GEF Project Specialist

Result of ServiceThe GEF Climate Mitigation Unit, of the Climate Change Division is seeking services of one (1) consultant to support the GEF portfolio of Climate Change Enabling Activities (EAs); and to support the UNEP Task Manager responsible for the GEF portfolio of Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) projects in Africa, Europe and Central Asia in undertaking related activities. Work LocationHome based Expected duration8 Months Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. The overall objective of UNEP's Climate Change Division is to deliver effective strategic guidance and high-impact action in support of the transition towards climate stability. UNEP provides capacity building and technical support to governments to enhance their policy and implementation capacity and helps them access finance to align to the Paris Agreement, decarbonize, anticipate and adapt to climate impacts. Its work is guided by ambition, innovation, credible science, alignment to global climate goals and needs of individual countries. The GEF Climate Mitigation Unit, of the Climate Change Division is seeking services of one (1) consultant to support the GEF portfolio of Climate Change Enabling Activities (EAs); and to support the UNEP Task Manager responsible for the GEF portfolio of Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) projects in Africa, Europe and Central Asia in undertaking related activities. The GEF portfolio of Climate Change EAs comprises projects that assist countries to meet their reporting obligations under the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement (PA), through the preparation and submission of National Communications (NC); Biennial Update Reports (BUR); and Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs). The consultant will provide technical services to a GEF approved project for supporting forty-three countries prepare their transparency reports: - https://www.thegef.org/projects-operations/projects/10973; develop new GEF project proposals for Enabling Activities, such as the CBIT-Global Support Program Phase III and country proposal(s). The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Task Manager for climate change enabling activities portfolio. Moreover, still under the UNEP Programme Coordination Project (PCP) for “Science and Transparency” Climate Action Sub programme, the consultant will support the development of new GEF project proposals for national CBIT projects in Africa, Europe and Central Asia. Indeed, UNEP is the Implementing Agency of over forty (40) CBIT projects worldwide, and it continues to receive requests of support from countries in this area, including for second-phase CBIT projects in countries that have completed the implementation of their first CBIT project. For this, the consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Task Manager of the CBIT Africa, Europe and Central Asia Portfolio. Specific tasks and responsibilities The consultant will undertake the following duties: Enabling Activities Portfolio: Project Implementation Plans (PIPs) • Guide project teams on engagement of experts for project implementation plan preparation. • Work with national partners to identify the scope of the project through review of the existing climate data, and gaps identified in previous reports. • Participate in sectoral working group meetings during PIP preparation. • Guide the countries on mapping and structuring their planned outputs/deliverables and activities to avoid overlap. • Undertake a comprehensive review and provide comments on draft PIPs submitted by national partners. • Provide guidance to national teams on Chapters/components preparation arrangements and draft corresponding ToRs for NC/BTR preparation. • Support project partners in the identification of climate transparency partners as well as available support under the CBIT Global Support Programme and Climate Transparency Platform to enable countries’ access to climate relevant data, information, and appropriate analytical tools for UNFCCC reporting. Enabling Activities (EA) Proposals • Liaise with countries teams in drafting enabling activities proposal concepts. • Undertake an analysis on existing climate data and gaps identified in previous reports. • Review the draft proposal concepts prepared by countries and provide input in all sections. • Guide the countries in development of all the GEF and UNEP annexes, including the proposed institutional arrangement, budgets and workplans. • Guide the countries on gender analysis, social, economic, and environmental screening, project taxonomy, and other GEF documentation required. • Prepare Concept Approval Forms for all EA proposals for selected countries and submit to the Concept Approval Group (CAG) for clearance. • Liaise with countries to review and address all comments provided by UNEP and GEF secretariat on the enabling activity project proposals. • Respond to GEF’s review sheet and resubmit for GEF CEO approval. Drafting and submission of a CBIT-GSP PIF • Define the project scope in consultation with UNEP and UNDP teams. • Draft the CBIT-GSP proposal (PIF) in line with GEF 8 guidance: including relevant annexes, in coordination with the UNDP team (co-Implementing Agency). • Address all comments from internal UNEP review processes and submit them to the GEF, in coordination with the UNDP team (co-Implementing Agency). • Respond to GEF’s review sheet and resubmit for GEF CEO approval, in coordination with the UNDP team (co-Implementing Agency). CBIT Africa, Europe and Central Asia Portfolio: Review and support to submission of at least Six (6) CBIT country proposals • Provide technical assistance in development and review of CBIT country proposals, possibly including: CBIT Senegal, CBIT Georgia 2, CBIT Ghana 2, CBIT Niger, CBIT Mozambique and CBIT Djibouti, plus potentially one or two other CBIT country projects still to be identified; This will also entail ensuring quality control prior to submission to UNEP’s internal review process (CAG, QEC and PRC) and to the GEF for approval. Qualifications/special skills• Advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Economic, Environmental Policy, Law or in a related field is required; • A first level degree with additional two (2) years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree;  Five (5) years of experience in working with National Communications and/or Greenhouse Gas Inventories and/or Climate related Monitoring, Reporting and Verification Systems (Transparency) is required.  Experience in project development and management is required.  Experience in developing and/or implementing GEF projects is required.  Experience in working with national governments on National Communications, Biennial Update Reports and CBIT projects is required.  Experience in working with developing countries and/or international organizations is desirable LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this consultancy, fluency in oral and written English is a required. Knowledge of French or Spanish or Portuguese are desirable. Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.