Senior Programme Officer - Demand Reduction

TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild animals and plants is not a threat to the conservation of nature. It actively monitors and investigates wildlife trade and provides information to diverse audiences worldwide as a basis for effective conservation policies and programmes. TRAFFIC monitors wildlife trade at international, regional and national levels – researching both domestic and international chains of supply and demand to identify interventions to increase the efficiency of management. TRAFFIC works closely with consumer groups, CSOs and governments, providing critical information on the impacts of trade, motivating efforts to increase the ecological sustainability of trade in wild species, and helping to improve enforcement of international wildlife trade controls. TRAFFIC provides information to diverse audiences worldwide as a basis for effective conservation policies and programmes.

TRAFFIC works to change the behaviour of the Asian community reduce wildlife crime and wildlife consumption through its evidence based demand reduction framework. The social marketing techniques surrounding this framework are aimed at changing the behaviours of the current and future targeted audiences focussed on threatened species consumption (such as tiger and rhino horn). It is important to evaluate the impact of the efforts through consumer surveys and other research. 

In Southeast Asia TRAFFIC’s regional office based in Malaysia where it is legally established as a programme of WWF-Malaysia. The TRAFFIC Southeast Asia Programme was established in 1991 and continues to work with partners to address key wildlife trade issues in the region, with the Viet Nam office focussing its efforts in Viet Nam. The TRAFFIC office in Viet Nam comes under the umbrella of the Southeast Asian regional efforts. TRAFFIC is a strategic alliance of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

In July 2012 TRAFFIC and WWF launched a Global Illegal Wildlife Trade campaign in six Central African countries, Thailand, Viet Nam and China. Through the global campaign, TRAFFIC and WWF aimed to ensure governments and international institutions treat illegal wildlife trade as a serious crime, enact effective deterrents, and lead efforts to reduce demand for endangered species products. In Viet Nam campaign work focused on consumption of rhino horn and included consumer research to identify consumer groups and inform the development of an evidence-based demand reduction strategy using behavior change principles.

The approaches identified for this work include social marketing, behavioural economics and social psychology. These approaches have been successfully applied in public healthcare (e.g. wearing helmets, seatbelts), healthy lifestyles (eating 9 or 5 a day, smoking cessation, reducing alcohol intake), sustainable development (‘local to global' initiatives), and environment more specifically (climate change, water saving, air quality) and criminology (anti-gang work, anti-corruption drives, elements of human trafficking work). Much of the early work will be focused on developing an appropriate demand reduction strategy that is likely to involve engaging youth, government, corporate, Traditional Medicine practitioners and other cultural and society leaders.

This role is available for a 6 month contract as maternity cover.

Purpose of Job
The main function of this job is to design, coordinate and implement TRAFFIC’s Demand reduction work in Viet Nam through a behaviour change approach targeting current and future consumers of endangered wildlife products including rhino horn, in conjunction with relevant TRAFFIC and WWF national, regional and international programmes, offices, and partners.

Major Responsibilities
The main tasks of the Demand Reduction Senior Programme Officer will include, but not be limited, to the
following:
• Overall project management and lead the development and implementation of a Demand Reduction Strategy in regards to consumption of endangered species products in Viet Nam with a specific focus on rhino horn and work plans and interim milestones, to achieve the project objectives;
• Oversee and support implementation of the associated behaviour change communication and outreach
• strategy, jointly defining/refining tools and methodologies, and overseeing delivery of identified products and assets;
• Build and maintain alliances and/or support relationships with relevant groups, organisations, academic and professional groups, government agencies, private sector, NGOs and others as identified in stakeholder analyses, the DR Strategy and wider work planning;
• Develop and define basic tools and mechanisms that can allow for testing defined approaches and followup/ measure impact of the Demand Reduction strategy;
• Learn, share, and apply expertise in behaviour change theories, frameworks, models and approaches to achieve project objectives, and adapting the application of these in line with an ‘adaptive management’
• approach
• Assist in communication project activities and objectives to ensure wide ranging impacts including through international meetings, conferences and events, and with local and international media;
• Apply a working knowledge of advocacy and political frameworks relevant to behaviour change;
• Project management: deliver quality on time and within budget on this high profile project:
• Regularly report on progress of the demand reduction efforts with the Head of Office and the wider network and take responsibility to ensure goals and objectives are met;
• Coordinate closely with all key stakeholders (national and international organisations) and government
• agencies to achieve the targets of the DR Strategy, advocate for and ensure implementation of project
• activities and create synergy and cooperation among project activities;
• Develop effective working relationships within the TRAFFIC/WWF network, with a focus on partners and
• alliances that can amplify TRAFFIC/WWF’s campaigns and activate target audiences;
• Document lessons learned and success factors, so that these can be shared internally with other staff
• delivering demand reduction initiatives in other countries (notably China and Thailand);
• Support Wildlife Crime Programme communications and fundraising activities, in coordination with relevant staff;
• Develop and assist in preparation of project proposals and funding applications;
• Undertake other tasks relevant to the project as determined by the Head of Office

Major Outputs/Key Performance Indicators
• Continuation of the Demand Reduction efforts in VN during the maternity leave period
• Reports on progress
• Development of activities and interventions in accordance to the TRAFFIC’s behaviour change framework.