Senior Stakeholder Engagement Officer

Project Description

The Philippine Rise Ocean Conservation Area (PROCA) project presents an opportunity for ZSL-Philippines to partner with the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), Fishery Management Area 1 Management Board (FMA1 MB) and Blue Nature Alliance (BNA) to catalyse the creation of approximately 150,000 km² of new large scale MPA and measurably improve management of approximately 10,000 km² of existing coastal MPAs by June 2027, through the following key interventions:

1. EBSA to MPA Transition: Upgrade the Philippine Rise Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA) to a LSMPA through a structured stakeholder engagement process, zoning, management planning, and legal designation by June 2027.
2. MPA Governance: Stand up an FMA1 Management Office by June 2027 and develop institutional and technical capacity in governing FMA1, including management of the existing coastal MPAs and the proposed LSMPA.
3. Monitoring and Surveillance: Develop monitoring, control, and surveillance capabilities for the FMA1 Management that will benefit existing coastal MPAs and new offshore LSMPA.
4. Sustainable Financing: Assess sustainable finance options for the long-term management of the offshore LSMPA by June 2025. A potential Phase 2 engagement will be developed upon legal designation of the Philippine Rise LSMPA focusing on advancing the implementation of the selected sustainable finance model.

Purpose of the role

The successful candidate will work directly with ZSL Philippines PROCA Project Manager and indirectly with ZSL UK Scientific and Technical experts, who will provide guidance and overall direction relative to project planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and learning. In coordination with the DA-BFAR, FMA 1 MB, and ZSL Philippines/UK PROCA Project Team and reporting to the Project Manager, the post holder will deliver the responsibilities and implement activities based on agreed upon strategies and approaches, following the approved workplan and budgets to ensure accomplishment of project goals, and objectives. His/her key responsibilities will focus mainly on stakeholder mapping, analysis and engagement relative to large-scale offshore MPA (LSMPA) establishment, declaration, zoning, and management planning, and associated behaviour change and capacity building of stakeholders in support of the LSMPA establishment and management.

Key responsibilities

Following ZSL Philippines’ Project Scope of Work (SOW) and approved workplan and budget, the successful candidate will undertake the following responsibilities in their assigned project area:

Stakeholder Relationships

General

1. Engagement, mobilization, and coordination with the following organizations: national (BFAR and DENR) and local (municipal and barangay) government agencies/units, commercial and municipal fishers, indigenous people, other businesses, civil society (academe, NGOs), and community groups in the establishment, declaration and management of the Philippine Rise LSMPA and development of working relationships and collaboration across different sectors.
2. Organize, support and co-facilitate the conduct of iterative meaningful consultations with various community, sectoral and government stakeholders on the social acceptability relative to the establishment and declaration of the LSMPA.

    

   Specific

3. Organize, and lead the conduct of stakeholder mapping and analysis at the municipal level in his/her assigned province.
4. Support work leads, partners and sub-grantees in primary and secondary data collection relative to legal framework review; biological/biophysical, fisheries, and socio-economic assessments; and MPA database updating.
5. Organize and support work leads, partners and sub-grantees in education sessions to stakeholders to feedback results of legal review, and biological and social assessments, and other studies to rationalize and support the establishment and declaration of the LSMPA.
6. Organize, support and co-facilitate the conduct of LSMPA zoning and management planning with identified community, sectoral and government stakeholders and related consultations at the local level to hear out sentiments, generate inputs, and recommendations from different stakeholders.

    

   Development and Implementation of Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS)

7. Support the ESMS team in the development and establishment of the ESMS framework including, but not limited to, socio-ecological research, focus group discussions, meetings and workshops with community stakeholders, and other data gathering activities, and actual installation and roll-out of ESMS mechanisms and procedures at the community level.
8. Support the ESMS team in monitoring and evaluation activities of the ESMS process/methodology to generate learning- feeding into improvement in design and processes.

    

   Behaviour Change Communication

9. Co-organize and support the Social Marketing Specialist in the development, roll-out, monitoring and evaluation of social marketing campaigns for positive behaviour change to target audience at the municipal and/or barangay levels to support the establishment and management of LSMPA.
10. Conduct information and education sessions to communities and local government stakeholders to develop positive behaviours supporting the establishment and management of LSMPA.
11. Support the development of behaviour change communication channels, platform and materials.

     

    Training and Capacity building

12. Support in the delivery and implementation of training and capacity building program of BFAR, FMA 1 Management Board, and LGU staff; community MPA managers; academics; or researchers following the results of training needs assessment undertaken by the FMA 1 secretariat or as identified in the process of project implementation.
13. Where applicable, lead in the establishment or strengthening of community-based organizations, or community-managed savings and loan associations (CoMSCAs) and promote collaboration among various project stakeholders.

     

    Project Management

14. Input to monthly, quarterly and annual progress reports and key performance indicators (KPIs), and technical reports in co-ordination with the Project Manager, for review by the Country Director and other ZSL Scientific and Technical Experts Head based in UK.
15. In collaboration with the Project Manager, support the development of new aspects of the project in line with ZSL’s strategic plan.

• University degree holder in social work or community development, social science, environmental science/management, fisheries or related subject area, or demonstrates a level of equivalent qualification and experience through relevant practical work experience.
• With at least 3 years’ experience in community organizing and mobilization work; specifically in community organizing and strengthening, multi-sectoral stakeholder engagement, social mobilization, and participatory approaches and methodologies in conservation or development work settings.
• Experience in facilitating stakeholders’ meetings, training, management planning workshops, and community-based activities
• Demonstrated capacity in report-writing (training, activity, meeting, field documentation, news articles, etc.) and creating equivalent presentations.
• Expertise in undertaking collaborative works with key project partners, including local governments, NGOs, POs and other civil society organizations, line agencies, research institutions, etc.
  
• Must be highly computer literate in particular in MS office packages, specifically Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Preferably, with experience and general knowledge on MPA establishment and management, fisheries management, fisheries laws, and behaviour change communication, among others.
  • Experience on multi-stakeholder collaboration in marine conservation and fisheries management settings is desirable
  • Experience in projects funded by bilateral or multilateral donor organizations (e.g., USAID, EU, etc.) an advantage

We strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds and celebrate the value of having a team of employees with diverse skills, experiences, and heritage. We are committed to ensuring our teams can bring their authentic selves to work without fear of discrimination. ZSL has active equality networks for our staff with lived experience and those who provide active allyship in Race and Culture, Team Pride, Disability Network, and Menopause Network, complemented by our strategic EDI Steering Group.  

We’re ZSL, an international conservation charity. Through our unrivalled animal experts in our two zoos (London Zoo and Whipsnade Zoo), the work of our pioneering scientists, our dedicated conservationists, our purpose is to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wild animals going extinct. Our vision is a world where wildlife thrives and we’re working every day to achieve this. From investigating the health threats facing animals, to helping people and wildlife live alongside each other, we are committed to bringing wildlife back from the brink of extinction.  

In 2010, the ZSL-Philippines Country Office was established as a duly accredited NGO registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a local branch of a foreign charitable institution registered in UK and holds its primary office in Iloilo City. Over the past 15 years ZSL-Philippines has gained ground in mangrove conservation ranging from in-situ rehabilitation projects, development of science-based planting protocols, reversion of abandoned, unproductive, and underutilized (AUU) fishponds, capacity building of local and national mangrove practitioners, and national policy advocacy on mangrove reversion and restoration of coastal greenbelts. Since 2013 ZSL-Philippines bolstered its work on seahorse conservation and locally managed marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Philippines especially in Danajon Bank, Bohol. MPA work expanded to other parts of the Visayas, and most recently in Siargao islands and Masinloc, Zambales. ZSL-Philippines implements freshwater conservation in northern Luzon particularly protecting the endangered Philippine eels from overexploitation. From 2018, ZSL-Philippines played an active role in the conservation of Palawan pangolins and its habitats, alongst side improvement of communities protecting them. The conservation of the endangered Mindoro tamaraw adds to its programme portfolio in 2023. To date, ZSL-Philippines has 36 staff based in its home and field offices and hubs: Iloilo, Puerto Princesa, Tuguegarao, Siargao, and Masinloc with an annual budget of £200,000 per annum and supported with robust financial, human resources, and health and safety management systems.

What do we offer? 

At ZSL, we are proud of our approach to employee benefits. Our benefits include: 

• Our vision and purpose - you’ll work alongside colleagues who are passionate about science-led conservation, knowing that you will help us to inspire, inform and empower people to stop wildlife going extinct 
• Holidays – 15 days paid annual leave during each 12-month period worked, plus regular and local holidays as per proclamation in the Philippines. 
• Benefits- we cover all government mandated benefits from Philhealth, SSS, and HDMF as well as 13th month pay. Plus over 6 weeks of paid Sick Leave. 
  
• Wellbeing –we provide HMO coverage to all staffs and three dependents as well as full accident insurance coverage c/o UK Headquarters. 
• Communication and Meal Allowances subject to the needs of the project. 
• Maternity leave, solo-parent, and paternity leave available as per Labor Law in the Philippines.