GEF Technical Specialist

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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 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 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

Organizational Setting

The Office of Climate, Biodiversity and the Environment (FAO-OCB) assists member countries in identifying and developing sound responses to the global environmental challenges including climate change, biodiversity, land and water degradation, shared freshwater and marine resources (international waters) and sound management of chemicals and waste. OCB hosts the FAO-Global Environment Facility (GEF) Coordination unit. FAO is a partner agency of the GEF - a global financial mechanism supporting national commitments to key multilateral environment agreements. FAO supports eligible countries to access resources managed by the GEF Secretariat, including the GEF Trust Fund, the Least Development Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) with project identification, development and implementation.

FAO brings to the partnership extensive knowledge and expertise in sustainable agriculture, including forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, agri-food systems, ecosystem restoration, as well as project formulation and resource mobilization. It draws on its strong field presence and in-depth understanding of GEF policies and procedures to assist member countries with more than 230 projects balanced across regions and focal areas, benefitting over 4.6 million women and men. The synergies between GEF and FAO priorities and the importance of FAO’s thought leadership and contribution in the above areas to our member countries have resulted in the rapid growth of this partnership.
The Asia and Pacific region (RAP) hosts one of FAO’s largest portfolios of GEF projects, and its continued expansion is being nurtured under the eighth cycle of GEF (GEF-8, 2022-2026). As a key contributor to the FAO-GEF Unit, the GEF Technical Specialist will work closely with the FAO-GEF team including GEF Technical Officers, Budget Holders, and Lead Technical Officers in the Regional Office for the Asia and the Pacific (RAP), Sub-regional Office for the Asia and the Pacific (SAP), HQ-based Technical Officers, FAO country offices and partners (including governments) to ensure that GEF projects are designed and implemented with the highest technical quality.
The GEF Technical Specialist position is based in the RAP Office, in Bangkok, Thailand and/or in a FAO RAP country office, to be determined by FAO RAP and OCB as the most cost effective option.

Reporting Lines

The GEF Technical Specialist (GTS) will work under the OCB-GEF Senior Coordinator, in close collaboration with the RAP-GEF Regional Coordinator, GEF Technical Officers (GTO) and lead technical officers (LTO) in RAP. S/he will play a key role in building FAO’s GEF-8 project pipeline in RAP and SAP, while providing implementation support to approved and ongoing projects.

Technical Focus

The overall technical focus of the assignment is to facilitate strengthening of the FAO-GEF portfolio in Asia and the Pacific. The GTSwill perform associated GEF funding liaison functions, covering select countries in the RAP region, and performing other FAO-GEF related tasks, providing technical advice, expertise and capacity development to support FAO-GEF project design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation.

Tasks and responsibilities

• Work closely with GTOs to support RAP countries in strengthening the FAO-GEF portfolio.
• Support FAO country offices in the effective management of GEF projects and programs under implementation, and provide necessary assistance and guidance on GEF project management processes, as needed.
- This includes review of the six-monthly progress reports, annual Project Implementation Report, mid-term reviews and terminal reports, participation in project task force meetings of assigned projects, regional portfolio monitoring meetings
• Support and facilitate the identification of potential GEF8 project ideas, expressions of interest (EOIs), project concepts and detailed project document development in consultation with the GEF RAP team and relevant country offices; uploading and tracking of project documents in FPMIS and the GEF portal.
• Support the design, preparation and submission of country child projects under relevant IPs or focal areas of GEF 8.
• Identify opportunities for collaboration with other external agencies as well as other divisions in FAO to enhance effectiveness of the GEF portfolio.
• Support knowledge management, capacity building and strategic planning on GEF
• Other related tasks as assigned.

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• University degree in natural resources management, climate change, climatology, disaster risk management, economics, agricultural and environmental economics, agribusiness management, international relations or a related field as appropriate for the specific profile
• At least five years relevant experience in analytical studies, and/or in planning, design, supervision of natural resources management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, agricultural and rural projects and programmes, including in developing countries and/or countries in transition
• For consultant: working knowledge (level C) of English and limited knowledge (level B) of French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and/or Russian; for PSA, working knowledge of English.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Extent and relevance of experience in working with FAO and the GEF.
• Extent and relevance of experience in the formulation of programmes/projects and financial strategies.
• Extent and relevance of experience in preparation of sector studies as well as formulation, implementation support or evaluation of natural resource management, climate change adaptation and/or mitigation, integrated rural development.
• Extent and relevance of experience in due diligence of programmes/projects in food security, nutrition, agriculture, rural development, natural resource management and climate change adaptation and/or mitigation including but not limited to environmental and social safeguards, gender equality and Indigenous People
• Extent and relevance of experience in development of technical knowledge products
• Extent and relevance of experience in capacity development for the design and implementation of natural resource management, climate change adaptation and/or mitigation investments
• Demonstrated experience in dealing with government officials, development partners, the private sector and other country level stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience of working on projects at the field level in Asia and the Pacific is an advantage.

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