The IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas is a certification scheme that aims to recognise and increase the number of protected areas that demonstrate sustainable conservation outcomes for local people and nature. The Green List criteria serve as a benchmark for good governance, sound planning, effective management and positive conservation outcomes. These criteria are closely aligned with the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in particular, target 3 of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).
Europe pioneered the development of the IUCN Green List programme, with three Mediterranean countries joining in 2013, and is home to the majority of the world's Green Listed sites. The significant expansion of the Green List programme in the region is driven by the adoption of the standard at national and regional level. As an example, the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas has been recognized as a Flagship Initiative under the Mediterranean Strategy on Sustainable Development (MSSD) 2016-2025, adopted during the 19th Convention of the Parties of the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) - Barcelona Convention. The large number of European countries is also key to scale up the Green List. The process can rely on strong institutional capacity with three IUCN Regional Offices (MED, ECARO, EUR) and professional networks of protected areas (Europarc, Alparc, MedPAN). Europe has also the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world, Natura 2000, with +27000 sites across 26 countries.
To support the development of the Green List, the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation is proposing a coordinating position for the Green List programme, with responsibility for developing partnerships and new opportunities for further expansion in Europe and the Mediterranean. Key activities will include helping to coordinate the Green List programme in the region, contributing to capacity development, supporting the work of national and regional expert groups, and assisting candidate sites in their self-assessment process.
In the Mediterranean, ten countries (Spain, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, France, Italy, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon) are currently involved in the Green List certification, although only France, Italy, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon have green-listed sites. The region has two national Expert Assessment Groups for the Green List (EAGLs) active in Spain and France and one regional EAGL in North Africa, while in Italy the EAGL is expected to be formed by the end of 2023.
The geographical scope of the Green List Project Officer will be Europe and the Mediterranean. S/he agrees to carry out the following specific tasks to assist the Mediterranean Programme Coordinator in achieving the planned results and objectives:
Support for regional coordination of the Green List (60%):
Support Green List operations for IUCN and partners
Track implementation of programme plans and commitments, provide critical input, reports and updates on activities and events;
Keep the Programme Officer informed on the progress of the Green List programme in the region, alerting on risk situations and opportunities for improvement;
Maintain lines of work and coordination with the global Green List team;
Actively contribute to preparation for exchanges with international partners and donors;
Support partner organisations with the necessary capacity and technical coordination of tasks to reduce project burden on government officials;
Formulate and facilitate the contracting of consultants and mentors, ensure they are properly trained and follow up during the implementation process;
Plan, design and implement coordination meetings, training activities, exchange and other activities necessary for the implementation of the Green List in the region;
Prepare presentations in relation to the work under his/her responsibility and others that may be assigned to him/her and that are related to his/her professional experience and training;
Contribute to the preparation of technical reports (half-yearly and annual), as requested;
Assist in the implementation of activities related to the IUCN-MED Programme as required, as well as the promotion of the Green List, including promotion the adoption of knowledge products in GL, as required;
Regularly check that site and EAGL data are up to date on the COMPASS platform, the Green List website and the Green List Dashboard;
Monitor the implementation of plans and commitments, and provide information, reports and updates on Green List activities to IUCN and partners:
Propose strategies, solutions, approaches, including corrective actions to ensure the achievement of the Green List’s programme outcomes and impacts.
Provide support to the Green List experts and sites
Support the establishment of the new Green List Expert Assessment Groups (EAGL) and assist their activities, including logistics for meetings and site visits, as needed;
Facilitate the organization of on-site visits by EAGL experts to IUCN and its partners;
Assist all selected sites with the Green List process and assessments at all stages;
Organize training and sharing of lessons learned to facilitate capacity development, as requested by the sites and identified through the assessments;
Identify existing data, information and quality standards related to protected area management and governance, and consider and align them with IUCN Green List requirements to identify gaps, opportunities and pathways to achieve Green List compliance and certification;
Coordinate the Green List knowledge management programme in the region on behalf of IUCN: track progress, synthesize and systematize lessons learned and good practices, collect and systematize learning resources;
Ensure close coordination with other key stakeholders in the Green List programme.
Promotion of the Green List at regional level (30%):
Support the development, coordination and implementation of a regional Green List strategy;
Support the introduction, adaptation and implementation of the Green List Standard in the region (e.g. backstopping, knowledge management);
Actively contribute to the preparation of exchanges with international partners (donors and partners);
Advocate for the Green List in the region and assist countries (Ministries and agencies, networks of protected and conserved areas) in identifying opportunities to align policies and strategies with the Green List and in reporting to the CBD (e.g. NBSAP);
Support the organisation of regional and national roundtables for the IUCN 30x30 Challenge, implementing Target 3 of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework;
Ensure appropriate communication and dissemination of Green List activities and results in accordance with the policies, standards and documents provided to it in this regard.
Administration and compliance with regulatory requirements (10%):
Track implementation of Green List programme plans and commitments and provide reports and updates on activities and events to line manager and relevant partners;
Independently support and follow up on administrative and financial management processes, e.g. logistics, contract development as required, travel arrangements, workshop logistics, follow up on payments/invoices and ensure smooth implementation and administrative/organizational compliance in close coordination with partners and key stakeholders (esp. also admin/finance staff relevant to the funding agreement);
Fulfil specific IUCN administrative responsibilities for procurement, travel and field trips, using IUCN's own system, in close coordination with IUCN administrative and financial staff for this purpose;
Ensure compliance with and implementation of the IUCN Environmental and Social Management System;
Other administrative tasks as assigned by the IUCN MED Office in support of activities related to protected areas, connectivity and ecosystem conservatio
Requirements:
At least a Master's degree in biodiversity conservation, social sciences and/or development studies.
At least 5 years' experience in the coordination, implementation and evaluation of nature conservation projects;
Proven ability to work within a results-based management framework;
Experience of working with a range of stakeholders such as local NGOs, government officials, donors and local and international staff.
Fluency in English is essential, fluency in Spanish and French is also required.
Knowledge of other languages is an advantage
Effective manager with proven ability to work in multi-institutional and multicultural environments;
Demonstrated ability to implement projects within deadlines and produce high quality deliverables;
Ability to travel within the region as required, in particular to support site managers and experts.
