The Western Area Peninsula (WAP) is located in the extreme west of Sierra Leone It is a multiple-use landscape (69,820 ha) dominated by moist closed forest occupying a narrow chain of hills (highest point 900m) surrounded by a thin coastal strip that lines the peninsula to the north, west and south. Forming
part of the Upper Guinean Forests of West Africa Biodiversity Hotspot, the landscape includes two Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAS). The first is the Western Area Peninsula Forest National Park (WAPNP), The rest of the area is occupied by mangrove forest which is largely located at the northeast of the peninsula
but also in isolated patches along the western coastal stretch of about 200km, the Banana Islands, and Bureh Town forests of the peninsula. The mangroves at the northeast of the peninsula are part of the Sierra Leone River Estuary (SLRE), which is an internationally recognized KBA and Ramsar site. The WAPNP hosts 80-90% of Sierra Leone’s terrestrial biodiversity, and the forested
surface of the WAP acts as the main water tower for the country’s capital
Freetown. The SLRE is the site of the world’s third largest natural harbor, and
its wetlands comprise 19% of the country’s mangrove forests.

The ecosystem services offered by the landscape and its biodiversity are
increasingly threatened by unplanned and environmentally unsustainable land
use practices, manifested by encroachment into forests by agriculture,
increased unplanned urban expansion, industrial and artisanal mining (mainly
stone quarrying and sand extraction), as well as overexploitation of natural
resources (especially forest products). Effective adoption of an integrated
management approach for the WAP is hindered by insufficient systemic and
institutional capacity for participatory management of the multiple-use
landscape, lack of adequate information and coordination mechanisms, and
insufficient financing to support biodiversity conservation and environmentally

sustainable land management over the longer

The Gender Officer (GO), will be appointed by the Ministry of the Environment
and Climate Change in close collaboration with WAP PMU. The work of the
consultant Gender Officer is to support the NAP project and its partners on
gender is mainstreaming by training, advocating and supporting project

partners by monitoring the progress of project implementation,

If necessary through the use of / support from consultants or external
specialists. Dissemination of information and competence development,
through training and seminars, is also part of the work of the gender Officer.
Duties and Responsibilities.

Under the supervision of the Project Manager (PM) and with technical guidance
from the Technical Advisor (TA), the Consultant Gender Officer will undertake
the following.

-Refine the gender strategy, building on the draft gender plan developed during
project preparation

-Train stakeholders on gender issues and mainstreaming.

-Facilitate mainstreaming of gender considerations in all aspects of project
implementation, monitoring and reporting

– Document the process and produce a technical report, including a section
On lessons generated by the process.
Qualifications required:

The Gender Officer should have at least the following qualifications and
expertise:

-Advanced University Degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Gender
studies or relevant discipline as required.

-The Consultant shall have at least 5 years and above of relevant experience
in the field of

-a) Gender Mainstreaming and consideration

– (b) Gender Equality, Equity and gender responsiveness.

– The Gender Officer should have an adequate technical knowledge and
good understanding of issues and matters

-Good  communication skill both in writing and oral including networking and
interpersonal skills.

-Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines.
Skills & Competencies

-Ability to tactfully negotiate, lead, manage and motivate diverse groups
project partners, stakeholders and beneficiaries to achieve results.

– Demonstrable strong analytical skills. ability to quickly familiarize with
complex issues. ability to transform data into information for targeted
audiences.

-Excellent  communication skills; ability to produce convincing, logical and
concise written outputs; strong presentation skills. NB: evidence of writing
skills will be required during the application and selection process.

-IT literate; including standard office software as well as use of social media.
-Language: Fluency in both written and spoken English
Apply: The application should contain:

-Cover letter explaining why you are the most suitable candidate for the
advertised position.

-An indication of your availability, i.e. are there periods that you already know
of when you would be unavailable to work.

-Updated CV to include qualifications/competencies and relevant experience
in similar projects and name/contact details of 2 professional referees who
can validate and recommend your professionalism, competencies and
suitability to undertake this assignment.

-Samples of related work (email link or electronic copy)