Program Development Consultant, India

About Rare

Rare, a U.S.-based conservation organization, works globally to equip people in the world’s most threatened natural areas with the tools and motivation they need to care for their natural resources and achieve sustainable community development. For the last 30 years, at more than 200 sites and in more than 50 nations, Rare has addressed the underlying social and economic factors that create environmental threats and undermine sustainable development.

Rare’s approach has been to develop marketing and business development tools that motivate and equip local communities to protect their natural surroundings. Rare has been recognized by Monitor Consulting and Fast Company magazine as one of the “Top 25 Social Capitalists” in America for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Rare’s signature program is composed of groups of 12 or more community-level “Pride campaigns”, to build grassroots support for sustainable development by training and coaching local leaders in the use of commercial marketing tactics to build awareness, influence attitudes, and enable meaningful change. Over the next 5 years, Rare plans to triple in size, resulting in exponentially greater impact. The initiation of Rare’s first program’s in India, in partnership with the Indian conservation community, is part of that plan.

About the Position

Responsibilities:

The Program Development Consultant will work with staff in Rare’s Arlington, VA (USA) Headquarters and regional office in the Philippines to lead Rare’s effort to launch a program of Pride campaigns in India. Essentially, the consultant will take direction from the Vice President of Rare’s Pride English Program, and from Rare’s advisors within the established Indian conservation and sustainable development community. The consultant will implement our new program development process, exercising as much leadership as their capacity allows. The expectation is that the consultant will quickly come up to speed and will lead and manage the process of program development within the boundaries of Rare’s business model and the parameters already determined for Rare’s first two India programs. While each month a specific work plan and deliverables will be agreed with the consultant, overall this process will involve the progressive development of local program partnerships and sites, building relationships with strategic partners for the program, further developing the technical content of the program, identifying and pursuing funding opportunities and developing an operational and staffing plan for the cohort.

The general outline of tasks will include:

1. Identifying Rare’s niche in India and strategic focus of program:

a. Rapidly becoming an expert in Rare’s approach and our core competencies of capacity building and social marketing

b. Leading the identification and recommendation of one or more program themes, based upon “bright spots” where programs have been successfully implemented in India. We currently expect to develop an initial program focused on adoption of fuel efficient household stoves to achieve health, gender, biodiversity, development and climate change benefits; while researching the potential for a second program to apply Rare’s depth in coastal and marine conservation in the Indian context.

2. Cultivation and development of in-country partnerships and funding:

a. Leading outreach efforts to government and donor institutions to seek financial and institutional support and preparation and submission of proposals to Rare’s standards.

b. Establishing the program’s geographic focus and leading outreach to, recruiting and selection of local community (implementing) partners and other national partners necessary for the success of the program. Assistance, guidance, and participation with in-country workshops.

3. Developing the technical and thematic content for Rare’s initial India programs:

a. Developing technical content of the selected program, including a Theory of Change outlining how a Pride social marketing campaign can achieve the intended conservation and social results; a comprehensive monitoring plan and intended outputs and outcomes; and key theme-specific knowledge and activities which would need to be integrated with the “template” Rare Pride approach.

4. Development of program operational plan:

a. Leading recruitment efforts and make hiring recommendation of potential India program staff.

b. Developing and installing program logistics ranging from partnership development, office establishment, legal compliance and registration, staffing and task & project management.

c. Risk assessment and risk management plan.

Experience:

- At least 10-15 years experience in program development, conservation, environmental consultancy, economic development or similar profession

- Knowledge and has a wide network of Indian rural development and environmental conservation sectors

- Familiarity with (and/or experience working in) Central Indian states and government agencies

- Experience developing, implementing and managing large complex projects

- Experience integrating Indian approaches within a international organization

- Education and / or work experience in both India and a donor country (i.e. United States, EU countries, etc)

- Experience in fundraising and in managing relationship with international donors

- Experience building and leading new programs from scratch

Capacities and work ethic:

- Considered a leader, highly networked within the international development/conservation community

- Extremely hard working and determined, knowledge of methods to achieve an impact for programs

- Extremely high ethical standards

- Highly organized and demonstrated effectiveness project management experience

- Accomplished, structured project manager

- Able to travel internationally and within India up to 50% of the time

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills

- A passion for community-based development and conservation

- Technical knowledge of environmental conservation, economic/rural development or both

- Minimum bachelors degree, advanced degree preferred

- Fluent in English and Hindi required, other languages (Indian dialects or international) highly desirable

- Very smart, and also highly practical

- Overall, potential to become the India country director for an international NGO within a year