Position Title: ACF Environment and Development Officer
Position Duration: Six months
Starting Date: April 1996
Employer: Australian Conservation Foundation, 340 Gore St, Fitzroy
VIC 3065, Melbourne
tel: 9416 1166, fax: 9416 0767,
www:
http://www.peg.apc.org/~acfenv
Work base: ACF Melbourne Office
Section: Campaigns
Supervisor: Helen Rosenbaum
Manager: Michael Krockenberger
Summary
This new position will be in the biodiversity campaigns section of the A.C.F., working in the area of international development and aid, focusing on action for community-based ecologically sustainable development (ESD), in particular using the techniques of permaculture.
The objectives of the position will be to continue the administration of the ACF Cuba program, to develop the environmental skills and priorities of Australia overseas aid organisations, and to develop and focus the will of the environment and permaculture movements to perform good works overseas.
The project management of the ACF Cuba program entails administration of finances of the program, reporting to the funding bodies, and selection, orientation and direction of overseas project workers.
Some other tasks of the position will be to organise a training workshop for Australian overseas aid organisations to teach some of the practice of permaculture and ESD*, to carry out some of the international liaison and funding applications for the September international permaculture conference in Perth**, and to collect and develop information resources on permaculture and ESD practices, particularly using the world wide web.
Much of the work in this position will be in coordination with and be assisted by PGAN*** staff and the PGAN management committee.
* - The Sixth International Permaculture Conference, Perth, September 1996 is referred to as "the Perth permaculture conference" or IPC6.
** - Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD)
*** - Permaculture Global Assistance Network (PGAN)
Background
The project officer position for the ACF Cuba Program has up to this date been unpaid, and has been performed by Adam Tiller since December 1994.
Permaculture
Permaculture is a philosophy which seeks to offer practical strategies for sustainable living. It links notions from the social justice and environment movements. It provides the practice for community-based Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD).
Permaculture was first articulated in Australia in the late 1970's and is now a world-wide movement with local groups in most countries of the world. Permaculture principles have been adopted by the environmental movement and begin to influence social justice and development agendas in many countries.
The concepts of permaculture have been developed around a set of ethics and principles, which set the standards of correct conduct for practitioners. (Refer to Rosemary Morrow's book Earth User's Guide to Permaculture which lists the 'Ethics, Principles and Characteristics of Permaculture').
Permaculture in International Development
Permaculture has very recently begun to have a significant influence within the international development sector as the importance of sustainable development is recognised by governments. There is however, no peak organisation to represent and promote permaculture within this sector and provide support for development programs.
Practices of Permaculture
Permaculture collects under its umbrella sustainable technologies from disciplines such as agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, aquaculture, wilderness management, town planning, architecture, appropriate technology, sociology and economics.
Some of the practices of permaculture include those of landcare, soil conservation, reafforestation, agroforestry, analog forestry, organic farming, biological pest control, kitchen gardens in cities and villages, nutrition, transport, heating, cooking, energy, solar and wind energy, grey water, sewage, worms, recycling, waste treatment, medicinal plants, useful plants, integrated systems, traditional knowledge, heritage plant varieties, seed saving, appropriate computer use, (including networks, electronic mail and the internet), housing, cohousing, eco-villages, bioregional planning, citizen action, cooperative organisation, micro-enterprise, community credit schemes, barter and LETS systems.
Permaculture is an open, rather than an exclusive discipline, and in fact, many traditional sustainable systems are permaculture systems. Permaculture offers a framework to understand these systems.
Areas of Responsibility
Community-Based ESD * and Overseas Development Aid
* - Ecologically Sustainable Development
** - Permaculture is a practice of community-based ESD.
Objectives:
· increase use of permaculture in international development aid programs, particularly in Australian NGO and government programs.
· increase the consideration of environmental issues in international development and aid programs.
· develop the capacity of, and opportunities for the ACF to contribute to development and aid programs.
· develop the capacity of the permaculture movement, and its members, to contribute to development and aid programs.
· support other Australian environment organisations to contribute to development and aid programs.
· facilitate and support international permaculture projects.
· administer the ACF Cuba program.
(Note: These objectives roughly coincide with those of Permaculture Global Assistance Network (PGAN), the working group establishing the new Permaculture international development agency).
Tasks:
______
Greening the aid organisations:
· identify opportunities and develop methods for campaigning for permaculture, community-based ESD, and consideration of environmental impact in all international aid projects within government, ACFOA, NGOs and aid agencies.
· network with peers and other people working on permaculture development and related projects, nationally and internationally.
· advise and consult on permaculture and community-based ESD to overseas aid NGOs (eg. CAA, SCFA, IWDA, WVA, APACE have requested assistance) via telephone, letters, information provision via various media, meetings, visits, advising committees.
· develop information resources, including world wide web pages. (The PGAN world wide web page attracts 50 visits a week just from its name, without any content or advertising).
· coordinate the development of web pages on West Papua.
· collate, write and distribute materials developed by the ACF Cuba program as examples from a successful community-based ESD program to ensure experience and knowledge is shared and further built upon.
· attend conferences, workshops and public events.
· organise a training workshop with ACFOA for Australian overseas aid NGOs on a topic of permaculture.
______
Aiding the green organisations:
· advise and consult on overseas aid project design to permaculture organisations and individuals working or intending to work with permaculture overseas, via telephone, letters, information provision via various media, meetings, visits, advising committees.
· provide information and facilitate communication within the ACF.
· develop opportunities to link and support environmental development workers in Australia.
· support the organisation the Perth permaculture conference by assisting with international delegate selection, funding submissions, and communications with development organisations.
· write submission to AusAID ISSS window Perth permaculture conference.
· participate in the organisation of a presentation on overseas development and aid at the Perth permaculture conference.
______
Performing overseas aid:
· identify opportunities for new projects, for ACF's ANCP allocation, PGAN, or other agencies, particularly opportunities to build upon the existing experience and knowledge gained from ACF Cuba program.
· research, prepare basic designs and funding submissions for new projects. Eg.:
· video on Biodiversity Preservation targeting Traditional Medicinal Plants, AGRC, Auroville, India
· NASAA Organics Certification and Permaculture Training Project, Sri Lanka.
· projects submitted to ACF by Philippines NGOs.
· desk officer for the ACF Cuba Program. (Detailed task list below).
______
Cuba program project management:
· liaise with PGAN staff and report to and attend PGAN meetings.
· make day-to-day management decisions on the project.
· write and sign correspondence.
· administer finances (eg. $60,000 in 1995).
· raise funds from the public.
· organise celebration event.
· recruit, select project workers to go to Cuba
· orientation of project workers to go to Cuba. (months of work, including interstate travel to Melbourne, additional training, )
· administer distinct projects in the program. (eg. arrange contracts, orientation, project design, travel and payment of $10,000 six week consultancy of Jude and Michel Fanton)
· direction of project workers in Cuba (there were over 300 project correspondences between Cuba and Australia in 1995)
· write official reports to AusAID
· media, radio, eg. 3CR, RN (EarthBeat), etc.
· publicity, brochures, articles for Habitat, PIE, PIJ, etc.
· newsletter or regular reports for general consumption.
· world wide web site for project and its publications in English and Spanish.
· mailouts to "mailing list members", management committee (incl. email mailouts).
· arrange PGAN-ACF contract.
· report monthly to Green Team meetings
· report to &/or attend meetings of stakeholder groups. eg. OSB, PIL, Wayward Fund, Gaia Trust, ACFS, Permaculture Melbourne. etc.
· speak at conferences, workshops and public events, eg. ACFOA workshops, Perth international permaculture conference.
· organise workshops and public events.
______
General Support and Administration:
· technical support and training on the internet for the ACF, PGAN and other NGOs.
· develop relationship between ACF and PGAN to liaise and work cooperatively with a view to continuing beyond this six month position.
· liaise with PGAN staff & regularly communicate with PGAN management committee.
· arrange contract for NGOEI Cuba between ACF and PGAN.
· coordinate volunteer program, particularly working on information resources and the web.
· provide information to the general public.
Key Results / (Measurable) Outcomes
(...itemise objectives and tasks into outcomes here ...)
______
Greening the aid organisations:
· increased awareness and capacity of Australian aid organisations
· a list of opportunities, strategies and methods to influence and develop the capacity of aid agencies to work on the environment and permaculture.
· a list of permaculture-type projects, agencies, and people in Australia, and around the world.
· a list of available resources, distributed to Australian aid agencies.
· actual environment and permaculture development resources available to Australian aid agencies:
· a world wide web page
· materials developed by the ACF Cuba program
· a training workshop with ACFOA for Australian overseas aid NGOs on a topic of permaculture.
______
Aiding the green organisations:
· increased awareness and capacity of permaculture organisations and individuals in the issues and skills of overseas development and aid projects.
· international delegates selected, applications for funding submitted, and participation by the development and aid sector with and for the Perth permaculture conference.
· application submitted to AusAID ISSS window for Perth permaculture conference.
· workshop on overseas development and aid at the Perth permaculture conference.
______
Performing overseas aid:
· a list of possible projects, and possible executors.
· basic designs and funding submissions researched and written for new projects:
· video on Biodiversity Preservation targeting Traditional Medicinal Plants, AGRC, Auroville, India
· NASAA Organics Certification and Permaculture Training Project, Sri Lanka.
· support for the ACF Cuba Program. (See below for detailed task list).
______
Support and Administration:
· technical support and training on the internet for the ACF, PGAN and other NGOs.
· a relationship between ACF and PGAN.
· information provided to the general public.
Skills Required: (ie. no training available)
- high level of interpersonal skills: telephone, meetings, negotiation
- high ability to work in a team
- word processing and typing.
- report and submission writing.
- administration and management tasks.
- email, basic internet knowledge.
- world wide web authoring.
- Spanish speaking, reading and writing.
Skills to be Developed: (assumed some skills and experience held, more training available)
- research
- project design
- project management
- fund raising
- campaigning and marketing. ( media releases, brochures, pamphlets, world wide web, radio)
- permaculture design and practice
- participatory training skills, / train-the-trainer (CAA course?)
Experience Required:
- at least two years work in overseas aid sector (volunteer work is sufficient).
- at least six months work in developing country or culturally distant society.
- community development (volunteer work is sufficient).
- demonstrated participation in community organisations.
- volunteer coordination.
- teaching or participatory training.
- gardening or horticulture.
- environment (eg. permaculture, energy, water, forests, recycling, etc.)
- campaigning / activism
- cross-cultural work.
Future Employment and Funding Prospects
- person will be able to apply for jobs in the sector - there is a demand for overseas aid people with environment skills
- funding for continuation of position
Experience: " experience "
Adam wrote both the successful funding submissions to AusAID for the "Urban Food Gardener Education in Cuba" project, ($50,000 for 1995 and $63,000 1996-1997), and the successful submission to the Australian Embassy in Mexico for USD$ 5,000 for the "Community Seed Bank Training Project, Cuba 1996".
Adam has been the Australian desk officer for the ACF Cuba program since December 1994.
This has involved interviewing and selecting candidates for the four one-year project worker positions in Cuba in 1995, being responsible for managing of the $40,000 budget for 1995, instigating and coordinating the $10,000 six-week consultancy of Jude and Michel Fanton in Cuba. In this position Adam has been directly responsible to committee of management of The Green Team, which began the Cuba program in 1992. Also, in his general capacity as overseas development aid project worker, Adam is responsible to the management committee of the Permaculture Global Assistance Network (PGAN).
Adam represented the Permaculture Global Assistance Network (PGAN), Melbourne, and Permaculture International Limited (PIL) at the ACFOA conference and has participated in ACFOA training workshops in this capacity.
end of document ACFPJOBx.DOC Filename: ACFPJO14.DOC Date Printed: 17 May, 1996