The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has a distinguished history of experts exploring and saving wildlife in some of the most remote and wild places remaining on Earth. WCS Indonesia Program (WCS-IP) has grown significantly over the last decades, and contributed substantially in supporting the Government of Indonesia (GoI) to conserve Indonesia’s biodiversity. WCS-IP currently has programs focusing on landscape/seascape conservation, species conservation actions and engaging local communities.
One of WCS-IP’s priority landscapes is the Singkil Wildlife Reserve (SWR) and its surrounding buffer zone in Aceh Province. SWR contains the largest remaining intact peatland forest in Aceh and important habitat for endangered species including Orangutan. While land cover change rates inside the SWR are low, pressures along its borders are very high, demonstrated by widespread and frequent fires to clear land for agricultural plantation.
WCS-IP is pioneering an innovative integrated landscape program, which aims to support BKSDA Aceh to reduce pressure facing SWR while improving the livelihoods of the surrounding communities. To support field-level interventions in engaging and supporting communities to improve their livelihoods and agricultural practices, whilst supporting conservation, WCS-IP is seeking a Community Organising Officer.
The position will be based in one of the priority villages in the buffer zone of SWR and will be available for a period of one year from September 2021, with the possibility of extension, depending on performance and availability of funding.
POSITION OBJECTIVE
- Lead on the development and delivery of a community empowerment program and secure active community participation in interventions that improve farmer knowledge and skills in the implementation of sustainable Good Agricultural Practices and post-harvesting practices.
- Lead on strengthening the organization and capacity of communities and farmer groups to access finance, inputs and markets and other incentives.
- Work with WCS landscape team in the SWR to engage communities in support of conservation and restoration outcomes ensure farmer interventions reduce the risk of encroachment into SWR.
- Work with WCS landscape team as part of the wider landscape partnership involving government agencies, private sector and civil society.
POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assist Sustainable Landscape Coordinator in selecting village priority around SWR
- Lead on the design and implementation of surveys and focus group discussion with communities in priority villages around SWR to assess community socio-economic conditions and needs.
- Facilitate surveys and focus group discussion to understand challenges facing communities with respect to access to agricultural inputs, markets, and finance.
- Support further research to inform the development and implementation of project activities, including the development of a compliance-based incentives system (in line with community needs) to support conservation and restoration and ensure against encroachment into SWR.
- Support the delivery of a social impact assessment of the project.
- Engage local stakeholders, community leaders, farmers, and farmer groups to address land cover change, support restoration and improve community livelihoods.
- Ensure a process of free prior informed consent to secure community participation to join the project is followed.
- Develop and delivery farmer group strengthening program
- Facilitate the development of village action plans with communities in the priority villages
- Lead the development and implementation of village and/or Farmer Group conservation agreements in support of forest conservation and restoration, including defining the scope, monitoring and incentive and compliance mechanism.
- Support data collection from farmers and farmer groups to monitor project progress and to monitor compliance with conservation agreements to inform access to incentives.
- Assist the Sustainable Landscape Coordinator to establish synergies between project interventions and district government development plan, and the roles and activities of other stakeholders in the partnership (for example, private sector).
- Lead the development and implementation of social safeguards in the project.
Stakeholder Engagement and Communication
- Develop a community engagement strategy
- Establish and maintain good working relationships with BSKDA Aceh, district governments, KPH, village government, and community leaders.
- Establish and maintain good working relationships with project partners
- Develop activity reports and provide regular project progress reports and updates as needed
- Support writing, publishing and presenting high quality research findings and providing data to support communication of project and key impacts and findings through websites, social and print media as needed.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
Qualifications and Experience
- Relevant university level qualification or equivalent experience in social science, development, or similar subject.
- Minimum 3 years working in community engagement, ideally in relation to conservation and/or sustainable commodity production
- Demonstrable field experience of working with smallholder farmers, and an understanding of the challenges related to the oil palm production in Sumatra
- Understanding of conservation issues, including the impacts of agricultural production
- Existing relationships and connections with both private and public sector stakeholders in the Aceh region are highly desirable.
- A good track record of developing community engagement strategies and social impact assessments.
Competencies
- Ability to work independently and proactively with stakeholders in rural areas, as well as in district level
- Good judgement and the ability to work under pressure and respond quickly to deadlines
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to adapt communications and messaging to a range of different audiences
- Excellent networking and engagement skills
- Good written and analytical skills
- Functional fluency in English is desirable though not essential.
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