GEF PROJECT DESIGN SPECIALISTS

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device

• FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background, and culture
• Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented member nations, and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
• Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct and to uphold our values. FAO has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and FAO, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, and discrimination
• All selected candidates, therefore, will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• 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

Organizational Setting

FAO considers climate change a top-line corporate priority. Through the newly-endorsed Strategy on Climate Change,
FAO will focus its work on three fronts:

•First, to enhance institutional and technical capacities of Member States.
•Second, to improve integration of food security, agriculture, forestry and fisheries within the international climate agenda.
•And third, to strengthen internal coordination and delivery of FAO’s work.

This Strategy translates FAO’s core mandate into strategic choices and action priorities at global, regional, national and
local levels with the central goal of supporting its Member Nations in achieving their commitments to face climate change.
It will be implemented through FAO’s Strategic Framework.
FAO’s climate change portfolio has grown rapidly in recent years to respond to country needs. In the period 2009 - 2014,
over 300 projects and programmes explicitly sought to address climate change adaptation and mitigation. FAO’s current
Programmes and Projects.

FAO’s Coordination Unit for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) supports governments, civil society, and FAO
Decentralized Offices to conceptualize, develop and deliver strategic GEF co-financed investments. FAO-GEF’s
work focusses on the critical nexus between global environmental issues and sustainable agriculture and on the
nexus between FAO’s own Strategic Programmes and the GEF’s Programming Directions. FAO’s GEF portfolio
encompasses the range of investment priorities across GEF’s priority areas of work, including biodiversity, climate
change (mitigation and adaptation), land degradation, chemicals and waste, international waters and sustainable forest
management.

FAO International Consultants and Call purpose

The purpose of this call is to provide the GEF unit in the Climate and Environment Division (CBC) 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 Expert will work under the overall technical supervision of the Senior GEF Coordinator and the
direct supervision of the lead 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 Focus

Identification, design, 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, biological diversity and other environmental services.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise or advice and project design guidance to project proponents in the identification, development
• and implementation of natural resource/environmental project proposals that address country priorities and further
• FAO and GEF (or other environmental funds) strategic objectives, programme priorities and operational policies and
• procedures.
• Participate in, and/or leads, multidisciplinary teams to assist governments and Decentralized Offices in the identification
• and formulation of natural resource and environmental management projects for financing by the GEF Trust Fund, Least
• Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) or other environmental funds.
• Ensure quality control of the GEF project concepts and full project proposals in line with GEF eligibility criteria and
• alignment with GEF Programming Directions.
• Coordinate and as required take a lead role in preparing project proposals.
• Participate in, and/or leads, 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,
• adaptation and other environmental funds.
• Contribute to and/or advise on strategic and programmatic concepts for consideration under the next four-year phase of
• the GEF (GEF-7).
• Contribute to, and/or advise on FAO GEF implementation support including, conducting mid-term reviews of projects.
• As required, supports the management of the FAO-GEF portfolio, monitors and supervises implementation of assigned
• projects, and ensures quality control at all stages of the FAO and GEF project cycles
• Perform other related duties as required

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in natural resources management, environment, or natural resource 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.
o For Consultants level C: one to five years of relevant experience in one of the technical areas listed above
o For Consultants level B: at least five years of relevant experience in one of the technical areas listed above
o For Consultants level A: at least twelve of relevant experience in one of the technical areas listed above
• Working knowledge of English and limited knowledge of one of the other languages of the Organization (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish).

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions is desirable
• Demonstrated analytical and conceptual skills with proven ability to write project documents and papers and ability to
analyse and integrate diverse information from various sources
• Extent and relevance of experience in preparation of projects and programmatic approaches (particularly GEF projects
and programmes) and in results-based monitoring and supervision of multidisciplinary projects
• Extent and relevance of experience with and knowledge of the procedures of GEF and other environmental funds
• 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 FAO’s priorities and comparative advantages
• Extent and relevance of experience in providing technical expertise or advice to project proponents at national, subregional
and regional levels with regard to project development, results-based management, monitoring and evaluation
planning, and monitoring for project impact
• Demonstrated capacity to write technical reports in English

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