sudan, hiring technical and support staff and facilitating VIP visits. For more information on our Sudan project (Services Under Program and Project Offices for Results Tracking – SUPPORT) please follow this link: http://www.msiworldwide.com/index.cfm?msiweb=project&p_id=150

Position Summary:
The Environmental Specialist will conduct a country-wide assessment of biodiversity and tropical forestry conservation needs of northern Sudan and the Three Areas and related issues. Based on this needs assessment, provide analysis of proposed actions under USAID/Sudan’s new transitional strategy to identify how it contributes to the conservation needs identified. This Environmental Threats and Opportunity Assessment (ETOA) will also inform USAID/Sudan strategic planning, and provide a primary level of analysis on relevant proposed areas of programming, as well as address current Administrative and Congressional priorities, foremost, food insecurity, water resources management, global climate change and global health. This is a short term assignment. The Environmental Specialist will be expected to mainly gather information and documentation within Khartoum-based institutions, and no field visits are expected.

This assignment is for Sudanese nationals only with a contract from mid-July to mid-August.


Responsibilities:
• Prepare a report on the status of biodiversity, tropical forestry, and other priority environmental conservation efforts in Sudan
• Assessment of actions necessary in that country to achieve conservation and sustainable management of tropical forests and conserve biological diversity
• An overview table and maps of the status and management of protected area systems in Sudan as well as the status and management of critical biodiversity and forestry areas outside of protected areas
• Descriptions of plant and animal species that are endangered or threatened with extinction
• Recent, current, and potential primary threats to biodiversity, whether they are ecological, related to human use, or institutional or transboundary issues, as appropriate.
• Conservation efforts, their scope and effectiveness. A general assessment of the effectiveness of donor coordination efforts, policies, institutions, capacity, and activities to achieve natural resource and environmental conservation should be included.
• Analysis of the current legislation related to the environment and biodiversity, including Sudan’s National Development Plan.
• An overview of the major biodiversity and tropical forest conservation activities of the commercial private sector to identify ways to better foster private sector alliances.

Qualifications:
• Senior Level Natural Resources and Environmental Management Specialists with post-graduate qualifications in biology, zoology, forestry or closely related field in natural resource management (including water), land tenure and property rights or natural resource economics. Some knowledge of climate change mitigation and adaptation is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in Sudan environmental law, the policy and legal frameworks governing environmental management and biodiversity/forestry conservation in Sudan and the analysis of relevant policies.
• Significant experience in integrating health, water, environment, population, and poverty reduction issues is desirable.
• Demonstrated expertise in assessing development programs for impacts on environment and tropical ecosystems.
• Demonstrated expertise in the design and production of environmental impact assessments (EIA).
• Based in Khartoum and able to conduct interviews with government officials, donor representatives and other stakeholders in or nearby Khartoum

Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.

To apply, please visit our website: http://www.msiworldwide.com