CALL FOR CONSULTANCY SERVICES

SUPPORTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ACTION PLAN FOR WORLD HERITAGE IN AFRICA

Deadline: 16 February 2024

1. Background

The African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) was created in 2006 to support the effective conservation and protection of natural and cultural heritage of outstanding universal value in Africa. The creation of the Fund was as a result of work undertaken by African Members States of UNESCO and the African Union (AU) to develop a strategy to deal with the challenges faced by African countries in the implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention. The Fund became a Category II Centre under the auspices of UNESCO in 2010 and has thus became an official partner of UNESCO.

AWHF is mandated to strengthen the implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention by the African States Parties by:

1. Providing support to identify and list African heritage properties on the World Heritage List;
2. Providing support and assistance for the conservation and management of heritage properties inscribed on the World Heritage List;

• Rehabilitating sites inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger;

1. Training heritage experts and site managers as an ongoing capacity building process; and
2. Involving communities in decisions concerning their heritage and ensuring that tangible benefits accrue to them.

Thanks to the generous financial support of the Governments of Norway, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Burkina Faso, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda, the African World Heritage Fund is support African States Parties to implement the Regional Action Plan for World Heritage in Africa (2021-2027) adopted by the World Heritage Committee at its Extended 44th session in 2021 following the 3rd cycle of Periodic Reporting in the Africa Region, as well as the UNESCO Operational Strategy for Priority Africa (2022- 2029), adopted by UNESCO’s General Conference at its 41st session, and in particular its Flagship Programme 3 “Fostering cultural heritage and capacity development”, for the conservation and management of the unique biodiversity and rich cultural heritage of Africa.

2. Scope

The African World Heritage Fund is seeking to recruit consultants to facilitate the implementation of its capacity-building activities in three main areas:

• World Heritage Listing: Aiming at improving the representation of Africa properties on the World Heritage List, this component comprises Tentative Listing and World Heritage nomination capacity building (training) activities.
• Heritage Conservation and Management: A series of technical workshops and field projects will be organized to address targeted conservation issues highlighted in the states of conservation reports analysed by the World Heritage Committee. The capacity building activities to improve the conservation and management effectiveness also include support towards the removal of properties from the World Heritage List in Danger.
• Community and Sustainable Development Projects: To promote sustainable growth for local communities, youth and women living within and around World Heritage properties, workshops and technical fieldwork in various fields such as entrepreneurship, business development and management related to World Heritage will be implemented.

1. Key Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the African World Heritage Fund, the Consultants shall support the implementation of AWHF programmes discharging the following responsibilities:

1. Project Planning: Develop comprehensive project plans, including timelines, budgets, and resource allocation.
2. Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, heritage organizations, and local communities.

• Resource Management: Manage project resources effectively, including human resources, materials, and finances.

1. Risk Assessment: Identify and mitigate potential risks that may affect project
2. Documentation: Maintain accurate records, reports, and documentation related to project progress.
3. Public Outreach: Engage with the public and promote heritage awareness through educational programs and events.

• Monitoring and Evaluation: Regularly assess project performance and make necessary adjustments to achieve project goals.

Detailed scope of work and deliverables will be spelt out in the consultancy contract.

2. Required Qualifications

Applications are welcomed from individual consultants/experts and must demonstrate the following competencies:

• Relevant postgraduate university degree in cultural or natural heritage, social sciences, conservation and environmental sciences or other related fields.
• Strong project management skills, including budgeting, resource allocation project monitoring and reporting.
• Proven experience (minimum of 5 years) in the field of World Heritage in
• In-depth knowledge of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention) and its implementation in Africa.
• Familiarity with the AWHF’s
• Experience in organization and implementation of international capacity-building
• Strong technical writing skills to produce comprehensive

Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders and meet tight deadlines.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal
• Fluent in English and/or Working knowledge of the other African Union languages (Arabic and Portuguese) is an added advantage.

1. Duration of the assignment

The tasks will be implemented within a six (6) months period, 1^st March to 30^th August 2024.

2. Submission of Application

The deadline for submissions of applications is by 16^th February 2024 at 16.30 SAST. Interested applicants should submit their applications through the link: Call for Applications: Consultancy Services|AWHF

Please note that only selected candidates will be contacted for interviews.