Subject: [Coral-List] Marine Internship
Organization: marine aquarium council
Location: Honolulu, HI (mailing address: c/o MNC, P.O. Box 640, Palo Alto, CA 94302)
Job location: Manila, Philippines, with significant periods in coastal villages
Brief Description of Organization
The mission of Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) is to conserve coral reefs and other marine ecosystems by creating standards and educating and certifying those engaged in the collection and care of marine ornamentals from reef to retail. MAC was established in 1998, with its main office in Honolulu and regional offices in Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, Europe and the continental U.S. The international MAC Certification system was launched in late 2001.
Most collectors of marine aquarium organisms care about the animals they harvest. They strive to employ quality practices for maintaining healthy animals that garner a good price and relationship with the exporters that purchase their fish. Many of these collectors are interested in becoming MAC Certified. However, they are rural fishermen with limited business and financial management skills and are thus very concerned about the costs of certification. Certification has direct financial benefits for collectors, primarily through the reduced mortality and improved quality control of the certified organisms and the improved relationship with buyers; the costs of becoming certified will likely be offset by the savings and business efficiencies collectors realize. The challenge is that there is little detailed information on the financial situation of collector operations that would form a baseline to measure improvements in livelihoods and reduction of poverty.
Supervisors
Paul Holthus, Executive Director (overall project direction)
Lino Alvarez, Philippines Director (direct supervision)
Supervisors’ Backgrounds
Paul Holthus: Paul has wide-ranging experience in developing international programs, from global ocean policy work with UN agency directors to site-level work with villagers on small islands. This includes developing and raising funds for international, multi-stakeholder networks and projects; initiating private-sector partnerships for sustainable marine resource use; undertaking international marine policy work; and playing a major role in establishing the UNEP Regional Seas program for the South Pacific and international programs for major organizations (e.g., The Nature Conservancy).
Lino Alvarez: Lino is responsible for developing and managing MAC programs in the Philippines. He has 25 years of experience in communications, management and policy work for government fisheries institutions, marine conservation NGOs and communications organizations in the Philippines.
Prior jobs include Director of Information, Education and Communications; International Marinelife Alliance/Philippines; Executive Director, Philippine Agricultural Journalists; and Chief of Public Information Staff, Philippine Fisheries Development Authority.
Job Title Packard Environment Fellow
Job Description: The Fellow will research and analyze the collectors’ component of the marine ornamentals industry in several villages in the Philippines. The analysis will detail the economic conditions for non-certified collectors and those that become certified under the MAC protocol, with particular attention to: documenting the full range of expenses associated with marine ornamentals collection (e.g., equipment, fuel, storage, etc.); understanding the pricing market for marine ornamentals, as well as what mechanisms exist for their sale; documenting the range of buyers that deal directly with collectors; understanding the timing of payments made to collectors; and describing the portion of value of each fish caught attributed to collectors. The goals of the Fellow’s work will be to:
· Provide a quantitative tool to assist MAC in the process of helping collectors to understand the benefits of MAC Certification and thereby reduce their reluctance to seek certification.
· Provide a quantitative baseline and ongoing tool to track MAC certification progress in light of collector-level economics; the data provided will inform the focus of MAC certification efforts.
· Provide MAC, the collectors and other stakeholders with a baseline, goals and measurable results relative to the improvement of collectors livelihoods and economic conditions derived from MAC Certification.
· Provide MAC with an analysis of micro-finance investments needs and delivery mechanisms at the collector’s level to support certification.
· Provide MAC with an analysis of the multiplier effect of MAC Certification in collectors’ communities (i.e. how MAC Certification benefits extend to other related economic activities in the communities)
Job Significance: The bulk of MAC’s efforts to mainstream certification are focused on the collectors and their communities. Significant resources are needed for the training of collectors in sustainable fishing practices, assisting them to develop co-ops, facilitating their involvement in developing reef management plans with other stakeholders, etc. Credible methods and a model to document changes over time will enable us to demonstrate the livelihood benefits of MAC Certification. In the short term, this will enable us to attract donor assistance to work with the collectors and their communities. More importantly, in the long term, this will allow us to demonstrate to the collectors themselves the value of participating in certification. This will ensure that they are aware of the very real incentives for becoming part of a sustainable fishery and maintaining their participation in the certified trade.
Desired Qualifications and Experience
· MBA candidate (required)
· Experience working in developing countries, outside urban areas, is essential
· Strong project management skills, preferably in relation to small and medium enterprise development
· Strong analytical skills, including financial analysis, synthesis of ambiguous data and ability to identify key issues and risks
· Ability to work both as part of a team and independently
· Effective written and oral communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills in a cross-cultural setting
· Ability to work in a rural village environment
· Command of Tagalog or other dialects in the Philippines is desirable
Salary
$650/wk. [Students: Find out if you are eligible for a supplemental grant from your school’s internship fund.]
Application Deadline
February 25, 2004
Background Information
www.aquariumcouncil.org <http://www.aquariumcouncil.org>
Packard Environment Fellows are supported by a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
To Apply
E-mail a cover letter and resume to the supervisors named above c/o The MBA-Nonprofit Connection at summerjobs@mnconnection.org <mailto:summerjobs@mnconnection.org>. Please send the cover letter and resume as separate attachments, named as follows:
MAC-[your last name]-Cover.doc and MAC-[your last name]-Resume.doc. In your cover letter, highlight aspects of your experience that are relevant for this job, including volunteer service, and explain why you are interested in working with this organization. (For advice on preparing nonprofit job applications, see “Advice for Job Seekers” at www.mnconnection.org <http://www.mnconnection.org>.) The MNC will forward your application to the employer as soon as it is received.
Organization: marine aquarium council
Location: Honolulu, HI (mailing address: c/o MNC, P.O. Box 640, Palo Alto, CA 94302)
Job location: Manila, Philippines, with significant periods in coastal villages
Brief Description of Organization
The mission of Marine Aquarium Council (MAC) is to conserve coral reefs and other marine ecosystems by creating standards and educating and certifying those engaged in the collection and care of marine ornamentals from reef to retail. MAC was established in 1998, with its main office in Honolulu and regional offices in Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, Europe and the continental U.S. The international MAC Certification system was launched in late 2001.
Most collectors of marine aquarium organisms care about the animals they harvest. They strive to employ quality practices for maintaining healthy animals that garner a good price and relationship with the exporters that purchase their fish. Many of these collectors are interested in becoming MAC Certified. However, they are rural fishermen with limited business and financial management skills and are thus very concerned about the costs of certification. Certification has direct financial benefits for collectors, primarily through the reduced mortality and improved quality control of the certified organisms and the improved relationship with buyers; the costs of becoming certified will likely be offset by the savings and business efficiencies collectors realize. The challenge is that there is little detailed information on the financial situation of collector operations that would form a baseline to measure improvements in livelihoods and reduction of poverty.
Supervisors
Paul Holthus, Executive Director (overall project direction)
Lino Alvarez, Philippines Director (direct supervision)
Supervisors’ Backgrounds
Paul Holthus: Paul has wide-ranging experience in developing international programs, from global ocean policy work with UN agency directors to site-level work with villagers on small islands. This includes developing and raising funds for international, multi-stakeholder networks and projects; initiating private-sector partnerships for sustainable marine resource use; undertaking international marine policy work; and playing a major role in establishing the UNEP Regional Seas program for the South Pacific and international programs for major organizations (e.g., The Nature Conservancy).
Lino Alvarez: Lino is responsible for developing and managing MAC programs in the Philippines. He has 25 years of experience in communications, management and policy work for government fisheries institutions, marine conservation NGOs and communications organizations in the Philippines.
Prior jobs include Director of Information, Education and Communications; International Marinelife Alliance/Philippines; Executive Director, Philippine Agricultural Journalists; and Chief of Public Information Staff, Philippine Fisheries Development Authority.
Job Title Packard Environment Fellow
Job Description: The Fellow will research and analyze the collectors’ component of the marine ornamentals industry in several villages in the Philippines. The analysis will detail the economic conditions for non-certified collectors and those that become certified under the MAC protocol, with particular attention to: documenting the full range of expenses associated with marine ornamentals collection (e.g., equipment, fuel, storage, etc.); understanding the pricing market for marine ornamentals, as well as what mechanisms exist for their sale; documenting the range of buyers that deal directly with collectors; understanding the timing of payments made to collectors; and describing the portion of value of each fish caught attributed to collectors. The goals of the Fellow’s work will be to:
· Provide a quantitative tool to assist MAC in the process of helping collectors to understand the benefits of MAC Certification and thereby reduce their reluctance to seek certification.
· Provide a quantitative baseline and ongoing tool to track MAC certification progress in light of collector-level economics; the data provided will inform the focus of MAC certification efforts.
· Provide MAC, the collectors and other stakeholders with a baseline, goals and measurable results relative to the improvement of collectors livelihoods and economic conditions derived from MAC Certification.
· Provide MAC with an analysis of micro-finance investments needs and delivery mechanisms at the collector’s level to support certification.
· Provide MAC with an analysis of the multiplier effect of MAC Certification in collectors’ communities (i.e. how MAC Certification benefits extend to other related economic activities in the communities)
Job Significance: The bulk of MAC’s efforts to mainstream certification are focused on the collectors and their communities. Significant resources are needed for the training of collectors in sustainable fishing practices, assisting them to develop co-ops, facilitating their involvement in developing reef management plans with other stakeholders, etc. Credible methods and a model to document changes over time will enable us to demonstrate the livelihood benefits of MAC Certification. In the short term, this will enable us to attract donor assistance to work with the collectors and their communities. More importantly, in the long term, this will allow us to demonstrate to the collectors themselves the value of participating in certification. This will ensure that they are aware of the very real incentives for becoming part of a sustainable fishery and maintaining their participation in the certified trade.
Desired Qualifications and Experience
· MBA candidate (required)
· Experience working in developing countries, outside urban areas, is essential
· Strong project management skills, preferably in relation to small and medium enterprise development
· Strong analytical skills, including financial analysis, synthesis of ambiguous data and ability to identify key issues and risks
· Ability to work both as part of a team and independently
· Effective written and oral communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills in a cross-cultural setting
· Ability to work in a rural village environment
· Command of Tagalog or other dialects in the Philippines is desirable
Salary
$650/wk. [Students: Find out if you are eligible for a supplemental grant from your school’s internship fund.]
Application Deadline
February 25, 2004
Background Information
www.aquariumcouncil.org <http://www.aquariumcouncil.org>
Packard Environment Fellows are supported by a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.
To Apply
E-mail a cover letter and resume to the supervisors named above c/o The MBA-Nonprofit Connection at summerjobs@mnconnection.org <mailto:summerjobs@mnconnection.org>. Please send the cover letter and resume as separate attachments, named as follows:
MAC-[your last name]-Cover.doc and MAC-[your last name]-Resume.doc. In your cover letter, highlight aspects of your experience that are relevant for this job, including volunteer service, and explain why you are interested in working with this organization. (For advice on preparing nonprofit job applications, see “Advice for Job Seekers” at www.mnconnection.org <http://www.mnconnection.org>.) The MNC will forward your application to the employer as soon as it is received.
