| Project Title: | Applying Landscape and Sustainable Land Management (L-SLM) for mitigating land degradation and contributing to poverty reduction in rural areas. |
| Donor: | Global Environmental Facility (GEF) |
| Implementing Agency: | United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) |
| Executing Agency: | Regional Environmental Centre for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus) |
| Organisational Unit: | Sustainable Management of Natural Resources |
| Post Title: | Media and communication expert |
| Contract type: | Service Agreement |
| Starting Date: | 818. 06.201 |
| Duration: | 18.06.2018 – 01.03.2019 |
| Duty Station: | Tbilisi |
A. SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT
Background
The lack of efficient land management policies, a weak regulatory framework, limited access to appropriate information and technology, a weak institutional capacities and a lack of cooperation between various stakeholders along with high rate of natural disasters are causing significant problems in land management sector and for overall ecosystem integrity.
Therefore, from the management point of view, one of the major problems Georgia is facing today is an absence of comprehensive and integrated approach in land management sector. In addition, an irrelevant legal framework sometimes is the source of additional “conflicts” with the evolved national strategic and policy packages.
Although Georgia has shown clear drive to combat land degradation and improve land management system by moving forward with the establishment of a strong baseline, this includes accession and implementation of most pertinent international agreements, adoption of several related policies and laws (NEAP, NAPCD, etc.)
The above mentioned factors underlines the importance of the review of the country’s existing policy and regulatory framework related to the management of land resources, that will serve as upmost important components to overcome existing barriers to mainstream L-SLM activities. National plans and policies do not reflect holistic land management principles and practices.
There is a failure of national and rural decision-making frameworks to provide adequate legal parameters and tools to support L-SLM. Current policies result in disparate organizations responsible for various land management sectors making unilateral decisions that lead to uncoordinated approaches. Consequently, “on the ground” management decisions made by responsible communities and resource users do not benefit from the guidance of coordinated, national strategies.
Capacity and information pathways do not exist to provide rural community members with examples of alternative, sustainable methods of resource use. Remote communities and resource users now responsible for many land management issues do not have satisfactory access to the information and tools necessary for informed decision-making. As a result, community land use plans and other decision-making tools intended to address land degradation fail to reflect L-SLM principles and practices.
The overall objective of the project is to support integration of good Landscape and Sustainable Land management (L-SLM) principles and practices into national policy and institutional framework to ensure adoption of economically viable practices by rural communities.
B. SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The goal of the assignment is to provide strategic communication expertise with particular emphasis on analyses of desertification problem, SLM principles and the measures to combat desertification, providing lessons-learned from the project ‘s interventions in Akhmeta, Dedoplistskaro and Gardabani municipalities.
Media and communication experts will be responsible to :
- Collect and analyze information on the project‘s interventions impact on ground level related to the most important SLM demonstrations to produce media articles
- Providing stories on a good practices captured from the filed observation in the area of pasture management, windbreaks development, crop rotation and etc.
- Organization of production of at least 4 newspaper articles that would attract attention of the international media outlets.
C. SPECIFIC TIME TABLE
The Consultant shall deliver the Specified Service in accordance with the following timetable (the “Specified Timetable”):
| N | Deliverable | Date |
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|
Article/story on Windbreaks development and maintenance in Dedoplistskaro municipality | 15. 04. 2018 |
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Article/story on crop rotation system in Dedoplistskaro municipality | 15. 05. 2018 |
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Article/story on success of sustainable pasture management of pastures in Kasristkali, Akhmeta municipality | 18.06.2018 |
|
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Article/story on introduction of SLM practices in Shenako, Akhmeta municipality | 18.07.2018
|
|
|
Article/story on development of Windbreaks policy and legislation | 25.07.2018 |
|
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Article/story on development of pasture management multi-sectorial platform | 20.11.2018 |
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Article/story on introduction of SLM practices Gardabani municipality | 15.04.2019 |
All outputs have to be submitted in Georgian language.
D. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Education:
The successfully Contractor should possess a Bachelor’s Degree in mass communication, environmental management or other related fields with over 5 years’ experience in journalism, environmental education, or public relations. Knowledge and/or experience in the field of environmental management are highly recommended.
Experience:
Demonstrated relevant working experience of at least five (5) years in mass communication.
Academic/technical background relevant to the scope(s) of the assignment with at least five (5) years of relevant experience;
Be able to communicate fluently, in writing and orally.
Have excellent drafting skills, strong operational and analytical skills, and the ability to work as a member of a team;
Qualifications and Experience
· Professionalism: Knowledge of and experience in L-SLM, Sustainable Development Goals, Agriculture and Environmental issues.
· Communication: excellent communication skills.
· Teamwork: good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain working relations in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect to diversity
· Technology awareness: fully proficient computer skills, especially in word processing, Internet and database utilization
Language:
Fluency in Georgian