National Climate Change Mapping Expert

Organizational Setting

The Republic of Mauritius faces challenges and gaps due to limited technical knowledge, inefficient systems to support the appraisal of climate projects and to further monitor and evaluate their implementation; constraints to access climate finance; limited awareness and knowledge of relevant stakeholders to support planning, programming and implementation of GCF-funded activities and limited available information sharing on climate information, climate finance and GCF related activities.

The Government of Mauritius is undertaking its readiness activities for accessing Green Climate Fund (GCF) resources to address national climate change and sustainable development priorities. Within these activities, the Ministry of Finance, Economic, Planning and Development of Mauritius is coordinating with FAO on the implementation and monitoring of the GCF-approved FAO-implemented Readiness Proposal (project) titled “Advancing the agriculture, water and energy pipeline, with increased awareness of key stakeholders and strengthening capacities of the National Designated Authority (NDA) and direct access applicants in the Republic of Mauritius.”

The goal of this Readiness project is to support Mauritius to catalyse climate financing from the GCF for climate adaptation and mitigation projects in the agriculture, water and energy sectors. This will be achieved through strengthening Mauritius NDA’s capacities and operational systems to support formulation, monitoring and evaluation of climate projects, support Direct access applicants in Mauritius to establish capacity to meet GCF accreditation standards, strengthen Mauritius’ key stakeholders’ capacities and systems to support planning, programming and implementation of GCF activities, support the development of the evidence base to strengthen strategic frameworks, develop quality CNs in priority sectors and submit them to the GCF for consideration and share best practices to strengthen pipeline development in adaptation and mitigation.

The key stakeholders involved in this Readiness project include the Ministry of Agro Industry, Food Security, Fisheries and Blue Economy (Agro Industry & Food Security  Division) Ministry of Environment, Solid Waste and Climate Change (MOESWMCC), Department of Climate Change, Climate Change Committee (CCC) members, Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (FAREI), the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, the Central Electricity Board (CEB), the Mauritius Renewable Energy Agency, academia, private sector and civil society organizations in Mauritius.

Reporting Lines

Under the general supervision of the FAO Deputy Representative in Madagascar and the direct supervision of the National Project Coordinator of the GCF Readiness Project in Mauritius.

Technical Focus

The National Climate Change Mapping Expert will provide technical support to the Project and the NDA for all activities related to the database of key climate change projects, their financing, duration, results achieved, and financing sources. This includes
mapping information of different actors such as the public, private, UN, development agencies, universities, NGOs, etc. The expert will also coordinate in data collection and facilitate meetings and focus group consultations with the agriculture, water and energy sectors.

Tasks and responsibilities

•     Undertake stocktaking exercise of past, ongoing and planned climate change interventions and research, their results and potential use for improved coordination among the major sectors.
•     Collect data and prepare a database on key information of all projects related to climate change including research, adaptation and mitigation Investments, technical assistance, results achieved, etc., and the funds received and planned for climate action by different institutions and international and national agencies operating in the country. 
•     Collect data and retrieve information from reports, questionnaires and spreadsheets mainly on agriculture, water and energy sectors for pre-feasibility studies and preparation of concept notes as required by the International Consultants. 
•     Collect recommendations from the NDA to assess their capacities and skills, institutional arrangements.
•     Facilitate meetings and focus group discussions with private sector and key stakeholders/respondents for interviews and discussions on agriculture, water and energy sectors.
•     Develop an action plan to address gaps (short term and long-term technical capacity and human resources) and align the action plan with national priorities and policy frameworks, primarily NDC priorities.
•     Contribute to the organization of workshops and trainings.
•     Organize field visits if needed and provide feedback on data collection efforts. 
•     Attend online meetings and carry out a preliminary data availability screening (desk review) on agricultural and forestry potential residue availability, as well as solar resource availability assessment.
•     Contribute to the incorporation of updated data, information (on climate change, agriculture, natural resources) into the national climate information system/portal and updating of the NDA and Climate Change Centre databases; 
•     Build Support to develop a national-level repository of climate change projects, stakeholders, development partners, results delivered., institutional framework and coordination requirements. 
•     Perform any other related duties as required.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements    

•     Master's degree in environmental science, natural resource management, economics, public policy, climate change or any other similar related field relevant to the mission
•     At least 5 years of experience in implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of development projects and experience in working on climate change projects, experience in organizing and delivering trainings. 
•     Full proficiency in English and French.
•     Mauritian Nationality or resident in the country with a valid work permit.

FAO Core Competencies

•     Results Focus
•     Teamwork
•     Communication
•     Building Effective Relationships
•     Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement

Selection Criteria

•     Good knowledge and in-depth understanding of the climate change issues, GCF objectives, operation and procedures, GCF funding mechanisms. 
•     Good knowledge of planning and programming.
•     Good knowledge of Mauritius commitments as described in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). 
•     Familiarity with gender-responsive and inclusive engagement approaches.
•     Experiences in working with government, civil society organizations and local communities. 
•     Strong facilitation, communication, and analytical skills