Organizational Setting
The FAO Sub-Regional office for West Africa (SFW) responsible for developing, promoting and implementing FAO agreed strategies to help countries and sub-regional organizations address food security, nutrition, agriculture and rural development priorities in West Africa. The Office has a multidisciplinary team of technical experts, in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, land and water, and pastoralism, who provide technical support to the 15 member countries of ECOWAS in their fight against poverty and the promotion of food and nutritional security; as well as to a wider 17 member countries of the Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) in strengthening the resilience of the Sahel countries.
There is growing international recognition that the agricultural sectors (including crops, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture and livestock) play a central role in responding to climate change, as these sectors are among the foremost priorities in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted by African countries under the UNFCCC. In this regard, SFW Strategy has as one of its priority areas โSustainable Management of the Environment and Natural Resources (SMENR)โ that intends to support countries address issues related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, the preservation of biodiversity, and the collection, management and sharing on the environment and natural resources data in the sub-region.
SFW is increasingly receiving requests from countries in West Africa for providing technical support in the development of concept notes and project proposals to key environmental donors (GFF and GEF and Adaptation Fund) as well as their implementation. As an accredited agency to the GEF, GCF and Adaptation Fund, FAO intends to expand its portfolio to assist countries in fulfilling their ambitions on climate action, notably, with UNFCCC, as well as the NDCs in the Paris Agreement.
GEF will shortly be the main donors of countries in the West Africa Sub-Region, in terms of climate actions. The portfolio of SFW comprises more than 60 projects funded by GEF. To succeed in the engagement with countries and the Secretariat of GEF, the FAO intends to strengthen its climate team at SFW
Reporting Lines
The gender expert will work under the overall supervision of the Senior Policy Officer at SFW and the technical supervision of the Forestry Officer at SFW, and in close collaboration projects implementation teams at country level.
Technical Focus
Contribute to the designing and implementation of GEF&GCF projects by supporting SFW in the provision of technical support to the countries offices in the formulation and development of project proposals, with focus on gender integration in forestry, climate change, and natural resources management.
Support the climate change team in the advancement and implementation of the GEF & GCF action plans towards gender equality and womenโs empowerment.
Tasks and responsibilities
Gender-Responsive Project Formulation and Design:
โข ย ย ย ย Provide support to project formulation teams during the development of GCF and GEF proposals and concept notes.
โข ย ย ย ย Ensure the integration of comprehensive, context-specific gender analyses and the development of a Gender Action Plans (GAPs) that meets GCF/GEF standards.
โข ย ย ย ย Guide teams in designing interventions that promote women's equitable participation, support women in climate leadership roles, and deliver tangible social and gender co-benefits alongside environmental and climate outcomes.
Policy Guidance and Technical Support:
โข ย ย ย ย Provide expert technical support to government partners and national designated authorities on mainstreaming gender into climate and environmental policies, strategies, and plans (e.g., National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)).
โข ย ย ย ย Support governments in formulating and implementing gender-transformative policies and programs related to climate change adaptation and mitigation, sustainable land management, biodiversity conservation, and resilient rural livelihoods.
Project Implementation, Monitoring, and Reporting:
โข ย ย ย ย Support in the implementation of project-level Gender Action Plans and social inclusion strategies across the environment and climate portfolio.
โข ย ย ย ย Support the establishment and management a gender-responsive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework, ensuring the systematic collection and analysis of sex-disaggregated data and progress against gender-sensitive indicators.
โข ย ย ย ย Provide technical backstopping for field missions and contribute expert gender inputs to project progress reports, mid-term reviews, and terminal evaluations to meet GCF/GEF reporting requirements.
Capacity Development and Knowledge Management:
โข ย ย ย ย Support the implementation of targeted gender capacity development initiatives for technical staff, government counterparts, civil society partners and FAOโs other partners in GCF/GEF initiatives.
โข ย ย ย ย Develop and disseminate user-friendly tools, guidance notes, and resource materials on integrating gender into climate change projects, based on GCF/GEF best practices.
Partnerships, Coordination, and Advocacy:
โข ย ย ย ย Liaise and maintain close collaboration with national gender machineries, environmental ministries, regional climate bodies, and key stakeholders (e.g., women-led environmental CSOs, Indigenous Peoples' organizations) to strengthen women's participation in climate and environmental governance.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
โข ย ย ย ย Advanced university degree from an institution recognized by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/UNESCOin Development Studies, Gender, Climate Change, Agriculture, Natural Resource Management, Social Sciences or a related field as appropriate for the specific profile Consultants with bachelor`s degree need two additional years of relevant professional experience
โข ย ย ย ย At least 5 years of relevant experience in analyzing and integrating gender dimensions into policy and programme formulation and implementation, particularly in the context of agriculture, climate change, rural development, food security and nutrition;Experience on GCF, GEF or Investment Financing Institutions (IFI) is an advantage.
โข ย ย ย ย Working knowledge of French and English.
FAO Core Competencies
โข ย ย ย ย Results Focus
โข ย ย ย ย Teamwork
โข ย ย ย ย Communication
โข ย ย ย ย Building Effective Relationships
โข ย ย ย ย Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
โข ย ย ย ย Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions in West Africa is desirable;
โข ย ย ย ย Extent and relevance of knowledge and experience in gender equality and mainstreaming.
โข ย ย ย ย Ability to provide technical and advisory services.
โข ย ย ย ย Experience in formulation or implementation of projects in sub-Saharan Africa, especially for GEF, GCF and other climate finance donor agencies.
โข ย ย ย ย Experience in resource mobilisation, preferably in the areas of forestry, sustainable management of natural resources, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
โข ย ย ย ย Experience working with other UN agencies, RECs and FAO country Offices in project implementation
โข ย ย ย ย Relevant experience in the design, formulation or evaluation of substantial agricultural and rural development projects and programmes with a focus on climate change
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