Technical Officer (FAO-GEF Regional Lead for RAF-RNE)

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• 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 Members and persons 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 FAO's values
• FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination　　
• All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
• All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
• FAO staff are subject to the authority of the Director-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the Organization.

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.

Organizational Setting
FAO is a specialized technical UN Agency, bringing unique technical knowledge, information and capacity to bear on one of the world's great challenges: feeding 9 billion people while conserving the environment. FAO has been an implementing agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) since 2006. The FAO-GEF portfolio - currently comprised of over 200 projects worth over USD 1 billion in GEF investments - is growing steadily as countries demand more of what FAO has to offer. As a GEF Agency, FAO works with Member Nations and partners to access GEF financing for strategic projects that help countries to address global environmental challenges while improving agriculture production, accessing value chains, reducing hunger and improving nutrition.
The GEF-8 Programme is aligned more than ever with FAO's core competencies and strategic priorities in the areas of sustainable agriculture, fisheries, forestry and land and water management. FAO's GEF portfolio extends across all five of GEF's focal areas: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Land Degradation, International Waters, and Chemicals and Waste. The OCB-GEF Unit works closely with colleagues from across FAO to help Members in developing projects for financing through the GEF Trust Fund, the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), and the Least Developed Countries Fund (LCDF). The GEF-8 Programme will emphasize funding for LDCs and SIDs, and there is a strong likelihood that Africa will receive more GEF grant financing in GEF-8 than in any previous GEF replenishment period.
The current FAO-GEF portfolio in Africa comprises 28 percent of the total global FAO-GEF portfolio, with more than 70 projects valued at USD $350 million. The portfolio includes projects from all five GEF Trust Fund focal areas, as well as the LDCF and the SCCF, which is valued at USD 134 million, or 38 percent, of the entire FAO-GEF regional portfolio. The FAO-GEF portfolio in North Africa and the Near East is comprised of 16 projects valued at USD 72 million.
The OCB-GEF Unit provides thematic advice and guidance to FAO in the key priority programming areas of the GEF. The OCB-GEF Unit serves as the funding liaison unit in FAO for the GEF and is responsible for overseeing the FAO-GEF project cycle. In addition to serving as a Funding Liaison Officer for a portfolio of projects, this position will serve as the Regional Lead for FAO's GEF programme in Africa and the Near East. The Regional Lead will liaise with the Regional Office for Africa (RAF), the three Subregional Offices under RAF, and the Regional Office for the Near East (RNE) and associated Subregional Offices to ensure that high quality technical and policy guidance is provided FAO, countries and partners related to GEF's work in support of project development and implementation.
The post is located in the GEF Unit in the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment (OCB) at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy, and will consult and coordinate with the RAF and RNE.

Reporting Lines
The Technical Officer (FAO-GEF Regional Lead for RAF-RNE) reports to the Senior Coordinator, GEF Unit, in OCB.

Technical Focus
a) Strategic thematic advice and guidance on regional GEF programming priorities and approaches as they relate to FAO's comparative advantages, strategic framework, and regional priorities;
b) Identification, design, implementation support and monitoring of FAO-GEF projects and programmes. It includes strategic and policy work, with a focus on the nexus between global environmental challenges and sustainable agriculture, including climate change and resilience, biological diversity conservation and sustainable use, agrobiodiversity, land, water, fisheries, forestry, natural capital and ecosystem services.

Key Results
Provision of technical expertise for the development, approval and delivery of environmental investment projects for FAO Members in accordance with FAO Strategic Framework, GEF Programming Directions and country priorities.

Key Functions

• Provides technical expertise 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.
• Contributes to the strategic programming of FAO's GEF work, and assists in coordinating GEF team work for respective region.
• Participates in, and potentially 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.
• Ensures quality control at all stages of the GEF project cycle in line with GEF eligibility criteria and alignment with GEF Programming Directions.
• Coordinates the preparation and approval of project proposals and as required takes a lead role in drafting proposals.
• Assists in the management of the FAO-GEF portfolio, monitors and supervises implementation of assigned projects and makes recommendations for improvement.
• Keeps abreast of new developments and requirements in the GEF-managed and other environmental funds.
• Contributes to the preparation of the annual Project Implementation Reviews (PIR) and to FAO's reporting to the GEF Secretariat and GEF Council.
• Participates in 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.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Specific Functions
Regional Lead

• Coordinates and manages OCB-GEF regional teamwork and strategic programming in RAF and RNE and participates in regular OCB-GEF management meetings.
• Collaborates with Finance and Project Implementation Support (FPIS) and Monitoring - Reporting (M-R) teams to maintain regional GEF portfolio information, ensures the timely implementation of project milestones across the regional portfolio, facilitates follow up on at risk projects, identifies and mitigates implementation challenges, and provides targeted support to Country Offices in the implementation, operation and monitoring of GEFs projects.
• Works with Senior Coordinator to set and achieve resource mobilization targets for the region for a typical GEF replenishment period.
• Leads the implementation of the FAO-GEF Strategy and Action Plan in the region and contributes to establishing and strengthening strategic partnerships in the region.
• Serves as the main point of contact for RAF and RNE on GEF programme and policy development and when requested, participates in regular Regional Office management meetings to support resource mobilization and pipeline planning reviews with RO management and FAO Representation.
• Coordinates with Regional Office to ensure synergies with regional programming and policy priorities and supports the development of a high-quality GEF project pipeline in the RAF and RNE based on regional priorities, GEF replenishment opportunities, and FAO-GEF Programmatic Areas of Work (PAWs).
• Works with FPIS, M-R lead, Regional Office field programme officers and technical leads to support the RO and SRO operational and technical roles in delivering the FAO-GEF portfolio.
• Facilitates knowledge management and sharing in regional portfolio, working with the Regional Offices and the M-R and Communications team in OCB-GEF to capture and disseminate lessons learned and success stories between countries, headquarters, and Regional Offices.

FAO-GEF Funding Liaison Officer

• Serves as FAO-GEF FLO for select projects, in balance with Regional Lead responsibilities.
• Leads the formulation and implementation of complex GEF programmes and projects within a regional portfolio, ensuring operational viability and due compliance with the Organization's policy standards and best practices, as well as convergence with GEF policies and priorities.
• Collaborates with GEF Unit colleagues to ensure projects within a regional portfolio are prepared effectively and efficiently within the 12-month project preparation phase from concept approval to project document submission and are managed efficiently to achieve key milestones throughout the entire project cycle in a timely manner, including start up, first disbursement and closure.
• Provides critical technical inputs to robust regional portfolio management and the maintenance of programme/project and portfolio information and FAO project information systems.
• Provides high quality products, inputs and support to meet the standards of the Project Implementation Reviews, Mid-term Reviews and Terminal Evaluations.

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CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in natural resources management or related biological sciences, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, social sciences, international policy or a related field.
• Seven years of relevant experience in designing and implementing innovative programming at the nexus between agriculture and the environment, including providing policy advice and analysis, applying innovative tools and approaches in environmental, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of English and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of one of the other FAO official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).

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.
• Demonstrated ability and experience in coordinating and managing multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
• Extent of experience and success in mobilizing resources, building a GEF portfolio, and supervising multidisciplinary projects and programmes across two or more of the GEF priority areas (biodiversity, climate change mitigation, land degradation, international waters, chemicals and waste, climate change adaptation).
• Demonstrated ability to analyse and integrate diverse sources of information into coherent stories in the form of compelling project proposals and communications in English.
• Extent and relevance of experience in communicating with a wide range of stakeholders and in providing clear technical and policy advice to project proponents at national, subregional and regional levels about GEF priorities, results-based management and monitoring.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of French is considered an asset.