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JOB ADVERT
MPA FORUM COORDINATOR
(3 year contractual position based in DEA: Branch Oceans & Coasts, V & A Waterfront, Cape Town)
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation and environmental
organisations, with almost 6 million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries.
Our mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which we
all live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of
renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful
consumption.
Our work is challenging and exciting and we love what we do. To join our team you need to be brilliant at
what you do, passionate, results-orientated and have a positive and helpful attitude.
Background
WWF South Africa is a solution-driven organisation that constructively engages with government,
companies and individuals to meet our goal of a sustainable future in which people live in harmony with
nature. In over 40 years of conservation work in South Africa, WWF has increasingly played a leading role
in facilitating the attitudes of people, business and government towards the environment which has resulted
in tangible and lasting conservation outcomes.
The unsustainable harvest of the world’s oceans has led to the depletion, and in some cases collapse, of
many of the world’s major fish stocks. While the outlook for these threatened marine ecosystems remains
bleak in the face of unsustainable practices, there is a growing awareness of the challenges facing our
oceans and a realisation that we will only be to tackle these problems through a collaborative multistakeholder approach. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) play a critical role in maintaining marine biodiversity
by protecting important habitats and providing areas for fish stocks to breed, improving both ecosystem
resilience and the lives of local fishing communities. South Africa currently has a network of 24 MPAs
around its coast, which makes it one of Africa's leading nations in terms of MPAs. However, the profile of
MPAs is considerably lower than that of terrestrial protected areas which has resulted in the MPA sector
suffering from a number of challenges including: ineffective central coordination of MPAs amongst
conservation agencies, a shortage of skilled MPA management staff, a lack of specific MPA management
training and an overall shortage of funding for the sector.
To address these challenges, WWF and the Department of Environmental Affairs: Branch Oceans and
Coasts (DEA) have collaborated on an annual MPA capacity development programme which includes an
week-long training course for MPA managers and the creation of an annual MPA Forum event which brings
together over 100 MPA stakeholders from around the country for 4 days to share knowledge and
collaborate around improving current MPA management. WWF and DEA are now seeking to institutionalise
these interventions through the appointment of fulltime MPA Forum Coordinator. The coordinator will be
responsible for the annual implementation of the MPA capacity development programme as well as
providing on-going management support to MPA managers through the coordination of the MPA
stakeholders and implementation of projects to address the priority needs identified at the annual MPA
Forum event. The successful candidate will be responsible for the overall management of the MPA Forum
project and will report to the Senior Manager of the Marine programme. The position will be jointly based at
DEA: Branch Oceans and Coasts, V & A Waterfront, Cape Town (4 days a week) and WWF-SA’s offices in
Newlands, Cape Town (1 day a week).
Key Responsibilities:
The MPA Forum Coordinator will be responsible for the following actions:
1. Oversee the MPA Forum secretariat including the following:
o Organise the planning and logistics for the annual MPA Forum event
o Develop and implement a communications and information sharing platform for national
and regional MPA stakeholders.
o Project manage priority projects identified by the MPA Forum, including the identification
and communication of MPA research priorities in South Africa.
o Manage and report on overall financials for the MPA Forum secretariat and associated
projects.
o Develop a long-term funding strategy for the institutionalisation of the MPA Forum
secretariat.
o Implement and maintain an effective monitoring and evaluation system for the MPA Forum
and associated projects.
o Ensure MPA stakeholders participation and engagement with DEA Management
Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) processes.
2. Manage the implementation of the WWF-DEA MPA Capacity Development programme
o Oversee the annual roll out of the WWF Introductory MPA training course through training
partners and institutions.
o Oversee the institutionalisation of WWF’s existing MPA capacity development programmes
with training partners and institutions.
3. Contribute to a strong partner-based approach to civil society engagement in addressing
conservation and development issues associated with the South African MPA sector:
o Build a strong collaborative and supportive approach to conservation with key national
partners amongst MPA stakeholders.
o Co-ordinate the MPA stakeholder community's responses to current and future
environmental challenges.
o Support the integration of the Guidelines for Integrating the Human Dimensions into MPA
Management (eg. livelihoods, culture, gender) into MPA management plans.
4. Ensure WWF-SA continues to play a leadership role in the inclusion of civil society into
marine conservation in South Africa:
o Stay up-to-date with emerging knowledge, issues and policies relating to Marine Protected
Areas and related conservation initiatives.
o Ensure effective linkages with other WWF Programmes and other relevant organisations
working in the field.
o Represent WWF-SA on the MPA-related issues and relevant government working groups.
5. Perform further duties as specified by the Senior Manager: Marine Programme including
inter alia:
o Work with WWF Communications team on MPA related communications activities,
including events, awareness materials, public queries, newsletters etc…
o When appropriate, act as a representative spokesperson for WWF South Africa on the
MPA Forum project.
Skills/Requirements:
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A tertiary post-graduate qualification in a marine and/or conservation related field (specific
experience in MPA management and conservation will be advantageous);
At least 2 years of work experience in multi-disciplinary project management and multi-stakeholder
initiatives natural resource management, experience and/or knowledge of Southern African
environmental legislation and stakeholders would be advantageous.
The successful candidate must be skilled in communications (written and verbal) with strong
scientific report writing skills.
Self-motivated, with strong administrative and project management skills
Passion for the conservation of nature and the involvement of people and businesses in the
implementation of practical solutions to the challenges facing the marine environment;
Collaborative spirit and ability to work in team settings across cultures and internally within a
diverse institution;
Computer literacy in MS Office (MS Word), spread sheets (Excel), email and presentations (MS
PowerPoint); Web development skills would be advantageous.
Excellent communication skills in English and proficient in at least one other language, Afrikaans or
Xhosa
Valid driver’s license and own transportation essential
Further Information:
To apply please click here and create or update your profile and attach a detailed CV and covering letter
fully motivating why you should be appointed, under the “Documents” section of your profile. Make sure you
have names, current e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of three relevant references on your CV.
Applications close on 7th June 2015.
If you send your application via email, it will not be considered.
WWF seeks to promote diversity among its staff. Candidates who have not received a response within
three weeks of the closing date are kindly requested to assume that their application has not been
successful in this instance. WWF-SA reserves the right not to fill this position.