GCF Project Coordinator

Overview

Manage project implementation for climate-smart agriculture.

You have:

• An advanced university degree in Sustainable Development, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Project Management, Business Administration, Accountancy, Financial Management or related field or a university degree in similar or related fields, combined with 2 additional years of specialized work experience related to environment and climate change, may be considered in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• A minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience, especially in project management.
• Working knowledge of English, and Sinhala and/or Tamil.
• A national of Sri Lanka.

Organizational Setting

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is at the forefront of work towards sustainable agriculture and food systems by promoting protection and sustainable use of natural resources, while meeting society’s growing needs for decent and resilient livelihoods. FAO has worked in Sri Lanka for over four decades, sharing technical expertise and building the capacity of stakeholders in agriculture, fisheries, livestock, forestry and environment sectors to build resilience, increase food security and ensure sustainable management of natural resources.

FAO had secured funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness programme, for implementing the project “Capacity enhancement of the National Designated Authority (NDA) and other relevant stakeholders in Sri Lanka to re-evaluate technical needs for climate change adaptation and mitigation and assess climate finance priorities for agriculture by developing innovative climate smart investment mechanisms through increased partnerships between public and private sectors (GCP/SRL/079/GCR)”. The Project Goal is to enhance the capacity of the Climate Change Secretariat of the Ministry of Environment and relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, to jointly identify and implement technical needs for addressing Sri Lanka’s climate challenges in its priority sectors, and leverage public and private investment for climate-smart agriculture through scientific knowledge-based planning. The main outputs of the project are:

• Sectoral and national Technology Needs Assessments (TNAs) and Technology Action Plans (TAPs) updated for mitigation and adaptation with clear strategies to implement the Nationally Determined Contributions and the National Adaptation Plan. • Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) investment plan developed based on updated Agro-ecological maps and other relevant information. • Capacity of the NDA and relevant stakeholders strengthened to facilitate a dialogue and forge partnerships between the public and private sectors for increased private sector engagement and investment in CSA. • Concrete strategies and actions developed for improving private sector engagement and investment in CSA in the plantation and non-plantation sub-sectors identified through a public-private forum • Capacities of relevant stakeholders enhanced to prepare quality concept notes for developing bankable projects for implementing the CSA investment plan • GCF concept notes developed for in the plantation and non-plantation sub-sectors to advance the CSA investment plan through potential AEs, including FAO. • NDA’s data and information portal/web platform established to FAO’s Climate and Agriculture risk Visualization and Assessment (CAVA) platform to improve Sri Lanka's capacity to analyse, manage and disseminate information concerning climate vulnerabilities and risks • Awareness and capacity of NDA enhanced with clear ways forward to improve knowledge management related to climate finance.

FAO is recruiting a GCF Project Coordinator to provide overall support for the implementation of all the outcomes, outputs and activities identified in the project document. He/She is responsible for day-to-day project management and regular monitoring of project results and risks, including social and environmental risks, reporting and the management of grant, procurements etc. The post is based in the FAO Representation in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Reporting Lines

The GCF Project Coordinator will be working under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative (FAOR) for Sri Lanka and the Maldives and the direct supervision of the Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) with technical supervision by the Environment Specialist. He/she will also receive technical advice from the Lead Technical Officer/s at FAO Regional Office for Asia and Pacific and from other relevant technical officers at HQ, with regard to project implementation. He/she will further receive guidance from the Project Steering Committee and technical support from the Environment and Climate Change Specialist.

Technical Focus

• Implementation of projects in accordance with project document and implementation plan. • Effective support to the other national and international consultants on project implementation. • Visibility initiatives related to the field program. • Regular meetings with relevant stakeholders including the Project Steering Committee to discuss the progress of the project implementation plan.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Lead Project Management Unit (PMU) and manage day-today implementation of the project with the technical support from the Environment and Climate Change specialist • Develop the annual work plan and budget based on the project work plan. • Carry out financial management of project budgets on behalf of the budget holder • Ensure that all project personnel maintain a high level of transparency, responsibility and accountability in M&E and in reporting of project results. • Serve as secretary to the Project Steering Committee and report of any delays or difficulties encountered during implementation to ensure that appropriate support and corrective measures are adopted to ensure a smooth implementation of the project. • Mobilize and engage stakeholders throughout project activities. • Coordinate among national line ministries and non-government entities (private sector, academia and research institutions, and civil society) and other regional and international organizations in the country as required for delivery of the work plan. • Synergize with other agencies, and collaboratively leverage work to avoid duplication and maximize overall value-for-money. • Produce required project reports in the GCF format (narrative, financial) in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Specialist. • Undertake any related tasks as requested by AFAOR (Programme);

CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING

Minimum Requirements

• An advanced university degree in Sustainable Development, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Project Management, Business Administration, Accountancy, Financial Management or related field or a university degree in similar or related fields, combined with 2 additional years of specialized work experience related to environment and climate change, may be considered in lieu of an advanced university degree. • A minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience, especially in project management. Project management activities related to climate change mitigation and adaptation will be advantages. • Working knowledge of English, and Sinhala and/ Tamil. • A national of Sri Lanka.

FAO Core Competencies

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

Technical/Functional Skills

• Familiarity with effectively use standard office software, such as MS Office (Windows, Word, Outlook, Excel, Power Point). • Extent and relevance of experience or knowledge of and in provision of project management in climate change aspects is preferable • Extent and relevance of experience in supporting national and international meetings, seminars and training courses.

Selection Criteria

• Extent and relevance of experience in one or more of the main areas including climate change, natural resource management, fisheries, or other related fields • Extent of experience in project formulation / project management, including formulation, work planning, budgeting, implementation, reporting and administration. • Experience in coordinating and liaising with industry, academia, national authorities, UN agencies, donors, intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations. • Familiarity with the UN System and /or development sector is an asset. • Previous experience with government and regional/international organization and donor project management.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
• Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you need help please contact: [email protected]
• Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
• Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/
• For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website: http://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
• Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.

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Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: fao.org