PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Guyana is endowed with abundant mineral wealth. Since the 1990s, gold mining has emerged as one of the most important drivers of the economy, operating at different production scales. Gold mines differ in terms of the technology used; compliance with environmental and safety standards; formal declaration of production, trade, and royalty payments; alongside downstream multiplier effects through the range of secondary employment benefits the sector creates. While larger-scale, more conventional gold mining has expanded since 2015, the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector has supported livelihoods for over 100 years and remains the largest source of employment for hinterland regions[1]. Despite significant economic benefits for miners, their communities, and the Guyanese economy, where ASG accounts for nearly 70% of annual production, the sector relies on mercury to process whole or concentrated ores, leading to widespread pollution hazards presenting risks to human and ecosystem health. Although small-scale gold mining is legally recognized, lack of geologic information, insecure land tenure, and conflicts with claim holders create a highly mobile workforce that presents serious environmental, social, occupational safety and health (OSH), and public health risks due to persistent shortfalls in financial, technical, and human capital.
Guyana hosts incredible biodiversity with over 8000 species of flora and roughly 1800 species of fauna, some of which are endemic to the Guiana Shield. Guyana forest ecosystems and biodiversity are key factors that support community-based livelihoods. Recognizing the socio-economic and cultural significance of biodiversity, Guyana has taken steps to protect and conserve these vital assets through policies, programs, and projects in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CDB), Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna, and Flora (CITES), and Ramsar Convention on the protection of Wetlands.
Despite the importance of small-scale gold mining for Guyana’s economy, the sector often operates on margins of the formal economy in remote areas with limited governance, leaving miners susceptible to labour rights abuses and hazardous working conditions, including exposure to harmful chemicals, including mercury and the emerging threat of cyanide[2]. Informal, ASGM operations drive degradation, deforestation, habit fragmentation, chemical pollution, and turbidity of waterways leading to biodiversity loss. Uncontrolled deforestation, land clearing, and topsoil removal impact carbon storage, soil erosion, bank stability, and weathering process, with cascading impacts on water quality, aquatic habitats, forest regeneration, and ecosystem resilience.
The Government of Guyana recognizes that a long-term solution to address these challenges is required, including more robust policies, regulations, and financial instruments to encourage responsible practices across the mine life cycle, toward safe, post-mining land use and site relinquishment and introduce new bond mechanisms to facilitate reclamation to stable, non-polluting landforms. In addition, revision of penalties and positive incentives to encourage behaviour change is needed, combined with the necessary capacity and inter-institutional coordination and continuous monitoring of the impacts of the sector.
In support of its ambition, the Government of Guyana, through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has entered a partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to implement the Project “Strengthening the enabling framework for biodiversity mainstreaming and mercury reduction in small-scale gold mining operations”, hereinafter referred to as “The MBIM Project.” This 7-year MBIM Project (2021-2028) aims to strengthen the regulatory framework and institutional capacity for managing small-scale gold mining and promote greater adoption of environmentally responsible mining techniques to protect globally significant biodiversity, reduce mercury contamination, and enhance local livelihoods and human health.
The MBIM Project is funded by the Global Environmental Facility with UNDP and Government parallel Co-financing, in grants and in-kind contributions. It is expected to deliver benefits to the mining stakeholders both governmental and non-governmental alike. These include improving the management of forests in the six mining districts; increasing forest conservation through improving prospecting; increasing forest restoration in mined out areas in the demonstration sites; phasing out of mercury by engaging miners to implement environmentally responsible mining practices, reducing mercury use and awareness raising.
The MBIM Project has been drafted with four Outcomes:
Policy and Regulatory Strengthening Institutional Capacity Building and Inter-institutional Coordination Adoption of Responsible Mining Techniques Knowledge Management and Upscaling of Best PracticesThe Project’s Outcomes 1-4 include the implementation of various communication documents including the stakeholder’s engagement plan, the indigenous people's plan, the gender action plan, and the information and communication strategy to ensure the sensitization of all stakeholders throughout project implementation. The Technical Officer - Social Development and Communications will coordinate all activities regarding Social Development and Communications in collaboration with the mining sector agencies.
SCOPE OF WORK
The Technical Officer - Social Development and Communications will have the following responsibilities:
Support the processes of planning, development, and implementation of the MBIM Project overall work plan implementation timelines. Ensures the timely implementation and update of the project Stakeholder Engagement Plan, the Indigenous Peoples Plan, the Gender Action Plan, and the Communication and Information Strategy. Supports and advises the Project Team of local consideration and priorities and realities for proper and effective implementation of activities under the project, as well as on ways to strengthen partnerships with beneficiaries. Support the development of strategies that are gender balanced and ensure the full and effective participation of key stakeholders including government institutions, NGOs, local communities, mining bodies, indigenous peoples, and beneficiaries. Research, analyze, and present information gathered from diverse sources; prepares various knowledge and communication products, e.g., draft background papers, analysis, concept notes, inputs to publications, etc. Provides substantive support to consultative and other meetings and conferences, training workshops, seminars, to include proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents, makes and delivers presentations, etc. Support the development and application of social safeguards, particularly regarding the participation of indigenous peoples, as well as women. Support the development/ revision and implementation of an appropriate Grievance Redress Mechanism for the MBIM Project to ensure all complaints, concerns, and social and environmental grievances arising from project implementation are managed and addressed effectively and transparently through the grievance redress mechanisms Support the development of a comprehensive Information and Communication Strategy for the MBIM Project which includes approaches for fulfilling MBIM communication and knowledge dissemination requirements. Identify address and manage social risks throughout project implementation. Conduct surveys to collect sex-disaggregated data in line with the Project Results Framework and the Gender Action Plan. Coordinate gender mainstreaming in project activities as per the Gender Action Plan. Coordinate actions with government agencies, NGOs, CSOs, indigenous groups and women organizations or groups whose work focuses on gender in the project’s intervention areas. Support the Project Manager to ensure reporting, monitoring and evaluation fully address the social safeguard issues of the project, providing well-documented, evidence-based compliance reports to be incorporated into the project's annual reports. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT:
For the duration of the post, the Technical Officer - Social Development and Communication will work out of a blended approach – from home and Office and will be housed at the EPA. S/he will report to the Project Manager of the MBIM Project. The Project Manager will be the contract administrator and will supervise the activities and evaluate his/her performance.
COMPETENCIES Core
Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline Think Innovatively:
LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies: Thematic Area Name Definition
Business Direction & Strategy
Effective Decision Making
Ability to design workshops that considers and addresses multiple interests, agendas, worldviews; set out clear objectives and engaging activities; select appropriate tools, materials, resources that needed to enable or support the activities. Ability to swiftly build rapport with participants and create and safe space (on -and offline) where they feel comfortable to share their views, concerns, experiences and reflections, supporting this with a range of tools to stimulate active participation. Ability to facilitate inclusive conversation, ability to work with a diverse set of people with different background, seniority, and expert levels, using approaches tailored to fit the people in the room, drawing out perspectives and ideas of each individual and making decisions through deliberation and discussion across a group. Ability to pace a session, adjust to the abilities and energy levels of the attendees and the nature or purpose of an exercise. Being flexible and able to improvise; adapting and changing approaches in response to the needs, while staying true to the intent and objectives of the session.
Business Direction and Strategy
Strategic Thinking
Develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.
Digital
Data Storytelling and Communications
Skilled in building a narrative around a set of data and its accompanying visualizations to help convey the meaning of that data in a powerful and compelling fashion.
Business Management
Partnerships Management
Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
Communications
Digital content creation
Ability to coalesce multiple skills to identify a topic to engage intended audiences, decide which form the content should take – e.g. blog, social media, video, paid media, etc. – and produce material to specification and a high level of quality.
Digital Transformation
Understanding of processes needed to transform existing structures and practices to meet current industry standards in digital communications.
Ability to use digital asset management (DAM) systems to effectively store, share, and organize digital assets such as images, videos, and other media.
General (across the function)
Event planning and execution
Ability to plan, mange, and execute of public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP’s overall brand and mandate.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF THE SUCCESSFUL NPSA Minimum Education requirements
Advanced university degree (master´s degree or equivalent) in Social Science, Communications, Rural Development, public relations, journalism, Sociology or related field is required, or A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience, will be given due consideration in lieu of Master´s degree.Min. years of relevant work experience Applicants with a master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience. Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience at the national or international level in areas of stakeholder management, social development, communications, or closely related area.
Required skills Proven track record of work in the Guyana related to communication activities Experience in coordinating and supervise the implementation of technical activities in partnership with a variety of national stakeholder groups, indigenous peoples, including government, community, and NGOs. Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the competencies section Experience in constructing and implementing stakeholder engagement programs, coordinating campaigns and developing knowledge products for projects governments partners, civil society organizations or non-governmental organizations institutions. Experience in addressing stakeholder issues and gender mainstreaming in the natural resource management and/or mining sector. Experience working with a wide range of stakeholders across various sectors and at all levels, to develop durable partnerships with collaborating agencies.
Required Language Fluency in English is required;
Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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