ADVERTISEMENT FOR AN ENVIRONMENT CONSULTANT

Advert for Consultant to Prepare an Implementation Plan for Africa Environment Information Network (AEIN)

Background
The AEIN responds to political aspirations as well as technical needs. It is a direct outcome of the Africa Environment Outlook (AEO) preparatory process. The AEO report highlighted serious gaps in existing information and knowledge, as well as inadequacies in capacities to sustain a process of this nature. At its launch during the 9^th Session of African Ministers Conference on Environment (Kampala, 1-5 July, 2002) Ministers endorsed the AEO as “a monitoring and reporting tool for sustainable environmental management, as well as providing a framework for national and sub-regional integrated environmental assessment and reporting”. In this context AEIN was endorsed as a means for harmonising and promoting access to data in Africa, and to act as “a basis for tracking environmental changes using quantitative indicators focusing on national needs.”[1] 

Lesotho has been identified as one of the pilot countries for AEIN initiative. The core objectives of the AEIN initiative in Lesotho are to:

a)      Strengthen national-level capacity for managing and using information relevant to environmental assets;

b)      Strengthen national-level capacity for integrated environmental assessments and reporting;

c)      Strengthen information base for negotiations on Lesotho’s environmental assets, and to facilitate reporting on environmental conventions to which the country is a party;

d)      Facilitate open access to information to enhance effective public participation in decision-making and engender transparency in environmental governance;

e)      Assist in the development and maintenance of comprehensive national data foundation and infrastructure that will support implementation of the objectives of NEPAD, as well as other sustainable development policy initiatives such as the Millennium Development Goals and the Johannesburg (WSSD) Plan of Implementation.

Scope of Work
Applications are therefore invited from suitably qualified Lesotho Nationals to carry out the specific tasks mentioned below. The main responsibilities of the incumbent will be to collect baseline data relating to data management in the country and develop an implementation plan on the basis of collected information.  

The incumbent will work under the supervision of the Director of the National Environment Secretariat (NES). The duration of the assignment is twenty (20) days, starting mid-October 2004.

His/her specific tasks are as follows:

•     To carry out an assessment of available data, expertise and equipment in the country and produce an assessment report;

•     To prepare an implementation plan for the AEIN;

•     To facilitate a stakeholder workshop and produce a workshop report;

•     Prepare an operational work plan/ business plan, indicating tasks to be accomplished, inputs needed, including cost breakdown, and time frame for different activities;

 Qualifications

The incumbent should hold a tertiary degree in Environmental Management/Science or Geography or any other related field. A minimum of two (2) years experience in the area of State of Environment Reporting or Geographic Information Systems or Data Management will be an added advantage.

Deadline
Applicants should submit their written applications accompanied by CV, certified copies of their academic certificates and a business plan by the 11^th October 2004 to:

The Director
National Environment Secretariat
P.O. Box 10993
Maseru

They can also be hand-delivered at: 
6^th Floor, New Post Office Building

30 September 2004