Organizational Setting
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) contributes to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda through the FAO Strategic Framework by supporting the transformation to MORE efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, for better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life, leaving no one behind.
The Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) works to ensure that countries and stakeholders respond to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation. OCB provides a cross organizational coordination role on issues related to climate change, biodiversity and the environment, and is the focal point to major multilateral environmental agreements including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The Office also assists FAO Members in their responses towards the interlinked challenges of food security, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation, including through facilitating access to climate and environmental financing (such as the Global Environment Fund GEF and the Green Climate Fund GCF). In addition, OCB hosts the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Programme, the Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, as well as FAO's work on environmental safeguards
FAO is a lead implementing partner agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The GEF is a multilateral family of funds dedicated to confronting biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, and supporting land and ocean health. The GEF is a financing mechanism for ย five international environmental conventions: the Minamata Convention on Mercury, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), the UNCBD, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the UNFCCC that could be financed by the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF).ย
FAO is one of the top GEF partner implementing agencies worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 300 projects valued at more than USD 1.8 billion in grant financing and more than USD 10 billion in cofinancing. FAO supports eligible countries in accessing resources from all of the GEF family of trust funds.
The Office of Climate and Biodiversity (OCB) hosts the FAO-GEF Coordination Unit (OCB-GEF), which serves as the liaison unit
in FAO with the GEF Secretariat. OCB-GEF works closely with colleagues from across FAOโs technical divisions and regional and subregional offices to support countries. GEF project design specialists successfully interviewed, approved,
and assigned to this roster will work with this FAO-GEF community worldwide to assist countries.
The purpose of this call is to provide FAO-GEF related teams with a list of qualified candidates to support and/or lead GEF project
formulation, monitoring and evaluation and/or planning processes. The assignment may be home based with required travel for field
missions.
Reporting Lines
The GEF Project Design Specialist will work under the overall technical supervision of the Senior GEF Coordinator of OCB-GEF
and the direct supervision of a GEF Regional Lead or the lead GEF Technical Officer, in close collaboration with the FAO
Representation in the relevant country of assignment, and in close collaboration with the national GEF Executing Agency.
Technical Focusย
Identification, formulation, implementation support and monitoring of FAO-GEF projects and programmes and those of other
environmental financing mechanisms. It includes strategic and policy work, with a focus on the nexus between global
environmental challenges and sustainable agriculture, including climate change and resilience, land, water, fisheries,
forestry, biodiversity, pollution and chemicals and other environmental issues.
Tasks and responsibilities
โข ย ย Provide technical expertise or advice and project design guidance to project proponents in the identification, formulation and implementation of natural resource/environmental project proposals that address country priorities and further FAO and GEF strategic objectives, programme priorities and operational policies and procedures.
โข ย ย Participate in, and/or lead, multidisciplinary teams to assist governments and FAO Decentralized Offices in the identification and formulation of natural resource and environmental projects for financing by the GEF Trust Fund, Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) or other environmental funds.
โข ย ย Ensure quality control of the GEF project concepts and full project proposals in line with GEF eligibility criteria and alignment with GEF-8 Programming Directions and with GEF-9 Programming Directions once approved.
โข ย ย Coordinate and as required take a lead role in formulating project proposals.
โข ย ย Participate in, and/or lead, the design and delivery of capacity development activities to FAO technical staff in headquarters and Decentralized Offices on the strategies, priorities and procedures, trends and issues related to GEF and other environmental funds.
โข ย ย Contribute to and/or advise on strategic and programmatic concepts for consideration under GEF-8 and GEF-9.
โข ย ย Contribute to, and/or advise on FAO GEF implementation support including, conducting mid-term reviews of projects.
โข ย ย As required, support the management of the FAO-GEF portfolio, monitor and supervise implementation strategies of assigned projects, and ensure quality control at all stages of the FAO and GEF project cycles.
โข ย ย Perform other related duties as required.ย
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
โข ย ย University degree in natural resources management, environment, agriculture or environmental economics, or in a field directly related to one or more of the following areas: biodiversity, climate change, energy, sustainable land, forest or water management.
โข ย ย For PSA level C: a minimum of one year of relevant experience in biodiversity, climate change, energy, sustainable land, forest or water management. For Consultants level C: a minimum of two years of relevant experience in biodiversity, climate change, energy, sustainable land, forest or water management.
โข ย ย For Consultants/PSA level B: a minimum of five years of relevant experience in biodiversity, climate change, energy, sustainable land, forest or water management.
โข ย ย For Consultants/PSA level A: a minimum of ten years of experience in biodiversity, climate change, energy, sustainable land, forest or water management.
โข ย ย Working Knowledge of English (proficiency level C)ย
FAO Core Competencies
โข ย ย Results Focus
โข ย ย Teamwork
โข ย ย Communication
โข ย ย Building Effective Relationships
โข ย ย Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
โข ย ย Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable.
โข ย ย Extent and relevance of experience in project formulation, Theory of Change and programmatic approaches (particularly GEF projects and programmes) and in results-based monitoring and supervision of multidisciplinary projects.
โข ย ย Extent and relevance of experience with and knowledge of the procedures of GEF and other environmental funds.
โข ย ย Extent and relevance of experience in one or more of the GEF focal thematic areas (biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, sustainable forest management, sound chemicals management/persistent organic pollutants) that in turn is relevant to FAOโs priorities and comparative advantages.
โข ย ย Demonstrated analytical and conceptual skills with proven ability to write project documents and papers, analyse and integrate diverse information from various sources and effectively consult with stakeholders involved.
โข ย ย Extent and relevance of experience in providing technical expertise or advice to project proponents at national, subregional and regional levels with regard to project formulation, results-based management, implementation strategies, monitoring and evaluation planning, and monitoring for project impact.
โข ย ย Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in English.
โข ย ย Limited knowledge (intermediate level B) of one of the other languages of the Organization
(Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish).ย