HIRING a new DWRF Coordinator!

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

FOR CONTRACTED SERVICES TO

WILDFIRE ADAPTED PARTNERSHIP

 

RELEASE DATE:  September 21, 2018

CLOSING DATE:  October 12, 2018

PROJECT TITLE:  Dolores Watershed Resilient Forest Collaborative

CONTACT PERSON:

Ashley Downing

Wildfire Adapted Partnership

701 Camino Del Rio, Ste. 306

Durango, CO 81301

970-385-8909

Email:  adowning@wildfireadapted.org

 

INTRODUCTION

Wildfire Adapted Partnership is seeking a Dolores Watershed Resilient Forest (DWRF) Collaborative Coordinator to manage the day-to-day operations of the collaborative including leading monthly stakeholder and coordinating team meetings, organizing events in the Dolores Watershed geography, applying for additional grant funding, and maintaining internal and external communications. The contract is expected to start at 80-100 hours a month depending on experience.  Wildfire Adapted Partnership would like to have a Coordinator on contract as soon as possible, through December 31, 2019, with the possibility of extending the contract after December 31, 2019 if funding is available.

BACKGROUND

The Dolores Watershed Resilient Forest Collaborative developed in July of 2015 around a shared vision for a more resilient forested watershed. The group is loosely organized around a common cause with active participants including private and public water, land, and fire managers; municipal, county, state, federal, and tribal staff and elected officials; Foresters; Fire Agencies and Education organizations; Conservation organizations; timber and wood products entrepreneurs; and residents.

DWRF’s Mission: In anticipation of natural disturbances, such as wildfire, flooding, drought, and beetle outbreaks in the upper Dolores River Basin, the Dolores Watershed Resilient Forest Collaborative is an inclusive local group who share collective knowledge and resources, taking responsibility to meet the broad needs for community disaster readiness and a resilient watershed.

 

DWRF’s Goals:

1. Stimulate adaptive management across vegetation types and ownership boundaries to reduce threats from wildfire and other natural disasters to lives, property, water supplies, infrastructure, and other community assets while improving ecosystem health.
2. Increase capacity and viability of local wood product industries to complete cost-effective forest management projects.
3. Foster a network of professionals and residents in order to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from catastrophic wildfires and resulting post-fire effects.

RESPONSIBILITIES/SCOPE OF WORK

The DWRF Coordinator will be responsible for the following tasks:

Planning

• Set work plan priorities annually with DWRF Coordinating Team and seek approval from Wildfire Adapted Partnership board. As needed, work with them on desired changes to the work plan.

Communications

• Provide all partners and community leaders with regular activity updates, including updates forwarded by individual stakeholders
• Be a voice for the collaborative among partners, public, and regional and national audiences
• Maintain regular collaborative group meetings to keep momentum moving toward action (stakeholder meetings are typically the first Wednesday afternoon of each month in Cortez, CO)
• Plan and convene monthly Coordinating Team meetings, typically second Thursday morning of each month
• Maintain and update web page with events, blogs, meeting agendas minutes and notes, presentations, and links to scientific support
• Arrange for updates to San Juan National Forest Supervisory Forester and Natural Resources Staff Officer at least twice per year
• Stay apprised of public and private land treatment projects within the watershed and be a spokesperson and technical support as needed
• Connect residents and business owners to partners that can provide knowledge, tools, and programs to help them do their part in achieving a more fire resilient watershed
• Arrange partner and public field tours
• Develop and distribute annual report of accomplishments of  the DWRF Collaborative
• Participate in state and national networks as appropriate to learn and share best practices in collaborative watershed wildfire protection efforts.

Funding and Finances

• Pursue and secure funding to maintain coordination and achieve work plan priorities
• Pursue and secure funding to develop forest treatment projects. This includes coordinating with partners to develop joint proposals and leverage time and resources of DWRF stakeholders.
• Draft budgets and track, manage, and report finances in partnership with Wildfire Adapted Partnership Executive Director
• Provide progress reports as required for grant reimbursements – Cohesive Strategy reports are due bimonthly through July 2019 – Colorado Water Conservation Board grant needs to be closed out by December 15, 2018

Support working groups and partners assigned to specific tasks

• Guide work with strategic planning and outreach planning contractors to accomplish organizational strategic efforts through a complementary Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART grant that the Dolores Water Conservancy District was awarded in late 2018 on behalf of the DWRF Collaborative

• Participate in or otherwise stay apprised of progress on Watershed Wildfire Protection Planning, Timber Industry Working Group, Outreach, and Funding efforts
• Plan and oversee High School Summer Forestry Intern(s) in coordination with forestry partners
• Consider applying for and managing an Americorps VISTA through Southwest Conservation Corps to support DWRF program development, 2019 priority for forest health economics

QUALIFICATIONS

Our ideal candidate may be hard to find, but we will seek the person who has the best fit across all the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience!
Knowledge

• Bachelors or Masters Degree in watershed science, agriculture science, or related natural resource management, engineering, business, public administration, nonprofit management, or planning field, or other relevant education, plus five years professional experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Good working knowledge of forest health, wildfire, and watershed issues.
• A demonstrated understanding of the Upper Dolores watershed, and the issues that impact the watershed.

Skills

• Excellent skills in leadership, interpersonal relationships including with people of various backgrounds, organizational effectiveness, community outreach, consensus building and program management.
• Excellent writing, presentation, public relations, consensus facilitation and communication skills, including social and new media and alternate methods of communications and motivational techniques to reach and coordinate among stakeholders with diverse interests.
• Strong skills in identifying, soliciting, procuring and managing grants, donations, in-kind services and equipment, and leveraging resources from individual, private, corporate, foundations and government sources.
• Advanced proficiency in the use of MS Word, Excel, and Outlook, with the ability to learn new computer applications, such as website development and maintenance.
• Understanding of geographic information systems (GIS) and their use in watershed planning.

Abilities

• Ability to recruit, coordinate, manage, and track volunteers.
• Strong environmental and conservation ethic.
• Ability to manage time effectively; have a strong work ethic, and be energetic and flexible.
• Ability to cohesively pull together resources and expertise the Collaborative needs to create program and administrative stability to carry out work into its fourth year and beyond.
• Ability to work independently and professionally, establish work priorities as a primary team Coordinating Team member with strategy oversight by the Wildfire Adapted Partnership Board of Directors.
• Ability to attend conferences, work evenings and weekends. Occasional travel to other Colorado watershed coalitions, state water or forest meetings, or Cohesive Strategy meetings.
• Nonprofit and/or government management and development experience.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable, insured personal transportation.
• Ability to provide your own office including technology and supply needs.

Experience

• Experience with facilitating diverse stakeholders.
• Experience writing requests for proposals and/or bids, and following-up with criteria for review, selection, award, and management of contracts.
• Experience managing watershed or natural resource projects.

Our goal is not for the coordinator to accomplish all work him/herself, but to engage with local volunteers and thought leaders, and by engaging them, the coordinator will make a bigger and longer-term impact by empowering stakeholders.

EVALUATION

Wildfire Adapted Partnership will evaluate the proposals based on knowledge and expertise, familiarity with the Dolores River watershed in southwest Colorado, and overall contractor cost.  If necessary, qualifying candidates may be asked to interview with a panel of Wildfire Adapted and DWRF representatives.

 

PROPOSAL FORMAT

A qualifying proposal must address the following items:

1. Cover letter including contact information
2. Concept paper outlining Contractor’s approach to coordinating a diverse watershed wildfire protection collaborative, proposed rate structure, and billing schedule.
3. A resume of applicable work and education, relevant experience and technical competence including any knowledge of the upper Dolores River Watershed landscape and working relationships with DWRF Collaborative stakeholders.
4. Three references who have knowledge of the respondent’s work, including current contact information.
5. A statement of existing independent contractor liability insurance or the ability to obtain within 30 days of execution of the contract.

 

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Proposal should be emailed to Ashley Downing, Wildfire Adapted Partnership Executive Director, at adowning@wildfireadapted.org. Initial review will be made of all proposals received by 5 pm on Friday, October 12, 2018.  No proposals will be accepted after this deadline. Additionally, please address any questions to Ashley Downing.