National Field Project Coordinator

People Resources and Conservation Foundation – Vietnam Program is recruiting a National Field Project Coordinator for Ba Be National Park, Bac Kan Province, to coordinate project activities of the People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF) for the lakeside village-led collaborative management of resources in Ba Be Lake and surrounds, in an effort to support diversified and sustainable farmland and fisheries livelihoods whilst complementing conservation of biological resources in Ba Be National Park. Ba Be National Park is of strategic interest for the PRCF Vietnam Program as a part of the Ba Be / Na Hang Limestone Forest Complex, an area of northern Vietnam with a high level of both global and national biodiversity significance.
The incumbent will work closely with the Ba Be National Park Management Board and the Ba Be Lake Management Cooperative to implement projects and coordinate activities with commune authorities, local people and other project partners. PRCF places strong emphasis on involving local communities in conservation and is developing and trialing innovative collaborative management approaches to support protected area management with participation of local communities. As such the incumbent will need to be adaptable, innovative and willing to take on new challenges to address PRCF’s goals to support biodiversity conservation.
The position will be based at Ba Be National Park using the facilities at the Ba Be Ecological Research Station, with regular visits to the PRCF office in Hanoi.
Commencement Date: Beginning June 2010
Duration: One year with strong expectation for extension based upon performance.

Requirements:
- Demonstrated commitment to nature conservation and collaborative community natural resource management.
- Understanding of freshwater environments.
- University education in forestry, biology, rural development, agriculture or freshwater fisheries.
- At least 3 years experience in conservation/natural resource management or a similarly related field.
- Self-motivated and confident to work independently in remote mountainous areas.
- Strong relationship-building and facilitation skills.
- Good organisational and planning skills.
- Fluent written and spoken Vietnamese.
- Good English language.

Interested applicants are invited to send a letter of interest and CV in English by the 15th May 2010 to: Mr. Michael Dine, Chief Technical Officer – Vietnam, China and Laos; E-mail: [email protected]; or PRCF Vietnam Program Office at: 65A, Alley 310/63 Nghi Tam, Tay Ho, Ha Noi; Tel: 043.718 5677.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview.

For more information about PRCF visit: www.prcfoundation.org
Persons without a strong commitment to biodiversity conservation need not apply.

Background Information on the PRCF
The People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF) is a non-government, non-profit, and non- membership organization established in 1995. The goal of PRCF is imbedded within its Mission Statement: “to strengthen local participation in the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functions, through measures that address the protection and wise use of natural resources and the socioeconomic development of affected communities”.
The PRCF endeavours to support biodiversity conservation programs that target particular species or habitats, and community-based programs that target rural people in developing countries, particularly communities living adjacent to protected areas, remnant forests, and degraded lands and grasslands. Through its conservation and development work, the PRC Foundation fosters activities with potential to sustain the natural environment and uphold the cultural or social identity of rural communities. PRCF programs and polices therefore encourage local people to preserve and enhance their self-respect and identity. The Foundation maintains that the participation of local people will determine the success of nature conservation and community development programs. Local communities are therefore strongly encouraged to participate in all aspects of PRCF projects; including surveys, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. This participatory emphasis, combined with the long-term experience of PRCF personnel, enable the development and implementation of innovative and site-specific management strategies that involve, empower, and benefit local stakeholders on the one hand, and promote the conservation of biological resources on the other.
The PRCF provides advice, technical direction, and financial support to members of the PRCF Federation. Federation members are institutions initiated through the PRCF, originally as PRCF Country Programs and eventually becoming independent non-governmental organizations in the country of operations, managed, and administered entirely by qualified nationals. As of April 2010, members of the PRCF Federation include, PRCF Viet Nam, PRCF Cambodia, PRCF Myanmar, PRCF Thailand and PRCF Philippines with PRCF Indonesia being a full-fledged Independent organization.