Office of Chief Project Director, Uttarakhand Forest Resource

Office of Chief Project Director, Uttarakhand Forest
Resource Management Project (UFRMP)
85 Rajpur Road, Dehradun.
Applications are invited from eligible candidates for the post of Project Director,
Garhwal, for Project Management Unit of Uttarkhand Forest Resource Management
Project (UFRMP), having its headquarters at Dehradun.
Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project, funded by Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA), aims at addressing the problem of forest degradation in
forest fringe areas of the State. The Project would be implemented by Van Panchayats,
ensuring their capacity development in the process. The project is aimed at improving
basic human needs and income generation of the people living in the target area,
thereby, reducing their dependence on forests.
Other details regarding UFRMP may be seen on the website: www.forest.uk.gov.in
Terms of Reference
Age:
Candidate should not be more than 62 years of age, as on 01.07.2015
Qualifications:
Post-graduate in Social Sciences (Sociology, Social Work, Anthropology, Geography),
Post-graduate in Economics, Agri-business, Forestry, Natural Resources Management
and Environmental Sciences.
Experience:
10 years of experience of working in externally aided projects relating to forest
management, participatory approach in the field of natural resources management,
livelihood development, Income generating activities, capacity building of the
community and other stakeholders.
Experience of managing trainings would be desirable.
Remuneration:
Rs. 1 (one) Lakh per month (Consolidated). Incase of serving or retired Government
servant/PSU personnel, relevant Government rules would apply.
Term of Office
The appointment initially would be for a period of six months, subject to renewal for
another period of maximum 3 years, depending upon performance of the incumbent.
Receipt of Application:
Applications together with Curriculum Vitae, one pass port size photograph and names
and contact names of three references should be addressed latest by April 15, 2015, in a
sealed cover, superscribed with “Application for the post of Project Director,
Garhwal, PMU, UFRMP”. The application should be addressed to
Anup Malik
Chief Project Director
Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (JICA)
85 Rajpur Road, Dehradun- 248001
Tel: 0135-2740605
UFRMP)
Salient Features
Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project (UFRMP)
Uttarakhand Forest Resource Management Project, funded by Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) aims at addressing the problem of
forest degradation in forest fringe areas of the State. The Project would be
implemented by Van Panchayats (VPs), ensuring their capacity development
in the process. The project is aimed at controlling forest degradation,
improvement of livelihood options and income generating activities of the
people living in the target area, thereby, reducing their dependence on
forests.
Total Project Cost
Rs. 807crores.
Duration of the Project
8 years
Number of VPs
750
Target area for Eco-restoration
37500 ha. (50ha per VP)
Project Components will include forestry works, livelihood interventions,
and income generating activities.The project will also address landslides and
reconstruction of damaged forest roads in disaster affected forest areas,
which will be executed by the forest department.
The Project is being implemented in 17 forest divisions; 13 for forestry and
livelihood components and 6 for disaster affected forest areas (two divisions
overlapping) These divisions are Alakhnanda Soil conservation, Pauri Civil
Soyam, Tehri Dam I, Narendra Nagar, Lansdown Soil, Ramnagar Soil,
Ranikhet Soil, Almora Civil Soyam, Nainital Soil, Bageshwar, Champawat,
Pithoragarh&Mussoorie Forest Divisions,which are selected on the basis of
a selection mechanism. The disaster related works would be implemented in
Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh, districts that
have been most adversely affected in the disaster.
The Project would focus on:
 Eco-Restoration of degraded forest through site specific soil &
moisture conservation (SMC) measures along with effective
protection against biotic pressures, forest fires etc.
 Developing strong village level institutions (Van Panchayats) by
building their capacity and making them self-reliant.
 Enhancing Livelihood potential- basic needs & IGA of people
around local natural resources & development of their skills aiming at
poverty alleviation.
 Inter Sectoral Coordination for achieving larger impact and
sustainability.

Interventions would be planned & executed on the basis of
comprehensive micro plans prepared through inclusive PRAs. Micro
plans will be prepared by VPs and necessary facilitation will be
provided by FD (Forest Department) Project Management
Consultancy & FNGOs (Field NGOs) at FMU (Field Management
Unit) level.
The Project is being implemented in Society mode. Uttarakhand Forest
Resource Management Society (UFRMS), an autonomous Society has been
constituted under Society Registration Act 1860.A High Powered
Committee (HPC) at the State level, called the Governing Body of the
Society, headed by the Chief Secretary of the State is in place, as the highest
policy decision-making body guiding the Project at the apex level. An
Executive Committee (EC) is also in place headed by Secretary Forest and
PCCF as Vice Chairperson, to oversee implementation of the Project at
regular intervals. The Project is being implemented by a PMU (Project
Management Unit) to be established at the State level. In the field, the
Project will implemented by DMU (Divisional Management Unit) at DFO
level and FMU (Field Management Unit) at the Range level. PMU will be
registered as an autonomous body under the Society Registration Act, 1860.
A DAC (District Advisory Committee) proposed at the District level headed
by District Collector will ensure Inter Sectoral Convergence (ISC), which
would form an important strategy not only to achieve the Project goals but
also impart sustainability to the Project ingenuities.
At the State level, PMU will be assisted by PMC (Project Management
Consultancy) to augment its capacity in providing necessary skill sets
required for process improvement and expertise in various fields in Project
implementation. FLEs (Field Level Experts), would also be put in place to
assist DMU at the division. Field level NGOs would also be involved in
Project implementation. The need for FNGO is felt because of lack of
adequate staff required forskills like community participatory approach,
prevailing social structure & its attitudes and dynamics in the Project area.
The FNGO would thus fill this gap by providing support of qualified
professional staff to cover the social engineering aspects of the Project.
Each VP will be given NGO support for hand-holding.
For forestry interventions, 3 ER (Eco Restoration) models are proposed
incorporating strict protection measures, SMC (Soil & Moisture
Conservation) & ANR (Assisted Natural Regeneration) works and under
planting/block planting wherever required depending on site. For biodiversity conservation, there is a provision for protection of Sacred Groves,
Wetlands & preparation of PBRs (People’s Bio-diversity Registers). Ecotourism activities will be taken up involving community under livelihood
improvements sector, where development of Eco destination sites is
proposed. 7 sites would be taken up for development, depending upon the
potential. The goal would be to establish these sites into national level
working models of community-based eco-tourism, where the focus would
not be revenue earning for the State but building strong institutions at local
level through development of livelihood opportunities for the community.
Livelihood improvement will comprise of improvement of basic human
needs, CDAs (Community Development Activities) & IGAs (Income
Generation Activities). Under CDA activities will be taken up aiming at
community mobilization for creation of small community infrastructure
having potential for enhancing incomes of local forest dependent people on
a sustainable basis. VPs will be provided revolving fund under the Project to
provide small loans for IGAs to be executed through SHGs along with
required facilitation to enhance their capacities and develop linkages with
micro credit from banks and other financial institutions. Focus would be on
making SHGs self reliant through various need based support & evolving
strategies as the Project progresses. 2 SHGs will be supported at each village
level.
All the field interventions would be based on comprehensive micro plans,
prepared through a process of participatory planning approach. Need-based
and site-specific comprehensive micro plans shall be prepared at the very
onset of the process through participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) technique.
Various community development and livelihood improvement activities that
can be taken up for alleviating the sufferings of the stakeholders and for
overall integrated development of the village will also be a part of micro
planning process. Interventions would be planned & implemented by Van
Panchayats, selected on the basis of selection criteria and in clusters in micro
watersheds. Van Panchayats falling in one cluster will have their own sitespecific comprehensive micro plans. Micro planning process would be
facilitated by FD and FNGO teams engaged at FMU level. In RF areas,
where it is not be possible for VPs to carry out Project interventions, the
works would be executed through FD.
An amount of Rs. 150 crores is earmarked for the disaster management
component from the total Project cost of Rs. 807crores. Activities under
disaster management component would include, landslide management,
construction of emergency shelters, reconstruction of damaged forest roads
and capacity building of forest department personnel& VPs for future
preparedness to fight natural disasters in the state. These works would be
implemented through forest department. The technical know-how would be
provided by a consultancy appointed for that purpose by the PMU as per
international bidding norms as applicable in JICA projects. This would go a
long way in enhancing the overall capacity of the State in fighting natural
disasters, because 65% of the total geographical of the state is under forest
cover and forest personnel can play an effective role in this area.
Last two years of the Project period will be specially focused on
consolidating the efforts in the light of experience gained during Project
implementation and evolving strategies for post Project continuity.
Emphasis would be on building strong institutions of local self-governance
(VPs & SHGs), which would not only help in accomplishing Project targets
but also lay a formidable base for achieving sustainable livelihoods, an elixir
for addressing problems of ecological destruction.