International GEF Expert

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FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender and nationality

People with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality

The incumbent may be re-assigned to different activities and/or duty stations depending on the evolving needs of the Organization

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Organizational Setting:

For more than four decades, FAO has been working with the Government of the Philippines, civil society, community-based organizations and the private sector to address challenges in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sector. Joint efforts have included increasing sustainability in agricultural production, promoting value-adding practices, improving post-harvest management, enhancing productivity and increasing the resilience of agriculture-based livelihoods to natural disasters, climatic hazards and armed conflict.

Reporting Lines:

The International GEF Expert will be under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in the Philippines ad interim, the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative for Programme, the technical supervision of the FLO (GEF Coordination Unit) and LTO, and in close collaboration with the Natural Resource Management Specialist.

Technical Focus:

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) recently approved the Project Identification Project (PIF) of the project entitled “Sustainable Management of Natural Resources towards Rehabilitation and Preservation of the Key Biodiversity Area along Bataan Province to Manila Bay”. The project specifically aims to mainstream biodiversity and sustainable land management (SLM) in key biodiversity areas (KBA) along Bataan Province to Manila Bay In response to the said objective, the project’s interventions will focus on the following three components: (i) Provincial level capacity to support mainstreaming biodiversity and SLM and development and implementation of provincial level land use planning and development frameworks; (ii) Capacity building, natural resource management and sustainable livelihoods to deliver global environmental benefits in key biodiversity areas (KBAs) at sub-provincial level in Bataan province; and (iii) Monitoring and evaluation and knowledge management.

In line with this, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Government of the Philippines, will now develop the full project document based on the approved PIF and in alignment with the national priorities, FAO comparative advantages, and GEF 7 programming directions. Project preparation activities will include desktop review as well as multi-stakeholder consultations and workshops to ensure the involvement of key stakeholders in the project design process and generate commitments both at the national and sub-national levels.

The project will focus on the Bataan Province which is directly connected to the bigger natural system of the Manila Bay catchment. Within this project site, the nature and extent of specific target sites for field-level activities will be confirmed during the project development phase, taking into consideration the existence of globally important environmental values and addressable associated threats, community buy-in, and resource availability.

It is expected that through the project implementation, biodiversity and SLM concerns will be successfully mainstreamed across landscapes. Likewise, the project will facilitate better partnerships among stakeholders and provide appropriate tool to decision makers in effectively addressing major threats on SLM and biodiversity conservation in the project sites.

Tasks and responsibilities

The International GEF Expert will lead the completion of a full GEF Project Document and supporting materials.

Specifically, the International GEF Expert will carry out the following tasks:

1. Lead the completion of a fundable FAO/GEF Project Document, CEO Request, and supporting documentation in compliance with the GEF-7 Trust Fund results framework, the GEF-approved PIF and general FAO-GEF requirements;
2. Oversee and direct PPG activities, guiding and overseeing the project design team to ensure that results are professional and positively contribute in the completion of the final Project Document, CEO Request, and other supporting materials;
3. Lead the project design team formation and their orientation to ensure that that all are familiar with the project concept, GEF requirements (including tracking tools), key FAO concepts relevant to the project and requirements, as well as the comments/ concerns from the GEFSEC and STAP that needs to be addressed during the project design phase;
4. Serve as primary author and provide overall conceptual guidance to overall project design;
5. Ensure that the project design process is participatory with strong stakeholder involvement from government, local communities, CSOs, academia, private sector, women, indigenous communities, and others;
6. Assist the LTO in determining whether FAO’s environmental safeguards standards are triggered and, if so, assist the LTO in designing an appropriate mitigation plan;
7. Ensure that all documentation gives due consideration to GEFSEC, STAP and GEF Council Comments, including providing responses and commentary as necessary
8. Lead the drafting and completion of corresponding baseline information in GEF tracking tools for Biodiversity, Land Degradation, and Climate Change Mitigation
9. Represent the project design team in meetings and presentations as required;
10. Support FAO/Philippines in identifying potential co-financiers as well as in securing co-financing commitments; and
11. Carry out other relevant duties within his/her technical competence as requested by FAO.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in natural resource conservation related field;
• At least ten (10) years of demonstrated GEF experience in relevant fields with extensive leadership background related to successful design/preparation of full-sized FAO-GEF projects.
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of one of the other FAO official languages (French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian).

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Previous working experience in the Philippines or tropical Asia
• General knowledge and skills in the use of standard office software, such as MS Office (Word, Excel, Power Point)

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Please note that all candidates should adhere to FAO Values of Commitment to FAO, Respect for All and Integrity and Transparency

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