Non Executive Directorships

£250/day

Vacancy Description

Introduction

We are looking for three new members of the Darwin Expert Committee (DEC), which is made up of independent experts including academics, practitioners and NGO representatives, along with government officials, all with significant senior leadership, knowledge and experience of biodiversity conservation and/or poverty reduction programmes in low- and middle-income countries.

The primary role of the DEC is to provide high quality and independent technical specialist advice to the Darwin Initiative – one of Defra’s Biodiversity Challenge Funds (BCF), along with the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and Darwin Plus. It competitively awards grants for biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction activities in eligible countries, helping these countries meet their commitments under the Multilateral Environment Agreements, Sustainable Development Goals, and national policy.

In addition, the DEC are expected to champion the Darwin Initiative where possible, with members supporting outreach and engagement activities to engage stakeholders and further the objectives of the fund, including attending and presenting at Darwin Initiative events, including workshops/webinars for potential applicants and projects.

We are looking for individuals who, as leaders in their field, are able to contribute at the highest levels and work effectively as part of the committee. Successful candidates will offer sound judgment, excellent interpersonal skills, discretion, the ability to assimilate complex information and preferably have previous experience of reviewing project applications and justifying their assessment in a committee-type forum of peers.

Members are expected to:

· assess and score applications against the published criteria, to agreed timelines and standards, to enable Defra to award funding to high-quality projects,

· provide strategic advice, and

· champion the Darwin Initiative

We would like to encourage applications from a wide range of backgrounds, including the private sector, academia and professional institutions, non-governmental organisations, independent experts and other stakeholders based in the UK, or in low- and middle-income countries and elsewhere.

Individuals who are currently or have previously been members of the DEC are eligible to apply for a further term without a break, subject to open competition.

The appointments will commence in?July 2023.

Person Specification

Defra are looking for up to three people who can demonstrate significant leadership in designing, delivering or evaluating programmes in low- and middle-income countries, for example through concept, design, implementation, closure of projects, supported by core capabilities in areas such as finance, safeguarding, poverty reduction, gender, monitoring, evaluation, risk, capacity-building and training.

You are also expected to demonstrate substantial specialist and/or generalist technical expertise and experience related to specific biomes, conservation actions, poverty reduction approaches and/or specific threats to biodiversity and human wellbeing.

To help maintain DEC’s capabilities and capacity, we are particularly interested to receive applications from candidates who can demonstrate expertise in private sector development and nature finance, and/or and knowledge in one or more of the following:

Biodiversity components:

· Production land-use systems (agriculture, plantations and peri-urban/urban)

· Montane ecosystems

· Freshwater ecosystems (streams, rivers, and lakes)

Conservation actions:

· Livelihood, economic & other incentives (incl. conservation payments)

· Innovation and entrepreneurship

· Education & awareness (incl. training)

However, applications from candidates with other expertise are also welcomed.

To support DEC’s capability and capacity to recommend strong projects, we would like to encourage candidates from low- and middle-income countries to apply in order to strengthen the geographic diversity and improve the representation of these countries and their stakeholders in our decision making.

Successful candidates will offer sound judgment, excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills, discretion, the ability to assimilate and analyse complex information. Candidates will preferably be capable of demonstrating previous experience of impartially and robustly reviewing project applications, followed by the capability to justify their assessments in a committee-type forum with your peers.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate all the following essential criteria:

1. Substantial and significant technical expertise and knowledge of topics relevant to the Darwin Initiative’s objectives.

2. Professional experience of successfully delivering outcomes in multiple low- and middle-income countries over a number of years from concept to closure, supported by core capabilities around finance, safeguarding, gender, monitoring & evaluation (incl. logical frameworks), communicating, risk management and capability building, supported a practical understanding of working in challenging environments and delivering building strong and equitable partnerships.

Strong track record of working with, applying and reporting to competitive grant funding schemes, ideally including impartially reviewing project applications to such schemes. This should include the ability to articulate or identify technically robust projects that provide strong value for money, can deliver ambitious outcomes in line with respective guidance, and provide positive and constructive feedback where required.

Additional Information

Remuneration and Travel and Subsistence Rules for DEC members

DEC members will be remunerated at £250 per day for duties described above; but not for travel time to and from meetings (although travel and subsistence costs will be payable – see below).

Remuneration is subject to tax and National Insurance contributions (NIC). This payment of remuneration will be classed as income for anyone completing a self-assessment form at the end of the tax year.

Travel and subsistence payments will be based on Defra’s Travel and Subsistence (T&S) rules. Financial arrangements are constantly kept under review and DEC members will be informed of any changes to Defra’s T&S policy.

DEC members will be reimbursed for items relevant to DEC business (excluding insurance). DEC members are asked to consider sustainability and environmental issues when planning journeys, and contribute to achieving value for money by complying with Defra’s T&S policy in line with HM Treasury requirements.

Further details are available in the Biodiversity Challenge Fund Expert Groups Handbook

The Darwin Initiative is one of Defra’s Biodiversity Challenge Funds, along with Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund and Darwin Plus. It competitively awards grants for biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction activities in eligible countries, helping these countries meet their commitments under the Multilateral Environment Agreements, Sustainable Development Goals, and national policy.

The Darwin Initiative is the UK’s flagship international challenge fund for biodiversity, conservation and sustainable development, established at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992.

The Darwin Initiative provides funding to projects that support and influence stakeholders to incorporate biodiversity considerations in achieving poverty reduction, through evidence and refined best practices, while building inclusive partnerships, and strengthening national/local capability and capacity to develop and deliver solutions to the global challenge of biodiversity loss and degradation.

It has so far committed over £230m to more than 1,275 projects working with local communities in countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Projects have delivered a wide range of outcomes, and worked across key biodiversity conservation-poverty reduction activities and threats including sustainable use, livelihoods, community-led conservation, human-wildlife conflict, species recovery, invasive species, building in-country capacity and capability, and habitat restoration.

The Darwin Initiative is funded by Defra through its Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) budget, and delivered through an external fund manager, NIRAS.

You can read more about the Initiative, including application guidance, and current and past projects, here: Darwin Initiative (www.darwininitiative.org.uk).

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience in their career progression. We want a DEC that celebrates and embraces diversity of thought and experience. We are fully committed to being inclusive and ensuring equal opportunities. We hope to attract a range of diverse applicants – particularly from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups, people with a disability and people with gender diverse identities.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact NIRAS on BCF-Darwin@niras.com.

How to Apply

Candidates must complete an application through Flexigrant (https://ltsi.flexigrant.com/). This will include a:

1. Statement of suitability: It is essential that your statement of suitability gives full but concise information relevant to the appointment, clearly demonstrating how you meet each of the essential criteria.

Please provide specific examples to establish how you meet each of the criteria. The statement of suitability should not exceed 1000 words.

2. CV: should include education, professional qualifications and employment history, and the names and contact details for two referees. CVs should not exceed two sides of A4 pages.

3. Completed Conflicts of interest, conduct and advertising section

4. Completed Diversity section

Your application should be submitted through Flexi-Grant by the closing date: 23:59 (UK time, BST (GMT + 1 hour)) on 1 May 2023.

For questions about the role or application process please contact NIRAS on BCF-Darwin@niras.com.