Programme Officer - Responsible Investments in Property and Land (RIPL)

Duty of Station: Arusha

Reporting to: LBI Coordinator

Terms of Reference

In support of the Responsible Investments in Property and Land (RIPL) project, Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF) is in need a programme officer who will join RIPL team to undertake all project activities.  As such, these Terms of Reference (TOR) describes the background, tasks and deliverables for programme officer to provide related services.

1. Background

With global attention focused on inequitable land-related investments, governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector have come together to improve land governance and investment practices. The African Union’s Guiding Principles on Large Scale Land Based Investments, the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT), and other standards and principles are emblematic of the international community’s commitment to improving policy and practice leading to socially responsible land-related investments.

The RIPL project contributes to these on-going global efforts by supporting the participation and empowerment of communities, governments, and investors in such investments. Significantly, RIPL is committed to facilitating gender-equitable investments in land to ensure that women and men are not harmed by such investments and that women and men share equally in the benefits of investments.

The primary output of the RIPL project, in partnership with local land tenure experts, is the development of how-to guides, called “Playbooks,” for each stakeholder group (one for communities, one for investors, and one for government). The Playbooks will be developed in two focus countries—Tanzania and Ghana. These country-specific Playbooks will, in turn, inform the development of Model Playbooks that can be used as templates in other countries.

Thus, the services under this TOR are intended to provide the RIPL team in discharging all activities under the program.

2.  Core Responsibilities 

• Coordinate the collection, analysis and dissemination of pertinent information regarding RIPL project
• Provide substantive support to RIPL team 
• Liaise with external stakeholders in order to better understand external influences on land governance, policy processes and people who influence these processes
• To assist RIPL project coordinator and assistant project coordinator  in drafting playbooks 
• To maintain reporting standards and enhance monitoring guidelines for RPIL interventions(in collaboration with the research assistants)
• Write and review technical reports including the analysis of status and trends related to land and investments
• Continue to maintain relations between TNRF through RIPL project with the local and central government.
• Reports on monthly, quarterly and biannual basis on the progress of the programme and with lessons/challenges in implementing the RIPL project.

3. Outputs

The programme officer will be responsible for the following outputs

• Promote the TNRF vision and objectives of the LBI programme to stakeholders

• The activities under the RIPL project are implemented in a timely manner and up to optimal standards
• Reports under RIPL project are reviewed to ensure quality  before submission to project coordinator
• Relations with relevant stakeholders maintained and strengthened
• Effective synergy of interventions and impacts with other strategic intervention areas within TNRF.

4. Required qualifications and desired attributes

Programme officer will have the following broad skill-set and attributes

• Advanced University degree in Natural Resources Management, Law, Sociology, Economics or the equivalent. First degree with relevant, excellent proven experience may also be considered
• Proven track record in successfully developing, leading and managing projects in the field of conservation, natural resources management, development or other related fields
• Good and wide knowledge and understanding of contextual aspects of land investment in East Africa, current policies and analysis, frameworks and legislations
• Knowledge and experience in land-tenure related matters and initiatives in the National and local community context
• Practical experience of working with CSOs, government and development partners at local, national or regional level.
• Experience in inter-institutional collaboration, at both government and non-government levels, in a local and national setting
• Excellent facilitation and training skills and experience on fundraising including participatory and interactive methodologies.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to network and to develop and maintain strong relationships at all levels with local communities, government agencies, the business community, the not- for- profit sector and the TNRF network.
• A strong communicator (in English and Kiswahili), able to support the advancement of the TNRF Membership as a broad civil-society community in the pursuit of improved natural resource management, sustainable development and better conservation outcomes.
• Keen interest in and commitment to advancing the rights of minority/indigenous communities, particularly in relation to their territories, areas and natural resources
• Willingness to travel on a regular basis and work with local organisations and communities in remote areas
• Adaptable, flexible, able to take initiative and prioritize amongst competing demands
• Experience in using web-based tools to enhance communication capacity is an added

5. Terms of Contract

This is a project fundedposition for which a full and attractive package commensurate with the nature of the position will be offered, renewable on the basis of performance and availability of funds.