Marine Biodiversity Conservation Partnerships for Offshore Oil and Gas Coordinated the start-up and launching of a 4-yr marine biodiversity conservation project. Development of project partnerships and management systems, recruitment, work planning, prioritization, reporting & procurement. Progress was severely constrained by the conflictual relationship between the two main donors. Employed by UNDP Mauritania in 2011.
Biodiversity Conservation Member of team assisting Mauritania to qualify for Millenium Challenge Corporation funding. Proposed creation of new protected areas to meet MCC criteria. (Mauritania subsequently was disqualified for MCC funding because of a military over throw of the government.) Employed by xxx in 20xx.
Project Exit Strategy for the UNDP/UNEP/GEF Senegal River Valley Biodiversity Project in Mauritania and Senegal. Communities had been structured and empowered to manage 300,000 hectares of rangelands. Discovered the greatest weakness of this community-based range and forest management project is the lack of self-financing mechanisms for community managers. Developed a vision for the end of project conditions, assessed progress towards achieving this vision and developed recommendations for maximizing the probability that project initiatives will be sustained beyond project completion. Visited 5 of 16 sites and observed renewed woody regeneration on parts of all five sites where there had been none prior to the project. Employed by UNOPS for UNDP in 2007.
Project Restructuring Led the review and restructuring of an ongoing project that had deviated strongly from its major design objective and was threatened with closure. Redefined project focus from land rehabilitation to the development of community-based range and forest management models on 16 sites (reduced from 100) covering 300,000 ha. Developed log frame impact indicators. Employed by UNOPS for UNDP in 2003 & ’04.
GEF Biodiversity Project Design Team leader for the development of a Medium-Sized Project to provide support to the development of community-based range co-management and marine fisheries co-management inside the Banc d’Arguin National Park in the northeastern corner of Mauritania in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Employed by UNOPS for UNDP in 2002.
Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Management Project Design Co-team leader for UNDP on the redesign of a sustainable land management project developed by UNEP six years before an SLM focal area with funding was created. Succeeded in developing a design for a community-based range and forest management project that was technically sound and satisfactory to the two donor agencies that were in conflict over design criteria. Employed by UNOPS for UNDP in 1998.
Project Evaluation Team Leader for the final evaluation of a 14-year sand dune stabilization project. The first phase of the project developed a highly innovative sand dune stabilization technique using Prosopis spp., the worst woody alien invasive species in Africa. The technique is based on the fact that all sand dunes are moist inside and on the incredible fast growth of Prosopis root system. The second and third phases kept adding new project components that were not successful, including fencing of rangelands — fences were not maintained. No management systems for the stabilized dunes were developed. Employed by FAO in 1997.