Job Description

Posted on November 12, 2020

ADVERTISEMENT FOR ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS OF WWF ZAMBIA

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia is calling for applications from qualified individuals willing to serve in voluntary capacity as Advisory Board members, for a term of two years, renewable.

1. BACKGROUND

The WWF International
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) International, formerly known as World Wildlife Fund International, is an independent foundation registered under Swiss law. Its mission is to stop the degradation of the natural environment. WWF works for the benefit of both people and nature by promoting sustainable development. The organisation envisions a future where people live in harmony with nature, for the benefit of both people and nature.

The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees which is headed by an International President. As a global network organisation with many national organisations and offices in the world, WWF central offices are based in four areas – Singapore, Woking, Nairobi and Gland. The primary office, which is the headquarters of WWF International and seat of the Director General, is in Gland, Switzerland. The role of the secretariat is to lead and coordinate the WWF Network of offices around the world, by developing policies and priorities, fostering global partnerships, coordinating international campaigns, and providing supportive measures in order to help make the global operation run as smoothly as it can. The various WWF offices around the world come under two categories as follow:

National Organisations (NOs): Those that can raise funds, function and carry out work autonomously;
Programme Offices (POs) or Country Offices (COs): Are those that must raise funds, function and work under the direction of the WWF International secretariat.
In all cases, WWF offices and organisations carry out conservation work such as practical field projects, scientific research, advising local and national governments on environmental policy, promoting environmental education, and raising awareness of environmental issues. The WWF International Secretariat coordinates the WWF network Offices through Regional Offices.

WWF Zambia
WWF Zambia is a Country Office (CO) under the supervision of WWF International via its Regional Office for Africa (ROA), headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. Hence the term WWF Zambia Country Office (WWFZCO) or just ZCO as it is often referred to.  Since 1962, WWF in Zambia has been involved in activities to conserve Zambia’s biodiversity upon which the nation’s economy and livelihoods largely depend. The first WWF Zambia investment was on the Kafue Flats with the purchase of private land which was donated to the Government to create Lochinvar and Blue Lagoon National Parks. Since then WWF operated through a series of specific projects including support to anti-poaching, conservation education, community based natural resource management and wetlands conservation, working with partners guided by MOUs and sub-granting agreements. In 1991, WWF Zambia operations started in Zambia following a signed memorandum of understanding with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) by WWF International to create a coordinating office in Zambia. WWF Zambia is also currently registered under the Registrar of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) of the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services; registration number RNGO 101/0271/2014-ISSUE NO.2.

In terms of WWFZCO’s governance and accountability:

The Senior Management Team (SMT), headed by the Country Director, provides oversight and management of ZCO operations;
The Country Director who holds overall responsibility of WWFZCO is directly accountable to WWF International through the Regional Office for Africa (ROA);
WWF- ZCO has its foundation in local society with membership and collaborations among several CSOs networks and initiatives mainly focusing on conservation;
The Advisory Board, a voluntary team, strengthens its foundation in Zambian society by providing strategic advisory services to WWFZCO through the SMT headed by the Country Director;
WWF- ZCO has a semi diplomatic hosting agreement with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ). As such GRZ hosts WWF operations in Zambia and provides for benefits such as tax exemptions.
2. STATUS, DEFINITION, PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE WWFZAMBIA ADVISORY BOARD

The creation of the advisory board is one way to deepen WWFZCO’s foundation in local Zambian society, strengthen local mobilization of support for WWF mission and vision. The purpose of the Advisory Board shall be to provide advisory input to WWFZCO’s senior management team (SMT) led by Country Director. So, the Advisory Board makes recommendations, gives guidance and provide key information to WWFZCO’s senior management team on issues that can enhance the delivery of effective and sustainable conservation impacts in Zambia. Further, the Advisory Board also expands WWF Zambia’s relevance and legitimacy. The Board will help mobilize political support and fundraising for conservation impact. The Advisory Board is the forerunner to the full Board when WWF Zambia is granted independent National Organisation status by the WWF International.
The Advisory Board will support ZCO build strong ZCO capacities in order to be approved to become a national organization in line with WWF International standards, lessons learnt and the ZCO roadmap to become an NO, in which the advisory board role will transition, if NO status is approved;
Advisory Board Members are independent individuals who have a passion for conservation delivery, and willing to volunteer their time and expertise for that cause;
The Advisory Board shall be a group of influential and highly networked individuals, who are accomplished in their respective professional areas, and committed to the mission and vision of WWF Zambia;
The Advisory Board shall not have any legal or fiduciary responsibilities nor any formal authority to govern the WWFZCO; but will be the forerunner to a full Board of the organisation as an NO.
The following shall be the specific objectives of the Advisory Board:
To support ZCO to have in place and deliver its national strategy ensuring conservation impact;
To support country office to strengthen its resource mobilization, especially fundraising, supported by strengthened financial management systems and accountability, thus financially sustainable;
To support country office to be locally embedded and stay relevant in the environment it operates;
Identify and facilitate exploiting of opportunities for strategic partnerships, including with government, UN and funding agencies, academia, research institutions, local communities, traditional leadership and priority population groups.
To support efforts to develop and implement necessary organizational and operational systems; thus have mature leadership team; high-performing culture and enabling organizational structure with efficient systems and processes for conservation delivery;
VALUES
Board members share, and shall be bound to adherence to, WWF values which are:

Courage: We demonstrate courage through our actions, we work for change where it’s needed, and we inspire people and institutions to tackle the greatest threats to nature and the future of the planet, which is our home;
Collaboration: We deliver impact at the scale of the challenges we face through the power of collective action and innovation;
Respect: We honor the voices and knowledge of the people and communities that we serve, and we work to secure their rights to a sustainable future;
Integrity: We live the principles we call on others to meet. We act with integrity, accountability and transparency, and we rely on facts and science to guide us and to ensure we learn and evolve.
Required Skills
In order to achieve the skills mix that address the needs of the organisation, membership of the WWFZCO Advisory Board seeks individuals who meet one or more of the following criteria:

5 years plus of leadership and management experience in the Conservation, environment and economics programming;
5 years plus of leadership and management in effective Institutional development, including communication and branding;
5 years plus of leadership and management experience as Chartered accountant with experience in financial control, finance, risk-management and audit;
5 years plus of leadership and management experience in Government (and politics) complemented with extensive local knowledge of the Zambian natural environment, people and cultures. Note: persons who are employed by GRZ, or active in politics are ineligible;
5 years plus of leadership and management in successful fundraising, compliance; and being well-networked in the donor community;
5 years plus of leadership and operational experience in human resources;
5 years plus of leadership and management experience in successful marketing, Information and communication technology;
5 years plus of leadership and management experience in the law profession as an advocate of the High Court for Zambia, with valid practicing license from the Law Association of Zambia;
5 years plus of leadership and execution experience on promoting successful and sustainable green investments in renewable clean energy, agriculture and infrastructure.
CONDITIONS
The following conditions shall apply:

There shall be no personal liability of Advisory Board members on the advice and recommendations they provide to WWFZCO;
Membership to the Advisory Board is voluntary; hence there shall be no sitting fees to be paid. However, WWFZCO shall cover any reasonable direct costs incurred by members when attending special meetings or field visits extraneous to the Advisory Board meeting;
To manage conflict of interest, the Advisory Board members shall be required to declare their interests as and when necessary/required;
No individual Advisory Board member who belongs to, or is affiliated to an organization applying for or benefitting from support/partnership with WWFZCO shall participate in any Advisory Board session discussing that support or partnership;
All members shall be required to treat all information acquired though their membership on the WWFZCO Advisory Board as confidential and not disclose such information to third parties
Individual Advisory Board members may make voluntary financial contributions to the WWFZCO.
Board members shall communicate any potential conflict of interest or material implications of their non-WWF activities to the WWF work/brand.
8. HOW TO APPLY

Individuals meeting one or more of the criteria noted in (4) above and willing to serve as WWFZCO Advisory Board members are welcome to email their application cover letters with brief outline of relevant qualifications and experience; curriculum vitae (CV) with references to: wwfcareers@wwfzam.org. Cover letters should be addressed to The Country Director, WWF Zambia; with subject line, “ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER”.

Note: The application (comprising cover letter and CV) should be submitted as one PDF document.

Deadline: 5pm on 18TH November 2020