Re- Advertisement: Regional Safeguards Manager

POSITION : Regional Safeguards Manager/ Re-Advertisement

ORGANISATION : African Parks – RCA

LOCATION : Within Central African Region

REPORTING TO : Regional Operations Manager

Supervise : Park Safeguards Managers

**EXPECTED START DATE :**Early 2023

BACKGROUND:

African Parks is a non-profit conservation organization that takes on the complete responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of national parks in partnership with governments and local communities. We currently manage 22 national parks and protected areas in 12 countries covering over 20 million hectares in: Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Sudan.

African parks is recruiting an experienced Regional Safeguards Manager for the Central African Region.

Role Overview:

African Parks commits to full respect and recognition of human rights of all stakeholders around the parks with an emphasis on those of Indigenous peoples and local communities in accordance with national and international laws. The objective of the Regional Safeguards Manager is to ensure and support the implementation of APN’s Safeguards program and policies in each park to prevent potential abuses, effectively manage and mitigate risks, and ensure a peaceful, safe, and respectful environment where human lives are valued.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conducting research, data collection, analysis, monitoring, fact-finding and documentation of information pertaining to the human rights situation (emerging trends/patterns, new developments, publications, potential activists on human rights concerns, violations and abuses, etc.).
• Proactively identifying human rights implications of business plans and develop consistent and adaptable plans with parks to address them in line with AP HO guidelines and policies, national and international laws standards and methodologies on human rights
• Contribute to the identification of emerging and evolving trends of human rights concerns and violations as well as response and capacity gaps, and assist in the development of a strategy to respond to the situation;
• Providing technical assistance for the implementation of a conflict prevention and resolution framework (including grievance mechanisms) in order to (i) monitor and assess the operation’s area for a better understanding of the context (ii) to prevent risks and (iii) to assist in decision-making to prevent further serious issues,
• Working closely with HO Grievance Officer and Park Management on the review and resolution of complaints and ensuring each park follows up and does their due diligence regarding complaints at the local level,
• Establishing proactive human rights monitoring: relying on independent internal and/or external human rights expertise through conflict management audits and consultations, surveys, field visits etc. in collaboration with Park Management, and making certain that each park follows recommendations,
• Developing appropriate materials to comply with donor and partners’ requirements in human rights field and prepare briefing, notes, analytical documents to communicate to key partners/donors to ensure they have up-to-date information on human rights standards and activities in APN’s Parks,
• Ensuring and participating in the implementation of a human rights training program for rangers based on in-depth understanding of human rights during arrests, with a particular focus on the thematic areas of inclusive conservation, anti-corruption and gender;
• Liaising with the Human Resources Managers and Park’s Managements for developing and applying a disciplinary framework for rangers,
• Supporting planning, budgeting and due diligences on human rights in support to development projects, initiatives, fundraising in consultation with the Park Managers and other AP departments.
• Assisting and supporting Park Management in identifying and training a human rights focal point in each park (national staff)
• Ensuring that human rights internal and external reporting are properly written, with relevant and appropriate indicators
• Participating in and /or contributes to lessons learned processes on Human Rights issues in the region;

Skills & experience needed for the role:

• At list 3 years’ experience in Comprehensive knowledge of, and exposure to, a range of human rights and humanitarian issues;
• Law degree or Occupational psychology and any other related fields
• Demonstrated ability to address complex and/or sensitive issues and working with multicultural teams
• Strong analytical, research, fact-finding, monitoring, reporting, communication and advocacy skills. Good legal background and knowledge of institutional mandates of human rights organizations, prevailing policies, principles and procedures.
• Good ability to identify related problems in their political, ethnic, racial, gender equality and socio-economic dimensions. Results-driven with a strong capacity to work autonomously
• High adaptability and capacity to work in remote areas
• Strong personal integrity and dependability
• Knowledge of historical and political context in Francophone African countries
• Good knowledge of public institutions policies regarding human rights.