2 August 2011

To Members of the CEC

IUCN Commission on Education and Communication Chair Search Committee

The term of the current Chair of the CEC, Mr. Keith Wheeler, ends on the occasion of the next World Conservation Congress at Jeju, Korea in September 2012. At the Bureau meeting of the CEC in April this year, a Search Committee was formed in order to assist in finding the next CEC Chair. The CEC Search Committee was constituted taking into account that it should be a manageable number, and have a geographic, linguistic and gender spread. The members are:

1.Wendy Goldstein, CEC Deputy Chair:

2.Katalin Czippán, CEC Regional Vice-Chair for Europe:

3.Ana Puyol: CEC Special Advisor for Latin America:

4.Javed Jabbar: CEC Regional Vice-Chair for West Asia:

5.Brad Smith: CEC Special Advisor for Private Sector Partnerships:

The CEC Search Committee is charged with making recommendations to the CEC Steering Committee. It intends to do so by October 15, 2011, so that a slate of candidate(s) selected by the CEC Steering Committee can be submitted to IUCN Council by January 16, 2012 (the date set by IUCN Council). The Committee is aware that this is sensitive process, involving careful diplomatic forethought, but that it must be as open, transparent and proactive as possible.

In considering the nominations for the Chair, it was agreed that Search Committee members should also include the question of who might be chosen by the potential Chair as a Deputy Chair. The Committee is aware that in considering nominations for Chair and potential Deputy Chair, there must be some balance between the two in terms of geographic location, linguistic ability and gender.

The IUCN Council has published the attached Terms of Reference about the Election, Role and Function of Commission Chairs. The attached nomination form has been drafted to reflect these criteria.
CEC Search Committee members are happy to be contacted individually by email or other means to address any issues or to discuss potential nominations. Their email addresses are noted in the above list for such purposes. Please have all Nomination Forms completed by October 1, 2011 and submitted to

Best wishes,
Bradley F. Smith PhD
Chair, CEC Chair Search Committee

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Note from the CEC Chair Search Committee

The CEC Search Committee feels that in addition to the criteria spelled out in the IUCN Terms of Reference for all Commission Chairs Annex, the following additional important qualities specific to the chair of CEC will be considered. The former Chairs of CEC have crafted the following Terms of Reference based on their tenure in the office of Chair, so that potential candidates understand the responsibilities, time commitment and skills needed to be a successful Chair.

Terms of Reference for the CEC Chair

The Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) operates under the mandate given to it by the IUCN members at the World Conservation Congress. CECs mission for 2009-2012 is: “To drive change for the co-creation of sustainable solutions through leading communication, learning and knowledge management in IUCN and the wider conservation community.”

CEC therefore advocates making IUCN and our community more effective at reaching goals through leading edge strategic communication, learning, change and knowledge management processes. CEC is one of six IUCN Commissions and is made up of a network of specialists with the relevant expertise from governmental institutions, NGO's, academic institutions and the private sector.

Place in the organization

The IUCN World Conservation Congress elects the Chair of the Commission for a term of four years. The Chair provides leadership to the Steering Committee and the membership in carrying out the mandate, translating the mandate into a work program with concrete results, and ensuring synergy with the mission and program of the Union. The Chair performs his/her work in partnership with the Secretariat Focal Point(s) and Unit.

The Chair reports on the activities of the Commission in carrying out the mandate to the IUCN Council and to the World Conservation Congress. The Chair reports to the Council and to the Director General of IUCN on the program and budget and expenditures of the Commission.

The Chair is member of the IUCN Council, playing a role in the governance of the Union. The Chairs of Commissions, as well as any other member of the Council, shall not hold the same office consecutively for more than two full terms. (Statutes 42)

CEC Articulation of Qualifications

  • Proven track record for leadership in one or more of the following fields: strategic communication, knowledge management, learning and change management with a special emphasis in biodiversity conservation, protected area management, private sector engagement, environmental security, food security, marine ecosystems or organizational development.
  • Proven organizational leadership skills including management of staff and volunteers, strong budget and planning skills, strong social and communication skills for all organizational and political levels.
  • Proven track record in fundraising, advocacy and policy influencing.
  • Ability to commit at least 25% (more is preferable) of their time to perform the responsibilities and tasks of the chair as described below.
  • Ability to travel internationally, required attending two Council meetings a year and participating actively in Council committees, being present and chairing the CEC Steering Committee once a year and Bureau meeting one/two times a year, ability to attend meetings for the environmental conventions and relevant IUCN meetings.
  • Provide a statement of institutional support to carry out the tasks and responsibilities of the chair as described below.
  • Demonstrated experience in cross-cultural engagement, cultural sensitivity, political astuteness and international governance.
  • Fluency in English is mandatory and ability to communicate in other IUCN official languages (Spanish and/or French) is an asset.

CEC Responsibilities

  • To ensure optimal organisation, program and activities of the Commission to contribute to the IUCN One Programme
  • To assure future core competencies and innovation for the work of the Commission
  • Allocate finances as far as they are available for programmatic activities and products
  • To implement the (relevant) policy decisions of Council and World Conservation Congress in all operations of the Commission.
  • Report to Council and the World Conservation Congress on the performance of the Commission

CEC Tasks

  • Communicate with Regional Vice-Chairs and Specialty Group leaders, listen to regional needs and advise the steering committee.
  • Chair steering committee meetings
  • Guide development of the vision, process of the strategic planning and priority setting in relation to the IUCN One Programme.
  • Provide leadership to the Commission and guidance in priority setting for the IUCN Focal Points (in the Science & Knowledge Management Unit).
  • Represent the interests of the Commission with the Director General, the IUCN secretariat, programs and Council.
  • Participate in Council, the Council Committees and Commission Chairs’ Meeting.
  • Cooperate with the chairs of the other IUCN Commission to integrate and strengthen the work of the voluntary networks and to provide synergy to the work of the members and secretariat of IUCN.
  • Manage and report on Commission finances and activities.
  • Communicate with CEC members
  • Represent CEC with members, donors, cooperating and or professional agencies and speak on behalf of IUCN in matters regarding sustainability, education, learning and communication.
  • Advocate for the Commission's budget and raise funds.
  • Report to Council on Commission activities.
  • Report to the World Conservation Congress.

CEC Powers

  • To appoint members of the Commission
  • To recommend members of the CEC steering committee and deputy chair to Council for approval.
  • To bring to the attention of DG and Council all matters concerning the Commission
  • To advise the Director General and Council on matters concerning communication, knowledge management and learning.
  • To attend related regional and members meetings.
  • To delegate work of the Chair to the Regional Vice-Chairs and Specialty Group Leaders.
  • To take part in the selection and review of secretariat staff working on Commission-related activities for the Science & Knowledge Management Unit.