JOB DETAILS:
Background
The Project ‘Food Systems Land Use and Restoration in Tanzania’s Forest Landscapes’ is a child project under the GEF Food Systems Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) Impact Program. The 5-year project is implemented through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism as the lead Executing Agency with the support of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as GEF Implementing Agency.

The key environmental problem to be addressed by the project is the degradation of Tanzania’s rich forest lands and wetlands and the related loss in forest health and biodiversity under the pressure of agricultural development with a focus on rice production which has detrimental effects on the delivery of ecosystem services and related livelihood and economic opportunities. In Tanzania rice production has more than tripled between 2004 and 2015, making Tanzania the second largest rice producer in South-Eastern Africa. The rice sector is currently a key point of attention of various Government and donor supported programs geared towards both intensification and extensification with a growing interest in export to supply adjacent African states. A key challenge is that production is small scale with current yields being among the lowest in the world (between 1.5 and 2 t/ha), inefficient supply chains, post-harvest handling, and poor transport networks posing additional challenges.

The project focuses primarily on two landscapes in Tanzania, both critical for rice cultivation: The Kilombero Valley on mainland Tanzania, and the North Unguja (Zanzibar) landscape. The project represents an integrated approach that combines aspects of sustainable food systems and deforestation-free supply chains with broader landscape-level planning, management, and restoration for the preservation of ecosystem services in these two landscapes which translates into three main pillars of work:
• The development of an Integrated Landscape Management approach for the target landscapes through a multi-stakeholder process in order to provide for a landscape management framework that gives space for rice production and other uses while securing space for the preservation and restoration of critical ecological systems;
• The development of sustainable and socially inclusive value/supply chains for the rice production sector including the development of supporting governance/policy frameworks, financial and market mechanisms, and incentives that will drive sustainable value chains; and
• The development and implementation of concrete landscape restoration and management activities in the target landscapes including the creation of enabling conditions for upscaling. The focus here will be on areas degraded by or providing key environmental services to the rice sector.

TOR: Finance and Operations Manager
WWF/GEF Tanzania Food Systems Land Use and Restoration Project
Reports to: Project Coordinator, WWF/GEF Tanzania Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration Project
Location: Dodoma, Tanzania
Duration: 1 year, extendable to a maximum of 5 years

Major Function
Under the direction of the GEF Project Coordinator, the Finance and Operations Manager manages all financial and operational aspects of the Project including project budgeting, contracting, sub-recipient monitoring and evaluations, financial tracking and reporting, and administrative functions. He/she provides financial and administrative assistance to, and oversight of, program staff and grantees to ensure that budgets and agreements are handled in accordance with Government, WWF and GEF policies, procedures, systems, and requirements.

Key Responsibilities
• Prepares, administers, and maintains the project budget, ensuring that data is accurate and current, including:
• Reviews and monitors status of the budget against the annual budget and the annual project work plan.
• Ensures spending levels are appropriate and coding is correct.
• Identifies problems and recommends corrective action, assists in the revision of budgets, and communicates issues to the Project Coordinator.
• Ensures GEF Requirements are met, including the budget structure contained in the Program Budget, and that all expenses are associated with the incremental costs principle.
• Reviews all documentation received from proposed sub-recipients per the WWF pre-award process, performs sub-recipient risk analysis, and develops a risk mitigation plan for the project.
• Coordinates and prepares financial reports for submission to the WWF GEF Agency, ensuring GEF requirements are met.
• Supports, prepares, and monitors grant and consultant agreements ensuring compliance with agreement terms.
• Ensures agreements and payments are processed timely and in accordance with WWF policy and procedures.
• Prepares paperwork for approval, secures signatures, and distributes documents to appropriate parties.
• Reviews and analyzes sub-recipient’s financial reports to ensure compliance by sub-recipients with WWF GEF Agency reporting requirements, including project partner co-financing.
• Notifies grantees of any problems or discrepancies and provides technical assistance to grantees in resolving problematic issues.
• Supports WWF GEF Agency annual supervision missions by providing requested documentation and other assistance as needed.
• Assists independent mid-term and final evaluations by providing all requested financial information.
• Provides feedback where relevant on evaluation reports and ensures that corrective actions based on the mid-term evaluation recommendations are taken when related to financial issues.
• Maintains information and files pertaining to all financial and administrative aspects of the project, including agreements.
• Regularly monitors ongoing compliance with WWF reporting requirements and individual project deadlines.
• Ensures all project reports are acknowledged and routed to appropriate individuals for review.
• Provides support to the project management and coordination of day-to-day administrative operations and special projects.
• Identifies, coordinates, and expedites the communication of information and issues both interdepartmentally and intra-departmentally, as well as externally with sub-recipients, the Project Steering Committee, the WWF GEF Agency, and independent evaluators as necessary.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Requirements
• At least 7 years of technical working experience as a Finance and Operations Manager.
• Post-graduate degree in accounting and/or Finance.
• Knowledge of Government Project and Program Financial Management and Operations Standards.
• Experience in delivering financial reporting to donor agencies on large projects.
• Ability to interact with senior government staff and partners.
• Adaptive management skills.
• Experience with GEF Projects and GEF knowledge an advantage.

• All applicants must be Citizens of Tanzania with age not above 50 years.
• Applicants must attach an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae (CV) having reliable contacts; postal address/post code, e-mail, and telephone numbers.
• Applicants should apply on the strength of the information given in this advertisement.
• Applicants must attach their certified copies of the following certificates:
• Postgraduate/Degree/Advanced Diploma/Diploma/Certificates.
• Postgraduate/Degree/Advanced Diploma/Diploma transcripts.
• Form IV and Form VI National Examination Certificates.
• Professional Registration and Training Certificates from respective Registration or Regulatory Bodies (where applicable).
• Birth certificate.
• Attaching copies of the following certificates is strictly not accepted:
• Form IV and Form VI results slips.
• Testimonials and all partial transcripts.
• An applicant employed in the Public Service should route his application letter through his respective employer.
• An applicant who is retired from the Public Service for whatever reason should not apply.
• An applicant should indicate three reputable referees with their reliable contacts.
• Certificates from foreign examination bodies for Ordinary or Advanced level education should be verified by The National Examination Council of Tanzania (NECTA).
• Professional certificates from foreign Universities and other training institutions should be verified by The Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) and National Council for Technical Education (NACTE).
• A signed application letter should be written either in Swahili or English and addressed to: Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism
Government City – Mtumba
Ardhi Street
P.O. Box 1351
DODOMA.
• Deadline for application is 04th October 2024.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be informed on a date for interview.
• Presentation of forged