National Expert - Heritage and Development

12/05/2021 Aperçu avant impression du descriptif de poste
Title: National Expert – Heritage and Development
Parent Sector : Culture Sector (CLT)
Duty Station: Yaounde
Job Family: Culture
Type of contract : Non Staff
Duration of contract : Up to 1 month
Recruitment open to : Cameroonian Nationals Only Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 30-MAI-2021
UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization, Integrity, Respect for Diversity, Professionalism

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

I. Background /Justification

The UNESCO Regional Office for Central Africa in Yaounde is seeking expressions of interest from qualified and experienced individuals to support the elaboration of a strategy for the development of sustainable tourism at cultural and natural heritage sites and regions in Cameroon, including the 2 inscribed World Heritage Sites and those on the country’s Tentative List.

Cameroon boasts a rich and diverse culture sector spread across its four cultural areas, with their diversity as regards cultural and natural heritage, from Lake Chad and its savannahs in the North to the South-West coast, passing through the forest of the Congo to the South and East, to the unique and rich ‘Route des Chefferies’ in the West. These cultural, natural and historical sites contribute to forge the identity(ies) of each area while creating opportunities for community and national pride and tourism. Cameroon is a State Party to the UNESCO 1972 Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, and has two World Heritage sites and a Tentative List of 18 potential World Heritage sites. However, the country is not taking advantage of the enormous economic potential and the opportunities for communities to improve their livelihood by their empowerment and involvement into in the development and management of sustainable tourism. Hence the need to lay the foundation for developing a comprehensive and sustainable heritage tourism strategy, based on the UNESCO’s Sustainable Tourism Programme for World Heritage.

UNESCO’s Sustainable Tourism Programme for World Heritage offers an opportunity to strengthen the enabling environment in Cameroon by advocating policies and frameworks that support sustainable tourism as an important vehicle for managing cultural and natural heritage. This shall be achieved through broad stakeholder engagement for the planning, development and management of sustainable tourism that follows a destination approach and focuses on empowering local communities, enhancing job opportunities and creation of employment, especially for women and youth, promoting the potential of local community level cultural and creative industries. Although the programme is primarily focused on cultural and natural sites, its tools and methodologies could also be applied broadly across the culture sector, in order to eventually develop a comprehensive and forward-thinking sustainable tourism development and management plan for Cameroon. The initiative will also sustain Cameroon’s conservation objectives of natural and cultural heritage sites whilst engaging with economic development and tourism. A clear and robust communication plan shall support such Strategy, with a two-fold approach of enhancing inclusivity and involvement of communities, and addressing target stakeholders and potential visitors, by overall categories/interests.

II. Objectives

The global and sustainable aim of such a project is to build a sustainable tourism and growth and Heritage conservation in Cameroon. This will therefore contribute to promote and better popularize the aforementioned heritage sites among citizens, boost internal and international tourism, generate job opportunities for young people and women, support local economic development, promote the creation of an environment favorable to the emergence of economic activities and creative and cultural industries by the community and the private sector on the chosen sites, in order to develop the offer to tourists according to international standards while preserving and respecting local heritage, safeguarding local intangible cultural heritage and original cultural and visual identity. It will also offer the possibility of supporting not only economic resilience, but also help protect threatened cultural sites, contribute to conflict prevention, in particular in the context of post-conflict reconstruction in regions in crisis. It will also guarantee a balanced approach between site-conservation and site-promotion.
The specific objective of the assignment is to monitored activities related to the elaboration of the project by supporting the research, advocacy and dialogue activities towards the design of the final project document.

III. Scope of work

The expert will undertake the following tasks:
Identify, assess and compare Cameroon’s heritage value and potentials
Carry out an economic study, highlighting the economic potentials of selected cultural sites, the return on investment, the potential for financial and economic resilience of beneficiary local communities, potential for cultural and creatives industries around the sites
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Liaise with conservation architects, archaeologists, sustainable forestry and agricultural advisors, ecologists, cultural and eco- tourism businesses, researchers and innovators to identify and assess the economy of conservation and promotion of heritage in Cameroon
Explore the development of clusters where tourism and cultural heritage engage in a virtuous circuit for regional competitiveness Provide advice, guidance and information on various aspects of Cameroon’s heritage and heritage best practice
Compile and supply information on national cultural heritage and conservation
Provide advice about the interpretation, conservation and management of places and objects of cultural heritage significance
Liaise with the international expert on Sustainable Development & Tourism International Expert and provide useful information

IV. Deliverables

An assessment of the national heritage
An assessment on the economy of conservation and promotion of heritage in Cameroon An assessment of the economic potential of the cultural sites
Project reports and briefs
Activity reports
Other relevant reports
Additional documents to be identified during the work

COMPETENCIES

(Core / Managerial)
Responsabilité (F)
Communication (F)
Innovation (F)
Partage des connaissances et volonté constante d’amélioration (F) Planification et organisation (F)
Culture du résultat (F) Travail en équipe (F)
Pour plus d’informations, merci de consulter le Référentiel des compétences de l’UNESCO.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education :
PhD on cultural and eco-tourism businesses architecture, cultural management, tourism economics or other relevant subjects.
Experience and competencies:
At least 7 years of relevant professional experience
Direct experience in delivering training and capacity-building services based on the World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism programme’s principles, tools and methodology
Demonstrates commitment to UNESCO mission, vision and values
Displays cultural, gender equality, religion, age sensitivity and adaptability
Excellent knowledge related to culture and tourism policies and practices
Excellent knowledge of the cultural context of Cameroon or in Africa
Excellent knowledge and demonstrated experience on architecture, sustainable tourism development and training (specific experience with World Heritage properties is a plus)
Excellent knowledge and demonstrated experience on the preparation and delivery of training contents and the facilitation of public consultations
Excellent communication and analytical skills
Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated negotiation and inter-cultural communication skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Language:
Excellent knowledge of English and French
DETAILS / BENEFITS AND ENTITLEMENTS
Job details
Title: National Expert – Heritage and Development Grade : Senior
Type of contract : Consultant Contract
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