Open Channels is seeking to appoint an experienced individual to support its work with indigenous peoples in southern Africa, and in particular its work with San communities in Botswana.

Application process
Interested applicants should submit their résumé, a covering letter and details of three references, all to be sent as attachments, by email to Open Channels’ administrator at: [email][email protected]

The closing date for applications is 21st July 2010.

1. Background

Open Channels (OC) is a UK based charity which seeks to identify, support and strengthen indigenous groups in their defense of and claim to land, resources and heritage that are theirs and are at risk. OC has particular expertise in community eco-mapping, which has been used to secure resources and establish culturally based livelihoods.

OC works with San groups and partner organizations in southern Africa and has been working with Letloa Trust since 2005. Letloa Trust is the lead organization of the Kuru Family of Organizations (KFO) with a mandate to give strategic direction to the KFO, to build the capacity of members (Komku Trust, Bokamoso Trust, Ghanzi Crafts, San Art and Crafts, South African San Institute, TOCaDI, D’kar Trust), and to provide technical, institutional and financial management and fundraising support to the member organizations that make up the KFO.

The aims and objectives of the OC–Letloa partnership are:

• to secure San rights to land and resources;
• to secure San income from land-based livelihood activities;
• to support the work of Letloa Trust’s Land, Livelihoods and Heritage Centre;
• to establish local and indigenous capacity to carry out mapping work with San communities - i.e. use GIS and digital technology to generate, analyse and transform data into practical land-use management tools including maps and management plans;
• to develop skills within the San community in both the field work and data processing that go with the mapping;
• to work with San communities on the products that are needed for securing rights to land and resources and on development plans that utilize those products;
• to promote internal and cross-border linkages and information between San communities in Botswana, Namibia and Angola;
• to build and reinforce relationships between government departments responsible for San resources and well-being;
• to build dialogue and share experience of all this work within KFO;
• to set up a regionally respected programme for training San to a sufficient level to take key technical and leadership roles at local, regional and national level;
• to consolidate the internal, organizational strength of Letloa Trust.

The work is funded by a strategic grant from the UK charity Comic Relief.

2. General scope of the job

OC is seeking a regional representative whose main roles will be to:
• keep OC informed of progress and challenges in the work it is supporting in southern Africa;
• provide engaged monitoring and learning to Letloa Trust with regard to the programme of work funded by Comic Relief;
• where appropriate and as needed, provide mentoring and capacity building support to members of the Letloa team responsible for the Land, Livelihoods and Heritage Centre.

Desired results:
• to effectively track programme implementation and the operational budget, and income and expenditure management by Letloa Trust according to an agreed framework;
• to support local team members and build their capacity for self-management.

3. Services to be provided

Letloa Trust
• Monitor implementation of 6-monthly plans and overall progress relative to the agreed framework
• Track 6-monthly budgets
• Track the learning processes
• Scrutinize above three items and finance statements and provide status reports to OC administrator
• Arrange for a minimum of 3 site visits to meet with the managers of the OC-funded programme components
• If required, assist with arrangements for the mid-term and end of grant external evaluations
• Provide mentoring and capacity building support if requested.

Open Channels
• Provide written and verbal reports to OC as appropriate
• Submit formal reports after each field trip within 1 week of the visit
• Contribute to reports to funders
• Participate in telephone conference meetings with the OC board as appropriate
• Assist with the arrangement and management of external evaluations
• Be a point of contact for OC in relation to its other work in the region.

4. Organisational relationships

Services are to be provided under the direction of the OC board through the OC administrator.

5. Working conditions and schedule

• A total of 3 days per month working from own office base to manage administrative matters and maintain contact with OC and Letloa Trust.
• A maximum of 27 days per year (including travel days), for field trips, to include 3 monitoring visits plus capacity building workshops or attendance at other events as required.
• Term: 1 year from date of appointment.

6. Qualifications and experience required

• At least five years experience working with NGOs and/or on the ground projects focusing on cultural heritage and economic development of rural and/or indigenous peoples.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills.
• Experience of mentoring in management and project design.
• Familiarity with and a supportive attitude towards processes of strengthening local organizations and building local capacities for self-management.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills.
• Proven ability to engage with people living at the very margins of the developed world.
• Fluency in English essential. Knowledge of Setswana useful but not essential. Extensive knowledge of working with and through interpreters.
• Readiness to spend time in Botswana.
• Experience of writing reports that are both evaluative and constructive.

7. Remuneration
A daily consultancy rate commensurate with international NGOs in southern Africa, plus travel and operating costs based on an agreed budget.